Samsung Rugby II SGH-A847 user reviews (black, AT&T)

Pros Good battery life. Appears to be ruggedly built. Keypad easy to use for non texting usage.

Cons Does not talk through Bluetooth nice with Ford "SYNC". Only recognizes 1st phone number for a person in the phones contact list. Have to manually select any other number desired. Other phones I have had did not have this problem.

Unable to get to sync

Summary For a RUGGED phone intended for commercial applications lack of Bluetooth compatibility with "SYNC" and the inability to shut the camera off on the outside button are a major pain.

The in ability synchronizing with Outlook means you have to enter your contacts manually and cannot down-load any appointments/meetings from your computer.

May be a Rugged phone but definitely lacks in usability in a commercial arena.

Pros Perfect for marine use. Contrary to what the CNET video review says you CAN use both screens as a viewfinder for the camera. To use the outside screen just press and hold the speaker botton on the outside.

Cons Speaker volume is great and loud but normal volume is kind of weak even on loudest setting.

Pros It is a bit lighter than the old one.

Cons The old one is much more durable and is actually water proof. The rugby's selling point is that it's nearly invincible but, this phone is not.

Summary If you just want something that's a bit tougher than your average flip phone this will do the job but, it you want or need a phone with a rubber gasket and a more convincing hard shell, stick with the ruby one.

Updated on Jun 26, 2011

The hinge on the older version is solid as a rock, but on the rugby two you can feel it 's loose with little effort.

Pros This is a rugged, good-looking phone. Nice textured surface on the back of the phone keeps it from feeling slippery in your hand and has a nice solid feel to it overall. Superior call quality with both incoming and outgoing calls. Great battery life. Neve

Cons I know a lot of people have complained about the PTT button on the side of this phone and I was really worried about it before I got this phone. Truth be told, it is located where your thumb would naturally fall if you were holding it in your left hand. I

Summary This is a superior flip phone that is easy to use and has all the qualities I wanted in a phone. I don't have the internet service plan, but have gone online and found the browser to be great and easy to use. I see that some have complained that they accidentally connect to the internet and wish they could turn it off. This is not a problem specific to this particular phone, but to all AT&T phones. I have found it easy enough to avoid connecting by using the menus in list mode instead of using the grid mode. And, technically, AT&T can disconnect your phone from their internet service, so that you can't accidentally connect to the internet. Whether they will do so willingly or not, is probably a matter of how forceful you are with your pleas.

If you want a tough, good-looking phone that has all the pros in its corner and isn't just a pretty face in the crowd, I think you will love this phone as much as I do. The only reason I put down photo quality as a con is because, as a professional photographer, I have high standards for photo quality. The photo quality is not bad as far as phones go, though. It's great for sending images by text or attaching a photo to your contacts, but you will need to go into the menus and tinker some with the controls to get photos that you would want to upload to the internet. There are great controls for the camera, though, and the phone also has wonderful editing features that are missing in a lot of phones.

Like I said, I absolutely love, love LOVE this phone!!

Updated on Mar 22, 2011

Well, I guess I wasn't paying attention because my "pros" got chopped off! Ouch!

Never had a call dropped or a text that wouldn't go through in the four months I have had this phone. Clear, colorful, and vivid display. Easy to navigate menus. Good speaker-phone quality. Texting using T9 mode is a breeze! Ringer volume goes from silent (obviously) to "so loud your great-grandmother can hear it from another floor in your home". AT&T has a wonderful tutorial for this phone online, if you need to clarify anything that's in the manual.

Updated on Mar 22, 2011

Ack! It cut off my cons, too! Sorry, I am new at this.

I was just saying that I have not had a problem with the PTT since I am right-handed and it is easy enough to hold a bit higher in your left hand. The button is exactly where I would want it to be, though, if I did use PTT.

Photo quality is not the best, but I am a professional photographer and I don't expect camera quality photos from my phone.