It is funny really. People see me talking on this phone and immediately assume that I am talking on a Startac. Oh contraire! The 8500 is Samsung’s answer to the Startac. Flip phones are getting more and more popular because of their small size and ease of use. But is in fact the Samsung 8500 better than the Startac? Is it worth the extra cost that you would pay instead of getting a cheap Nokia?

Flip phones in general are neat. I try not to use that word too often (yes it makes me sound even more like a dork) but the term really applies. Who doesn’t want to flip open their phone to be able to talk to someone? Like Kirk you feel like a chick magnet…ready to seduce all alien women with a simple gesture. I personally feel that the flip phone is worth the extra price. The small size is obviously the main reason. I can fit the 8500 in my pocket with no problem (and with carpenter pants it is even easier, just use the leg pocket). Not only that, the screen and keys themselves are protected from any kind of damage.

So now that we have established that the flip phone is the way to go…what does the Samsung 8500 have to offer to the game?

Aesthetics: The Look
This is what first attracted me to the Samsung 8500. I personally think the 8500 looks very sharp. There are two styles: black and gray. I actually own the gray (to be honest, I don’t know that I have ever seen the black and it may not be available anymore). The screen is very sharp and easy to look at. With the backlit screen (you can choose how long the screen will remain lit to conserve battery life) you will have no problem seeing anything on the phone. The keys themselves light up as well. My only minor gripe is that sometimes the keys themselves are somewhat hard to find without looking at the phone (they are not raised very high off the face of the phone).

Durability: Can it take a drop kick?
I have now had the phone for about 4 months now and the phone still looks like new. I use this phone for both business and pleasure so it takes both the travel well (cramped laptop cases) as well as long nights at the bars. The façade of the phone amazingly has no scratches on it. The keys still have their “click” and all work well. And astonishingly enough the antenna is still attached to the phone!

Functionality: Does it have the features I need?
Ok, this is what really matters right? Will this phone be able to do all that I need it to? The short answer is yes, this phone will do everything you need it to. The phone itself will store 99 different names with 6 phone numbers per person. This is a GREAT feature that all phones should offer. Most of my friends and business associates have so many numbers I have trouble-keeping track. With this phone I can keep mobile, home, work, pager, fax, and miscellaneous all for one person! Not only that, you also have the ability to have 10 talk dial numbers stored! Basically you can flip open the phone (and you can configure this different ways) and say the person’s name and it will dial for you.

The 8500 is also wireless web compatible. Menus are as easy to navigate as any other phone and I find have no problems entering text. There is also a memo feature of this phone. You simply press the button on the side of the phone and talk and it records it for you. However, this feature could use some improvement. Currently you can only store 5 different 60-second voice memos and you can’t append existing memos. If instead you could just record 300 seconds worth of memos it would be much better.

So functionality-wise does this phone have any weaknesses? Unfortunately the answer is yes, the phone does have some weaknesses. First of all you can’t sync the phone with either your computer or a PDA. With all of the phone numbers I have in my phone this would be nice for backup purposes. Also the Samsung has limited PIM capability. The PIM features would be greatly improved if syncing were supported. As it is the PIM is hard to use a lot of text to type is never easy. Besides, I am not going to enter in my PIM data in two different spots. Lastly, I would really like a speakerphone as some of the new phones offer!

Overall: Should you but it?
Yes, you definitely should buy the 8500. With all of the features it has I consider it a great asset for both personal and work applications. Battery life has never been a problem (it has gone three full days without a need for recharge) and sound quality is superb. Heap on the fact that this is a Sprint phone (IMHO a very reliable phone provider, and the best in D.C.) and it is a win-win for everyone. Of all of the phones out there this is one of the best.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 160.00