THE SCP-4000: This Compulsive Researcher's Choice!
Written: Jun 11 '00 (Updated Aug 03 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Numerous features, great looks, small size, good build quality, web capable, easy navigation.
Cons: Weaker signal compared to other Sprint phones, earpiece gets hot when phone used a while
The Bottom Line: Overall, I'm very, very pleased with my purchase. I wish the signal strength was stronger, but everything else about this phone is exactly what I had hoped for.
|
|
|
| vara's Full Review: Sanyo SCP 4000 Cell Phone |
As a student, I've got pinching pennies down to a fine art. Any investment upwards of $100 is no small undertaking. Needless to say, I was very picky in choosing my wireless phone. There are tons of choices out there, and I would encourage you to be very careful when making a selection. I did tons of research on which phone to buy. The decision? The Sanyo SCP-4000. Easy.
**HOW I BOUGHT MY SANYO:**
I confess that after all my careful research I did something that may sound a little irresponsible: I bought my phone through an auction on eBay. The phone came to me brand new in the box, never having been used, activated, refurbished, etc. Should you choose to go this route in buying a phone, be warned that although it can save you money, question the seller in depth before bidding! Still, it can save you a ton of money! I saved $75 going that route, and have not regretted it one bit!
[UPDATE! 8/03/01] Sanyo has now come out with two new models after this one: the SCP-4500 and the SCP-5000. The latter model is very expensive, but full of all the latest gadgetry. It supposedly can display pictures of the people who are calling you, for instance. The model replacing the Sanyo SCP-4000 is the SCP-4500. It's silver, a little larger than the SCP-4000, and has neat gizmos like a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing... the works. If you're a techie, check it out. This might make the SCP-4000 tougher find in retail stores and websites, but prices will be very low now. Again, eBay would be a great bet. If you'd like to see my review of the SCP-4500, go to this address: http://www.epinions.com/content_15003651716
**OTHER PHONES I CONSIDERED:**
The hardest part about buying a phone is deciding which one is the best for you. There are tons of choices. Note that you should select your carrier first (i.e., Sprint vs. AT&T, etc.) because only certain phones are compatible with those services. I chose Sprint, and yet my choices were still vast. My budget was for $150- I want my investment to last a good while, hopefully. Here are the other phones I was tempted by:
Samsung SCH-3500: If you've started your research yet, I'm sure you've heard of or seen this phone. The Samsung was the runner-up in my comparison with the Sanyo. Indeed, it has many great qualities: cool looks, Internet capabilities, voice dialing, etc. However, I decided not to buy it for several reasons. The most important reason is that it just didn't seem to be as well assembled as the Sanyo. Don't misunderstand me: it's a quality product, but the Sanyo has an advantage here- I've held both in my hands at the same time and the discrepancy is obvious. The next reason I didn't get it is because I'm not a "flippy phone" kind of guy. Moving parts just aren't compatible with my crazy lifestyle. By the way, a leather case for this phone looks silly and is cumbersome when the phone is opened. Another important detail is that many customers have complained about a "battery leak" for this phone. Although many owners would defend their Samsung phones to the death, such stories haven't been mere isolated incidents, either.
Samsung SCH-8500 This phone is essentially like the SCH-3500, but with a fancier menu display, slightly better quality, and a primitive task scheduler/calendar. That's it, and I didn't think such minor add-ons warranted such a price increase, which peaked over my budget.
Nokia 5160: While a competent phone, it's merely competent, no more. It's really just your average run-of-the-mill phone... Everyone owns one, so beware of all the hype- see for yourself if it's well deserved. After comparing my choices, I wasn't impressed. The deciding point was that it had no standard vibrating ringer battery. While available as an extra option, I didn't want to have to deal with that. Another personal opinion--- the ringers on this phone have to be the most irritating things on the face of this planet.
Sprint Touchpoint: Another competent phone. My biggest turn-off was the very flimsy moving flap that covers the buttons. The phone's size was a little large, and the large screen display was just begging to get scratched. It was also just a little over-priced at around $200, $50 over my budget.
Ericsson KF-788: This phone was pretty tempting. Its price, size, also being tri-mode make it an appealing choice. However, the build quality wasn't up to snuff with any other of the phones that I listed, in my opinion... every time I saw it displayed in stores the button cover was torn off, or the plastic frame was coming loose. Plus, navigating the menus was far from obvious.
...Enter the Sanyo SCP-4000...
**EXTERIOR DESIGN**
The SCP-4000 is a tiny little guy. I guarantee you that you'll hear someone call it "cute" whenever they see it. It just is. It's not much larger than a Snickers bar (I've held both right next to each other!). The phone is so small that the microphone is behind your mouth. Don't worry! Others can hear you fine. Another worry about the small size is that you'd think pressing the buttons would be difficult, but it's a snap. The phone fits in my pocket and I usually forget it's there. With a leather case, the phone is a bit bulkier, but then I usually have it clipped to my belt. My only problem with the small size is that I cannot sandwich it against my shoulder when I'm doing something with my hands (I'm not refering to driving... I have a hands-free kit for that, which I implore that everyone look into!).
The phone looks slick and feels solid anywhere you hold it, save for a flimsy antenna that extends out. I only take the antenna out if my signal gets a little fuzzy. The "Indiglo" backlighting is a real treat for the eyes, and is sure to get a few "oooooooooo's" from friends who see it. This phone is really one of the nicest looking phones out there, and it's almost saddening to have to confine it to a bulky leather case. That's a safeguard you might want to consider, since the display supposedly tends to scratch easily.
**BATTERY LIFE:**
Battery life follows specifications somewhat, and I only charge my phone probably every three days. There have been a couple of times that I've charged it after four days. My only concern about the battery is the inconsistency of the battery meter. It tells me that my battery is fully charged for a long time, and then drops sharply... kinda like a gas gauge reading "full" for a long time and then dropping to "empty" in a few hours. Still, you'll get to know how the phone reacts to your usage.
**FEATURES:**
Undoubtedly the best part about this phone is that you get a ton of useful stuff found in phones that cost a lot more. I won't go into much detail about them here as you can check it out at the manufacturer's page, but let me just tell you the features I appreciate the most:
Vibrating Ringer: Great for social situations when an annoying ring will get you nothing but glares.
Wireless Web: I know what you're thinking... you don't need it, right? That's what I thought. After logging on for quite some time, I found that wireless web was a great tool. I even added it to my plan. Note that connection speed is about 14.4Kbps, and that it's text-only. However, you are granted access to a great many things, and the list of options is expanding. You can connect to Hotmail, Yahoo!, eBay (addicts watch out!), FOX Sports, FTD florists, and so on. Let me put it to you this way: I've logged on over 250 minutes on the Internet so far with my phone, and I have yet to see absolutely everything.
[UPDATE! 9/29/00] I now have the $50, 1000 minute plan with Sprint PCS, as well as the year-long "Sprint Advantage" contract that got me a free option. I chose the Wireless Web as my second free option (for a description on how this works check out my other review on Sprint PCS). So far, it's pretty neat, but be mindful of how much time goes by when you use it... what seems like two minutes may actually be ten! And there's no timer on the phone while you're connected to the Web, either. Bummer.
Call Timer: Times your calls while they happen so you can keep track of how much time you've been on the phone chatting. Also, an airtime log tells you the TOTAL amount of time that you've been on the phone, so you can get a grasp of how often you use it.
KeyGuard: Use this so you don't inadvertently dial a number and call it. So far, it's worked flawlessly.
Crab Catch Game: The game itself isn't anything to write home about, but sadly I find myself pretty addicted to it, always trying to beat my high score! Pathetic, isn't it?
Calculator: I've used the basic calculator more often than I thought I would... clever feature.
**NAVIGATION:**
When I first started playing with my phone, I went through the menus as if I owned the Sanyo for years. It's that easy! I've never consulted the manual. The four-way button in the middle allows for simple operation with only one hand.
Dialing numbers is a piece of cake, especially when you use the speed-dialing function. Just save the speed-dialing number, and press that number on the keypad for about 2 sec. to automatically dial it.
**PHONE BOOK:**
A real plus about this phone is that you can have several phone numbers under one name entry. Say you want to get a hold of your best friend Jane. Under the name entry "Jane", you can have up to 7 different labels for 7 different numbers, like "home, work, mobile, fax, data, etc." It's much better than having to seek out different entries altogether. It holds up to 300 numbers, which is more than I'll ever need!
**BUILD QUALITY:**
You've already heard my references to the wonderful workmanship of this phone. I assure you that this phone is a sound choice if build quality is something important to you. I am very tough on everything that I own, and this phone is no exception. It handles my abuse like a champ, even without a leather case (which I do have now).
[UPDATE: 11/10/00]
I've noticed lately that if I talk on my phone for more than a couple minutes, the earpiece starts to get warm. It becomes very noticeable after about 10 minutes of conversation or web browsing. I am not the only one who has noticed this: I have several friends who own this phone and they report the same thing. The phone works perfectly otherwise...
**SOUND QUALITY:**
When the signal is strong (duh), the quality of sound is decent, though not as good as other Sprint phones that I have used (the Nokia 6000 series comes to mind). People on the other end of the line say they hear me perfectly, though, and can't tell if I'm on a land line or on my cell phone.
**RECEPTION:**
People will tell you that the phone makes no difference in the signal strength, and that what matters is your carrier (Sprint, AT&T, etc.). I am here to tell you that in my case, that's a bunch of hogwash. Unfortunately, my phone has not picked up a signal as well as other Sprint PCS phones. If you're inside buildings or elevators, fuhgidabowdit. Chances are you won't have a signal at all.
I compared my phone in a room to a Nokia 6000 series (a Sprint PCS phone), and my phone's signal was outdone by a good margin. I even compared my SCP-4000 to my girlfriend's SCP-3000. I was certain that since mine was the newer Sanyo model, the signal would be stronger. Curiously, this was not the case!
Of course, my observations weren't the most scientific. Plus, don't get me wrong: this little phone has decent reception, but it doesn't break from the pack, either.
**OKAY, WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?**
There are a few nit-picks I have with this phone. Take the security phone lock. It's a good idea (defined: where you set the phone to ask for a password # when it's turned on), but right underneath the "Enter Code" choice is "Call 911"... I've accidentally dialed 911 several times because of this. Why the heck does it have to be there? It doesn't even ask for confirmation when the "Call 911" is selected... it just does it.
Also, the airtime log is convenient up to a point. Even though you're not billed whenever you call Sprint Customer Service, it's still recorded as air time. So the total airtime that is on the phone itself is not accurate. I don't even use it because I've been on the phone with customer service a lot and have no clue how much time I've been on the phone outside of that. On that note, I must again reiterate my disappointment that there is no timer when you are connected to the Wireless Web. Time flies without your knowing it, and your primary minutes in your plan drain very quickly!
***THE VERDICT: THIS IS ONE PURCHASE YOU WON'T REGRET MAKING!***
I am very, very picky with what I buy, perhaps even "O/C (Obsessive Compulsive). I did a lot of research to select the best phone for my budget. If you find yourself pulling your hair out over a buying decision like this one, relax... I've got just the phone for you.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
vara
|
 in Cars & Motorsports |
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Daniel Ramirez
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Reviews written: 121
Trusted by: 449 members
About Me:
You want a 15 word autobiography? Are you mad, sir?!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.