iPhone 3GS from AT&T. Free Shipping
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 158 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
27 out of 29 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"I love this little flip phone."
Pros: MP3 ringtones, Bluetooth, Infrared, 16MB memory, Camera, Clamshell design
Cons: (I am being very subjective) Can't answer phone when closed & can't maintain speakerphone when closed
Summary: First, let me say that I have been an AT&T customer since '97 and am now with Cingular of course. Except for my first intro Nokia phone, all of my phones have been Ericsson and now Sony Ericsson. I have had a new phone at least once a year on average.
My phone before the z520a was the T610/6. It's pretty much just like my last phone except that it adds speakerphone, mp3 ringtones, and it's a clamshell.
The camera is better. The design is cleaner. There is a lot more memory to hold more items such as pictures and ringtones. The phonebook is definitely more like an address book as it holds more than just phone numbers - email, home, web addresses; other info, pic, ringtone etc.
But, the best thing that I like about this phone is the infrared port which my T616 also had. I could use my phone as a modem thru the infrared port with my PDA when there was no wifi signal to hijack.
It also helps when I want send things to my phone from my computer such as pictures and ringtones. And I don't have to pay for them nor do I have to pay the data charges. Since it can play MP3s as ringtones, I can edit and extract clips from my music collection creating my own unique ringtones.
My current ringtones include two by Big Pun, instrumental of Damn by Youngbloodz, and a half chorus of Would You Mind from Janet Jackson (just before she begins speaking - very racy). You can probably get the "Damn" ringtone from anywhere since it's just an instrumental (not my 700kb version though - imagine the data cost on that one alone). But, no one has the other ringtones.
As for pictures, I have this sweet image of a woman. I already have some old pictures of friends and family in my phone as well.
Anyway, I am sure a lot of other phones can do a lot of what I mentioned. But, at what price? This phone cost me $99 plus tax of course. I also got a $30 mail-in rebate but I don't even factor that into my purchase since I probably won't see a check before I am dead.
Enough about all of the good things. Let's talk bad things. First of all, I couldn't answer a phone call while the phone is closed. I do understand that in cases that maybe the button would hit something. But, it could be deactivated or inactive for trying to place calls. Who would place a call with the phone closed anyway? How would you dial? I think it should include an answer button.
The speakerphone doesn't stay on when you close the phone. This also makes sense as most would probably wish to end a call when the phone is closed. I suppose this is where that button comes into play to answer - and end calls.
Last thing, I had a problem sending something with the infrared port. It would freeze during the sending of files. I was trying to send an image that I took with the phone back to my PDA to put on my website. I figure maybe it was just too big or something but it was freezing at about 20k/78k. I ended up solving the problem by sending it to my T616 through bluetooth and then using that to send infrared-send to my PDA. But, I never had problems sending files to the phone, only from the phone.
[Edited by: admin]
- 12 replies to this review
-
lots of people have mentioned to me that yo can connect this phone to the computer with bluetooth, but I don't know how to make that connection. Do I have to download a software, do I need to purchase some thing? and how do I make my phone connect? Or if in the end the only solution is to purchase the $35 USB cable? Please help...thanks!
-
im tring to use my phone as modem via usb cable hooked to my laptop winxp. downloaded pc suite and usb drivers ran modem wizard. tring to use my home dial up number everything seems to work but after it dials it says remote computer does not respond do i need some kinda script and if so where can i get it and how to install it? thanks
-
I just purchased this phone from Cingular and its great so far. I may sound like a idiot, but I can't figure out to put my own mp3's on my phone, the manuel isn't much help. Can you help me out? Thanks a bunch!
-
I am thinking of buying this phone and have some trouble hearing from certain phones, how is the sound in coming and out going?
-
Aren't there packages with Cingular wireless that include unlimited data transfer? Wouldn't that work the same as having bluetooth/infrared?
Also, wasn't this phone recently recalled? I've read reviews here stating that it was, but when I spoke to a Cingular rep yesterday he said they were, but they have replaced the defective phones with new ones. Have you heard anything about this and would you recommend getting this phone despite the recall notices?
Thanks,
Keri
P.S. Thanks for the Audacity tip.
-
You would recommend this phone then? I've done a lot of research and have come to the conclusion that I should switch to cingular and get this phone... and that was largely based on your review and replies, especially the reply re: the ringtones and how to make them. I cannot, unfortunately, switch phones until March, but I have downloaded Audacity and started making ringtones already. I am very excited to purchase this phone.
By the by, I either have to get a USB IR port or a USB Bluetooth port for my laptop, which would you recommend? -
I am in the market for a new cell phone and I am looking through cingulars availible options. It is an important feature to me that the phone is bluetooth ready and can be used with a headset. Can I make a call with the headset and the phone closed in my pouch?
-
What is infared port and how do u use it???
-
Just curious, do you subscribe to data services to use the phone as a conduit to the Internet? Or do you use the phone as a modem (i.e. Dial Up)?
Thanks! Great Review!!!
Mike -
I currently have a Cingular phone (Lg c2000) and I am thinking of changing my phones to the Sony Ericsson Z520A. I find that the quality on the Lg phones is bad for pictures, would it be better on the Z520A?
-
I'm getting this phone but i have the t616 now. i don't know how to use the ir to send images and i didn't know it was free. maybe you could help me out?
-
first where do u download your ringtones? and approx. how long are they? Thanks for the great review
Sony Ericsson Z520a (AT&T):
%20user%20review%20and%20rating%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/sony-ericsson-z520a-at/4864-6454_7-31597365-1.html){kind=small}