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

Sony Ericsson Z750a Phone Gray ATandT

The Sony Ericsson Z750a clamshell phone is ready to access your favorite streaming music and video thanks to its tri-band 3G connectivity, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T’s Cellular Video. This phone also offers quad-band GSM connectivity for easy globetrotting. Stylishly accented with curved corners and a mirror-finish, the Z750a also has a hidden external display that only lights up when your phone is in use (such as when a call comes in). Other features include an internal 320 x 240-pixel screen, Memory Stick Micro expansion, full HTML browsing with RSS feeds, and Exchange ActiveSync for push email, calendar and contact synchronization.

The Z750a has an external display, but you only see it when your phone is in use.

AT&T Service
Compatible with AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas, this phone offers tri-band HSDPA/UMTS connectivity (850/1900/2100 MHz). You’ll get average download speeds of around 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) and speed bursts up to 3.6 Mbps, as well as simultaneous voice and data services. Multi-task while you are on a call–search for movies times, look up directions, or send messages. You’ll also get more done with faster access to email, and enjoy speedy Internet connectivity with richer graphics and easy-to-use personalization options.

In areas where 3G network access 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 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 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. It also features AT&T Mobile Music, which provides access to Napster and eMusic subscription services as well as Music ID song-recognition software, music videos and The Buzz music news portal. The handset is XM Radio Mobile-capable, so you can enjoy streaming live digital radio as well. (An AT&T MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T’s Internet, video, and music services.)

The Z750a 3G phone is compatible with AT&T Music, Cellular Video, and XM Radio services.

Phone Features
The Z750a has an internal 2.2-inch LCD that provides 262K colors for excellent depth and a 240 x 320-pixel resolution. The external monochrome OLED display has a resolution of 36 x 128 pixels, and it displays current time as well as battery level. It also offers four-way toggle navigation surrounded by a backlit ring, a backlit numeric keypad with tactile feedback, two soft keys, and a Web browser shortcut key. The phone has a slot on the left spine for using Memory Stick Micro (M2) media and a dedicated music player button on the right side. This phone can store up to 1000 contact entries, each with fields for five phone numbers as well as the ability to save callers to groups and pair contacts with a ringtone.

While this isn’t one of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman digital audio player-equipped phones, the Z750a does offer multiformat music playback that includes MP3, WMA (unprotected), and AAC, as well as such features as shuffle and loop modes, stereo widening, and an equalizer. Additionally, you’ll be able to purchase and download real-music ringtones (72-chord polyphonic) in a variety of formats (MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, eAAc+, WMA, WAV). You also get a built-in FM radio with RDS, which displays the name of the currently playing song (when tuned to compatible radio stations). With the TrackID service, you can identify any song that you can hear by just recording a snippet of sound using the microphone. It also includes a flight mode that lets you keep listening to tunes with the phone’s network connectivity turned off.

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 built-in 2.0-megapixel camera captures stills in three resolution modes (1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 pixels), and it includes a number of options to help you create great shots, including a 2.5x digital zoom, two quality settings, three color effects, night mode, and white balance and brightness adjustments. You can also shoot video to your heart’s delight (as long as you have space on your memory card), or limit it to 25 seconds for sending to friends and family via MMS. It provides support for PictBridge technology so you can print your photos without the need of a PC (either using USB or Bluetooth), and this phone makes it easy to send snapped photos directly to a blog or an online photo, complete with text.

The phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3 and IMAP4 protocols (with easy setup for receiving AOL, MSN and Yahoo! mobile mail), while the included Access NetFront Web Browser allows you to surf full HTML web sites. It also supports RSS feeds, allowing you to use your phone to view up-to-the-minute news and other content from selected Web sites and blogs. Just subscribe to the feed and let it come to you. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messaging, and you can also chat via instant messaging with built-in support for AIM, Yahoo! and MSN chat services.

The Z750a is one of Sony Ericsson’s first mobile phones based on Java Platform 8 (JP-8), which supports a range of new Java programming features including instant messaging/chat and presence based functionality, banking and payment transactions, user identification and authentication through secure encryption technology, mapping, and other location-aware applications.

Other features include:

• USB 2.0 wired connectivity with mass storage capability
• PIM functions including calendar, tasks, notes, alarm, calculator, stopwatch, and timer
• T9 text entry technology
• Vibrating alert
• Speakerphone
• Voice recorder
• SMS (text) and MMS (multimedia) messaging
• Hearing aid compatibility: M3, T3
• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), HID (support for mice or joysticks), OPP (object push for business cards or calendar items), PAN (personal area networking), PBA (transfer contacts)

Vital Statistics
The Z750a weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.83 x 1.93 x 0.79 inches. Its 950 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated at up to 9 hours of talk time, and up to 400 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as the HSDPA/UMTS 850/1900/2100 network.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star We thought AT&T has raised the bars on the quality & service not just on the fees…..
We purchased from Amazon.com one Motorola RAZR2 V9 Phone and two Sony Ericsson Z750 Phones along with a mandatory 2-year contract AT&T FamilyTalk Nation 550 Rollover Minutes.

Pros: $0.03 for all three phones, Rollover minutes.

Cons: just to mention few…

- The worst talk and standby time on all three phones particularly the Sony Ericsson, despite the fact all three of us use our cell phones only for very necessary or in emergency situations.

- More dropped calls than the competition.

- The quality of voice (connection) is a lot to be desired.

- You cannot program the phone on speaker ahead of time. You can activate it only after dialing or receiving a call – A SAFETY ISSUE while driving.

- The buttons on all three phones are arranged in such a way so that one can easily get connected to internet inadvertently. Despite disconnecting it immediately, you get charged by AT&T. The AT&T advice was to either purchase a new plan (for additional high monthly fee) or have the option of internet connection totally disconnected (without reduction in monthly charge despite reduced service). We end up to having to choose the latter.

- The ring tone of RAZR2 V9 when on speaker phone is laryngitic.

- The choices for the ring tones are severely anemic, unless you purchase more tones from AT&T.

- The voice command, as I understand it, can be activated only with additional monthly fee. The competition gave that for free on the less equipped phones.

WHY DID WE NOT CANCEL THE AT&T PLAN during the first ONE month of grace period?

This one goes to Amazon.com and its new stifling way of business: If you cancel or reduce the plan within the first SIX months, you have to pay $250 for each phone!!!

Perhaps I was too generous to include “$0.03 for all three phones” as a Pro for this, seemingly, deal; or more seemingly, ordeal.

4 Stars Ericson z750a Phone battery life fix!
I had the same problem until I turned off the G network on the phone itself. I called ATT and they told me: “There’s no way to disable the G network” then I called Sony and they told me that the phone was built like that per ATT’s request. Since it was using ATT software on the phone’s operating system it was not able to disable the G network.

In summary this is the fix and i have tested on several phones and it worked:

Step 1: Replace your ATT Sim card with a different provider’s SIM card. This SIM card doesn’t even need to be activated. I used T-Mobile’s SIM.

Step 2: Once you use a differen SIM card your phone’s programming options will change. You will have a new option that will let you disable your G network as default. You can even turn it off. That’s what I have. Your phone will last at least 4 days or more.

Step 3: Reinsert your ATT SIM card and enjoy life. You won’t see the “G” on your screen anymore. You don’t need it.

4 Stars Great when de-branded takes 8G cards
This is my review which was on a different color version of this phone. Update: I picked up a 8G card for this, works fine in both branded and de-branded versions of the phone. Also, there are 900mAmp and 950mAmp versions of the battery, I have the 950.

I picked up this phone (2 actually) for $50 each after rebates. Call quality if excellent. Has Walkman-like media player for music and video and podcasts, audio books. Megabass for headsets, but no stereo speakers on unit (there are lots of external speakers available though). When on 3G you can surf and talk at the same time.

First, make sure you get a unlimited data plan. There is one for $15/mo. (at this time) since ATT doesn’t consider this a smart phone. You can tether with this phone on that plan. Download the PC software from SE’s website to sync the phone to your Outlook or other contact list. Can sync with bluetooth or data usb cable (proprietary but only about $5 at many websites).

Then decide if you really want TV or XM radio on the phone. The TV is clips few of which are updated daily unless you subscribe, a few music videos etc. XM is a $9.95 subscription. MLB Game Day is also an subscription. If you don’t want these things (and will never buy anything from the ATT Media Mall), then spend $16 or so, and debrand the phone and uncover a gem.

Here’s a partial list of what you can gain:

1. GPS – I get accuracy to 10 meters, works best in car with charger attached, can drain battery in 2 hours or less. Must use 2007 NavTec Google Map app in firmware, newer Google won’t work as well. Locator Services can be left active and minimized so that Google will immediately know where you are. But do it connected to a charger! Also AmAze navigator (the version for the C702, I think) will work on the phone giving you turn by turn navigation for free. (don’t look at the phone while driving it’s too small)

2. TrackId is now free rather than a subscription. I don’t know why anyone would actually pay for this monthly. While I am sometimes curious as to what I’m hearing, I’m not paying $5/mo to find out one or two songs. TrackId works fine on music from classical to country to rap/hiphop, the most abstract techno/disco strangeness you can come up with, and on generic firmware it’s free.

3. Blogging from camera as a ’send to blog’ (Blogspot.com) uses email account and data plan.

4. RSS Desktop – has as many features as an iPhone’s. Auto scroll, configurable updates. easy to add RSS, when browsing the RSS symbol will pop up and using the left soft key, you can add it to the listing. Updates anywhere from every hour to once a week.

5. Podcasts (video and audio) I believe that it may be configurable by the rss feeds rather than the PC Suite sync method, at least my phone seems to update them. PC Suite method will load podcasts daily, and sync with your phone. Media Suite needs data cable (about $6 from other Amazon sellers).

6. Exchange ActiveSync without any shortcomings (as have been reported elsewhere), specific Exchange sync.

7. SyncML for everything else. There are reports of it working with MyLife/iLife.

8. Email push client – works with ANY pop or imap server, and can filter out unwanted domains, etc from the ‘push’– you can select domains to accept from. No applications to view attachments, but you could bluetooth or use cable to transfer to a PC/laptop.

9. Network Sharing function, phone can be part of office network via USB or Bluetooth

10. Choice between ‘GSM & 3G’ vs ‘GSM’ only is now unblocked, fixing the battery life issues. Even in combined mode, if the phone isn’t updating it will drop down to GSM/Edge when not actually using the web. You can also search networks and simply not chose the 3G ATT network too. You’ll need SE’s webite and tools to reconfigure internet, picture and SMS services if you debrand. Recent updates may not show the z750a, use the z750i. You can also configure ANY ISP’s email from their site (including Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, any so called ‘residential’ carrier like Comcast or Cablevision, etc (but not MSN/Hotmail), and multiple ones on the phone.

11. You won’t accidentally open a Internet browser when pressing the central button, it’s a Message Center button now. Other buttons and shortcuts are also rearranged in a more logical fashion, camera button changes to MediaNet browser and all the softkeys are configurable including the ring around the central button.

There’s OperaMini for this phone, Yahoo Go!, AmAze, etc.

FM radio needs antennae phone jack to work, but if you want to use your standard stereo headsets you’ll need it too, to connect with since ATT didn’t include the part. FWIW, ALL SE phones use the came cables and chargers, so if you have a prior SE phone that came with cables use those. The are a ton of profiles built into the phone including the latest Stereo Bluetooth profiles, Bluetooth remote controls, etc. I bought a HBH-DS980 the Bluetooth Stereo wireless to use with this phone. You can’t use it with FM radio, however.

Voice command controls only for/with handsfree units, allows multiple commands per contact, multiple phone numbers per contacts, multiple addresses per contact. Just like Outlook or any other full blown contact manager. Contacts can have own ringtone and photo. Naturally if you are using your SIM card to store you can only have ONE phone number per contact. Download SE’s software to get the sync software to put all your Outlook contacts into the phone.

I don’t like that it’s hard to find appointments and you have to view each day to see a list, rather than a consolidated list of the appointments in order. Tasks as nice, multiple alarm timers.

Generally its a very nice phone, battery issues aside. Better, IMHO, unbranded. (Oh, and it’s SE Java8 platform, so no MS Mobile here.)

3 Stars Not a great phone
Overall, I really don’t like this phone much. Besides the short battery life mentioned in the other reviews, I have other problems with the phone. Flipping the phone is very stiff and I find myself sometimes sending calls to voice mail because I pushed one of the buttons on the side of the phone trying to get it open. The cursor control in the center of the phone is very inaccurate. I find myself constantly pushing the wrong part of the cursor control and misfiring, for example creating voice messages when I’m trying to create text messages. Also, the text messaging is not easy. There’s no easy way to type the same letter twice without waiting the second or two until the key resets. Other phones use the single space to trigger the end of the wait without a space but this phone doesn’t. The display on the outside of the phone is cute but mostly it’s a gimmick to make the advertising pictures look nicer. When the phone is sitting on my desk, nothing is displayed and it’s easier to look at my watch then it is to find the tiny button on the side of the phone to make the time display. (Yes, the tiny button that I seem to always press when I’m trying to open the phone to answer a call.) It’s true that the display shows the incoming call but usually by the time I look at it, the scrolling is only showing the end of the number so I miss who is calling anyway. It would be better if the phone let you put in a short version for your contacts (like “Jack” or “Mom”) and only displayed that.

The camera does take decent pictures and the voice quality is good but if I could get a new phone it wouldn’t be this one.

4 Stars Mid level phone user’s phone
The Sony Ericsson has all the bells and whistles that a super cell phone user may have but it may not be the most convenient for them. I for one don’t use internet hardly ever. I know it has it but too be honest I would just get frustrated being on it. It’s the normal flip phone and if you basically just text and use it as a phone then it’s probably the perfect one for you. I do like the fm radio feature but its required you get their earphones (sold separately) to use it and its not so convenient to carry them around also.

The one complaint everyone has is the battery life. Don’t believe the description it gives. The main thing about battery life is the capacity measured in mAh. The more of those = the more battery life. I think it has 950 mAh so it’s basically the same as any other phone. I usually charge it every night. I usually can go 2 nights without a charge but if you use the phone a lot you’d probably only get 1.5 days of life. Other than that its a decent mid-range phone. No problems and no big complaints.

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

Nokia 1680 Black Phone T Mobile

A great choice for those looking for a simplified cell phone for on-the-go communications, the Nokia 1680 classic offers essential mobile phone functionality with the added benefits of a basic digital camera. It offers a VGA camera with video recording capabilities, and it features one-touch access for photos and videos. It’s compatible with T-Mobile’s MyFaves service for unlimited nationwide calling to your five favorite people. Other features include access to personal email as well as text and multimedia messaging, speakerphone for handsfree communication, web browser, and up to 4 hours of talk time.

T-Mobile Service Options
The 1680 operates on GSM 850/1900 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.

Enjoy access to personal email and instant messaging via popular services as well as SMS/MMS messaging.

Phone Features
The candybar-style Nokia 1680 has a color LCD screen with a 128 x 160-pixel resolution and 65K color depth. It has a standard alpha-numeric keypad, five-way navigator, send/end keys, and two soft keys for navigating the interface. The phone has an internal 32 MB memory, which isn’t expandable. The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries, with multiple numbers per entry and support for caller groups and ringer/picture ID. Additionally, the phone displays the most recent 20 dialed/received/missed calls.

The 1680 offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. It includes support for IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP email. In addition to SMS text and MMS multimedia messaging, this phone incorporates Nokia Xpress audio messaging, which allows you to personalize messages in a spontaneous and creative way. By using a specially designed menu, an audio message can be recorded and sent with only a few clicks of a button. Xpress audio messages can be sent to all MMS-enabled GSM handsets, and can also be shared with multiple recipients.

Other features include:

• Send and receive instant messages with Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, or ICQ.
• Organizer with local calendar, Expense Manager, advanced calculator, Converter II
• WAP 2.0 web browser (XHTML)
• VGA camera for still photos up to 640 x 480 pixels
• Capture and play back short video clips
• Integrated speakerphone
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Ringtones: Polyphonic (24 channels), MP3

Vital Statistics
The Nokia 1680 weighs 2.6 ounces and measures 4.26 x .59 x 1.81 inches. Its 700 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 432 hours (18 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Ok phone to tide me over
Short: This phone works fine as a basic phone, if that is all you are looking for.

Long: My old phone’s LCD croaked on me, and I wanted to wait a bit before buying an HTC Dream, so I went with this cheap phone. Complaints: Menu/key response is sometimes slow. No way to get data to phone via USB cable, at least if you live in the US.

It seems like a USB cable exists (in Europe, Asia and Australia) but it costs about as much as the phone itself does after exchange rates. If you go to [...], they talk about cable CA-126, which works with the 1680. It has a regular usb connector on one end, and a Nokia microusb & 2.5mm charger plug on the other. The US Nokia manual says the Microusb port is for “authorized personal only”, which to my mind says that the carriers in the US wanted to force people into getting things onto the phone via some $$$-chargeable method.

In any event, I’ll be getting a new phone in a few months so I’ll live with this phone for now. But the limitations it has makes it so that it is only suitable for those who are not looking for anything other than making/receiving phone calls (like my parents).

4 Stars Good basic phone for the money
I needed a replacement phone, and did not want to sign up for a new contract, so I bought a Nokia 1680c at the full retail price. This phone is a good value. It rings loud & clear, and the speakerphone is easy to hear. People I’m calling say my voice is clear, though they can tell I’m on a cell phone. It has a lot of neat software features; for example, you can configure a shortcut action for the left and right softkeys, as well the Up-Down-Left-Right buttons. There is no dedicated rocker switch on the side for volume up & down; during a call, the volume is adjusted by the Left and Right buttons. The phone is constructed well, but feels too light. Battery life is very good. The screen is bright and clear. Navigating menus can be a little sluggish. The keypad is stiff, making text messaging a chore. No Bluetooth connectivity, so forget about using one of those fancy headsets. The box does include a wired earbud/microphone with integrated call answer/end button. Something that annoyed me was how it saved numbers to the address book from an incoming call; the Nokia software puts a “+” symbol in front of incoming call numbers. That gets saved to the address book — for example “+15551212121″ — a minor thing, and something probably more useful for European phone numbers, for example. Overall, I like this phone, and will probably keep it until I someday feel the need to get a smartphone-type slab of electronics.

Buy/More Info

Palm Centro Black Phone ATandT

Life starts after five o’clock. Not coincidentally, that’s also when the Palm Centro smartphone comes alive. Not only does the Palm Centro handle all your favorite voice functions, but it also offers text, IM, e-mail, and web access–all in a body that’s a lot smaller than you’d think. Add a 1.3-megapixel camera, 64 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth connectivity for headsets, MicroSD expansion, and a full QWERTY keyboard and you have a terrific smartphone for all your messaging and personal needs. You’ll be able to get to where you’re going fast with support for TeleNav GPS Navigator software (which requires an optional Bluetooth GPS receiver). And this quad-band GSM version of the Centro for AT&T also features walkie talkie-style Push to Talk (PTT) communication in addition to voice dialing and speakerphone capabilities. The integrated Palm OS 5.4.9 operating system also plays nicely with Windows XP and Vista as well as Mac OS X 10.2 and higher.

The Palm Centro’s full QWERTY keyboard makes it easy to type text messages, IMs, and e-mails.

AT&T Service
This phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”), with availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. This third-generation, 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.

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. The AT&T Mobile Music platform includes the ability to sideload music with Napster and eMusic with the built-in Pocket Tunes Deluxe application, listen to live radio with XM Radio Mobile, discover new songs with MusicID and more. You can also access XM Radio Mobile, which provides 25 of the best XM Radio channels, featuring commercial-free rock, hip-hop, country, jazz and more (additional monthly fee; free three-day trial included).

With a database of more than 3 million artists and titles, you can use MusicID to identify an unknown song. While holding the Centro up to a speaker, the MusicID application returns song information such as title, artist and cover art, if available. It also keeps track of previous IDs and allows users to share song information with friends via text messages (additional monthly fee; free three-day trial included).

It’s also MobiTV capable, which enables you to watch live television, premium and prime-time programming, video-on-demand clips and satellite and digital music services from the top broadcast and cable television networks and major music labels (additional monthly charges are applicable).

You can take advantage of the TeleNav GPS Navigator software, the full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps. It comes as a 30-day trial version, and it can be downloaded via the TeleNav web site or via virtual pre-load icon (VPL) after activation.

You can also instantly talk across the largest Push to Talk (PTT) network coverage area in America. Push to Talk works like a walkie-talkie to talk to an individual or a group of up to 29 users. With status icons that clearly indicate the availability of friends and family, Push to Talk customers will know who is free before they call. You can purchase unlimited Push to Talk minutes with with single or family plans, or use Push to Talk on a pay-per-use basis that’s charged by the minute.

Click to see even more details.

Design
The Palm Centro boasts a sleek glacier white housing that measures a mere 4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.2 ounces. It’s notably smaller than many competing smartphones, yet doesn’t sacrifice functionality at any point along the way. Users will also love the 320 x 320 touchscreen (up to 65,000 colors), which offers a crisp resolution for photos and videos. And thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard, you can say L8R to those tricky keys on your old cell phone.

Phone and Messaging Functions
The Palm Centro smartphones offers a ton of ways to stay in touch with friends, whether calling, firing off a quick text, instant messaging, or sending an e-mail. From a phone perspective, the Palm Centro lets you dial people right from your address book, set up three-way calls from the touch of a button, or use the speakerphone to talk hands-free. The keyboard, meanwhile, makes it a breeze to type complete messages whether you’re sending text, pictures, or even audio or video clips. Plus, the Centro keeps all your messages in a chat-style view, so it’s easy to keep track of the conversation.

Want to keep up with all the latest gossip when you’re away from the computer? Turn to the Centro’s instant messaging functions, which support all your buddy lists on AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. It also supports Good Mobile Messaging after an over-the-air (OTA) download of the software.. Similarly, the Centro lets you access your personal e-mail accounts, such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo. As a result, you can reply to invites and answer e-mails when you’re out and about.

Web Functions
Whether you’re keeping up with friends on Facebook or looking up directions to the new bistro across town, the Centro’s touchscreen and keyboard make it fun to navigate around the web. The Centro includes a fast built-in web browser that lets you check out photos on Flickr quickly via AT&T’s EDGE data network. The Centro is also compatible with Google Maps, making it simple to get directions or see which freeways are clear and which ones are parking lots. Google Maps shows you red, yellow, or green traffic routes in real time.

Organizer Functions
The Palm Centro includes a complete organizer for keeping track of all your daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. The contacts list gathers all your friends’ phone numbers, addresses, and more, while the calendar keeps you from missing upcoming meetings, events, and parties. You can even enter a friend’s birthday in the contacts list and will automatically show up in your calendar. As with the best organizers, the Centro also offers a to-do list that lets you check off items when they’re complete. As a result, it’s easy to keep track of what you did and still need to do. And should you come across a tidbit that doesn’t have a logical home, simply turn to the memo function, which lets you store random information such as hot spots in Vegas or the names of movies you’d like to rent. Say goodbye to carrying around crumpled scraps of paper in your pocket or purse. Finally, it’s possible to save a copy of all those names, numbers, appointments, photos, and videos on your computer thanks to the sync function.

Multimedia
Whether you want to take pictures, play videos, or listen to music, the Palm Centro has got you covered. The 1.3-megapixel digital camera (with a 2x digital zoom) lets you shoot pictures and send them to friends, store digital albums, or shoot videos. The built-in MP3 player, meanwhile, lets you take your tunes everywhere you go. With 64 MB of storage, there’s plenty of room for your playlists, plus you can add up to 4 GB more with a microSD card. And thanks to Pocket Tunes Deluxe, you can play the songs you downloaded from online music stores.

Vital Statistics
The Palm Centro weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Excellent Smartphone on a Poor AT&T Network
As of March 2009, I think Palm Centro is one of the best smartphones available. The style is simple, unadorned and functional a.k.a. Google style but not stylish, fun & glamorous like iPhone & Mac. Having used 3 Windows Mobile phones, iPhone, Balckberry Storm, Palm Treo 755p & Nokia E51, I think Centro is closest to the ideal smartphone but AT&T network does not hold water to Verizon Wirelss network in reliability.

1. Clear sound. Solid, reliable phone.

2. Reasonable size & weight (119 gms) and is pocketable and you have to carry phone with you all the time. But there is scope for improvement, it could be lighter and thinner. Ideal weight for a phone is less than 100 gms.

3. Top-notch contact, calendar and memos management.

4. Brisk, peppy response and rarely locks up or freezes.

5. A-one Microsoft office document functionality with Documents-to-Go.

6. Good QWERTY keyboard.

7. Fairly decent availability of applications.

8. Functions well as a tethered modem with cable and speed in 800-900 Kbs range on Verizon Wireless network.

10.Synchronizes calendar, contacts and memos with Macbook.

11.Good SMS function: threads messages.

But Centro is not without flaws: the default OK button is on Voicemail and dials Voicemail unintentionally. I have not been able to sync over Bluetooth or use Bluetooth modem. Web browser is fast for mobile sites but otherwise barely functional – Internet is available but browsing is not enjoyable like on iPhone. Instead of micro-USB or mini-USB, it uses proprietary cable which is hard to take out. Camera is bare minimum at 1.3 Megapixels and music function is basic with 2.5 mm audio jack. Font size is small and has to be individually adjusted in each application.

Here is my Gestalt on smartphones.

1. iPhone is the best MP3, video and multimedia player, has the best user interface and mobile browser experience but is abysmal as a phone in comparison to Verizon Centro. AT&T has poor network signal and coverage, the calls drop all the time and sound on iPhone is average.

2. Blackberry Storm has a gorgeous screen and excellent email device but has very buggy software and constantly freezes. Blackberries shine when it comes to email.

3. Windows Mobile phones are horrendous: packed with features that don’t work and smartphone operating system is the most unreliable.

4. Symbian based Nokia phones are fairly decent smartphones but their availability on US cellular carriers is very limited. Verizon Wireless, the best network in US, has none.

In my experience Palm operating system is one of the most trusty and functional smartphone operating systems. Centro is supposedly the last in the Palm lineage phones. I would recommend it if you need a solid, trustworthy smartphone, but on Verizon, not on AT&T.

4 Stars A nice phone
I’ve had this phone for about a month now and it’s serving me well. My only minor complaint is how tiny the buttons are. It takes some getting used to but they are manageable however. Everything else I like. Doesn’t hurt it was only .01! I’d recommend it.

3 Stars Nice device but Palm OS is terrible on a phone
I have used and liked the Palm PDAs over many years.

My work gave me a Palm Centro.

The device is nice – fits in short or trouser pocket easily.

The Palm OS is frustrating – freezes regularly for 2-3 seconds when

accessing commands or navigating the menus. This is by far the biggest

annoyance with this phone. I’ll tr to navigate to a manu or function

and the phone freezes for several seconds and then catches up.

Keyboard is small.

Web browsing is acceptable.

The device is ok as a phone but you really need a bluetooth to make it

usable.

Would certainly not be the device of my choice if I had to buy one.

1 Star I really wanted to like this phone…
but in all honesty it fails to please on many levels. The first one I had the four-way browsing button stopped functioning in two weeks. This wasn’t from dropping or hard use, but just casual, in the pocket carrying.

The second phone I was using a plug in style hands free device and when I removed it the phone would not come out of hands free mode: the ear piece was disabled and the microphone was muted. I refuse to pay $50 dollars for the insurance deductible to replace a poorly made, fragile device that will probably break again in the next six months.

I will give it that it is a wonderfully sized PDA that is easy to carry and great to text on but Palm’s quality control has failed me for the last time. I’ve had four of their PDA’s just to have everyone of them stop functioning within a year from casual use, not dropping, getting wet, or any other abuse. I’m going to Blackberry and reccomend you do the same.

1 Star Palm’s Bargain Phone – Buyer Beware
Cons: Cheaply constructed buttons. Long delays after button presses, etc. Can’t sync email, etc unless connected the ‘Sprint’ network

Pros: I liked the included ring tones/sound, battery life decent

I was excited to get a new Palm OS based phone at a great price. However, the phone’s cheaply constructed tin-foil buttons caught on on the corner of my pants pocket just after the 30 day exchange policy. It was all over after that, as the bent buttons just kept getting worse, then the center button fell out making it impossible to use. Palm offered to fix the phone at a gracious 50% off for $150. So it can break again? No thanks!

Some might get lucky and not see these problems until months after purchase – just be forewarned.

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