Service

I use SprintPCS... many people have a love/hate relationship with Sprint, but when it comes to value, signal and service I have been completely satisfied. In fact, I have been with Sprint since 1998.</p>

Making Calls

I previously used two Samsung phones, and a Motorola Timeport (Startac-like) with Sprint. The RL7300 has had the best reception of any Sprint phone I've used. I have had very few dropped calls and very clear connections. The speaker is so strong i usually keep it on the lowest setting. The keys on the keypad are well spaced (I have big fingers) and make dialing easy. The phonebook supports all kinds of contacts (home, cell, work, fax, data, email, no label...) and it is very easy to navigate.</p>

Features

The speakerphone is the "feature" I use the most. There is a dedicated button on the phone to turn the speakerphone on or off, so it's easy to use. The menus are really easy to navigate; the main menu is completely graphical and the submenus are ordered lists. The one feature that I think is lacking is the calendar. It is really ugly, and the interface is kind of clumsy. The to-do list helps make the calendar a little more useful.</p>

Texting

I use the text message feature all the time. My one grip is that I haven't figured out a way to make T9 (predictive text) the default input for text messages. Otherwise, the text message interface is quite powerful. Similar to an eMail program, you can create folders, view sent messages, save drafts, send to multiple recipients...</p>

Looks

The outside of the phone has really held up. Yeah, it supposed to be "ruggedized", but most small electronic gadgets tend to really show their age. Most of the phone is unpainted plastic or rubber and, unlike those "sleek" silver phones, there is no paint to get scratched off. The screen on the outside is very readable, and the screen on the inside is beautiful. All around this phone looks good for a rugged phone.</p>

Battery Life

I tend to average about 20 minutes a day on the phone (600 a month) and about 20-30 minutes using the web or playing downloaded games. Usually, the battery lasts 3 days before recharging, even after a year of use. Browsing the web seems to use a lot of battery -- so be warned.</p>

Overall

All around this is a really solid phone. The call quality is excellent, it has a ton of great features (no camera), and it truly is tough. If you are looking for a phone that will last, you can't do much better. If you're looking for all of the latest features, go elsewhere.</p>

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 129.99
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable