Sexy and Sturdy, but not perfect.
Written: Jul 05 '00 (Updated Dec 03 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: well built, solid, flip style
Cons: reception, battery life.
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| kornell_911's Full Review: Samsung SCH 3500 CDMA / AMPS Cellular Phone |
Looking for one of the best overall cell phones on the market? Look no further than the Samsung SCH-3500. This sleek, metallic-silver, flip-phone packs a lot of punch, offering a multitude of features at a very reasonable price ($149.99).
I opted for the 3500 after comparing with other phones (Qualcomm QCP-2760), after taking the advice of my off-line buddies, and after searching on-line at various product review sites (deja.com
http://www.deja.com/channels/channel.xp?CID=11939 ; productopia.com; epinions.com, etc. etc. )
Overall, I am very satisfied with this cell.
Specs
(compiled from the manufacturer’s site)
- Voice dialing - 20 listings
Not really a feature you need, but this is very easy to set up and very cool. The feature recognizes three syllabled words without a problem.
99 Phone Book listings
Might not be enough for some. The phone book can be searched alphabetically or numerically. Unlike some other phones, where you can store a couple numbers per user, the 3500 only allows you one phone storage number per user.
- Voice Memo (8 minutes)
Very, very cool feature. The feature clearly records your voice with little problem.
- Caller ID
- Alarm feature
I’ve tried it a couple times. May not be loud enough for some.
- Voice Memo (8 minutes)
Very, very cool feature. Hit a button and start recording!
Standard cell features
- Call timer
- Automatic Redialing
- Call Forwarding
- Call Waiting
- Three-Way Calling
- Ear-Microphone jack
Perfect for hands-free communication.
I bought a Jabra hands-free set, which enables me to drive and talk at the same time.
If you’re wary of getting a flip phone, I highly recommend getting one of these ear pieces.
- Programming / Keypad Lock
It took me a while to figure out that you have to press OK and MENU at the same time to disable to lock feature.
- Scratchpad Memory
- Mute Function
- Last 27 Phone number Redialing
Incoming, outgoing and missed calls are recorded with a date-time/number stamp
-Wireless Web.
Works well, but the text is smaller than the regular phone text…the service might not be worth setting up. I believe it runs about 30 cents a minute if you don’t choose the free wireless web option. I suggest opting for Omni sky on your Palm V.
-Lithium Ion Battery.
Battery stays on tightly, unlike the Nokias, whose batteries were renowned for falling off, after the phone was dropped. See below, concerning battery life.
-Dual band, CDMA technology.
Tone & Display
- Graphic LCD Display
- Variable Font Size
- Graphic Icon
- Ringer/ LED/ Vibration Alert
- 13 Different Ring Types ( 9 Mono tones + 4
Melodies)
- Differential Ring - Incoming Call Indicators
- SMS & Voice Mail Indicator
- Roaming Indicator
- Call Dropped Indication
the Good
--Above average sound quality.
The 3500 works well in both quiet and noisy places. The volume set <low, medium, high> works well. I’ve tested other cell phones, <Startac, Nokia, Qualcomm> and the 3500 is comparable.
--Cool, nifty features.
See above. The phone offers so many features; some that are truly unnecessary.
--Easy to use.
It took me about an hour to figure out most all the functions, features.
--Big, hard plastic buttons.
The OK/Menu buttons differ from Nokia’s soft, squishy buttons. They don’t wear out as quick.
--Adjustable green back light.
Bright enough, but the Sanyo’s indiglo backlight is much brighter.
--Flip phone
A bit bulky for some, but still small enough to fit into pockets. Some may like the flip style, while others may prefer the regular one piece phone.
Beware of pressing the earpiece too firmly, and overextending the two attached pieces <mouth and ear>. The screw on the sides may come loose and your connection may break; if this does happen, you won’t be able to hear the person on the other end. You can, however fix this problem by removing the grey, rubber plug on the back of your phone, and tightly screwing in the screws.
-Dual band, CDMA technology.
-Allows you to disable roaming feature.
--Can check remaining air-time using the Call Log feature. That is to say, you don’t have to go onto the website or press *4 to check remaining minutes.
--Vibrate setting!
A bunch of the phones lack this feature.
--Sturdy.
Takes a licking, still keeps on ticking. There are a bunch of dents and scratches in my baby, but it still works fine.
the Bad
--Reception is not that great.
Compared to the Qualcomm QCP-2760, the 3500’s reception is weak. My brother’s 2760 consistently reached four bars while the 3500 only received a weak 2 bar.
--Works only with Sprint PCS, I believe.
I had a bunch of problems the first month of service as Sprint botched up my plan. I called customer service a bunch of times, though, and they resolved the problems. Their online customer support service is expedient. They replied to my queries within an hour. Your ping time may differ.
--Quite a few tones and beeps and ringer settings, but not as many as those Nokia phones. The 3500 does boast the Fur Elise, if you’re down with that. <<<On a side note, if you do have a Nokia, check out www.yourmobile.com for some phatty ringer tones for your phone>>>
--Recharger base is big and clunky. The Nokia recharger is small and compact.
--Battery life indicator. There are only three bars to indicate battery life; many times the battery life bars do not reflect the actual minutes remaining.
--Battery life is not as good as other phones; still, the battery life is above average. I charge mine every night.
I also read the following from a fellow epinionator's review:
<<<<<The Samsung 3500 has a total of 2.5 hours of continuous talk time or 110 hours standby, not the 4.5 talk and 10 day advertised on this website. The 4.5 talk/10 day standby can be obtained only with the extended lithium ion battery which does not come standard with the phone and which costs an extra $70. >>>>>>
--Ubiquitous.
You're not going to win originality points with this phone anymore. Most everyone I know has it. The 3500 is seemingly more popular than the much-loved Nokia.
the Lowdown
One of the best bangs for your buck, the sturdy and sexy Samsung SCH – 3500 is a keeper.
Where to buy?
This and many Sprint PCS phones are sold out. I bought mine on Sprint’s website <sprintpcs.com> for $149.99; check ephones.com
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149.99
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