| Samsung A200 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2001 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 79 X 38 X 23 Mm |
| Weight | 77 G ( Slim Battery ) |
| Display |
| Type | Grayscale Graphic, 4 Shades |
| Size | 128 X 64 Pixels |
| | - Second External Display 64 X 46 Pixels
- Four Way Navigation Keys
- Dynamic Font Size
- Softkeys |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Monophonic |
| Amount | 20 + 3 Custom |
| Customization | Composer |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 100 Entries, 5 Contact Groups |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 20 Voice Dial Items
- Message Templates |
| Data |
| Gprs | No |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms |
| Browser | Wap 1.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | Yes |
| Colors | 3 - White Pearl, Champaign Gold, Silver |
| Camera | No |
| | - Voice Commands And Dial
- Calendar
- To Do List
- Speed Dial
- Menu Shortcuts
- World Clock |
| Battery |
| | Standard Li-ion |
| Stand-by | 70 H |
| Talk Time | 3.5 H |
|
Samsung - A200Samsung SGH-A200
Launched recently in Singapore at the hip club Orange, the new Samsung SGH-A200 looks set to further blur the lines between sophisticated communication device and trendy fashion accessory. Weighing a mere 77g with the slim battery, the 79 x 38 x 23 mm phone is Samsung's first clamshell handset with dual LCD.
Blue i
Named "Blue i" after the aqua-illuminated external LCD display, the SGH-A200 appears to be Samsung's answer to Nokia 8250's "Walk on the Blue Side".
Aqua-illuminated LCDs are supposed to reduce eye fatigue, and perfect for those who spend a substantial portion of their waking hours on their handphone surfing the Web or text messaging. Still, it's funny how huge marketing campaigns can be built around the color of a phone's backlight. In fact, plenty of other phones have a blue backlight, including the Philips Xenium 929/939 which was first launched in early 2000.
So would I need both an external and internal LCD display? Well, if you own a clamshell phone, it's actually quite useful to be able to screen incoming calls without having to flip open the phone as the caller ID is displayed on the external LCD. Time, date, network signal strength and battery life are also indicated on the external display.
If you think all these information will congest the small external display, you are right. The round-faced 64 x 46-pixel external screen supports up to two lines of text and one row of icons. More information is displayed by the square-shaped internal 128 x 64-pixel LCD which accommodates up to four lines of text and a row of icons. By the way, you may be disappointed to know that only the external LCD is equipped with the funky blue backlight.
Trendy And Durable
Available in pearl white, champagne gold and silver, the SGH-A200 is designed to complement your fashion sense. The ergonomically designed phone fits snugly in your hands and the material used to construct the phone gives a good, comfortable, solid effect even though it's very light. Keys are well spaced and soft to the touch. Unlike most clamshell phones, the hinges of the flip feel sturdy to the point where you do not worry that the phone will break into two pieces if it is not handled with tender loving care.
Don't take my word for it, though. Samsung has guaranteed the flip cover for up to 50,000 uses and the frame for five years, giving users the added confidence that this is a quality product.
Notice how the young and trendy loves to hang the phone around their neck like a fashion accessory? If you were too shy to do so or had a professional image to maintain, you now have a valid excuse to wear your phone around your neck. The package comes with a wearable EarMicrophone which is a landyard with a built-in handsfree set. The phone can be easily detached from the EarMicrophone using a quick release button.
All That You Need Is Here
Remember the old Samsung advertisement where an executive folds his briefcase into the size of his palm, only to reveal a Samsung phone? The new SGH-A200 provides you with the tools you need to organize your life in the palm of your hands. These include a scheduler, to do list, world time, alarm, voice memo and calendar.
The package also comes with not one but two batteries--a slim Lithium-ion and a standard one. The slim battery supports up to 2 hours of talktime and 60 hours on standby, while the standard issue offers 3 hours of talktime and a maximum standby of 90 hours.
Voice command and dialing technology are appearing in more phones, and this Samsung offering is no exception. Instant access to 20 frequently used menu functions can be activated using voice command while voice dial can handle 20 phone entries. However, voice recognition leaves much to be desired. I gave up trying after failing three times to record a voice command. Perhaps it's due to my poor diction, or perhaps it's due to poor software.
WAP features are accessible with a single key or spoken word using the voice command feature, much like the SGH-N100. The improved Phone.com WAP browser 4.1 is included in the SGH-A200 and has a data rate of 14.4Kbps. You will be surprised at the difference in speed that can be felt, compared to a mobile handset that can achieve only 9.6Kbps data transfer rate. The internal LCD display, though, is barely large enough for Web surfing.
One interesting thing is the multiple use of the volume key located at the side of the phone. Besides adjusting the call volume, it is also used to tune the key tone volume when the phone is in idle mode. With the phone closed, you can reject an incoming call by pressing and holding the volume key. Need to quickly check the status of the phone, time or date in the dark without flipping open the phone? You can activate the backlight of the external LCD display by pressing the volume key as well.
Personal Effects
Today, a phone will not fall in the trendy category if it does not have a melody composer. You can compose up to three customized ringtones using three octaves and a maximum of 100 notes. The length of the note and note rest is also adjustable. This may sound complicated but with the help of the Web you can easily get your hands on the codes to punch into your mobile phone.
The phone is also packed with 11 different games for your entertainment. One can't help but notice that three are gambling related: Casino, Blackjack and Roulette.
For the SMS-crazed, you can preset up to five frequently sent messages. You can also select the text input mode between the normal mode, T9 predictive text input, symbol mode and number mode. This may not be very important for those who have already achieved a black belt level in text messaging. For the amateurs, we probably need every bit of help we can get.
Other nice features include being able to switch off the flashing service light which indicates that the network service is available, if you belong to the tiny majority who are actually irritated by this. The length of time the backlight is active is also adjustable to either 0, 10 or 20 seconds. For the cost conscious, a minute minder option actually beeps every minute during an outgoing call so you can keep tabs on the length of your call. I was wondering what the beeping sound was until I read the manual.
Sounds Good Enough
Both sound clarity and reception proved decent, with network signal remaining strong in most environments. One buggy aspect of the phone was when the other party hung up the call, and the phone would sometimes not end the call automatically. Instead, I was left hearing the engage tone while the time counter continued to run.
It's A Gal Thing
The stylish design and color will most definitely appeal to the woman looking for a not-so high-tech-looking phone. For guys, if good looks aren't a compelling reason for purchasing a mobile phone, the excellent features here should convince you otherwise. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: samsujng |
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