Samsung Epix i907
Phone Scoop Review
Nov 10, 2008 by Eric M. Zeman
Samsung churns out another Windows Mobile smartphone. This one fails to stir the emotions, but it will get the job done. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
This phone is by far, THE WORST!
I originally upgraded to the Eternity in December, after calling in 3 times for a replacement I was told I had to switch models. The rep suggested the Epix. I had problem after problem with the Epix. Each one was worse than the last. I finally (after some begging and complaining got them to put me back on the Eternity). Save yourself some stress and headaches, skip this phone and get the Jack.
Pros:
Well I guess if I have to pick one....the fact it syncs with outlook.
Cons:
Battery life (I have to charge it 2-3 times a day and I'm not talker. I mainly text and IM)
Reception (most of my friends have AT&T they will have full bars and I have a tower if I am lucky and when I try to make a call the phone refuses to let the call go through. Let someone call me and they go to voicemail.)
Accessories are hard to find (Some reason, not quite sure why LOL,this phone is not too popular so it is really hard to get accessories for it.)
Camera (only a 2mp)
Ringtones for calls and alarms (I make my own and this phone only allows you to use what they have on it unless you are good at hacking registries)
Modem and a lot of features this phone hase AT&T has locked out unless you get a hack for it.
Wasted 4 months of my time!
LOVE IT!!!!!!
I own the epix for about 4 months. I do love it! i have owned the blackjack, the red blackjack 2, and the white n pink blackjack 2. I liked those phones alot. Then I bought the epix. It was expensive but i got it when it was "new" and without a contract. I have ATT n Im in Louisiana. I have no major problems with it. Once i downloaded the Sims game it started to freeze when i played it a lot. Some times the sound doesnt work but that can be fixed by turning the phone off then back on. i receive all txt and mms. I receive all calls. I dont have the data package so i cant give any review right know about the internet usage. i like that you can have a mouse or not if you choose. i like how you have the option to use the touchscreen keyboard or the regular one. i like how it isnt "all" touch. i am due for an upgrade in july but i really like this phone so i maynot get another phone for awhile.
Don't buy!
Have had this phone since Sept. and should have returned within the 30 days alloted, but was on the road so much, never had the chance. Chief complaints:
Ring volume - this device works on an ascending ring, unless I'm watching the phone, I'm never able to catch it ringing. I've got it set for four rings, and have applied the fix recommended to increase db, but it is still not acceptable.
Forced SLOG Dump - Every single day, at times more than once a day I receive this message. When this happens, the phone does not receive calls, text or email notifications. I'm learning from other posts there is an issue with the Qualcomm radio being the cause of the problem. I'm not a techie but think this also has to do with the next major issue
Signal - I drop more calls with this phone on the same network that I've been with for 9 years. Signal strength is horrible. When driving, I will without fail lose a call. I think the longest I've held an uninterupted call is 14 min. Most drop sooner than that even when stationary.
Finally the 3G network... with the poor connectivity this is just about useless.
solid and reliable
I have used windows mobile phones for the past two years. Windows mobile comes with its problems, which is no fault to the actual phone. The other reviews of having to navigate through folders, slow cpu and all that other crap is because of uneducated users. If you actually close programs after your done using them, the phones speed will not be compromised.
pros-
optical mouse- it works great, Makes this perfect for one handed use. I have no troubles going over the entire screen with one slide over the mouse.
windows mobile 6- is way better than 5. you can view youtube videos, hotmail is improved and 80% of the quirks from 5 have been fixed.
decent amount of memory-
Fast internet
GPS is Amazing! locks onto satellite in about 20 seconds and stays locked on.
good battery life- i get about 2+ days of constant use.
screen seems stronger than typical touch screens.
backlit keys.
bottom keys/hotkeys- GREAT! messages, calender, internet, camera, Silent-- all on one line. Very smart.
camera has good color.
cons-
NO TAB BUTTON!!! this is the worst for me. i have a touch screen, and i have a mouse, but i still need a tab button to go faster. I cannot believe this is true, as there must be a tab button somewhere.
Keys are really small. I used to have an 8525, and the keys were big. I passed on the blackjack because of the keys-- after using this one, the keys are rounded and tall which makes them easier to push than expected, but they are still cramped for my hands.
volume keys on the side adjust phone volume. They do not scroll or go up nor down. They adjust the Phone volume, not the ringer volume, which is even more useless. This can be fixed with a program, but that requires the program always be running.
overall, if you can make use of the tiny keys, this phone is Great. The lack of a tab button and the fact that it runs off windows mobile may deter some people. The true selling feature to this phone is its fast internet and optical mouse.
Completely Happy.. For Now
I just picked this phone up the other day and so far I am extremely happy. My first instinct was a full-screen touch phone but couldn't find one that supported WinMo 6.1 in the AT&T lineup. This is my first "smartphone" and I have to warn you.. I've been a huge Samsung fans for years.
Pros:
- Multiple input options. The stylus is great and I especially like the mouse but that may be due to my lack of experiencing anything else.
- Transcriber is super useful. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it earlier but the transcriber is so quick and accurate and it's perfect for jotting down notes. Plus you can either save your scribble as is, or have it converted to text.
- Voice recognition actually works! I tried this on my laptop with Vista and it never worked. But the Epix pulls it off, especially if you're using your Bluetooth headset.
Cons:
- Wi-Fi does not work, period. That was one of the deciding factors when I was shopping because I thought that accessing the Internet at hot spots would be much faster. But when I turn on the Wi-Fi I have NO access to the internet.
- Typing using the FN key is strange to me, but still a lot faster than accessing special characters with T9.
- 3G network is too slow. Again, maybe my lack of experience with PDA phones is blurring my perception, but I've been judging 3G internet access pretty much off the phone commercials and my sister's iPhone. When she clicks go, the page is there. I have to wait a good 2-3 minutes before a page loads. Not even usable IMO.
Over all I am satisfied with the phone, but my last phone was a 3 year old slider, so to me this is super advanced technology. As far as the menus go, I downloaded a third party shell for $4.99 and it looks like the iPhone with big, colorful icons. This shell really makes full use of the touch screen and make the day to day operations fun and easy.
Tomorrow I am going back to the store to play with the Blackberry, just in case...
Good Equipment
I purchased my Epix just over a month ago. I am a former AT&T corporate employee and purchased the Epix to get away from the bugs and issues I had on my iPhone. I LOVED my iPhone, and I really put it to good use. I was having too many problems with the call quality and reception when I moved from Baton Rouge to Raleigh.
The Epix is a really good "cross breed" between a full touch screen phone, and a normal PDA. I had the BlackJack II prior to getting my iPhone. I was not a huge fan of the BlackJack II because it was always shutting off and dropping calls. I found that the Epix works much better. I am extrememly impressed that I can copy and paste text from one place to another. I've become very fond of the optical mouse. Once you slow the speed of the mouse down it works perfect. The vibrate on the touch screen annoyed me at first, but then I realized how to turn it off!
The reception is much improved from the last Samsung I had. It is easy to browse around on the phone and find the things that I need.
My ONLY complaint is the life of the battery. I've had the battery swapped twice, and I still can't keep it charged for a full day. I've just learned to keep my car charger with me at all times, and I charge my phone at work.
If you are considering the Epix I suggest you fully research everything the phone does, and all the specs of the phone. I am sure there are people who do not like how the phone functions, but I find it very user friendly. If it looks like something you'd want to have, then get it. Try it. Take it back within your 30 days if you do not like it.
Love the mouse, but...
I was instantly struck with the optical mouse... finally, a one-hand way to control a Windows phone. It doesn't work for everything (awful for Solitaire) but I used it a lot and, unlike others, didn't have a problem getting used to it. What I like best is the any-way-you-want input: Mouse, keyboard, pushbuttons, stylus. I don't feel like I'm fighting it all the time
However, I'm not crazy about the QWERTY keyboard. The buttons aren't easy to find and or use confidently. Just don't feel as good as some BlackBerries
I'm surprised at poor battery life. Absolutely have to charge daily (despite the huge battery) and it sometimes took overnight charging--6-8 hours--to get the charge light to show green.
And the Wi-Fi? Forget it. Never worked. Couldn't get it to. Ever. Turn the Wi-Fi on and ALL web access stops.
I do like the Internet Explorer for its ability to view both WAP and HTML sites as well as play a range of multimedia, albeit a limited range.
And moving files from the phone to the card (or vice-versa) is possible, I'm sure, but I didn't have the patience to do it. When connected to the laptop, I saw only the data card and couldn't see the phone memory at all.
The Tele-Nav GPS application worked well when it could acquire the satellites. It didn't do so in my car, but that may because of metallic tinting on my windows.
PROs
GREAT optical mouse
Voice recognition that amazed me
Multiple input methods
Seems sturdy
GPS with excellent nav application
Fast 3G
Good rendering of HTML and WAP sites
Google maps seemed right at home
CONs
Wi-Fi non-functional
Bizarre menu structure
No access to phone memory via USB
Poor rendering of addresses from the SIM
Poor battery life and very long recharge
Odd keyboard layout and use of FN key
I might be a Neanderthal, but I think I prefer using T9 on a cellphone keyboard instead of QWERTY
HORRIBLE PHONE!!!!! DON'T PURCHASE!!
I purchased this phone after having trouble with the Blackberry Curve. That was a huge mistake!! The phone was SO slow. I do a lot of texting and emailing from the phone. I would literally type out 3 to 4 sentences before the phone would ever show one letter. I have dealt with A LOT of Windows Mobile phones (4 HTC phones including the 2125, 8125, 8525, the Tilt, and my Husband has the Fuze, also the Palm Treo 750, and the original BlackJack) and this one is by far the worst! I wouldn't recommend this phone at all.
Pro's: The touch pad. I found it very easy
to use. It was a very nice feature to
this phone. Probably the only one!
Not really any other pro's for this
phone compared to other phones
available. It has the same benefits
as any other Windows Mobile phone.
The touch pad is the ONLY unique
feature/pro of this phone.
Cons: The phone is horribly slow!
The battery life...well I should say
what battery life. It was one of the
shortest I have seen.
The buttons are slick, small, and not
user friendly.
The phone is kinda heavy.
The screen kept lighting up on it's
own.
I only had the phone for 2 days and I couldn't take it anymore! I returned the phone and saved my upgrade. I purchased an HTC Tilt on-line and LOVE it (Better than my Husband's brand new Fuze lol)!!! For the price of the Epix it is FAR from worth it!!! I rate it a 1.5 only because I enjoyed the touch pad. Samsung needs to do better work in the future if they want to stay in the cell phone business.
Sumsung Epux i907
This is a preliminary report. I've only had the phone for 4 days. So far, pretty good. I've been using a Tilt on AT&T, and the upgrade to WM 6.1 got rid of most of the irritating bugs, including dropping the bluetooth connection.
I love the i907 "human interface", specially the one-handed operations. The trackpad mouse is great for navigating without the stylus. Here you go:
Pros -
- One handed operation (trackpad)
- Seems to hold the bluetooth connection very well
- Fairly quick response
- Plenty of memory (but it needs it - see under Cons)
- Thinner than the Tilt
Cons -
- Missing the HTC/Tilt function of the "OK" button closing the program - requires going into Task Manager to manually close progrrams from time-to-time
- Haven't yet been able to get TomTom to work
- Not yet much of a community for this new device, so problems like the TomTom aren't easy to solve for a relative non-techi like me
I'll update this in about two weeks.
I am happy...
I have been using this phone for about a week and so far I am very happy. The phone turned out to be a little thicher than I expected, but it much more confortable to hold than my iPhone. I know that it sounds a little silly, but my main reason for getting the Samsung was that the organizer functions in the iPhone and available programs are miserable.
Anyway, pros and cons are below:
Pros:
-Call Quality
-Call Volume
-Reception
-Key board
-Screen
-Battery Life
-Works Great with XM and Pandora
Cons:
Brickish
