SANYO SCP-5300: After a Year of Ownership...
Written: May 26 '04 (Updated Jan 03 '05)
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Pros: Nice looks, lots of features, camera/flash a big plus, nice ringers, easy to use.
Cons: Sporadic signal, slightly large, battery life not that great, Sprint Vision expensive and quirky.
The Bottom Line: Even though the price has fallen considerably, be warned: this was Sanyo's first cameraphone and some details are rough around the edges.
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| vara's Full Review: Sanyo SCP-5300 Cell Phone |
Since the cell phone boom, I've been a Sanyo Man. My very first phone was the Sanyo SCP-4000, and when it came time for my mother to buy a phone, I heartily recommended the SCP-4500. I was very happy with my SCP-4000: it was reliable, well-built, and easy to use. Yet as time went on and new models came out, I suffered from slight phone envy. So, when the SCP-5300 came out with a camera and built-in flash, I was sold.
Now that I've had a year with this phone, I can give you my impressions.
WHAT FEATURES DOES THE PHONE HAVE?
Well, the phone has been around a while so there are definitely more sophisticated phones out there. Still, the SCP-5300 is most certainly cheaper than when I got it: I'm seeing it on eBay for around $100... I got it for double that, and that was with a $100 discount for renewing my contract with Sprint.
These phones are coming out with so many features that it's almost exhausting to write out all the features - and probably just as exhausting to read them! Aside from the camera that shoots up to 640x480 resolution pictures (with available digital zoom on lower resolutions), this Tri-Mode phone comes pretty feature-packed, including an extra long-life battery (that's two batteries total), a large color display, multi-tone ringers, Sprint Vision capability (more on that later), Standby Time 245 hours / Talk Time Up to 162 min, calendar, alarm clock, games... these things are really like mini-computers nowadays. For more details on features, check out one of the many other fine reviews in this section and you'll find what you're looking for, trust me. I am of course open to any e-mails with questions or will answer your queries in the "comments" section on this page.
WHAT'S TO LIKE ABOUT IT?
I like many things about this phone...
Ease of use: The SCP-5300 isn't as easy to use as my SCP-4000, but the core structure of navigating the menus and phonebook is intact. The main menu can be in graphic form or in text form... choose text! The graphic form, while pretty and full of scenic pics like the Statue of Liberty and the Egyptian Sphynx, is downright counterintuitive. Still, it's otherwise a breeze to use once you get the hang of it... I didn't need the manual when I first got the phone and I haven't needed it today!
Lord of the Ringers: Ha! Man, I'm creative... or not. Moving on, the SCP-5300 comes stocked with some pretty nice ringers. The cool part is, you can download any midi file from a computer (I actually downloaded some of my compositions!), and you can download various ringers from a plethora of websites out there (some charge, others don't). The only problem with the musical ringers is they're not as loud as the shrill sound of Ringer #1 on the phone, which is far from musical! Unfortunately, as it's the loudest it's the one I use. If someone special like the girlfriend calls, however, you can preset your phone to have a distinctive ring for her. So, when she calls me, I not only see her picture on my phone but I also hear a ringer that I had set for only her. (Everybody together: "Awwwwwwwww!")
Camera: If you haven't jumped onboard the cell-phone camera craze, you probably think it's just a gimmick. Nope. This camera has been a lifesaver at times, and is certainly a wonderful feature to have. The flash is pretty pathetic as it only works if the person is really close to the camera. As I hinted above, you can assign pictures to incoming calls for a particular person or you can set these pictures as the background wallpaper for your camera. With PCS Vision, you can also send photos to other sprint phones or to someone's e-mail with relative ease, as well as upload them to your very own online Sprint Pictures Album for later viewing online (that is, when Sprint Vision is working).
Convenient features: I can't tell you how many times I've used the little things, such as the alarm, the voice memo recorder ("pick up mail"), the voice dialing system (just say the name of someone you want to call and it does it for you), and the calculator. They're everyday lifesavers, and I'm glad my phone's got 'em.
Features like the Sprint PCS Internet Browser are indispensible for checking on the weather, movie times, sports scores, stocks... you can even surf the text of any internet site... and including full use of Google! I do wish there were an easier way to just enter an internet web address, but I guess that will come with time as the technology improves.
There are even some features I haven't used regularly (okay... never), such as "Airplane Mode", which prevents any outgoing calls, incoming calls, or online access... (hmm... maybe I have used that feature... when I turn the phone OFF!)
UPDATE: I have recently learned how the Airplane Mode comes in handy... to play games! Can't believe I hadn't thought of that. Okay, so maybe "Airplane Mode" IS a good thing, then!
Durable! I've dropped this phone more times than I can remember, and it still works like a champ! I even dropped it in the toilet for a second... don't ask... just know the bowl was clean), and it still works fine (after a few treatments with Lysol)!
WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?
Well unfortunately every product has its Achilles Heel... (no I haven't seen the movie Troy yet!)
Sporadic phone signal: One great thing about my ancient SCP4000 phone was that my phone signal was reliable: either I had a good signal, or no signal... there were no unpleasant surprises. With the SCP-5300, I don't know what to expect sometimes. I could have a good 3-4 bars of signal and then suddenly I lose the call. When I look at my phone, there are no bars left, but then if I wait a few seconds suddenly the bars reappear: 1 bar, then 2, then 3! What's up with that? It doesn't happen that frequently but when it does it's annoying. This may have something to do with the service here in Florida, but just in case you've been warned.
Quirky Sprint Vision Service: Okay, I'm paying $15 a month for this service, and it doesn't work a lot of the time. All the cool stuff I said about sending text messages, e-mails, pictures, and surfing the web means nothing if the darn service doesn't work, right? Well it happens, folks, and more often than I'd like. When you try to connect to the web it takes forever before it finally tells you "network timeout" or "network busy, please try again later". In Sprint's defense, it's gotten more reliable, but even so, there are lots of kinks to iron out here.
Another thing: sending text messages is a chore. First you have to log on to the phone's internet, type the message out (at least it has T9 text entry), and then send it, waiting for the internet to process the information. I've seen some Nokia phones that send text messages instantly without having to log on to anything or wait for a message to process. That's the way text messaging should be! Quick 'n' easy. Why Sprint hasn't jumped on this is beyond me.
So-so battery life: Okay, maybe that's a bit optimistic... how's lousy? I still have to charge the phone every night or I'll find my phone gasping for air (battery acid?) by the following evening. ... Definitely not as rosy a picture as the folks at Sanyo would have you believe. The extended battery is certainly better, lasting a good two days of regular use without requiring any charging. Of course, then you have to lug it around... and you can forget about wearing it on your belt when it's on!
Slow camera: Yeah, having the camera is cool, but it's also slightly laborious to use at times. For instance, you click a picture, but it takes a good few seconds before you can actually see what pic you took. On newer Sanyo phones, this isn't the case. Also, when you save a picture, it's labeled by date or by some other alpha-numeric stamp, such as Image277777978501. How the heck can I tell which pic is what without having to scroll through all of them? You're given only one opportunity to name the pictures, too, and that's right after taking the picture. Problem is, even when you name the picture, the label doesn't stick and you never see it again.
In my judgment, Sanyo was in such a hurry to be the first ones to come out with a camera phone that they let these minor details slip. There are other camera phones out there with much friendlier everyday functionality, believe me... they just cost more.
Size: Of course, cell phones have gotten smaller and smaller over the years, and this phone is no exception. But by today's standards, the SCP-5300 is a heffer, weighing 4.1 oz (upper middle-of-the-pack), and can feel a little bulky, especially if you use the long life battery. It's the price you pay for having a beautifully large viewing screen.
Flat plastic buttons: Alright, while I'm getting nit-picky, let's talk about these things: the buttons. On my SCP4000, the rubber buttons were slightly raised, and it was easy to tell when you had pressed 'em. Plus, they were well-illuminated at night. These buttons are tough to press without hitting an adjacent button, and they're poorly lit at night.
VERDICT: THINK OF IT AS THE "BETA RELEASE"!
Almost immediately after the introduction of the SCP5300, Sanyo made another one, the SCP-8100. Even though it had no flash for the camera, it was definitely an improvement over the 5300... it's easier to use, the battery lasts longer, and it operates much faster than the SCP5300. As I said before, I think this camera is the product of Sanyo's haste to be first in the cameraphone market, and the little problems would have to be ironed out later. From what I've seen from the new phones out there, I'd say Sanyo has done that.
Don't get me wrong, because I'm not running to the nearest store to replace my camera... the price is certainly right nowadays and I therefore recommend it. As soon as the price falls for some of these new phones (oooooo... video phones!), I might be tempted to part with this one. That won't be for a while, though...
UPDATE! 12/04
The hinges have now come undone and the camera won't stay open without me propping it. Time to get a new one. Wow... how long did this phone last me? One and a half years? Look elsewhere, shoppers.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 200
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Member: Daniel Ramirez
Location: Miami Beach, FL
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