Sanyo SCP-5400 (Sprint)

Sprint PCS has joined Nextel and Verizon in the nationwide Push To Talk (PTT) marketplace with three Ready Link models, all from Sanyo. Whereas the RL2000 is intended for a more active consumer and the VM4500 for multimedia enthusiasts, the Sanyo RL2500 (SCP-5400) is a sleek flip phone designed for the professional user. Far from a bargain at $279, this mobile is nonetheless easy to operate and comes with some admirable features. We just wish it had better battery life.Stylish, silver, and streamlined, the Sanyo RL2500 is a fairly lightweight (3.71 ounces) and compact (3.60 by 1.85 by 1.04 inches) flip phone that feels good in the hand, yet it won't weigh down your pocket. An external antenna adds a little height. But it's the phone's outer color display that really stands out. Like the Sanyo SCP-5300, the RL2500 features a 1-inch, external, 65,536-color screen that shows network strength, battery life, time, and caller-ID info when available. And if you've associated a caller with an image in the phone-book entry, that picture will come up when the person rings you.

Performance section) compared with this phone's more rugged sibling, the RL2000. A four-way navigation key with a Menu/OK button in its center gives one-touch access to contacts, downloads, messaging, and a user-set shortcut. A button activating the wireless Web browser is off to one side, and a designated speakerphone key sits below. Dial-pad keys are generously spaced but sit flush with the surface, making it difficult to punch in numbers by feel. A cool, blue backlight, however, should help guide your fingers in less well-lit situations. The spine-mounted Ready Link button, which activates the Push To Talk function (see Features for more information), is easy to locate by feel, and you won't have to apply much pressure to keep it depressed while you're talking. Below that is another dedicated speakerphone control, which can be used to swap calls between the earpiece and the speaker when the flap is open.The Sanyo RL2500's standard phone book can store 300 contacts with seven numbers each, as well as up to 300 e-mail and Web addresses. Other features include a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser that uses Sprint's 1xRTT network, voice dialing, a memo recorder, photo caller ID (with the image appearing on the external screen), an event calendar, a to-do list, text messaging, and bilingual (English and Spanish) voice and text prompts. The phone also comes with seven preloaded polyphonic ring tones and a vibrate mode, but if you don't like them, don't worry. With Sprint's PCS Vision, it's easy to personalize your handset by downloading ring tones, screensavers, and Java (J2ME) games and applications. Along with the RL2000, this Sanyo model marks the introduction of Ready Link, Sprint's version of Push To Talk, a walkie-talkie/two-way-radio-like service using VoIP technology. (PTT is also offered by Nextel's Direct Connect, Verizon, and Alltel's Touch2Talk.) A network connection is required for Ready Link, which can be used with only other Sprint customers who have the same feature. A separate phone book holds Ready Link information for another 200 personal and 200 business contacts, and you can set up calling groups of up to five people on the phone or on the Sprint PCS Web site. As with Verizon's PTT service but unlike Nextel's, you need only one phone number for both standard and Ready Link calls. A fun extra on the RL2500 is the customizable light show; alternating purple, green, blue, yellow, and red LEDs appear when you use Ready Link with the flap up. You can even adjust the sequence and the colors in the menu.We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Sanyo RL2500 with Sprint service in Manhattan and found that we prefer the speakerphone over the earpiece for making calls; it completely blocked ambient noise, including loud street sounds. However, the phone's sweet spot had to sit perfectly on the lobes if you wanted to hear anything at all. The speakerphone works whether the phone is open or closed, and when we used the integrated speaker with the flap up (and the speaker facing away from us), sound quality diminished only slightly. Connections via Ready Link were immediate and crystal clear, even in calls between New York and Virginia. You get helpful onscreen "Floor is open" (when you can talk) or "(Name) has the floor" (when others are talking) prompts along with aural cues. Battery life was disappointing. We got a little less than the 3.25 hours of talk time and 3.75 days of standby. Not only is this well short of the company's rating of 5.35 hours and 7 days, respectively, it pales in comparison to the 5 hours we managed on the sports-styled RL2000. One contributing factor to the shortened talk time on the RL2500 is the screen, which remains on throughout all calls. Hide Review User Reviews See all user reviews Average User Rating 3.0 stars out of 21 user reviews Rating Breakdown 5 star: 4 4 star: 10 3 star: 3 2 star: 3 1 star: 1 My Rating 0 stars click stars to rate product Most recent user reviews Showing 3 of 21 reviews 2.5 stars "Not the best buy for your money" Jul 27, 2006, 7:18 am By nicciwit Pros: great screen, excellent pictures, good range, love the speakerphone Cons: Bad joints, gets hot if charging and talking at the same time Summary: I have owned mine for 2 years now. The first one I had fell right at an angle and the joint completely went psycho, no longer opening & closing like it used to. I was given another one (refurbished) within 2 months that joint went bad and I had to ... Expand full review Summary: I have owned mine for 2 years now. The first one I had fell right at an angle and the joint completely went psycho, no longer opening & closing like it used to. I was given another one (refurbished) within 2 months that joint went bad and I had to SUPERGLUE the broken piece into place. I was told by a rep from a reputable company that the joint is very faulty and that is the constant problem with that phone. (ick) other than that, I love the phone, it does get hot if you talk to long on it (over an hour) and you try to charge it at the same time. But it is a good little phone. 4.5 stars "Excellent phone" Jul 27, 2006, 7:18 am By FSUKXAZ Pros: Excellent speaker phone, huge screen, easy to use, very nice looking Cons: None that I know of Thanks for your submission! Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community. Write a Review Quickly sign in with: or Log in or create an account to post a review. You are logged in as . Please submit your review for Sanyo SCP-5400 (Sprint) 1. Rate this product: 0 stars 2. One-line summary: (10 characters minimum) Count: 0 of 55 characters 3. Pros: (10 characters minimum) Count: 0 of 250 characters 4. Cons: (10 characters minimum) Count: 0 of 250 characters 5. Summary: (optional) Count: 0 of 15000 characters Add Your Opinion The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Click here to review our site terms of use. Where to Buy Pricing not available Sponsored Premier Brands on CNET T-Mobile Sprint Phones Samsung Mobile BlackBerry Where to Buy Pricing not available Cell Phone buying advice Buying a cell phone is more than a matter of choosing a handset--you also have to pick a service provider, or carrier, as well. 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