The Upgrade to Samsung's Great 3500 - The SPH-N200
Written: Sep 20 '01 (Updated Sep 23 '01)
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Pros: Lightweight, Sturdy, Great Options
Cons: At $199, still more than most are willing to pay
The Bottom Line: For the cellular phone user wanting the best features in a sleek clamshell design, the Samsung SPH-N200 should be the first choice phone.
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| vein's Full Review: Samsung SPH-N200 Silver |
Shopping Around
In mid-August, my beloved Samsung 3500 began it’s last weeks of life. At over a year and a half old with heavy usage, I figured the time would be here sooner, rather than later. When the speaker of the phone began dying with increased regularity on calls, I went to Staples, intent on replacing my 3500 with a Motorola V2267 cellular phone, at a cost of $99.
I’d been lusting after Samsung’s update to the 3500 model dual band phone, the SPH-N200, since the release of this dual band phone was first announced. In attractive colours of blue and silver, it featured all of the things I loved about the 3500 while including such updates as a stronger clamshell connection, a larger view screen, and more software features, the SPH-N200 still featured the design I fell in love with – a clamshell phone that gave the user the ability to see who was calling without physically opening the phone.
Despite this severe lusting for the replacement to my Samsung 3500, when the phone finally was released in mid August, I decided I could wait for a price drop from the starting price of $199.
From afar, I liked the basic design of the Motorola V2267, thinking it would suffice for half a year until the N200 was a more reasonable price. When I saw it up close, however, I was disappointed.
In addition to the lack of a clamshell design, the V2267 ran on only sub par NiMH batteries, a technology I thought was long dead. Reviews of the phone said it tended to run hotter than other phones, have dismal battery life, and was a general pain to use. Likewise, even I couldn’t fall in love with the cute peanut shaped design for dual band capability with buttons too close for my small girl fingers to hit properly.
Visa or Mastercard?
Knowing I needed a fully functional phone, I picked up one of the blue Samsung SPH-N200 phones that had just arrived hours ago. I hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed.
Samsung’s new phone had all of the features common to the other popular models – the 3500 and the SCH-8500:
•Clamshell design, perfect for being carried in purses
•Dual-band capability for Sprint PCS networks, including roaming on other PCS CDMA and analog networks
•Built-in web browser, wireless mail software, AOL Instant Messenger software
•Wireless modem capability to hook up a laptop computer modem to the phone in order to download mail or perform other tasks
•Built-in voice command, saving a provider charge to be able to pre-program a name with a number – when the phone is opened, simply speaking the persons name dials the number
•Backlit display with contrast controls
•Built-in phone book for 238 name/number combinations – each name is allowed up to 6 different numbers; automatic speed dialing from the phonebook can be set up
•Built-in calendar with to-do lists, timers, and event schedules
•Vibrate mode for calls, allowing for the phone to remain on in meetings
In addition to the features found on other Samsung models, the SPH-N200 expanded on modern technology to create their newest release:
•Predictive text entry for entering names and events into the phone book and calendar
•”Joystick” button for navigation for easier movement through the menus
•Backlit keypad for easier calling in the dark
•4.7oz weight with the standard battery (the 3500 was 5.5oz) and dimensions of 4.3”x1.9”x0.9” (with the 3500 at 4.4”x2.2”x1.0).
•128x96 pixel LCD screen
How I Love Thee…
From the start, I could see the improvements over the 3500. Unlike the older phone, this phone felt sturdy when the earpiece was against my ear, thanks in part to thicker metal connectors attaching the clamshell to the body of the phone. The clamshell had no give when pressed against my ear, unlike the 3500 which had a bit of give, even going as far as creaking when it was pressed against my ear.
Besides the clamshell connections on either side, the quality of the SPH-N200 seemed slightly higher. Some reviewers reported screens being scratched easily, due to the large size. Despite the fact that my phone is usually at the bottom of my purse, no scratches can be seen, with the phone looking as it did on day one. While I’ve not dropped the phone yet, it overall construction seems equal to that of the Samsung 3500, if not surpassing the older model. I have no doubt that it too will survive many falls. I have less confidence with the metallic blue colour, however, after years old silver phones; it was time for a change.
Of course, never mind for you serious types – this phone is available in both silver and metallic blue.
While the weight and size difference of the 3500 and N200 may not seem significant on paper, each little bit does add up. The size of the N200 felt better in my small hand, with the reduced weight being extremely noticeable when the phone is in my purse.
Because I’d been using the Samsung 3500 for such a long time, it took me a week or two to fully become accustomed to the joystick type movement of the navigator “button”. Those with larger fingers may have trouble with selecting the correct option, however, my significant other, who has much larger fingers than I do, had no trouble operating the joystick. I’ve heard that it is often hard to select the right option even with smaller fingers; however, I only found this to be true in the first week after my purchase.
Battery life with the standard packaged battery was stated to be 3.8 hours talk time, with a standby time of 130 hours. From my heavy usage so far, I’ve gotten somewhat more than the stated battery life if I’ve not gone into roaming mode at all during that charge “period”. As with any mainly digital cell phone, battery life in analog roam or service (or when the phone often switches between the two) will result in a lower battery life – the Samsung SPH-N200 is no different.
This phone has a ringer has 25 different rings – from beeps in different tones to whole classical songs. As with other Samsung phones, the rings can be different for each event – a call with caller id, a call without caller id, voice mail, text messages, alerts, and data/fax alerts can all be configured to different songs or tones. A huge plus on the N200 is an ability to shut the ringer off. With the old 3500, a ring could be stopped for voice mail, however, nothing could stop a ring save answering the call. By simply pressing either of the two volume keys, you can turn the ringer off in a snap – especially handy for those in class who forgot to silence the ringer. If the phone is set up to not auto-answer on opening the flip, pressing the End or OK key also will serve the same function, albeit while taking more time.
Handy for business users of the Samsung N200 is a mute feature, allowing the person on the other end of the line to be unable to hear what’s going happening on your end. With two simple key presses, a call can be muted or un-muted in seconds.
Testing… Testing…
As with any cellular phone, the signal you get is mainly up to the carrier’s tower position. However, as anyone with cellular experience knows, different phones get different ranges. Before I purchased my phone, I’d heard of a decreased range of strength, when compared to the 3500. While a cellular tower two blocks away made signal strength at home a non-issue, a dead spot not too far away was of some worry to me. Thankfully, I learned through experience that the SPH-N200 seems to have better signal strength than other Samsung phones.
An important call was made to me while I was on my way to the dead area. While still in the car, the voice quality did degrade by the time I parked in the “dead” area, however, both sides of the conversation were still able to understand one another. An experience like this would have not been possible with my Samsung 3500, which would have dropped the call as soon as it go to the “dead” area. I have noticed the phone seeks an analog or digital roam signal more often in buildings more often than my old phone did – I believe it’s possibly due to the N200 attempting to make a better quality phone in buildings than would be possible on the Sprint PCS network – still an annoyance, however, if a building you work in is affected. Oddly enough, however, is my experience at my university – in the basement of a building where my old phone never had a signal, I often have a perfectly useable signal. Ultimately, your mileage may vary depending on the building construction and tower placement.
The End
I often swore I’d never be a “guinea pig” for a new cell phone – I wanted all of the kinks worked out before I spent money on a phone. However, this Samsung SPH-N200 was just too cute and powerful to pass up. Unless this phone is your only phone, hold off until discounts on the phone will bring the price down – however, if you frequently use your phone or have a cellular phone as your home phone, the SPH-N200 is a perfect example of a brilliant cellular phone.
I used to think a phone better than the Samsung 3500 could never be found – that is, until Samsung one-upped themselves and released the SPH-N200. So far, so good – I couldn’t ask for a better phone.
For the cellular phone user wanting the best features in a sleek clamshell design, the Samsung SPH-N200 should be the first choice phone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
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Member: Courtney
Location: Detroit, MI
Reviews written: 88
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