Samsung SGH-A727
Average Ratings
Antenna issues are a deal killer
I purchased this phone from AT&T on June 18, 2007 - the day it came out. I was a big fan of the Samsung Trace and quite frustrated that T-Mobile was the only carrier offering a phone in that form factor (i.e., really ridiculously thin).
Overall my initial experience with the phone was mixed. I felt the interface was a bit difficult to work with and I've never loved Samsung's text messaging (I learned on a Nokia), but any new phone takes getting used to and I adjusted. I loved how slim the phone was and overall would have given it a 3.5 - 4 rating.
About four months after getting the phone, it started dropping calls for no reason. The drops were typically in the same geographic areas. I would show a medium-strength signal, make a call and then have anywhere from 10 seconds to 20 minutes of conversation before dropping the call. Once I dropped a call I would generally drop several in quick succession, leading to quite a bit of frustration. The problem got worse with time -- eventually I was dropping close to 100% of my calls.
AT&T replaced my handset under their warranty program, and I had that handset about 2.5 months before it started doing the same thing as the first handset. I again called in and got a third handset, which had the same problem from the moment I removed it from its box.
After doing some reading, it looks like Samsung may have antenna issues with this phone. Given that talking is a primary function of a cell phone, I cannot recommend buying this phone due to the reliability issues I've faced.
AT&T attempted to replace it with another Samsung, but after some begging they gave me a Nokia 6555, which so far (3 days in) is treating me very well. I'm having crisp, clear conversations in places the Samsung A727 never even got a signal.
Love It!
I switched to this phone after two days of having the LG Trax. I absolutely love it!
Minor complaints are the small keys, the not so user friendly menu options and it's a bit detailed to "connect" the bluetooth.
Other than that, this phone is great! Great sound quality, great reception, loud tones. The camera is amazing! Great color quality.
Even though I'm a huge fan of flip phones, I am very satisfied with this phone!
nice phone.. me likey
ive had this phone for 2-3 weeks..
2 problems: the antenna, and the keys
the antenna is on the bottom of the phone, i get a perfect signal if i turn the phone upside down, yeah that makes a lot of sense..
the keys are tiny, but everybody else already said enough about that..
i have to say my favorite feature is the power-saving options, the screen dims & turns off after a customizable amount of time, (the nokia i had before wouldnt even let you adjust the brightness)
PS: cingular's demo games are a joke
Ups and Downs
PROS
music player-
uses windows media player to load songs on it
can play music while playing games, texting, almost anything
artist, album, all, recent music, most played music in menu.
after going to artist in menu, doesnt go to album- shows all songs by artist in alphabetical order. music player minimizes, but has some really annoying features.
but i am happy with
menu-
really nice samsung ui, but buttons are wasted that could be better shortcut keys(key on rightside of phone, key across from the
music key)
look-impresses others, thin and light, great feel in the hand
CONS
reception-
is really bad at my place (0-2 bars)
when i compare it to razr, w810, nokia their reception is 3-5 bars
but....even with xtremely low bars i can still send/receive calls
keypad-
cramped and crappy. softkeys are hard to hit.
i always push center and "c" key while trying to use th d-pad
Great for light duty
OK, so I've had this phone for 5 days now, and these are my first impressions:
Pros:
I really like the form factor and weight
Good plastic (yes, I dropped it on a pavement already )
I like Samsung UI (coming from Motorola)
Price (I paid $50 after rebate for a 2-year renewal)
Cons:
Very tight and small keypad - do not buy this phone if you text a lot
Screen size is smallish for 2007.
RF is not as good as Moto V3xx
Apparently the microphone "whistles" on the other end if you're talking on a windy street.
Neutrals:
Battery life is less than 2 days with light calling - but that's a payment for small size
I haven't tried using it as a music player yet.
Cingular's "demo games" are really annoying.
SGH-727
Pro's:
Nice thin design.
Screen is sharp and bright.
Seems very well built.
Finally Cingular (AT&T) included Comcast in its email providers.
Uses same chargers, cables and software as my kids Sync's.
Con's:
Manual and menu's are confusing, nowhere in the manual after looking through index's for like 15 mins could I find how to set ring tones, in the end figured it out.
Compared to the Sync which is also a very good phone it is a tad expensive, except for video abilities and it being a bar phone, there's not alot of differences between the two.
Wouldn't Buy It
Pros it is the same size as my SLVR L7.
Cons I am not tech. challenged but I received this phone as a replacement for my Slvr and after trying to input phone book entry. I was so annoyed by how little the options were, that i boxed it back up and shipped it back. Sorry but I wouldn't waste my time and I work for a cell phone co.
