Samsung SCH u810 Cell Phone

*** Note: the picture above is not of this phone.  It doesn't even resemble it slightly ***

Living in a rural area, I have come to appreciate the value of a cell signal.  I often drive in areas where I lose the signal.  Even my workplace seems to be on the cusp of two cells and I frequently would pull out my Motorola Razr only to see the dreaded “searching for service” on the screen, not to mention the drain this is on the battery.  My house wasn’t much better.

When the time came for a new cell phone plan, I shopped through the phones and came real close to buying a Blackberry.  Instead, I opted for the Samsung Renown U810 Phone.  It promises cell service just about anywhere.  While I can say for sure I have been to places where I haven’t been able to get a signal with the Samsung Renown U810 Phone, I can say that it’s better than a lot of other phones at getting service.  I have gotten a clear signal in places that were difficult or impossible before, such as my workplace or the local Wal-Mart.  In my home, I am in the Extended Network, but I am getting a signal and not worrying about dropped calls should I move from the front of the house to the deck.  I can’t say that I’ve encountered a single dropped call.  Sure there have been times when driving to more remote areas that I don’t get a signal at all, as was the case when I took this with me on a hiking trip more than a mile into the White Mountain National Forest.  Overall, though, call clarity as well as reception and signal strength has exceeded my hopes and dreams.

At the same time, with ski trips planned to Canada, the appeal of the quad-band GSM for calls outside of the U.S. is appealing as well.  There are more than 200 destinations around the world in which this phone will work.  The clock on the phone automatically adjusts to the time zone you’re in.  It’s clearly designed for the world traveler, but helps the rest of us as well.

The reception is great as well.  I have no problem hearing people on the other end of my calls.  If anything, I have adjusted the volume downward more than once because the voice on the other end was too loud.  I don’t have problems with clipped sentences or difficulty understanding the party on the other end.  At the same time, it seems like there are less times when the people I am calling have difficulty hearing me.

I prefer the flip-up clamshell design to the kind where I’d have to remember to lock the keys all the time.  The Samsung Renown U810 Phone is nicely designed this way.  The outer shell is a metallic brown that is resistant to fingerprints.  It closes up nicely so I can keep it in my pocket.  The phone has a distinctive, sophisticated look to it and doesn’t come off looking like a video game or toy.  Buttons on the outer edge of the phone are for a variety of functions.  One of them happens to be engaging the Mobile Web functions.  More than once, I’ve opened the phone to find this engaged, although not to the point that I was being charged for its use.  Just a heads-up to make sure you pay attention to what’s on the screen before you start pushing buttons.  The battery compartment is underneath and in here is where the memory card can be added to the phone to take the memory from 128mb of memory all the way up to 8gb.

The keys are flat rather than raised.  There’s no keyboard for texting, just the keys.  It works fine for texting, I am just not a big texter and sometimes get frustrated doing that over just making a phone call that ends up taking less time than crafting a text message.  On the one side of the phone is the port for charging the phone and the volume.  On the other is the quick-start for the 2.0 mega pixel camera.  The lens for the camera is in the top of the clamshell, quite obvious above the front color screen of the phone.  The pictures I’ve taken with the Samsung Renown U810 Phone haven’t been terrific, but they are fine when I’ve forgotten my camera and just need something to snap a few pictures.  There is a night shot feature on the phone that I haven’t tested out yet.  It also serves as a camcorder.  Also on this side of the phone is the outlet for a bluetooth headset.  The screens are decent quality.  I mostly use them for viewing the pictures I take or playing games when I am trying to keep busy.  They are fine for a quick game of Bejeweled.

The Samsung Renown U810 Phone is capable of text, video, picture, and voice messaging which makes it very versatile.  There is also a neat feature called visual voicemail which allows me to see voicemail messages as text.  Tools inside include a calendar which helps me keep track of upcoming appointments as well as those I make on the go that I need to add to the calendar when I get home.

If you want a way to carry music around, this will work with Verizon’s Vcast and Rhapsody music at an additional subscription fee.  I’ve been with Verizon a long time, and that’s the one major issue I have with them - how much they seem to nickel and dime their users.  That’s no reflection on this phone, however.

Connecting to the internet on the Samsung Renown U810 Phone is done through the Mobile Web dashboard.  This service allows users to check email and gets news feeds.  Unfortunately, it’s only available inside the U.S.

Battery life on the phone is pretty good.  The claim is five hours of talk time.  I’d say I get about 2 1/2 days out of a charge before I have to plug it in again.

I’ve had the Samsung Renown U810 Phone for about three months now and so far like it better than any other phone I’ve had.  The design is sleek and sophisticated.  The call reception and signal reliability are both excellent.  If you mostly stay in the city, you won’t appreciate the ability to get a strong signal in places where there normally isn’t one.  For those of us who face this problem on a routine basis, this phone excels.  There are plenty of features on the phone to keep people busy and if you’re looking to add features via Vcast, there are plenty to choose from.  I like the visual voicemail feature a lot more than I thought I would.  I’ve had a few issues with it, but overall, this is a great phone.


SPECS

Communication (Band)
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 (1900 MHz)

Phone Basics
Form Factor: Clamshell
Size: 3.9in x 1.9in x 0.7in
Weight: 4 ounces
Included battery: Li-Ion
Talk time: 4.5 hours (270 minutes)
Standby: 312 hours (13 days)

Included Accessories
Battery Charger
Headset Jack (2.5 mm)
Manual

Phone Features
2.0 megapixel camera
Alarm Clock
Bluetooth
BREW
Calculator
Calendar Multiple
Custom Graphics
Custom Ringtones
Data-Capable
Digital TTY/TDD
E-mail
Flight Mode
GPS
GPS/Location
Hearing Aid Compatible
Micro SD Memory Slot
Multiple Numbers per Name
Music Player multiple formats
Packet Data (Technology: 1xEV-DO r0)
Picture ID
Polyphonic Ringtones
Predictive Text Entry
Ringer ID
Side Keys Buttons
Speakerphone
Text Messaging (SMS)
USB
Voice Dialing Command
WAP/ Web Browser



© 2009 Patti Aliventi