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
Well Done Samsung
I saw this phone coming out and being that it was one of Cingular's 3G phones i had to check it out.
I first have to say that photographs do not do this phone justice. It has to be one of the sleekest and best performing phones i have ever seen or owned.
I have the cu500 as well and was curious to see how it would compare.
Well it blew my LG out of the water.
Pros:
outstanding camera (2 MP)
Great reception (this was what i was doubting when i ordered the phone)
crystal clear main display
Stereo Bluetooth
3G makes using Cingular Video, MobiTV, and Mobi Radio a breeze.
heat sensitive mp3 controls
external hot swapable microSD slot.
Cons:
none
Highly reccomend this phone to anyone from a common user to one that enjoys all the features.
Sweet Phone
I have had the Sync for a few months now and it has been great.
Pros:
-Great camera
-Great reception
-Durable
-Small size
-Sub menus display on same screen as the settings menu making it easy to navigate
Cons:
-Outside controls are a pain to unlock
-List of Mp3s not availble using outside display
Cingular's Best 3G Phone to Date
If you want the 3G network, your options are pretty much limited to this phone or the LG CU500. This phone is definitely better than the CU500, however if you don't need 3G, it's probably just a little above average.
PROS:
-3G (HSDPA)
-Good reception
-Good sound, loud speaker volume
-Way better battery life than the CU500
-Keypad stays relatively cool when watchings videos (unlike the CU500)
-Great internal screen
-Loud ringtones
-More profiles than just normal & vibrate
-Cool touch-sensitive MP3 controls
-Thin enough to fit well in your pocket
-Comfortable keypad and side volume keys
-Can change profiles without opening the flip
CONS:
-Can't install Java apps to memory card
-Memory card slot is somewhat difficult to use
-Software is buggy (phone sometimes goes silent until rebooted)
-Sometimes switches to EDGE even when 3G signal is very strong
-Proprietary headphone jack
-Could be more customizable
Great phone, but Mac users beware
I excitedly purchased the Sync because of its positive reviews, 3G capability (via Cingular), and all around functionality. And I am not disappointed. And in order to use its mp3 function, I added the media bundle which includes headphones, usb cable and 1 GB memory card.
However, if you intend on "simply plugging your phone into your computer via USB cable" to drag and drop files... IT WILL NOT WORK IF YOU ARE USING A MAC. After talking to Samsung they verified that this was indeed the case. Their phones simply do not support the Mac platform, despite the promise from my salesman at the Cingular store that it would. I've already had words with him regarding his lack of knowledge.
Although I have yet to try it, I assume that I can buy a card reader and micro sd card adapter and plug it into my USB port that way in order to transfer files.
If there are any Mac users out there that have a Sync A707 phone, please reply with any info or experiences that you may have. Thanks.
All you Mac haters keep your comments to yourselves since this obviously doesn't apply to you.
Great addition to my Blackberry
I purchased this phone to use on weekends when I don't feel like carrying my Blackberry. I've had it now for about a week.
I absolutely love this phone. The deep red casing is rubbery to the touch. The internal screen is amazing. The volume is more than acceptable and the features are numerous. Excellent reception in all of Houston. Works seamlessly with my Moto HF820 bluetooth speaker.
The only real cons to this phone are...games are trials only, camera shutter sound, external display is crappy, doesn't come with data cable or software for PC Studio and doesn't work with mobile Gmail........and I can't think of anything more.
I really like this phone. I would've given it a 5 rating, but I feel that nothing I've used is perfect. Buy this phone. You won't be disappointed.
Good Phone
I only gave this phone 4 stars because there are some underlyng issues I have had with it.
Pros:
1. Interior screen is excellent.
2. Battery: it keeps going and going and going.
3. Form factor. Great to hold while closed.
4. Ability to change profiles when phone closed.
5. Rings and vibrates at the same time.
6. Profiles.
In the middle:
1. Phone sometimes lags
2. Not very customizable: flip side is that things seem to be laid out reasonably well.
3. Music player: Not as versatile as one would hope.
4. Camera is slow and has somewhat poor image quality.
Cons:
1. Reliability: I am now on my third a707. The other two suffered lock up / continuous power reboot.
2. Size: While its thickness is fantastic this phone is very long when open.
3. Profiles. Wish you could rename them what ever you wanted.
4. Form factor: Because of its lentgh when open it is somewhat awkward to hold.
Over all I like this phone and its capabilities. I love the fact that the battery is a marathon runner. As for the reliability question, you know what they say "the third time is a charm".
One Of The Best Phones I've Owned
the phone itself is amazing! it does everything you could want it to do. i mean it is still a phone. well after owning this phone for about a month this is what i've come up with.
Pros
-Great Display Quality
-Amazing Camera (If Lighting Is Right)
-Firm Solid Build
-Great Texting Phone
-UMTS 3G Is Great
-Overall A Great Phone For The Price
Cons
-YOU CANT TURN OFF THE CAMERA SHUTTER TONE!
If This Can Be Turned Off, Someone Please Let Me Know.
Overall I'm Very Happy With It I'd Recommend It Hands Down
Nice but...
Nice phone overall but has several irritating design "features". I haven't found a phone yet that doesn't though.
Pros
Nice keys for large hands, even the center pad.
The music player can seek forward/backward within a track. Nice feature that most phones don't seem to have.
MusicID is way cool, if you want to pay for it.
Good music quality through headsets.
Stereo Bluetooth. Email client. Decent external speaker for speakerphone and music (music is a bit tinny though but what do you expect?)
Cons
Music player only has 5 volume settings! Call volume has 7 settings but highest may not be loud enough under some conditions.
The external keys (volume and music play/pause/forward/backward) lock after 15 seconds or so and you have to press another button for 3 seconds to unlock them. DUMB! It makes the external music keys almost worthless as it's faster to just open the clamshell. Also sometimes the unlock key doesn't seem to "take" and you have to press and hold it again.
Can't turn off camera shutter sound. Most phones can't. WHY?
Turning speakerphone on or off requires two key presses and I don't think you can close the clamshell or it will disconnect the call. Not a big deal.
I have yet to figure out how to emded pauses and DTMF tones within a phone number in the address book. If it can't be done this phone is going back.
GREAT PHONE
By far this is the best phone that I own. I was never crazy about Samsung phones until this SYNC came out. I can not find any flaws on this phone. The screen display, call clarity is close to near perfect. This phone even beats the new Razr V3xx except for the phone memory. The V3xx holds 60MB compare to 29MB for the SYNC. That is minor to me. Straight up....THE SYNC is GREAT!!
SYNC....Beyond the Price!!
Samsung...you are on your way of being the #1 handset company in the world if this keeps up. I have had this phone for about 3 weeks and have put it thru all the tests imagineable. Here are some quick facts;
Pro's
HSDPA
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP!!
Can use up two 4 gig MicroSD!
Touch screen for mp3's.
QVGA screen
AIM, MSN, Yahoo messenger
XM Radio Mobile!!
Con's
Different jacks for wired headset and home/car charger...the exact as the Samsung T509/519/629/809 from T-mobile.
Outside screen goes off after a few.
No build in pop3 email client...does have one but for real pop3 you have to use MediaNet.
That's it!! This phone has a great battery life and it syncs fast with my BT headset and usb BT for the desktop. I called Samsung and they are going to release another update for Samsung PC Studio 3 for the Sync. This phone was bought on a upgrade and it has by far been awesome. So if you like a large phone with tons of options this is your phone!!
