Samsung SYNC SGH-A707
Phone Scoop Review
Dec 28, 2006 by Eric Lin
Our in depth review of Cingular's slimmest 3G phone yet. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Battery life
I like the phone, the large #'s the size and other features, I do not use the mp3 or internet features....My battery life is the TERRIBLE, two days max.. I think it may a phone defect, but can't get anyone to help with this problem.. The battery bars will show 2 bars and then with-in the next 2 calls, it just goes dead....Not a good thing.
Great phone if you know what to look for
I really don't know why so many people have such a huge issue with this phone. Some of the comments that have been posted are from people who expect this, now free, phone to work just like a $400 phone. Well it doesn't so get over it. The phone has an amazingly bright and clear screen and the menus are not hard to navigate at all. The camera does take extremely nice photos but it would have been nice to see an auto focus option. Word, excel, powerpoint, and adobe files open seamlessly with this phone. Call clarity is very clear and outdoes alot of more expensive phones. The phone does collect fingerprints like crazy but is that something really worth whinning about? i think not. There are things about this phone that people may not like but that does not make it a bad phone. Some of the thngs that people are whinning about on here are specific things that have happened to them and should not be generalized to all phones. I went through numerous exchanges of other phones before can to the Sync and I have no intention of changing again. The only possible negative to this phone is the fact that you can not turn the sound off when using the camera. But then again, if you are in a place where you are supposed to be very quiet then maybe you should not be taking photos. Again, this phone is great for the price but even with some cost to it, it would be well worth it.
Overall an excellent phone
As my contract was coming up for renewal and a new phone was now looming, I did a ton of research and read a lot of reviews and narrowed my choices down to the Samsung Sync (A707). After much consideration, I went with the Sync and I've never looked back.
PROS
-Signal: My carrier is AT&T and I live in the Boston metro area. Generally, signal is very good, with some limited exceptions. I would say it is better than the Nokia I had previously. Calls come thru loud a clear, speaker phone works well
-Interface: I was concerned that the interface with the Sync would be difficult to learn, but after a few days I was banging thru the menus with little problem.
-Customization: one of the great features is that not only can you play music, you can also create your own ringtones - an awesome feature which isn't included on some of Samsung's other phones with other carriers (i.e. Verizon)
-Style: it took a little while for me to get used to the length of the phone, but I like the looks and the feel of it. One of the most solid feeling phones I've ever owned. I've had it for 9 months and have had no problems (even after a couple of drops!).
-Battery life: it's pretty average. Nothing to write home about, but it's better than alot of phones I looked at.
CONS
Only a few of these (some a little nit-picky):
-Contact entries saved to SIM card can't carry as much info as those numbers saved to the phone. Don't know why they did this; it's a pain when you are wanting to save multiple numbers for one person - have to save it to the phone
-Shiny exterior tends to gather fingerprints. I think this was addressed in later models as they used a rubberized coating
-Camera is pretty average as well. Of course, I bought the phone for a PHONE not a camera, so in a pinch it's fine.
Overall, I am very impressed and would highly recommend this phone to anyone looking for a slim flip phone with bluetooth and internet access as well as good looks and quality.
Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder
I was offered this phone with discount as a bonus for renewing my cell phone contract. I had previously owned a Nokia 6102 for 2 years. I use my cell phone mainly for voice communication. My cell phone doesn't connect to the Internet. But I do enjoy playing a couple of Java games & listening to the built-in radio while waiting in long line or at the doctor's office.
At first glance, the Samsung phone is a more attractive phone than the Nokia: Thinner, bigger screen, louder sound, and gone is the stubby antenna. It has many nice features as mentioned by other reviewers here.
However, after a week of testing, I decided to return it & keep the Nokia. Two major reasons:
1. Both phones offer password lock. On the Samsung, you have to type in the PW in order to receive calls. On the Nokia, you can receive calls as long as the power is on. The PW is required only when you're ready to make calls. Also, the PW lock will automatically enable after a period of phone inactivity.
2. The game folder on the Samsung phone is locked. I can't transfer any Java games from my old phone to it by using Bluetooth or USB. If I put them on a different folder, they won't be recognized. I learned that the only way to put games there is by purchasing them through the phone's Internet software.
One minor reason: the radio on the Samsung is Internet based. (as vs. Nokia's FM based radio)
Good phone but poor reception/signal
I give this phone a 3.0 rating because while the phone was excellent in its functions, menus, capability, it did not hold a signal and this resulted in many, many dropped calls. Well, every call I made got dropped. After the calls were dropped I had to power the phone off and on again to get the signal back up. This was done many times a day and I finally got tired of it. As far as the functionality, the SYNC is wonderful. I actually loved the phone, all the little bells and whistles. It is a fully loaded, feature-packed phone and if it would get good reception, it would be the perfect phone. The camera is excellent, but pictures not good in dim light and subject had to stand completely still or picture would blur, but it took excellent pictures otherwise. Lots of customizable features, little beeps when you opened and closed the phone, music player. Some of the functions are hidden deep in the menus though and some things are where you would never think to look, but you get used to it. The screen is the most beautiful screen I have seen, you can't beat it. Very fast UI as well. All of these things are very nice, but if it can't make a quality call I have to pass. I traded it in for the Motorola RAZR V3xx and have since had no dropped calls and very exceptional signal strength. So, now I know it was just the SYNC. It may just be this way in my area, I don't know, but I could not live with the dropped calls and poor signal anymore. Also, the ring tones are not as loud as other phones and I missed some calls just because I did not hear it ring. Call quality was muffled a little too. Anyway, SYNC is a wonderful phone probably if you live right in the city, but not in rural areas where there is no 3G.
Good overall
PROs:
Big inner display with large clear numbers
Thin and light
Large buttons so you don't hit a lot of wrong numbers
Good picture and video quality
Good MP3 sound
Inexpensive
CONs:
Speakers are LOUSY while on a call; it's very hard to understand most of what is said unless you're in a quiet area.
Even when you hold the phone to your ear (without the speaker function) it's still hard to hear.
There isn't any vibrate ring plus audible ring at the same time.
Outer display isn't that great.
[That's all I can think of at this moment]
ATT service isn't that great; the signal is horrible most of the time and Lots of dropped calls, LOTS. But, I think every company has good and not so good areas.
Amazing Phone
I have owned this phone twice, the second time being my current phone. I have to say that i would prefer this phone over any AT&T phone at the present time.
Pros:
Huge QVGA screen
Great 2 mega pixel camera
Picture editing is great
Picbridge(always good)
Mini Music Player(for using other apps.)
Music sorting
Very Thin
Few Smudges or fingerprints(for the blue and red, black is rather smudge attractive)
HSDPA(personally my favorite)
Cons:
Rather Tall
SD slot is embedded very deeply making it hard to put in the memory card with the battery and SIM intact.
Battery Cover comes off a little too easily.
the first phone I can use out side
I have gone threw treo sony and many other brands and the main problem is you can not see them outside in bright sun light finally a phone I do not have to be inside to use it the reception is great voice and hearing is great ring is a little low but speaker phone is good camera is very good but above all it really works as a phone very surprised. I am retiring all my other phones.
Couldn't be happier
This phone does all I wanted and more.
I downloaded Samsung PC Studio 3 for free. I changed a setting in the phone (see note at bottom). Then easily synched my contacts, calendar, notes and tasks from Outlook 2007 via bluetooth.
Pros:
* Easy transfer of files via Windows or Samsung software
* Sync info with Outlook
* Micro SD: added 2GB card and loaded my music
* Great looking display
* Music sounds great
* Good signal with phone and good call quality
* Good battery life even with heavy use.
* Web browser is good and displays things well
* You can download and install software. Ex: I installed free Bible software
* Mobile Email feature is great
* Limited content on Cellular Video, but no complaints about quality for streaming video
* Easy to use
* Paired easily and performed well with my morotola bluetooth headset
* Happy with the camera (good for cell phone)
* Performs well as a cell phone
* They got the interface right all around from the calendar to the menu, etc.
* Special headphones work well (not standard headphones - do not come with phone)
* Has all the extras I like: Calculator, Tip Calculator, Tasks, Notes, Alarms, etc.
Cons:
* Calculator and some functions obscure under My Stuff > Tools.
* Some special characters are only visible if you hold down # key for 3 seconds (drove me crazy until I figured that out)
* You must change a setting in the phone to get it to sync with Outlook via bluetooth (like to never have found this out). Menu > Settings > Connectivity > Select USB Mode > PC Studio --even though this is a setting for USB mode it must be done to sync with Bluetooth
Great phone!! Now that I am past the learning curve, I could not be happier.
