Samsung N200 - Courtship of a phone
Written: Nov 29 '01 (Updated Nov 30 '01)
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Pros: The size, flip-up, super packed features are enough to make your mouth water
Cons: The price might make that mouth quite dry too...
The Bottom Line: If you want a phone that will give you a truckload of features and the durability too, this is your phone!
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| LifeStar's Full Review: Samsung SPH-N200 Silver |
Starters:
Let me first start off by saying that the gal who wrote the first review for this phone has done a wonderful job! Her epinion was actually what gave my decision to purchase this phone a lot of weight and I am glad that I took the chance. It’s a great phone!
Once upon a time…
There was once a guy named LifeStar who adamantly proclaimed for years that he would never get a cell phone until he ABSOULTELY needed it. He was sick of all the friends who got their first phones when they were still in high school. To make a long story short… pigs learned how to fly and that very hot place wasn’t very hot anymore…
Inquiry:
So, what prompted me to consider getting a cell phone after all those years of self-denial? Well, it started with my sister asking me if I was interested in getting a cell phone and plan with her roommate. Apparently, her roommate saw the Sprint PCS deal of getting 2 phones and receive 100 dollars off the price. Therefore, she wanted to know if I was willing to get a phone with her. When I asked my sis the price of the plan, it was quite reasonable. Though in the end I didn’t get the plan along with her, I still got the phone. Purchasing the phone though, it all began with me just thinking about getting a phone…
As I did my research, I became increasingly excited with the thought of getting a phone. After all those years of self-denial, I’ve come to a point in my college career where not being reachable was becoming a bad bad thing. This especially was true during the summer as it was hard for my classmates and I to coordinate our availability to work on projects and problem sets. Oh yes, having my friends not able to reach me was bothersome too.
The phone:
So, what prompted me to get the Samsung N-200? Well my sister’s roommate was planning on purchasing 2 3500’s, the precursor of the N-200. When I looked up the specs of the 3500 and then the N-200, I realized that the N-200 had much better features and I would rather buy something that hasn’t been already out in the market for close to 3 years.
Some of my requirements for my phone was it had to be small and not clunky like other phones I’ve seen before. It also had to have a some kind of PIM (Personal Information Management) built in. Having a calendar and a to-do list would definitely help me keep up with my projects and other activities I was planning on doing. The small size and weight definitely helps as I am a commuter student who takes the train to school everyday. Having something big and bulky on my belt or in my pants would not be fun at all!
So when I came upon the Samsung N-200 that was being offered through the Sprint PCS plan, I was very interested to say the least. However, as an experience and savvy shopper that I am, I had to go and check out the reviews for this phone and make sure that it was the real thing. One of those reliable sources I checked out was on epinions of course! I found one fantastic review on this phone and she definitely gave me many more reasons to consider getting this phone than the rest that were being offered through Sprint.
Features:
What I really like
1. Flip up design – This gives the user the ability to check the date & time, incoming calls, signal strength, battery life without having to lift up the cover. This design allows the screen to be clearly seen and with the joystick feature, you can use many of the menu options without having to lift the cover.
2. Larger screen size – I checked out this phone at a local Best Buy and compared it with the 3500. The screen on the N200 is much larger than the 3500’s. It also displays crisper text and somehow those Samsung engineers were able to squeeze in more lines of text too!
3. Joystick – I know some people have complained about this feature b/c they feel that the joystick is too small or clumsy for their fingers. I, on the other hand, feel that this has to be one of the most enjoyable features on this phone. I just simply use my thumb and select what I want to do. To me that’s a whole lot simpler than using dumb arrow keys on your keypad! All I need is one thumb while some of my nokia buddies have to use 2.
4. Weight & Size – This phone comes with a standard weight of 4.7 oz! That’s pretty light for a phone that has features up to boot! Another plus was that it has a small handprint so it doesn’t feel clunky or big when I’m holding it. It’s also very stylish as it has a very chisel kind of look and feel to it. It just feels good to hold and have clipped on your belt!
5. Comprehensive phonebook - This is something that caught me off guard. When I read the specs on this phone at first, I thought it should only hold 238 phone #s. That isn’t the case though! It lets you hold 238 names! For each name, you can input 6 different phone #s under it! Now I can’t say that I’ve used 238 entries yet, but I have 50 something names now, and many of those have their home, cell, work, and pager #s under them. Definitely a worthwhile feature for those who have many friends, classmates, family, business contacts.
What I disliked
1. Text input - One of my minor complaints about the phone is the text input algorithms that is used for the PIM system. One of the features on this phone is that it has a thing called the T-9 text inputter. This little program is suppose to make it easier for one to punch in event names, to do names, and other things into your PIM system. It does this by trying to guess what you’re really trying to type. So if you type in a certain key combo, it will assume you’re trying to type the word “Stop” maybe. However, this is a real annoyance to me!
The problem with this idea is what if the user wants to input short hand messages for himself? There is only so much space on the large display you know! I don’t know if one can turn this annoying feature off, but it sure gets in the way for me when I’m trying to do short hand names for my must do lists.
2. Strength-signal - Now I know this is a major consideration for people, especially for Sprint PCS people as we all know that our coverage isn’t all that great sometimes. Well, overall this phone has good signal strength. I usually get 4 ticks on it, but that’s because I live in Boston and Sprint has a pretty good presence on college campuses. However, I know that the moment I go underground, I lose signal faster than a bunny would have kids!
The phone also seems to be bent on getting you the best possible signal for its user. Not a bad thing right? Well, it is when you’re still able to talk to the person on the other line, but then your phone goes into the infamous “Looking for service” message b/c it believes the current signal strength could be better!
Other features:
The other features that I didn’t include in the previous section ought to be mentioned. With all that was listed above, it also has:
-7 different types of ringer settings (Including the wonderful vibrater!)
-25 different ring tones (Great for those who love Mozart)
-3 settings on how you would like to answer your phone (flip on, talk button, or any button)
-Voice activation (great for those people you would rather say the name instead of the #)
-Wireless web browser
Overall performance:
I have been using this phone constantly from day 1 when I got it activated. Hey when you got 2100 night minutes, you better use them! The battery life and the ease of use has made it a pleasure to use this phone. With an added headset that I got on my own, I really feel like a Borg connected to some sort of comm. system! It’s so light and portable around my home that you can see me walking around talking to open air, but it’s really just me on the phone.
This phone has seen late nights working over programming projects, talking with friends, and making calls to co-workers and such. After 3-4 months of use, this thing still feels new, and I believe that it will feel that way for a while to come. When you hold this phone, it really feels more like a one-piece unit, even though it is a flip up. The way Samsung made this phone really gave it a sturdy construction feel and you could probably drop it on the ground a couple of times and still have it go ticking! (You may try at your own risk! I’m not responsible for what happens though!
Conclusion:
I have to say that I am truly impressed with my phone! It has really helped me stay on top of my game when it comes down to contacting project members, friends, and family. Having most of the people I know in my phonebook and that each # is a thumb stroke away is great too! The overall coverage and signal strength have treated me well, and the built in PIM was more than I expected.
I definitely recommend that you take a look at the N200. Yes, I know it is expensive, my unit cost like 179 after a rebate turn in, but I also know that it will last me at least 2 years if not more. This is one of my best purchases and I am very glad that I listened to a little birdie named Vein. Her words of wisdom and experience definitely gave me the info I needed in order to make a wise choice. So I can only echo her comments, GO GET IT! Thanks y’all!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 179.99
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Epinions.com ID:
LifeStar
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Location: Boston, MA
Reviews written: 86
Trusted by: 62 members
About Me:
11.06.06 - I'm sorta back, brand new review!!!
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