Cellphone Reviews Blog

Samsung Rugby A837 Phone Yellow ATandT

Ideal for on-site field services, the ruggedized Samsung Rugby for AT&T can take just about anything you can throw at it. This highly durable handset is certified to Military Standard MIL-STD 810F standards that’s perfect for users like construction foremen and landscape designers. In addition to access to AT&T Navigation turn-by-turn direction service, the Rugby also features compatibility with Push to Talk communication, Enterprise Paging, and AT&T’s breakthrough Video Share calling services. This quad-band GSM phone runs on AT&T’s dual-band 3G (HSDPA/UMTS) network, for fast downloads and seamless video calls. It also offers a 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD memory expansion to 8 GB, Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

The ruggedized Samsung Rugby is certified to Military Standard MI-SID-810F, withstanding dust, shock vibrations, rain, humidity, solar radiation and altitude and temperature extremes.

AT&T Service Options
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS 850/1900 MHz network (also known as WCDMA), making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services. It also gives AT&T the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You’ll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company’s 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) A majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day’s work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so.

This 3G-enabled handset is compatible with AT&T’s Video Share calling.

You can take advantage of the AT&T Navigator GPS software and service, a full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster subscription music service, stream music video, discover what’s playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what’s hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T’s Internet, video, and music services.)

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T’s MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Small business and enterprise customers also have the option to use AT&T’s Enterprise Paging to connect quickly to its workforce from a central location. Enterprise Paging is an AT&T-hosted service that allows a centralized dispatch system administrator to build customized group distribution lists of workers in the field and to send group notifications via text messaging. Workers can respond immediately or take the appropriate action in the message.

With its built-in A-GPS, you can use the optional AT&T Navigator service to get you to your destination with points of interest and turn-by-turn navigation.

The Rugby features a rubberized and metal casing that is easy to grip.

Phone Features
The rugged clamshell Rugby is certified to military standard MIL-STD-810F to withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and temperature extremes, and it features a rubberized and metal casing that is easy to grip. The exterior of the phone has a large speaker for easy Push to Talk (PTT) communication as well as a small LCD screen that displays current time, incoming calls, signal strength, and battery life. The interior 2-inch LCD screen has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and a 262K color depth. The phone has a 128 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional microSD memory cards (up to 8 GB in size). The phonebook can hold up to 1000 contact entries with up to 6 numbers per entry. It also offers 8 one-touch dialing numbers and support for picture and ringer ID.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated full duplex speakerphone–perfect for conference calling from the office or on the road. This phone provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The 1.3-megapixel camera provides three resolution choices (1280 x 960, 640 x 480, and 320 x 320 pixels), and it features a 4x digital zoom, multi-shot capabilities (up to 9 shots in a row), brightness adjustment, and a self-timer. Additionally, you can capture videos in QCIF resolution up to 1 hour in length (as well as audio clips of that length), as long as you have space available on your memory card.

Whether on a trip to a new job site or looking for a place to eat lunch in a new area, Rugby is aGPS-capable, which means AT&T Navigator can get you there with points of interest and turn-by-turn navigation. Assisted-GPS technology allows Rugby to locate itself to get you headed in the right direction quickly.

Other features include:

• Push to Talk (PTT) enables you to pull an entire work group into a wireless call from a PTT session as well as set one’s own status to available, unavailable, do not disturb and more.
• Organizer tools: Calendar, Calculator, Currency Converter, Tasks, Note, Alarm, World Time
• Instant messaging services: AOL, Windows Live, Yahoo!
• Access to personal email
• SMS text and MMS multimedia messaging
• T9 predictive text entry
• Music playback formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WMA, 3GP, MP4, M4A
• Any key answer
• 64-chord polyphonic ringtones, real music ringtones, and vibrating alert
• Multi-lingual display (English, French, Spanish)
• Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Rugby weighs 4.66 ounces and measures 3.95 x 2.05 x 0.9 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 250 hours (10+ days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 850/1900 MHz 3G frequencies (UMTS/HSDPA).

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Not As Tough As It Looks
THE YELLOW MODEL MAY NOT BE A GOOD CHOICE. With the military specs and all, I thought this phone would be a tank. In the first hour after I bought it, I placed the phone in my pocket with my old phone, a Sony Ericsson W810i. I later noticed scratches all over the front plastic panel of the Rugby. Over the next few weeks, I also noticed mysterious dark stains appearing on the yellow rubberized coating. It appears that whatever this colored material is made of is picking up stains that can’t be removed, almost as if the coating was wearing off to expose a darker material beneath. It’s worth noting that I keep this phone in a zipper pouch designed for a small digital camera, so there is no friction applied to the phone. I treated my phone’s exterior to Vinylex protectant in hopes this will reduce the absorption qualities of the yellow coating. Looks like a snap-on cover will be required for true protection. I also noticed that the hinge has more play than I would have expected for this type of phone and more than I would like to see.

Otherwise, the phone isn’t bad. I like the size and feel of the keypad – with the exception that the clear key is too close to the navigation keys; a small ridge between the two would help prevent pressing clear when you had wanted to hit the down function of the navigation key. Talk quality is good as is the battery life. Push-To-Talk does not have a means to shut it off, so you will constantly hit the button by mistake and be prompted whether you want to accept the charges of that feature. I was surprised that the small 1.3mp camera actually takes pretty good pics.

Actually a good phone overall, but it would be more durable with a protective cover – which then would eliminate the novelty of the yellow “DeWalt tools” color scheme.

UPDATE (2/8/09): YELLOW MODEL WAS A BAD CHOICE. I now know that the yellow coating absorbs anything with grease or dyes that it comes in contact with. The black and red from the inside of the carrying pouch I keep this phone in is being soaked up by the yellow coating. Again, this staining cannot be removed. It appears that Samsung neglected to do proper R&D on this coating – anything else on the phone? A hard yellow plastic shell would have been far superior. Unless you purchase a clip-on cover (which I am looking into), this phone can only be stored in something like a cotton bag that has not been dyed – unless you don’t care if the phone looks dirty and old. Functionally the phone might be military spec, but esthetically it is the least durable phone I’ve ever seen. Samsung blew it with their choice of cover material. Also, I’ve seen a demo model of this phone in an AT&T store where the speaker grill on the front was badly dented and the paint scratched off. It’s unfortunate when you spend a lot of time researching something only to find out after you finally bought it that you made the wrong choice. If you want the Rugby, get it in black.

4 Stars Not for Mac Users
I like this phone but I wish I would have known in advance that I would not be able to install ring tones and other Mac sounds/music on it. Had I known this I would have purchase and IPhone instead.

3 Stars Great potential, but it falls way short
Received the Rugby in 2 days. I knew it didn’t support voice dial, figured I could get used to that. But what really suprised me, and is a constant annoyance is the outer display. It turns completely off within 5 seconds of closing the phone. There is nothing in setup to configure it differently. What is the point of even having an outer display, especially a 65,000 color display, if it is never on for more than 5 seconds? Furthermore, the display does not respond to any buttons on the outside of the phone. You have to actually open, then close the flap to check the time, or to see if you have missed a call.( a two handed operation). It does not even light when connected to the charger. It appears dead unless it is handled constantly.

This complaint may seem insignificant, but I am a carpenter/ woodworker, I use loud machinery, so I miss a lot of calls, and I do not wear a watch. I keep my phone on the bench near where I am working, and often glance at the phone to check for missed calls, or the time. Sometimes I have glue on my hands- even paint- I can’t be picking up and manipulating the phone every few minutes. This phone is being marketed as a workingman’s device, but it falls way short.

It is a fairly large size, a bit large for jeans pocket, but one could get used to it. The speakerphone is excellent. Loud. Very Loud. I would be extremely satisfied with this phone if not for the front display issue.

1 Star Don’t be disappointed
I bought this phone for its rugged specifications. I’m an active person (firefighter) and I thought I’d like some additional protection. The specs are nothing more than window dressing. The phone got wet, admittedly immersed, and failed.

When warranty work was sought, Samsung simply voided the warranty for the reason of “moisture.”

Worthless company, worthless product.Samsung Rugby A837 Phone, Black (AT&T)Samsung Rugby A837 Phone, Yellow (AT&T)

3 Stars A bit of a letdown
This refers to the MAROON model but color shouldn’t be a factor.

I purchased this phone primarily because of its ruggedness, and on that score it’s fine. As an old guy (not old enough for a Jitterbug), I won’t use 90% of the features but those I want are lacking. I wanted voice dial: nada. With all the bells and whistles available, why can’t we record a call? How often are you in a position to jot down info a caller provides?

Buy/More Info

T Mobile Shadow Phone Sage T Mobile

Despite being a feature-rich, Windows Mobile 6-powered smartphone, the T-Mobile Shadow is designed to reduce the complexity often associated with many smartphones while maintaining all the powerful calling, messaging and picture sharing capabilities you expect. The Shadow’s enhanced user-interface is based on the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, which enables you to view and edit Word and Excel documents as well as view emails in their original HTML format and enjoy quick access to contacts with the ability to search a call history and contacts database.

This slider phone offers a large, brightly colorful 2.6-inch LCD screen and spinning scroll wheel for easy navigatoin. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (up to 4 GB), built-in Wi-Fi networking, quad-band GSM connectivity with EDGE data services, and up to 5 hours of talk time. The copper version of the Shadow comes with an extra extended life battery for even more talk time.

The easy-to-use T-Mobile Shadow smartphone provides access to personal email and IM buddies, ability to edit Microsoft Office documents, and quick connection to your Fave 5.

T-Mobile Service
The Shadow operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

It’s compatible with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today’s hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.

With T-Mobile Contacts (formerly T-Mobile Address Book), you can store your phonebook on T-Mobile’s network so even if you lose your phone, you don’t lose your contacts. Contacts lets you import entries from Microsoft Outlook, .vcf files, or use .csv files to import from Yahoo!, Gmail, etc.; back up your phone’s address book on our server with enhanced safety features; and store additional contacts on the server.

The Shadow also features a 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, and MicroSD expansion.

Phone Features
Teaming with manufacturer HTC, T-Mobile’s Shadow offers an innovative design and simple user interface that strips out the complexity of traditional multi-function phones for a quick learning curve to all of this smartphone’s communication and organization features. The 2.6-inch LCD screen has a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and support for a 65K color depth. The phone’s face has a scrolling navigator button–which you can spin for faster scrolling through applications and contacts–complemented by send/end, home, back, and two soft keys for navigation. It smoothly slides up to reveal the alpha-numeric keypad that uses Blackberry’s SureType keyboard layout, which places two letters per key.

The phone has an internal 140 MB memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB in size). The internal phonebook is only limited by the available memory, and it offers multiple fields for phone numbers, and email/IM addresses. A special myFaves feature is integrated into the shadow, where a lighted navigation wheel gets you to your Fave 5 quickly and easily, enabling you to call, text, email, or IM with a single touch. You can customize your Fave 5 witha photo and icons you create or purchase from T-Mobile, as well as choose a distinct ringtone for each Fave.

Access six email accounts–five personal and one work account–including Microsoft Hotmail, Yahoo!, Gmail, Comcast, and AOL. Receive email the instant your computer does–no delay–and view attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint plus Adobe PDFs.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The 2-megapixel camera provides a range of five resolutions and four quality settings, and it features white balance and brightness settings, and several shooting modes. It will also capture video clips for as long as you have available memory.

The phone is compatible with text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messaging, as well as POP3 personal email accounts. It includes XT9 predictive text entry (the new version of the T9), with such features as a word prediction list and spelling correction that spots transposed letters and missed keys, as well as instant integration into all applications on the device.

Other features include:

• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for fast web surfing on home/corporate networks and hotspots (not compatible with T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service)
• Music playback: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV
• Stay in synch with your Contacts, Calendar, and Tasks in Microsoft Outlook
• Send and receive instant messages with Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, or ICQ
• Reminder feature, so you never forget another friend’s or family member’s birthday or anniversary
• An array of lights and sounds that differentiate one function from another, whether you’re receiving an e-mail, picture message or calendar appointment notification
• Speakerphone
• Voice-activated dialing enables you to make a call with simple voice commands when your hands are busy
• Processor: Texas Instruments OMAP 850, 200 MHz
• Memory: 128 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM (140 MB user accessible)

Vital Statistics
The T-Mobile Shadow weighs 5.3 ounces and measures 2.1 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches. Its 920 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 144 hours (6 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6
Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6 updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.

With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC’s Microsoft Office suite. You’ll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting–without affecting tables, images or text–as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

• Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
• With Excel Mobile, you’re not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
• PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
• After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Piece of garbage
When I first received this phone for a birthday gift, I thought “WOW what a great gift/awesome phone etc.” It worked fine initially…fast forward to the present and 4 phones later…I am about to get my 5th phone as the fourth phone stopped working.

I put up with the terrible battery life and all the other cons. I even loved it in spite of them. However, going on to my fifth phone…I have to say, I will never buy another HTC product again.

Let’s list the problems with my last phones (keep in mind I have never dropped them, spilled anything on them and I treat them with the utmost care) [I work customer service at a tech place so I know about hardware]:

- Buttons mysteriously stop working….permanently

- It stops being able to make phone calls….permanently

- The screen goes black and you cannot get out of this

- After some error, you cannot exit a call by hanging up…only restarting the phone (really now)

- It can no longer locate “signal” despite the fact I have not gone anywhere…it claims the sim card does not work (works just fine tried it on another phone)

- AND MORE!

I am so fed up with this phone that I would have literally run it over with my care by now if T-Mobile did not need me to send it back to get a replacement.

What a piece of crap. F you HTC.

4 Stars Best Phone I’ve Had Yet
So, yes other customers are right. It has a slow processor but trust me, it’s not THAT slow! It is slower than most phones, but is expected since it is a smartphone. Considering how many applications it’s holding, it isn’t a surprise. The best features for me have to be the Windows applications on this phone. Now I can travel with my documents from my PC and not worry. The battery life is another thing that’s a little sketchy. It does NOT have a horrible battery, like the Samsung Blast, but it could be better, in which case the Shadow’s battery lasts about a day and a half. Another idea is, if your not using your wifi, turn it off! It will save your battery. The formats on the phones applications highly make up for it, in which case they are quite amazing. The slider itself is quite durable and I’m confident that if I dropped it, it wouldn’t be shattered all over the floor. I haven’t had any problems hearing anyone on the other line, and there isn’t 7 buttons that send a text (i.e. Samsung Trace). Overall it is the best phone I’ve owned, and smartphone wise it’s a good deal (especially if you get it from Cartoys and not T-mobile itself).

4 Stars Very Slick Phone
t-Mobile Shadow

I have had my t-mobile shadow now for 4 months. I absolutely love this phone in spite of its shortcomings (which are significant). Let me give you the simple break down.

Pros:

-Form factor rocks! I have yet to find a smart phone on the market that comes even close to being as comfortable to use and easy to function with one or two handed operation. The size, look, and feel of this phone rocks in every way. It also seems like it is holding up fairly well considering how hard I am on equipment.

-Screen brightness and readability are superior to any phone I have used before.

-Phone Call Clarity is very nice on this phone. I have no complaints about volume or audio quality, and the phone seems to get fairly good reception.

-The custom interface that t-mobile has included for the MyFav’s is nice but I disabled it since I prefer the standard Windows Mobile interface and I don’t use my favs.

-MicroSDHC support. The phone uses the MicroSD cards and supports the HC cards so I currently have a 4gb card that works great. I haven’t tried the 8gb cards yet.

-Qwerty Keyboard is awesome. I have had not problem at all with the fact that there are two characters per key. The recognition system is awesome and after a week of use I am actually faster on this keyboard than I was on the full Qwerty keyboard on my BlackBerry.

Cons:

-Battery Life is my single largest complaint about this phone. If you plan on using a phone for two days or more without charging then this is not the phone for you. I use my phone to check email about 20 times a day and I make about 15 phone calls per day, I send about 10-15 text messages per day and that pretty much burns the entire battery by Midnight each day. For how much I use the phone I can expect about 18 hours of use before a recharge is required.

-Scroll wheel. The scroll wheel seems like it would be a nice addition but you have to turn it almost half a rotation to get it to scroll one position, so it is faster just to use it like a d-pad than a scroll wheel. I am hoping that a firmware update someday will fix this.

-Slightly slower performance. I have noticed that the phone does not handle some of the bigger applications I use as well. I use terminal services to remote manage some Microsoft servers that I have and it doesn’t work very well on the phone. Most of the standard mobile apps work just fine though.

I hope this was helpful. Good Luck!

4 Stars Not that slow really, good feature set, battery life not great though
Windows Mobile 6 has a lot of improvements over 5, but it still takes some navigation to get to some things. Recently upgraded the ROM to 1.11 via T-Mobile support, which had some tweaks that improved battery life a bit. Still can’t get it to sync with Exchange Server over GPRS, though it works fine over WiFi (server issue, maybe?), but everything else is good..nice keyboard, not a bad camera, large contact and calendar capabilites, good web browsing for a phone, ActiveSync mostly works very well, syncs with Exchange fine (except for the DirectPush issue, which I think will get solved), and more…T-Mobile does indeed have good customer support, probably the best in the cell phone biz that I know of, and I’ve worked with a lot of them. So even they can’t help me solve the GPRS/Exchange sync issue I don’t think I’ll have a problem getting a credit for the GPRS fees I’ve run up, not that they amount to much.

1 Star Horrible phone
This is a terrible phone. The sound was very low on the internal speaker. Well it was very low, it stopped working after about a month. So now I’m speaker phone only; or my bluetooth headset. Which is why I didn’t take it right back while it was still under warranty, because I use my bluetooth headset all the time anyway. Still it’s a hassle using speakerphone for every call when I’m at work where I can’t wear the headset.

Now they’ve updated the firmware and now the bluetooth doesn’t see any devices. So of the two of three ways you can listen to a call I’m now down to one way; speaker phone only.

The battery life is slow, and it’s not helped by the horrible OS where when you close a program, you’re not really closing the program you’re just putting it in the background. To really close a program you have to go to the task manager and close it there. And that just gives a small bump in battery life.

Or how about the time ActiveSync synced my blank pc outlook address book to my smartphone and erased all my contacts. That was clever. Didn’t these geniuses at M$ ever hear of a concept called “union” as in the union of two sets? Too bad apple does the same thing with their ipods as M$ does. The new version of ActiveSync now at least asks which way you want the data to go. I guess I had an older version, I never imagined sync means some thing else entirely than what I thought it meant.

And you see those pictures of your ‘friends’ in the circle in the product picture? You think, oh well that’ll be kind of cool, use the wheel to wheel around to whoever you want to call. I can’t review if that’s cool or not because with tmobile; that’s extra. I know this much, it ain’t 4 bucks a month cool.

I’m so sick of these mobile phones with all their locked out or charge extra features.

Buy/More Info

Samsung Propel A767 Phone Green ATandT

Get the word out to friends, family, and instant messaging buddies with the Samsung Propel slider phone from AT&T, whose face slides up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard that makes typing a breeze. You’ll be able to quickly download video, music and more over AT&T’s lightning quick HSPDA 3G network. Additionally, this GPS-enabled phone can access the AT&T Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions as well as its Video Share serve, which enables you to send video of yourself to another compatible phone while making a voice call. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (to 8 GB), access to personal email, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

The Propel’s full slide-out QWERTY keypad makes keeping up with friends and family via email and text and instant messaging a breeze.

AT&T Service
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS 850/1900 MHz network, which provides download speeds ranging from 700 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps. This makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You’ll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company’s 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) A majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day’s work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so.

You can take advantage of the AT&T Navigator GPS software and service, a full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.

With 3G connectivity, you’ll be able to access AT&T’s Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what’s playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what’s hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T’s Internet, video, and music services.)

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T’s MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Phone Features
The Samsung Propel’s face features a large 2.2-inch LCD screen, which offers a 65K color depth and 220 x 176-pixel resolution and sits above a standard five-way navigator, two soft keys for navigating menus, and send/end keys. It also includes a dedicated one-touch messaging key, making text messaging, instant messaging and mobile email quick and simple. The face slides up to reveal full QWERTY keyboard with integrated numeric keypad and dedicated camera button. The phone has an internal 50 MB memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 8 GB in size). The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries, each capable of storing multiple phone numbers and supporting caller groups as well as picture/ringer ID.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

The Propel offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. It includes support for mobile email services such as AOL, Yahoo!, and Windows Live. You can also keep up with your instant messaging buddies using the built-in IM application that connects to those same services.

Other features include:

• 1.3-megapixel camera with digital zoom and video capture capabilities
• Digital audio player with support for MP3 files
• 72-chord polyphonic and MP3 ringtones
• Organizer tools: calendar, alarm, world clock, notes, memo, currency converter, to do
• Voice recording capabilities
• T9 predictive text entry
• USB connectivity (cable not included)
• Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), SPP (serial port profile)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Propel weighs 3.8 ounces and measures 3.85 x 2.23 x 0.5 inches. Its 1000 mAH lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T’s 850/1900 MHz 3G network (UMTS/HSDPA).

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Excellent Entry Level Texting Phone =)
This is a great entry level texting phone for all the text message whores out there. Despite all the pictures advertising the phone, it only appears to be big and bulky but it’s the complete opposite. The phone is actually very slim & slender. I love that it comes in 3 different colors (Green, Blue, & Rose White) and probably more on the way. I picked up the green one and i love it. I originally purchased the Samsung Epix PDA phone and was so disappointed by the awful operating system and returned it right away. Finally the Samsung Propel hits the stores and it’s basically a PDA smart phone without the Window Mobile operating system (Which is awful by the way). I love the Samsung Menu and UI. It’s easy to use and just navigating through it is a breeze. You don’t even need to look at the manual to operate this thing. The one downside to the Propel is that the screen could be a bit bigger and the colors could be a bit more vibrant. You only get 65K colors as oppose to the usual Samsung high end phones that come with 262K colors. So, that was one of the disappointments with this phone. Samsung knew this phone was strictly for the teens so i can see why the price is so cheap. Considering the friendly price is probably a big reason why you don’t get the 262K colors. Another flaw is the Instant Messaging. You do get AIM & Yahoo but the buddylist is not in real time. You will only be able to see a few friends on your buddylist not all. But if you IM them they will respond even though they appear to not be signed in. The best thing about my Sidekick LX is that IM is in real time. I signed on from both devices and had about 50 friends on my buddylist appear on my SK while the Propel only had 3. As i stated before even though only 3 appear you can still IM the ones that don’t appear and chat with them. Also AT&T for some reason is so stingy with the accessories. I wish it came with an additional USB charger, free micro SD memory card, or a case. Unfortunately NONE. All you get is the cell & wall charger. Overall i am very pleased with my purchase and recommend anyone looking for a texting phone or any device that might come close to a Sidekick on the AT&T network, this would be the phone 4 u.

Pros:

Sleek sexy design

Comes in multiple colors

Camera/camcorder (Really should be 6.0 megapixel by now)

Built in Messaging Clients (AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Etc)

Access to Emails

Qwerty Keyboard

MP3 Players

Samsung Menu

GPS

Slider Phone

Micro SD (Up to 8GB)

Cons:

Only 65K Colors on screen

Only 1.3 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder (Really should be 6.0 by now)

Battery is really thin so carry an extra charger with you

AT&T is really cheap with the accessories (Only device & charger included)

Wish a USB Charger was included

4 Stars Samsung propel
I have had this phone for 3 weeks. It is an ok phone. Only thing I really dont like is how fast the battery runs down. I use to have a little LG flip phone and I only charged it once a week. This one is like every other day and more if I go to the media mall. I was also disappointed when I downloaded a message alert tone from the AT&T ringtone page only to find out you cant use it as a message tone. Since I text alot I thought it would be cute to have animal sounds as alerts. Other than these two things it is a pretty little phone and I was able to get it in green which is my favorite color.

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Samsung T339 Phone Charcoal T Mobile

Stylish and svelte, the Samsung T339 flip phone for T-Mobile includes built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) that supports both voice and data, making it easier to stay connected to family, friends and colleagues using T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service. A great phone for staying in touch with family and friends while on the go, it includes SMS/MMS as well as instant messaging (IM) connectivity. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (up to 2 GB), digital audio player, and up to 6 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service

Enjoy unlimited nationwide calling over Wi-Fi networks with T-Mobile’s HotSpot Enabled service.

With T-Mobile HotSpot Enabled service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot Enabled service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the phone works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

Additionally, this mobile phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). As a quad-band world phone, this phone supports international roaming, extending the ability to stay connected while traveling abroad. This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today’s hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.

Phone Features
The trim Samsung T339 features a 2-inch internal LCD screen (176 x 220 pixels, 262K colors) that’s complemented by an external 1-inch screen (96 x 96 pixels, 65K colors) that displays current time, signal strength, battery life, and incoming calls. The phone’s camera lens sits above this external screen. Flipping open the phone reveals the standard alpha-numeric keypad that’s joined by a five-way navigator, send and end keys, and two soft navigation keys. The phone has a small 20 MB internal memory, which can store up to 1000 contact entries with support for multiple numbers per contact, caller groups and picture/ringer ID. The phone’s memory can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards–great for bringing your favorite music along wherever you roam or saving pictures and videos.

The Samsung T339 features a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, and MicroSD memory expansion.

With the integrated Wi-Fi networking, the Samsung T339 allows you to quickly surf the Internet over open wireless networks at home, at your business, or at Wi-Fi hotpsots (such as your local coffee shop). Additionally, with a HotSpot Enabled plan, you’ll be able to effortlessly switch between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk.

Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking–surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.

If you need text messaging capabilities, the T339 has you covered as support is built-in for sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages. Instant messaging is also supported too, and comes preloaded with AOL, Yahoo!, MSN and ICQ IM clients (additional fees may apply). When it’s time to connect to the Web, you can do so quickly over the supported EDGE data protocol using the WAP 2.0 browser. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built-into the unit–a plus for text messaging users.

Other features include:

• 1.3-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and video capture
• Digital audio player with support for MP3, AAC/AAC+ formats
• Organizational tools: calendar, alarm, stopwatch, calculator, converter
• 64-chord polyphonic ringtones, vibrate mode
• Speakerphone plus 2.5mm jack for wired headsets
• Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Samsung T339 weighs 3.3 ounces and measures 3.6 x 1.8 x 0.8 inches. Its 880 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of talk time, and up to 264 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

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Nokia 6205 Dark Knight Edition Phone Verizon Wireless

Built with premium materials and boasting an elegant design, this special version of the clamshell Nokia 6205 for Verizon celebrates one of The Dark Knight–the continuation of the Batman legend and one of the biggest movies in Hollywood history. Clad in a mysterious black color and embellished with a subtle The Dark Knight emblem, it comes pre-loaded with wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer. You will also find a Joker playing card with a code and a link to a special Verizon web site where you can find out if you’ve won The Joker’s “bag of cash” containing $10,000, play games to win more The Dark Knight-themed prizes, and download exclusive The Dark Knight content from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST service.

Great Gotham Gadgetry! The Dark Knight Edition of the Nokia 6205 boasts a sleek black design and Dark Knight emblem on the back.

It’s compatible with the V Cast Music and V CAST Music with Rhapsody services, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon’s fast EV-DO data network. The phone also features Bluetooth connectivity for handsfree devices, MicroSD memory expansion, a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, and up to 4.5 hours of talk time.

Verizon Service Options
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you’ll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon’s multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you’ll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.

Enjoy crisp looking videos on the 262K color screen, and send messages and email using the clearly defined keypad.

In addition to the V Cast Music service, this phone is also compatible with Verizon’s V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

The V Cast Video service enables you to stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.

Verizon’s Mobile eMail gives you access to your Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL accounts so you can read, write, and reply. Access your address book, receive e-mail alerts and more, right on your Verizon Wireless phone. Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon’s Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon’s Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

With this GPS-enabled phone, you’ll be able to access Verizon’s VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. And Verizon’s Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your Verizon Wireless phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you’ll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.

Phone Features
The sleek Nokia 6205 features a 1.3-inch external LCD screen that provides touch-sensitive external music keys that make it simple to access your stored music library. And the internal 2-inch, 262K color internal LCD screen (with a 176 x 220-pixel resolution) makes watching news, sports and entertainment content from V CAST Video come alive. Under the clamshell, you’ll also find a standard alpha-numeric keypad, five-way navigation pad, and send/end and two soft keys. The phone has a 58 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB in size). It can store up to 500 contact entries, and it features multiple phone number fields per entry as well as picture and ringer ID capabilities.

In addition to an integrated handsfree speakerphone, the 6205 provides Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets and other handsfree devices. The embedded Bluetooth 2.0 also provides support for dial-up networking, transferring files, and sharing contacts and calendar updates with other Bluetooth-enabled phone users.

The 1.3-megapixel camera includes a flash and 4x digital zoom, and it can capture still images from 1280 x 960 pixels (suitable for printing) to 160 x 120 pixels (perfect for sending via email or MMS messaging). It also features a self-timer and landscape/portrait modes. You can also capture short video clips for saving or sending via messaging. The digital audio player supports MP3 and WMA files as well as unprotected AAC/AAC+ formats, and it also features the ability to create and manage playlists in the phone as well as sync music between the phone and your PC via USB.

In addition to voice communication, you can also quickly and easily sent SMS text messages as well as MMS picture messaging. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile text messaging users.

Other features include:

• Organizer tools: Notepad, Calculator, Alarm Clock, World Clock, Stopwatch
• Voice dialing and voice commands for touch-free phone operation
• Built-in speakerphone
• Polyphonic ringtones and real-music ringtones in multiple formats
• Openwave Web browser (WAP 2.0)
• 2.5mm headphone/headset jack
• TTY compatible
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4
• Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 6205 weighs 3.62 ounces and measures 3.62 x 1.77 x 0.72 inches. Its 1020 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.5 hours (270 minutes) of talk time, and up to 264 hours (11 days) of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA frequencies as well as the 1xEV-DO r0 data network.

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