Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating: 
Summary: 2nd Dead Phone in 6 mos; Service Just Stops Working
Comment: Like a few of the other reviewers, I've mostly liked the phone and originally bought it to consolidate a Palm PDA and a phone. First one lasted 6 months. This one has lasted 2 mos. I am easy on phones. Even bought the darn $50 leather case for this thing extra adapters - Samsung has its own plug so don't plan on using other mfr's adapters. Problem is that the phone suddenly stops receiving signals. Screen now reads no signal again. I am so disappointed with this thing. Today I was within a 1/4 mi. of a cell tower and phone was indicating no signal. Then I could not connect with other Verizon users driving in car next to mine even though they had 3 bars on their Motos. This phone is frustratingly unreliable for the price and I definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND it. We have 4 users in our household, each of which uses a Motorola. I traded my KRZR which was a sleek, fine phone -- for this POS. The Moto KRZR can practically pick up signals under water. Save yourself from agony. Go Moto or Blackberry instead. I'm switching back this week.
Customer Rating: Summary: Can't synch with a Vista PC? - read this.
Comment: I just got this phone a few days ago. I read all the reviews here at Amazon and at phonescoop. I was already with Verizon so I purchased it as an upgrade from Verizon. Why did I choose this phone: 1) Windows Mobile: I wanted to be able to store and access Word and Excel documents as well as synch email and contacts. Yes there are other PDA platforms that can support this but not natively. 2) I wanted 802.11 wireless access the internet easily without always having to power up my laptop AND I didn't want to pay for data access be it from Verizon or any other carrier. With 802.11 connectivity I didn't have to use the carrier's data connection and pay their fees. typically I would have an 802.11 wireless available at the locations I would want to do so. This reduced my choices to two units (with Verizon) this one and the VX6800 which was $100 more expensive. Both units had users who loved their unit and both units had users who switched from the other one.
With regard to this unit... I wanted to synch it with my laptop. It took me a few tries and some research. 1) Verizon's documentation is not entirely correct. It's user manual indicated that ActiveSynch can be used with Vista which is NOT correct. After the first installation I kept wondering why I only saw Windows Mobile Device Center installed and could not find the ActiveSynch application. If you have Vista you will be using Mobile Device Center and not ActiveSynch (per Microsoft). 2) Even after realizing I was to use Mobile Device Center, this application still did not see my phone as being connected to my PC/laptop. The installation instructions from Samsung for Mobile Device Center are terrible. they basically refer you to Microsoft. Here is the issue... Windows will provide you the standard instructions on how to install and get the first synch going BUT... there is a critical SAMSUNG specific configuration step that the samsung manual does NOT mention. If Windows Mobile Center does not detect your i760 then you need to change the following: On the i760 you must a) from the START menu select "Settings" b) click on the tab marked "connections" c) select "USB to PC" d) UN-check the box marked "enable advanced network functionality". As long as that box is checked (default)... Windows Mobile Device Center on your PC will NOT detect your physically connected i760. It will indicate that no device is connected. Fortunately on Amazon one reviewer (and only one) happen to mention this as part of their review. I'm not sure if this applies to every PC or every laptop but least on my laptop and on the other reviewer's PC, un-checking the box was necessary.
Within the manual on page 86 under the small brief section labelled "USB to PC" it say this is where you can change the type of USB connection if you have problems with ActiveSynch. No explaination of what "advanced networking functionality" is or what it does. Within the "Synchronization" section no mention of this so just like me you may be wondering why your PC and Windows Mobile Center says your phone isn't connected.
some reviews mention poor signal strength... so far I haven't experienced that... least not any different than my previous two Verizon phones.
Some have complained about having to reboot and slow response after a while. I believe here is the reason for this: I read on reviews at phonescoop that ending a program by clicking on "X" in the upper right corner does not actually terminate the program. You need to go to task manager and stop the selected program. otherwise you're going to continue to tie up memory slowing down your response time eventually causing you to have to reboot. Clicking on "X" basically hides the application allowing you to be able to access where you left off via task manager or the start menu. Yes that's counter-intuitive because "X" on a PC terminates the application.
Customer Rating: Summary: I've never hated a phone before
Comment: I've owned this phone now for about 8 months. I hate it so much. Here's why:
1. It's incredibly slow, especially after it's been on awhile
2. Don't expect to get anything done with your fingers, you have to use the stylus for everything!
3. Windows Mobile is a POS. It constantly crashes, freezes, displays random crap. I can't believe someone made a cellphone/PDA OS this terrible.
4. Did I mention it's slow? Sometimes flipping between keyboard mode and upright mode takes 4 or 5 seconds to update the display.
5. It's weak. Cracked the LCD screen in it (thankfully Asurion insurance is awesome and overnighted me a new one). I had a screen protector and I still don't know how it happened. I just picked it up one day and the screen was somehow destroyed.
6. ITS TOO BIG! At first you think "oh yea, this thing aint that big!" but just wait till the first few times you struggle to pull the hulking thing out of your pocket and accidentally hang up on the person calling and accidentally flip out the keyboard. This phone is huge.
Good Stuff:
1. Battery life is excellent with the extended battery, but its so HUGE with it on.
2. There's some UI improvements on the internet you can download to make it more touch friendly.
3. reception and sound quality are good.
Customer Rating: Summary: Drops DEAD mysteriously- totally Kaput
Comment: I liked the keyboard on this phone. Otherwise It is clunky and the buttons are small. Touch screen is nice but patheic compared to Iphone. web browsing is poor.
But still I needed a windows enabled phone for work so I went with this because Blackberrys were not supported at work, and treo reviews were not good.
All that changed when the phone just went dead one afternoon- no response to changing batteries, No Nothing. Later I found others are having the same experience. VErizon was nice, but they will only replace with the exact same phone. Go Figure.
Customer Rating: Summary: Horrible Phone/ Not for someone who needs a workhorse
Comment: I wonder if I am reviewing the same phone as those that gave this phone a 4* or 5*. Or perhaps the people who rated it so high do not use it as a workhorse or for business and personal use OR perhaps I got a bad phone and so did my other friends and collegues who have this same phone and absolutely HATE it.
I have had this phone since December and lived with the irritations at first, now they are just unberable and I am looking to make a change. If anyone has any suggestions, please post!
Anyhow, my phone locks up at least 5 times a day. I go to use it and guess what, no phone, it's just locked up. So, in order to make a call, I must reset the phone. which by resetting the phone it clears out of my information that has been stored by my IT department at work in order for me to properly receive emails from work. so I have to go in at least 5 times a day reset the phone and then set up all my email notification syncing stuff again. I have gotten to the point where it's just too much of a hassle, I go in through the internet and get my email now.
when I text it sends my messages before I am done typing. Nice feature for those who want to send out half completed messages.
The phone gets horrible reception, for example, I am at my pool, I get zero bars, no reception. I turn to my other friends with Verizon and they have 4 bars on their regular phones.
I could go on and on and give you many reasons why I absoutely would never recommend this phone, it's a nightmare. I use my phones like a workhorse and expect them to perform up to par. this phone is just badddd.
