not too shabby!
Written: Sep 15 '00
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Pros: nice size and features
Cons: battery life could be better
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| infiniteQ's Full Review: Samsung SCH 8500 CDMA / AMPS Cellular Phone |
I recently had to replace my dual-band Motorola Startac due to the fact that I submerged it in water. (oops) I was in the mood for a change anyway so I purchased the Samsung SCH-8500. Overall, I am very pleased with this phone.
First off, I'll tell you what I like about it:
This phone has a very large, very clear LCD screen that makes it pleasant to look at. The menus are well organized and easy to navigate, with animated icons to make it even easier. The buttons are intelligently placed and large enough to make one-handed dialing a possibility. The side-mounted buttons conveniently control the volume settings of the phone. When you're not currently on a call, they change the ringer volume; when you're on a call, they change the speaker volume. Very convenient. The 8500 also has a vibrating ring and separate tones for pages and text messages. The battery life is fairly decent for a phone of this size, but I do think it falls short of the manufacturer's specifications. Call clarity is very good. This phone gets just as good if not better reception that the comparable Motorola Startacs.
Now for the bad:
The battery life could be considerably longer. I get about one and a half days out of the battery with moderate calling. This could be a problem if you are a very heavy user. The batteries, fortunately, are small enough to carry a spare. This phone has a tendency to switch from digital to analog even though digital service may be present. On my calling plan, this doesn't pose a problem. Some of you, however, may get charged differently depending on your service. Other than these couple gripes, I've got no complaints.
My phone, which was packaged for Sprint PCS service, came with a very nice desktop charger. It allows me to charge the phone with the display open so I can see who's calling. It also has a slot for a second battery. Chargers like this usually sell for at least $60 separately so it is nice that it comes with. Not to be short on features, Samsung also includes voice-dialing capabilities (which work surprisingly well) and a built-in 60 second digital voice recorder for quick memos. Although I don't use these features too often, they are certainly nice to have.
All in all I think that this is a very good phone. The size is nice and small and it packs a ton of very cool features. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new phone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 200
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Epinions.com ID:
infiniteQ
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Member: Matthew Quinn
Location: Northbrook, IL
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 9 members
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