Samsung Galaxy S Aviator (U.S. Cellular)

Pros: It is sleek and relatively lightweight. The display is vibrant.

Cons: It freezes up. The battery life is short. Cannot reliably answer calls without LOUD bursts of static.

Summary: I'm giving this 1 star because I can't give it 0. It really deserves zero stars, and I can't believe the cNET editors gave it such a high rating.

I have had this phone less than 6 months. I knew within the first month that it was going to be a problem, but I thought it was just me getting used to a smart phone, and so, I kept it. Turns out I should have gone with my gut instinct and run back to the store and returned it.

At least 75% of the time, when I attempt to answer a call, my eardrum is blown with a LOUD burst of static. There is no indication that it is coming, just a few seconds of silence (when you are waiting for the caller to say, "hello") and then BAM - static. The phone then drops the call. It has taken me up to 10 minutes for the phone to 'reset' itself so that I can finally call the person who tried to call me in the first place. And, just to add even more fun to the situation, it now sometimes does it when I place a call.

The phone also freezes up at least once a day and performs very slowly. I imagine it's because of all the extra apps that are preloaded and cannot be deleted.

In addition, the battery life is ridiculously short. I have turned off everything (bluetooth, apps, etc) to try to preserve the battery. I leave it on the charger at least 10 hours a day, and when I attempt to take it with me for work during the day, the battery barely lasts from 8 to 5. If I receive any calls during the day that last longer than 5 minutes, it will cut the battery life in half. In fact, I have to take the charger with me during the day and keep it plugged in while I'm at work just to have a way of communicating during my hour-long commute.

This is by far the WORST phone I have ever had. I plan to be visiting my US Cellular store to get rid of this piece of garbage - even if it means I have to go back to my old clam-shell style phone. At least with that, I knew when I pushed the button to answer it the call was going to connect and I wasn't going to have my eardrum blown. Don't waste your time, energy, or money on this phone. Choose something else!