The SGH-A777's 1.3-megapixel camera takes pictures in three resolutions (1,280c960, 640x480 and 320x240). Editing features are pretty standard for a 1.3-megapixel shooter; they include three quality settings, brightness and white balance controls, a night mode, a self-timer, a 3x zoom (not available at the highest resolution), three color effects, 20 fun frames, three shutter sounds, and a silent option. What's more: you can use panorama, multishot, and mosaic shot modes. The camcorder takes clips in a 176x144 resolution with sound; editing options are similar to the still camera, if a bit slimmed down. Clips meant for multimedia message are capped at about 3 minutes, but you can shoot for longer in standard mode.
Photo quality was above average for a 1.3-megapixel shooter. Colors were relatively bright and our images were in focus. There was a bit of image noise, but it wasn't overwhelming. Just keep in mind that without a flash you will need sufficient in-room light. The SGH-A777 has a self-portrait mirror, which is located on the back of the slider along with the camera lens. You will to have the phone open to take pictures
You can customize the SGH-A777 with a variety of background colors and wallpapers and you can type a personalized greeting. If you want more options, and additional ringtones, you can download them from AT&T's Media Mall service. The SGH-A777 comes with demo versions of three games: Diner Dash 2, Tetris, Guitar Hero III, and Ms. Pac-Man. You can buy the full versions and additional titles from AT&T. And for even more fun, the SGH-A777 has trial apps for WikiMobile, Mobile Banking, MobiTV, and My-Cast Weather.
Performance
We tested the quad-band, dual-mode (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; UMTS 850/1800) Samsung SGH-A777 world phone in San Francisco using AT&T service. Call quality was decent by most accounts. On the upside, the signal was clear and free of static and we didn't encounter any interference from other electronic devices. On the downside, the volume was somewhat low and some of our callers sounded a bit breathy. If you have hearing impairments you should try this phone before buying. Indeed, we had some trouble hearing when we were in very noisy environments.
On their end, callers said we sounded fine most of the time. They could tell we were using a cell phone, but most reported no significant issues. Similar to our experience, a few of our friends had trouble hearing us when we were in noisy places. Speakerphone calls were about the same. We could carry on a conversation as long as we spoke close to the phone. As with regular voice calls, the volume could be louder. On the upside, it is very easy to activate the speakerphone during a call. Bluetooth headset calls were satisfactory.
The SGH-A777 has a rated battery life of 4.5 hours and 12.5 days standby time. It has a tested talk time of 3 hours and 16 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the SGH-A777 has a digital SAR rating of 1.19 watts per kilogram.
