Home › Reviews ›

Review: Samsung A900

Form Function Extras Video Wrap-up Comments 66

Screen

The A900 appears to use the same brilliant screen as the T809, which we reviewed earlier. As with the T809, this screen is still easy to read on the lowest brightness setting, even in direct sunlight. The colors are very rich and resolution is sharp. Sprint's menu icons are highly detailed, and this screen does them justice.

Signal

After installing the most recent software update, the A900 has performed admirably, holding a usable signal further into some dead zones than other Sprint handsets we've tested. However there are also times when the phone displays signal bars in dead zones, but cannot make calls or get online. It performed well in our underground vault test - making calls as well as sending and receiving text inside.

Sound

The default ringer volume on the A900 is rather deceptive. It is set at 4 out of 8, which is plenty loud for most indoor situations. Despite this acceptable volume, the phone is not that loud even when the ringer is set all the way up. Couple this with a rather weak vibrating alert, and you may miss a few calls when you're out in loud environments.

The earpiece volume is quite effective. The loudest setting can overpower the background noise of mass transit without much distortion. In less noisy environments the maximum volume is too loud. The speakerphone is also easy to hear in all but the noisiest environments. However access to it is hidden in the in-call menus.

Battery

With average use, the A900 gets about 2-3 days of battery life. This included calling, sending texts and using a number of the Power Vision services. With heavy use the battery rarely lasted 2 full days. Watching videos or playing music did not seem to impact battery life significantly, nor did sporadic Bluetooth use. The battery indicator will strike fear into the hearts of heavy users, as it seems to speed through the first two bars rather quickly, leaving just one precious bar of battery life. However, that last bar last about twice as long as the other two. As with most CDMA phones, the A900 exhibits an impressive standby time. If left untouched, the phone will stay alive for days.

Next page: Menus

Related

Samsung Showcase 2005

Nov 11, 2005
Hands-on report from the Samsung launch event in New York City for their late-2005 / early-2006 lineup.

Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras

Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.

Hands On with the Motorola edge+ (2022)

Motorola's newest flagship phone ticks all the standard boxes for a high-end phone, but it also has one totally unique feature: a wide-angle camera with a full 50 megapixel resolution, the same as the main camera. The selfie camera has a similarly unheard-of resolution at 60 megapixel.

Hands On with Xplora Kids Smartwatches

A really important segment of the mobile market is devices for young kids. Mobile technology provides communication and safety features that feel essential, but how young is too young for a phone?

Hands On with the Motorola edge+ (2023)

The new Motorola edge+ (2023) is the company's newest flagship phone. It builds on the same formula as last year's model when it comes to features, including dual 50 megapixel cameras.

Samsung MM-A900 / SPH-A900 / Ace

Display: 240 x 320 pixels

more news about: