Great multipurpose Phone

Author's Rating:

Pros: Flip Design, QWERTY keyboard, sound quality, MP3 Player capability

Cons: Flimsy MicroSD cover, Spring loaded SD drive, mobile web on phone unimpressive

The Bottom Line: 
With the flip design, QWERTY keyboard, and MP3 playback ability, this is a great multifunction phone.

Author's Review
I've had Verizon Wireless for over two years now. When it came time to renew my contract in November, they also offered me $100 credit towards a phone with the New Every Two program. When I first saw the SCH-u740, I liked the fact that had a flip design, and the QWERTY keyboard was a definite plus. My concern was that I wouldn't be able to get it with my $100 credit,and I didn't have the money to put towards a new phone at the time. When they gave me my credit, it covered it, much to my happiness and surprise.

The first thing I notice about this phone is how sleek and stylish this looks. I have the all black version of this phone, which, in my opinion, is better than the other two varieties they have out (white and blue). The screen is decently sized. It is quite bright when you are using it.

The main reason many people have this phone is due to the keyboard for texting. When I first got this phone, I did text quite a bit, and it was so much easier to text with this phone, as opposed to hitting a key several times to get one letter to appear. But texting isn't the only reason to get this phone. Entering contacts is a breeze, since you can add them in landscape mode, which is the screen flipped longways. Portrait would be how regular flip phones open. Also, there is a notepad function on this phone in the tools section, which is great for jotting down quick notes, passwords or information. With the QWERTY keyboard, all of this is much easier.

The camera on this phone is a decent one. I have taken a few pictures with this camera, and they are not too bad for a phone camera. The video on this camera is limited to 15 seconds at a time, so you can't really get too much, but it is a nice feature to have. You can set it up to record to your Micro SD card, if it is installed on your phone. Also, you can take video and images when the phone is opened in either orientation, which is a nice plus.

One of the nice things about this phone is the fact you can make it a MP3 player if you wish to. By adding a micro SD card, you can bring quite a bit of your music on your phone. You can only start it when it is closed with the touch buttons on the front of the phone, or in landscape mode. The ear portion serves as the speakers for playing music, and it puts out a decent sound for a small device. If the phone rings, it stops the music, and then will ask you after the call is over if you want to resume.

I've tried the mobile web on this phone, and I can't say I'm impressed by it. It is a nice feature to have if you want to get some info,and you are not near a computer. You can also check e-mail such as Yahoo, MSN, or AOL on this phone as well via the mobile web. You can also set up e-mail outside of that on this phone, but it will cost you extra per month (around $20).

Battery life on this phone isn't bad. Since I work in a part of my building that doesn't get great reception, the phone works harder to maintain a signal, so I'm forced to charge my phone just about every day. I use this phone quite a bit as well, so my experience will differ from others. Playing music will also drain the battery faster, as will using the mobile web. The bluetooth, if left on even when not connected to the headset, is a big battery buster. I recommend you get a car charger, or even a second wall charger if you use your phone quite a bit.

This phone does, in normal situations such as driving or outside, get a great signal. The only time I've had any dropped calls on this phone is at work, where the building is made of concrete, which hampers cell signals. The clarity of the call on this device is really good, even when talking on your bluetooth.

This phone does support ringtones, which you can buy from the Verizon Wireless website, or you can create your own with the multitude of ringmaker programs out there. It also has an alarm clock, which I use on a daily basis, notepad, calculator, stopwatch, calendar feature with alarm to remind you of appointments, and a world clock.

Physically, this seems to be a very durable phone. There are a few scratches, but the screen on the front, which you would think get a couple of scratches from being in my pocket all day, are scratch free. The screen, however is very easily dirtied by fingerprints. A small price to pay. Also, when open the phone landscape, it occasionally feels like it's going to open portrait, which can cause you to jump, as it feels like it's about to snap. This is an annoyance that I hope they address with later models.

The micro SD slot on the side can be a tricky beast. The door covering the SD seems a little flimsy when it is open, so you have to be careful when it is open. You also have to be careful, as it is spring loaded. I went to take out the card a couple of times, and the card was launched across the room. Luckily, I have white carpets, so it was easy to find.

This is a nice phone to have. I hope that they keep this line alive and upgrade them, as this is a very useful multipurpose phone.