You Did WHAT With My Phone????!!! Ericsson A1228di
Written: Feb 18 '02 (Updated Feb 18 '02)
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Pros: large viewing screen, easy-to-read, easy-to-use, can take a LOT of crap..
Cons: ear speaker sometimes gets warm during extended conversations
The Bottom Line: If this simple cellular phone can last through what we put it through and keep on working, it can handle almost ANYTHING!
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| Caprig's Full Review: Sony Ericsson A1228di Cell Phone |
THE STORY
(WARNING! Skip this part if you do not like stories with bathroom descriptions in them. I am simply amazed that this phone could survive such a bizarre test as this one did and wanted to share this story with anyone desiring a DURABLE phone.)
It was a beautiful sunny day. After such a difficult and trying week, I needed a nice sunny day. In fact, I needed a rest.
So much had been going wrong in previous days, I was looking forward to a day of nothing. No complaining, yelling, tension, stress, frustration.....
Yes, I was going to take it easy, stay in my jammies and enjoy a long awaited, well deserved rest.
I had been sitting at the eerie light of the computer screen just long enough to unwind for the morning. My children were calm, and I had finished up my work for the day.
With the holidays coming, I decided I would call my relatives now on my special phone rate of free weekends and get it out of the way. You know, relatives I rarely talk to, and when I do, want to keep it short....
My grumpy husband had finally taken a turn for the best. Happy and singing, he wandered out the door to pick up a few groceries that we needed.
I padded over quietly to the cell phone plugged into the wall. Blocking out the chaos of the previous few weeks, I silently planned my light hearted conversations with these relatives. These relatives who can be sort of demanding would be shocked to hear from me. It would be nice to be ahead of the game for once....
Oh no. I dialed the number and it was busy. Another number. Busy too. Sigh. This was not going like I planned. Oh well, I would call again in the afternoon.
The back door opened and my husband told me he forgot his cell phone. The one WITHOUT the unlimited long distance that he used for work. That was fine. As long as he took HIS and not mine.
I sat down at the computer once again and embarked on a leisurely tour of sites I had always wanted to visit. I took my time reading and rating reviews I never get time to look at in departments I always wanted to visit.
I was just feeling the luxurious comfort of relaxation as it caressed me with its velvet warmth, when the back door opened with a crash.
In the background all I could hear were staccato bulleted epithets puncuated regularly with the "s" word that translates into crap.
What in the world was THIS all about?
I turned to see my husband waving his hands about, his hair haphazardly restyled into an Albert Einstein remake as he stormed through the house like a man on fire. Still the air was littered with punctuated utterances referring to the modern colloquialism defining excrement.
Good God. This man never went on about this word before. What the heck is his problem?
Determined NOT to leave the warm folds of soft relaxation, I decided to let him work it out for himself.
About 15 minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, still rambling on about excrement. Preferring to live in denial, I decided that perhaps the previous stressful week had rendered him constipated.
Worked for me anyway.
An hour or so later, my husband, more dour than lighthearted entered the land of silence. Sullen, perhaps, but silent.
Good, now I can relax again in peace. The children had returned from their quiet playtime and the house was bustling with activity again.
My son , braver than I, ventured to inquire as to the nature of my husband obsessive rant about excrement.
I only heard bits and pieces, but it was enough to launch me from my reverie.
WHAT?
Apparently, my husband, in his rush out the door, snapped the phone on his pants as usual, but he found he had to visit the bathroom right away. He tried to use the bathroom at the grocery store, but it was busy. He ran into the bathroom at home (after a tense drive there). He felt a lot better and was about to flush the toilet, bending over to do so.
In the meanwhile, the phone dislodged itself from his pants and plummeted directly into the pile of recently deposited excrement.
Standing there in complete shock, he tried to figure out a way to remove the ill fated phone from its new home. After doing so gingerly and with great disgust, he ran in and out of the house ranting about it for about an hour.
I started to laugh. Then I laughed harder. At least it was HIS phone and not mine. After all, mine was the one with the unlimited 2 year long distance for no charge on it. The one that was to take the place of our regular phone.
My beloved Ericsson A1228di from Cingular Wireless.....
I told him to leave it on the counter and we would take it apart and let it dry.
Later that night, after several chuckles, I decided to get those phone calls made. I went to find my phone. There it was on the counter where I left it.
I turned it on.
To my horror, the usually clear screen was a bunch of illegible lines and dots. What the heck was wrong with my phone? I tried to hear a dialtone, but it was not working.
When I walked into the living room puzzled, my husband asked me what I was doing, and of course, I told him I was trying to call my difficult relatives.
Then he told me that he thought I was going to take my phone apart to let it dry.
I felt tabasco sauce rising up my legs.....
SURE, DROP MY PHONE IN A CRAP FILLED TOILET!!!!
I have to say that I was mortified, horrified, furious grossed out, and depressed all at once. After all, WHAT phone in the whole world would ever last beyond being tossed in a toilet full of crap and then washed off on top of it all, and then sitting around for 4 or 5 hours all wet inside???
THE ERICSSON A1228di PHONE THAT IS WHAT!!!!
ON TO THE DETAILS OF THE PHONE ITSELF....
WHAT IS THIS PHONE LIKE?
We originally bought this phone because it was part of an unlimited long distance plan offered by Cingular Wireless. We could have had another phone, but this one was simple, looked sturdy and had an excellent display.
We were not interested in a complex cell phone. We just wanted sturdy and direct features.
This phone met those qualifications.
FEATURES
25 Ring types
Caller number ID (last 20 numbers)
Embedded phone number call-back for text messages
Storage for 200 numbers
Speed dial for 99 numbers including voice mail
Super dial for 9 numbers including voice mail
Quick access to last 40 numbers dialed
Receives text messages with 2 KB storage
Quick access to voice mail service
Call duration reminder
Digital voice encryptition
Ear piece volume control
Solid sturdy antenna
Switches from Digital to Analog automatically depending on signal
CHARGING
The charger that comes with this phone is pretty sturdy if you are careful with it. The hookup to the phone is kind of tricky- you need to tilt it into place instead of just sliding the jack into a hole like most other phones.
It is a rapid charger - large black box that plugs into the wall with a pretty lightweight cord. You have to be careful with it so no one steps on the cord or so it is not yanked from the AC adaptor.
BASIC OPERATION
Most (not all) operations are run from these two buttons:
NO BUTTON
Turn on phone by holding down
Turn off by holding down
Mute ringer when ringing incoming call
exit menu
Clear current Display text
YES BUTTON
Answer a call
Access last dialed number screen
Send dialed call
Store menu settings
See incoming log
The button pad has YES, NO, UP/DOWN ARROW Button, CLR, MENU,
#1-0, *, #, and side volume buttons.
OTHER FEATURES
Keypad lock
Silent Mode (no vibrating)
signal strength
Digital or Analog (tells what you are in)
Battery life
Low Battery warning
Missed Calls notification
Ringer volume control
Large viewing area
Call Tracker (tracks all calls sum of time until you reset it)
Trickle charging( so you can use phone while charging)
Charge only mode (phone not operational while in this mode)
The average talk time is about 2 hours, but sometimes more. I can get a few days out of the phone if not used without recharging.
The nice part about speed dialing, is that you can cut down your time - because your call charge starts from the moment you start dialing with some services.
It is best to use the battery(this one is NiMH) to the end whenever possible so it does not get used to shallow charges, therefore making the battery used to only accessing a small part of its capacity. NiMH batteries have a tendency to develop shallow capacities if not allowed to empty out often.
WEB SITE
http://www.mobile.ericsson.com
CLOSING COMMENTS
We got a lot more than we bargained for with this phone. After taking it apart, cleaning it, and letting it dry for a couple of days, the phone is as good as new. Once I got over being grossed out, I have used it for a few months now with no problems at all.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS PHONE AND PERFORMANCE COMMENTS
The extra large viewing area remains clear and easy to read. The ultra slim NiMH battery maintains a good charge despite its visit to the water.
We have had this phone for almost half a year now and it still is excellent to use. Volume is right up there, the ringer is very loud and easy to hear. People tell me that they can hear me VERY loudly and clearly, in fact, I have to talk softly oftentimes because the speaker is so sensitive. It is much better than any home phone we have.
The phone is lightweight in my hand, fits well into a purse or large pocket. I find it easy to use and hold .
Reception is excellent, the digital to analog feature makes this phone highly usable in areas where plain digital phones do not work well at all.
My only observation about the phone that is not bad, but still a bit strange at times is that it has always gotten warm on the ear area when talking for extended periods of time. This phone is not designed for that, however, so it is not really a problem. Just an observation, and a comment I have heard from others about this phone as well.
All in all, it is the most amazing phone I have ever seen!
I realize this was a long review, but this story just HAD to be told. If there are any other features of this phone you want to know about and think I should include, let me know! It is a pretty simple phone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
Caprig
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Location: NE US- 2 email me delete REMOVETHIS
Reviews written: 448
Trusted by: 214 members
About Me:
Product-Evaluation/Information-Specialist. Too Busy to Be KIND to Others? You are TOO BUSY.
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