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- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 80 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
5.0 stars
"If all you really want is a phone, not a gadget box, the Samsung sch A930 is for you."
Pros: Excellent call quality, durability, useability, battery life.
Cons: Cheesy ring tones. Would prefer the regular sound of a classic phone bell ringing.
Summary: This review disregards all the gadgetry aspects of this phone. It is about the use of the basic phone, not the internet, text messaging, camera, MP3 player, etc. The Samsung sch A930 has all of these features, but if you're like me you'll never use them. All I wanted was a really good phone, and I've found it.
These are the basics that I expect in a phone:
GOOD SOUND QUALITY--not just for me but for the person on the other end. Whether it's business or I'm just having a good time--sound quality is very important. This phone has excellent sound quality on both ends. Many people say that it sounds like I'm talking on a corded phone.
LONG BATTERY LIFE--I don't talk a lot but I expect the phone to be ready when I need it. I tested the phone to see how long it could remain on standby without recharging. Get this: 17 DAYS! I put maybe 5 minutes of talk time on it during that period. On the 17th day I made a short phone call--and it still worked clearly. The phone was in low power mode by then, speaker phone inoperative, screen only staying on for a moment before turning down. The battery indicator was flashing and it started giving me warning beeps every few minutes, but the phone still sent and received the call perfectly.
LOUD, CLEAR SPEAKER PHONE: Sounds good on my end, easy to hear. Caller on the other end could hear all of us conversing around the table too. I often use the speaker phone when somebody calls and I don't want to isolate myself from my friends--I just turn on the speaker and let everyone in on the conversation. This speaker phone works very well.
GOOD BROADCAST/RECEPTION: I've had no problems anywhere in town. Even works in the back of the warehouse where other phones were kinda finicky. I appreciate the signal strength bars being located on the outside of the case. I can check the reception without even opening the phone.
EASY TO USE: I could figure out how to program the phone directory without reading the instruction book. It's fairly intuitive. The name slot accepts only letters and the phone number slots accept only numbers. This helped to make it very easy to punch in names and numbers quickly for home, work and mobile phones.
YOU NEVER HAVE TO THUMB THROUGH THE DIRECTORY TO FIND A PERSON'S NUMBER: Okay, this is kind of "gadgety" but I'm beginning to think that voice activated dialing is a necessity on a portable phone. Once you input the names into the directory it immediately knows how to recognize them and pronounce them (in English). All you have to do is press one dedicated button and the phone will ask you who to call. Just say the name--and it recognizes it in the directory and repeats it back to you. Then you say "home", "work" or "mobile" and it will dial that number for you. It's amazing. And it's EASY.
EASY TO HANDLE, HOLD AND DIAL: The dial numbers are well spaced, raised, and have a positive "click" when touched. You can hear a "beep" with each number and they show up jumbo on the screen. It is easy to touch any key without also pressing the others. The keypad is also beautifully backlighted so that you can clearly see the it in the dark. I also appreciate having the day, date, time, signal and battery indicators permanently illuminated on the outside of the case because these are useful things to know at a glance. It also makes it easier to locate the phone in the dark.
This is an excellent phone. I like the feel of it--it has a little weight, a hand friendly shape, solidly built and not too small. Easy to handle--even for a person with fairly large hands.
The Samsung sch A930 is a classy looking phone, well built and handles nicely. If you are among those of us who just want a good quality phone then this is the phone for you. For those purposes, I rate it a 10!
- 4 replies to this review
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I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to read a decent review that addresses the vital functions of the phone...not needless features I won't use. My primary concerns with a phone is that it won't break if I drop it (and cost me 250$ retail to buy a new one) and that it gets great reception. Sure, looks are important too, but if my phone doesn't score a 10 for sexiness, I won't be crying to daddy for a new phone. Thanks for a great review. I wish there was a cell phone review site that reviewed phones like this.
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Loved your review. I just got this phone and I love it already. And all I use it for is to make calls etc. My #1 need was decent battery life, and so far this phone has fit the bill. And it doesn't hurt that I love the retro styling. People at work who see it love it too. And the voice dialing is awesome, as is the speaker phone. Beats the LG I originally had bought, and returned, by about ten miles.
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Certainly helped me decide on my upgrade...
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This is a great review. It is exactly what I am looking for. I am so sick of these people talking about how the flux capacitor isn't compatible with the bypass sippler valve on their telephone and therefore, they can't play their mp3's through the headphones of their choice. You answered all of the really important questions, how does this phone function as a phone. That is what these are for right? Not some stupid professional camera or jukebox for a wedding DJ. Thanks again!
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