Samsung SGH-x427m (AT&T)

Pros: size, lots of great features like AIM/ICQ

Cons: cannot open one-handed, headset problems

Summary: I've had my x427m for about 6 months and just had my second replacement sent to me by Cingular. The 'universal' hands free headset jack is broken on all of them so far, and I've tried a headset from Plantronics and Motorola in all 3 phones... the one I got in today is having the same problem so it's going back too.

The design of the phone is slick, there are plenty of features to love, and I enjoy the color screen, but it's difficult to open with one hand when I'm driving, and my commute is unsafe without a hands free headset jack that works.

I also found with my first model that once I set up my phone to use ICQ that I no longer had the ability to go back and select AIM instead (I use both services).

Admittedly, I've dropped the phone a few times (who doesn't) and every single time, the battery falls off.

Now the good stuff: the screen is crisp and clear, and the animated wallpapers that ship with the firmware are pleasant enough for me. There's a decent assortment of ringtones that ship, and I've always been partial to the old analog telephone ring, or 'ring 2' as Cingular calls it. The vibra-melody setting is nice - since I can't always hear the phone ring in the car with the stereo on, I close the clamshell around my seatbelt on my chest so I can feel it vibrate - even on maximum volume it's difficult to hear in the car at 60+mph with either the windows down or the radio on.

I enjoy the T9 editing, even though many people don't. Having my phonebook on the SIM card is nice too for all of these replacements they're sending...

However, despite the good features of this phone, the bad headset port on 3 of the phones so far, the fact that the battery falls off far too easily, and the volume of the ringer, my next call to Cingular will be to ask for a credit to exchange the phone for a different model.