Samsung SGH-T659 – boring & dated design
For:
Bright display; easy-to-use navigation array; decent captured photo quality; admirable call quality
Against:
Average speakerphone call quality; flat and slipper keypad; boring and dated design
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
The Samsung SGH-T659 is based on WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM technology and supports band of WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900. The cell phone has 80MB internal memory and micro-SD card slot for external storage.
The preinstalled messengers are AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo! Messenger. The additional features are HSDPA, Java applications, EDGE, WAP browser, and GPRS.
2.25-inch LCD display has 240×320 pixels resolution that supports 262,000 (18-bit) colors. The 2-megapixel camera features self-portrait mirror, 2.5x digital zoom, self-timer and video-recording. The video capture resolution is 176×144 pixels.
The SGH-T659 supports video playback formats of H.263 video with AMR audio, H.264, MPEG4, and 3GP. The supported audio formats are AAC+, AAC, WMA, and MP3.
The standard lithium ion battery has a life of 300 minutes talk time and 300 hours of standby time. Accessories supplied inside the package are battery, user manual, wired headset, and power adapter.
Razzle Dazzle:
The Samsung SGH-T659 has slider design. It is 4.1 inches tall, 1.9 inches wide and 0.6 inch deep and weighs 3.3 ounces. It fits easily in pants pocket due to its slim profile. The slider mechanism is sturdy and the SGH-T659 feels comfortable while holding in hands.
Inside Dope:
The Samsung SGH-T659 has a design which was popular three years ago. It offers nothing special except the 3G service. If you need a boring and dated design then you can select the SGH-T659. The speakerphone call quality of the T659 is average, while the keypad is slippery and flat. On the bright side, the display is enough bright to display colorful images and fine text. The navigation array is simple and very easy to use. The call quality and captured picture quality are impressive. The SGH-T659 is available for $69 with T-Mobile contract. If you are looking for a modern design then you have to look elsewhere. You have to slide down the phone to access the alphanumeric keypad. Speaking about the exterior of the SGH-T659 – the micro-SD card slot and volume rocker are on the left spine. You will find the camera shutter and charger/headset jack on the right spine. The camera lens with self-portrait mirror is on the back. We will advise you to open the Samsung SGH-T659 prior to capture a photo.
Display
The 2.25 inches display of the Samsung SGH-T659 has 320×240 pixels resolution that supports 262,000 colors. It exhibits fine graphics and colors. The menu interface is easy to use and simple. You can select the menu layout between grid and circle. The T659 allows adjusting the brightness, the backlight time, and font color, type, and size.
Navigation Array and Keypad
The navigation array is located beneath the display. It consists of two soft keys, circular toggle with middle OK button, Talk key, a clear button and End/Power key. The navigation array is spacious and easy to use. The alphanumeric keypad is flat, which is common for most of the slider phones.
Phonebook and PIM features
The Samsung SGH-T659 can store 1000 contacts in its phonebook and SIM card can hold additional 250 entries. Each contact can save four phone numbers, three instant-messenger handles, three email addresses, an anniversary, a birthday, notes, and a street address. The contacts can be organized into caller groups. You can also pair them with one ring-tone and a photo for caller ID.
The basic feature set includes 21 (72-chord) polyphonic ring-tones, text and multimedia messages, a tip calculator, a currency and unit converter, a stopwatch, a timer, a world clock, a calculator, a memo pad, a task list, an alarm clock, a calendar, a voice recorder, and a speakerphone. The advanced highlights are USB mass storage, PC synchronization, GPS support with TeleNav service, Web-based POP3 email accounts, instant messengers, stereo Bluetooth, and RSS feeder.
Camera
The 2-megapixel camera of the Samsung SGH-T659 features self-timer, night mode and video-recording. The still capture options include three shutter sounds with one silent choice, three color tones, spot metering, three white-balance settings, adjustable brightness, three quality settings, and four resolutions. You can record the video clips of 45 seconds for MMS and longer in standard mode. The video recording options include one resolution and others that of still capture. You can transfer the pictures and video clips via Bluetooth and MMS. The overall photo quality is better than its competition. However, there is no flash to improve the picture quality.
Music Player
There is also a music player in the Samsung SGH-T659. It has simple playback controls and easy interface. It features play-list, an airplane mode, visualizations, equalizer, shuffle and repeat model. The music playback quality on the speakers was suffered from tinny volume. We will recommend you for using the included headset for better experience.
Games and Personalization
The Samsung SGH-T659 comes with two games: Brain Challenge 2 and Platinum Solitaire 2. It can be personalized with available background colors, alert-tones, and wallpaper. More options and games can be downloaded from t-zones through WAP browser.
Call Quality
We made few calls through quad-band based the Samsung SGH-T659 via T-Mobile service for testing. The overall call quality was perfect. We received natural, clear and loud sound at our end with strong signal strength. There was some background noise and a bit static, but it was acceptable. The callers received good sound at their end and they could tell we were calling through a cell phone. The speakerphone calls were of average quality. We had to speak very closely to the phone and the callers received a bit distorted sound at their end.
Battery Life
The Samsung SGH-T659 has battery life of 5 hours of talk time and 12.5 days of idle standby time. Its digital SAR is 0.73 watts per kilogram in accordance with the FCC radiation tests.
Verdict:
If you can overcome the dated and boring design, then you can buy – Samsung SGH-T659.
