UPDATED: Great concept, execution needs work -- LIKE A TOTAL REPLACEMENT!
Written: Jun 16 '03 (Updated Sep 08 '03)
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Pros: Wireless data modem, bright clear display, nice loud ringers
Cons: None of the pros actually WORK reliably,software crash/freeze, Sprint cust. service, Samsung cust. svc.
The Bottom Line: Be prepared for crashes, freezes, strange behavior, broken power ports, rudely interrupted cut-off calls, scrambled phone directories, and lots of excuses from Samsung and whoever sold you the phone.
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| bri25sfo's Full Review: Samsung SPH-N400 |
I bought the Samsung N400 to get access to Sprint's PCV Vision data services -- e-mail by phone, cellular modem for laptop to get e-mail on the road, etc.
I've always owned a Samsung cell phone -- from the old-fashioned bricks in the early days of Sprint up to the sexy SPH-A400 flip phone that I owned prior to this one. They were always durable, capable, easy to use, reliable, cheaper than the competition -- in short, a great value. When it came time to get a new phone, a Samsung was a no-brainer.
And make no mistake, the N400 is a damn sexy phone. Svelte, lightweight, with data capabilities for both the screen and your laptop (browse the web and download your e-mail!), it's a sexy package. The polyphonic ringer is loud and clear. The phone flips open to reveal large, clear, backlit buttons that are easy to press and have a satisfying click to them.
The built-in PIM capabilities are great, too. My N400 syncs with Microsoft Entourage on my Macintosh with no trouble at all, keeping me current on my appointments throughout the day. The 256-contact phone list is a godsend, and very flexible, allowing you to keep different ringtones for various caller types. Significant other calling? No prob -- give him/her a separate tone. Getting calls with "caller ID blocked"? No prob -- give them a different ring tone and let them go straight to VM.
Battery life on this phone is below-average, probably due to the bright color screen. A car charger is a must for the road warrior. Reception is pretty good -- better than with my old A400, but less than that of the Sanyo 4900 that Sprint PCS stores can sell you (then again, the Sanyo is a big, bulky ugly phone, not a svelte beauty).
The phone was fantastic -- for about two weeks. Then it died suddenly, with the screen constantly showing nothing but the Sprint logo, over and over. Sprint wouldn't replace it, sending me to Best Buy (who wouldn't replace it either without me calling Samsung and having a rep harangue the customer service person).
This phone, according to Sprint, has lots of trouble with software, and I am worried that it will manifest itself again, even in the event that I quickly get a new one (my case is still being "processed" by Best Buy, so we'll see what happens there).
I'll edit my review to include a long-term update after several months with this phone (assuming it's trouble-free). But for now, I have to urge caution to potential buyers, since the consensus at Sprint's own store, and other Sprint users I know, is that this is a potentially troublesome phone when it comes to software. And that's a shame.
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UPDATE: September 8, 2003
I am disappointed to report that things are not going well. In short, this product is JUNK. Pretty junk that kicks butt in theory, but junk nonetheless.
I am now on my third handset. The second one got sent in after its software "crashed" rendering the phone inoperable. Now the third one that I have, after just a few weeks, suffers from a myriad of problems:
1) One in three outbound calls never goes out -- it just "freezes" or reports "Call not sent." Samsung sent me to Sprint for a "software update." Sprint blames Samsung. It's a big blame game.
2) The modem drops connections under PCS Vision all the time, without warning.
3) The phone "reboots" without warning in the middle of a phone call, dropping your connection.
4) The phone now refuses to charge properly without "jiggling" the plug in cord. It does this for both the car charger and the home charger. The skinny, cheap pin inside the phone appears to be EXTREMELY fragile and ready to break off.
5) The phone "forgets" and corrupts numbers and names stored in the directory.
6) The phone's speakers get confused, sending sounds to the speakerphone rather than the earpiece or vice versa, without warning or reason.
7) The phone's software support is miserable. Sprint's RealOne service only plays about 10 seconds of sound before the phone crashes or just loses a connection.
8) Reception is iffy, even in the same location. Sometimes you get a very strong signal, other times a very weak one.
Everyone I know who has this phone loved it in the beginning and now hates it, without exception. When I was in Montreal with a friend at a Rogers Wireless store, the store manager did a double-take at the phone, and then told me his store no longer carries it because it's so troublesome. He told me it was typical for customers to go through three, four or more N400s due to software issues and quality issues.
That's a REAL shame, and Samsung seems unconcerned about whether I am happy. They'll not replace this phone with a different model, they keep "fixing" it (and sending it back, only to have the same problems reappear after a few days). I was a Samsung phone loyalist, but am no longer.
This afternoon, I am marching down to the Sprint store and buying the ugly but functional Sanyo 4900. Don't touch the Samsung N400 with a ten-foot pole -- you'll regret it. This svelte, sexy phone is a real dud, and ends my 7 year non-stop streak of brand loyalty to Samsung phones.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 50.00
Recommended for: Professionals On-the-Go - Internet and Email is a Must!
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Epinions.com ID:
bri25sfo
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Reviews written: 2
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