Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 – free phone, paid email app
For:
1.3-megapixel camera, inbuilt music player, GPS, four-row QWERTY keyboard, compact and attractive design
Against:
The SCH-U450 does not support EV-DO network, so cannot download on-the-air music via V Cast Music. Its navigation array is a bit cramped and photo quality is mediocre.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
The Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 is based on CDMA2000 1X technology that supports CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 bands. The supported wireless interface is Bluetooth.
2.1 inches display has 176×220 pixels resolution that supports 262,000 colors. The 1.3-megapixel camera features 10x digital zoom, white-balance presets, and night mode. It can take still pictures in six resolutions: 128×96, 160×120, 320×240, 640×480, 1024×768, and 1280×960. The camera has self timer delay of 3, 5, and 10 seconds. The special effects are Black & White, Negative, Antique, Normal, and Green.
The additional features are TTY compatible, V Cast with Rhapsody, VZ Navigator, and E-911 compliant. The supported music formats are AAC+, AAC, WMA, WAV, and MP3.
The connector set includes 1×2.5mm headset jack – mini-phone. Accessories supplied inside the box are battery, power adapter, wired headset, and user manual.
Razzle Dazzle:
The Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 is 4.25 inches tall, 2.08 inches wide and 0.65 inch deep and weighs 3.8 ounces. It is available in two colors: charcoal gray and flaming red. It has soft-touch plastic chassis with curved corners that gives comfortable feel while holding in hand.
Inside Dope:
Samsung is one of the famous messaging phone manufacturers in the United States. It previously launched the Samsung Messager, the Gravity, and the Rant. Now, the company has launched the Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 for Verizon Wireless. It continues to have the candy bar design like the Gravity and the Rant. The SCH-U450 costs $29.99 for its charcoal gray version. Surprisingly, its flaming red version comes free with a service agreement from Verizon’s online store. Turn the phone to 90 degree anticlockwise and then slide it down to reveal the full QWERTY keyboard. Noteworthy that arrow keys on the keyboard are mixed with L, N, M, and period keys. The Intensity SCH-U450 has mobile email – a downloadable application to access the POP3/IMAP4 accounts and the mobile Web email – to access the Web email via browser. However, its navigation array is a bit cramped and it does not support EV-DO network. Therefore, you cannot download the on-the-air songs through V Cast Music. The phone is free, but the email application is paid.
Design
The 2.5mm headset jack, charger jack, and the volume rocker are located on the left side. The external speaker and camera lens with self portrait mirror are on the back. You will find the micro-SD card slot behind the battery cover and it requires removing the battery while accessing it.
Display
2.1 inches display of the Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 has 176×220 pixels resolution that supports 262,000 colors. It shows colorful graphics and animated icons. You can change the menu layout, the display themes, the size and style of menu and dial fonts, clock format on home screen, backlight time, and brightness. The display will rotate from portrait to landscape on tilting the phone.
Navigation Array and Keypad
The navigation array is located underneath the display and has two soft keys, round toggle with middle confirmation key, Talk key, dedicated speakerphone key, Clear button, and End/Power key. All these keys are curved, but a bit cramped. The numeric keypad has spacious keys separated with enough delineation. You can dial and text with feel.
QWERTY keyboard
You can slide the display of the Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 on right side to access the full QWERTY keyboard. The sliding mechanism is sturdy and the phone snap nicely while opening and closing. You will find two soft keys in the top right and left corner above the keyboard. We do not like that the navigation arrow shares the space with L (up), N (left), M (down), and period (right) keys. The dedicated messaging, Function and Shift keys are also on the keyboard. The keys have enough room between them and are raised above the surface for good typing experience.
Phonebook and PIM features
The Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 can store 1000 contacts in its phone book. Each entry can store five phone numbers, notes, one street address, one IM handle, and two email addresses. You can organize the contacts into caller groups and pair them with one ring-tone and a photo for caller ID.
The basic features are a notepad, a world clock, a stopwatch, an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a vibrate mode, and a speakerphone. The advanced highlights are GPS support with Verizon VZ Navigator, mobile Web browser, stereo Bluetooth, voice commands, and USB mass storage.
Messaging Features
The messaging features are threaded text and multimedia messaging, instant messengers (Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and AIM), mobile email, and mobile Web mail. As already mentioned, the mobile email is actually a downloadable application that pulls emails from different providers and collects them in an inbox. The mobile Web email provides access to email Web sites via browser. It is important to mention that mobile email app will cost $5 for downloading.
Camera
The 1.3-megapixel camera features multi-shot, and night mode. The still capture options are three shutter sound options with silent mode, center and spot metering, zoom, brightness, three quality settings, six color effects, six white balance presets, and five resolutions. The overall picture quality was average. The images looked sharp without blur, but appeared up overcast with a bit pink tinge.
Music Player
The inbuilt music player has support for Verizon V Cast Music with Rhapsody. As the Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 does not support EV-DO network, so you cannot download on-the-air songs via V Cast. For compensating this, you can buy and download songs at computer and then transfer them to the SCH-U450 phone via USB cable or micro-SD card. You can also subscribe to music tracks on phone through your Rhapsody subscription.
The music player features creation/editing of on-the-fly play-lists, shuffle and repeat modes, visualizer, album art, lyrics view, and playback controls. You can also set the Intensity SCH-U450 phone in music only mode that turns off the cellular signal and allows listening music in an airplane. The overall music quality on the speakers was good, but better on headset.
Games and Personalization
The Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 can be personalized with available ring-tones, alert-tones, and graphics. You can download games, and other options from Verizon Get It now store via Web browser.
Call Quality
We made few calls through the Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 via Verizon Wireless network for testing. The overall call quality was mediocre. We received machine like and little harsh sound at our end with some echo. The callers received tinny and crackled sound at their end. The speakerphone calls were above average. We could hear the callers with loud and clear sound. The callers received louder and much clearer sound at their end with fewer echoes.
Battery Life
The Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 has a battery life of five hours talk time and 12.5 days of idle standby time. Its digital SAR rating is 0.727 watts per kg in accordance with FCC radiation tests.
Verdict:
If you need an affordable messaging phone that comes free with Verizon contract and can overcome a bit cramped navigation array, then you can select – Samsung Intensity SCH-U450.
