Samsung UpStage M620
Phone Scoop Review
Apr 19, 2007 by Eric Lin
Our in-depth review of Sprint's two-sided music phone. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
There are better phones on Sprint.
I went from owning two great phones on verizon, switching over to sprint and owning one good phone to replacing that good phone with this below average phone.
Pros:
-The phone is still thin with or without the extra battery.
-Extra battery/case
-phone build feels good and solid
-good reception
-easy to swith to roaming when needed
-lock feature is nice
-speaker is loud (music)
Cons:
-limited menu for small screen
-disappointing txt features and t9
-annoying flipping back and forth, especially when your online typing in addresses and other things. annoying just in general.
-back directional pad is sub par
-no jack on phone for 3mm headphones, have to use adapter.
-menu is slow
-speaker phone sucks.(always get a full duplex speaker phone.)
-cant look at missed text or text messages at all from front screen
-camera is so-so, there are better 1.3 mp camera phones on sprint.
-no actual shortcut keys, and you cant assign them either.
-sometimes the "favorite" option doesnt work, it freezes
-front screen can be bigger, we dont need a big sprint logo on the bottom of the screen, the front screen could and should have been bigger.
I have had this phone for six months now. i tried my best to like it but i cant. im switching it in for the mogul because i love going online and the upstage is such a hassle when you go online. if you want to look cool then get this phone. its a big novlety phone just like the razor. all looks and no substance. the only difference is the upstage has a better camera than the razor and the screen is much better. to all razor owners out there, never take a picture and set it as your wall paper. looks bad.
Nice idea, but not good for real world
My phones LOVE this phone, but they don't have to use it. Yes, if you want to be the envy of your friends, this phone is hot. If you're just making voice calls, it'll work great for that too. If you want to text alot or use the internet or really anything else, look elsewhere.
The phone side of the phone is great. If only you could do everything from that side. But unfortunately you can't. The side with the large screen is a disaster. The touchpad either doesn't respond or is too sensitive. When browsing the web I'm always accidentally closing the browser. Applications just don't work properly on the phone. Not only is there no yahoo messenger, or aim, or anything else for it, the apps bundled with it don't work alot. For example, the games on the phone don't even work, because they can't understand the touchpad, and, once again, you can't use the other side for games. Also, I am CONSTANTLY having to flip from one side to the other to enter passwords, or type messages, or what have you. This is especially a pain when using the battery pack.
It is very durable though. It is made of some type of really durable rubber or something, similar to the microsoft zune in that it doesn't scratch easily. The included battery pack is also a nice plus. I have decided to replace it though. I just can't use it anymore. It's too irritating, and doesn't work very well.
Features or glitches?
I have had the phone for about three weeks and found some undesirable features (some might be bugs).
1. While the phone is locked, you can't answer incoming calls.
2. When the phone is turned off, the lock switch has no effect at all, i.e. the phone will be turned on if you press the power(end) button even if the lock switch is at the on position. Also you only need to press and release the power button, instead of pressing and holding for some seconds, to turn on the phone, making it easy to accidentally turn on the computer.
3. The earphone jack is not a universal 2.5mm jack.
4. The earphone and charger share the jack, so you can't use earphone while charging.
5. When power save mode is on, the screen stays on and when the power save mode is off, the screen goes off after a couple of seconds. The user manual does not really explain what you should get when the power save mode is on or off.
6. There's no led to indicate the phone is on. When the screen goes black (really black), you can't tell if the phone is on or off without pressing a button.
7. The power indicator goes up and down, so it's impossible to estimate how much power remains.
8. The voice call command seems only be able to recognize standard English names. It hardly recognize non-English names at all.
9. When incoming calls arrive, the ring tone starts very low, then ascends gradually, so you may miss the first couple of rings.
10. Although the phone can be connected to a PC, there's no way to back up the phonebook to the PC. Seems it's a deliberate setup so customers would have to pay Sprint to backup contacts. Pretty sneak business ethics! Now I have some problems with the phone (e.g. the phone beeps every couple of seconds and both screens keeps going on and off) during charging while the phone is off. I have paid a visit to a Sprint repair center and was advised to have the phone replaced! Now I'm debating whether or not I should just return the phone.
It Could Have Been A Little Better
I work at a Sprint Store and I got a chance to demo this phone for a while. Looks-wise, it is probably one of the coolest phones to look at because it is double sided. However, the functionality is a little bit harder due to the fact it is another type of "flip" phone.
PROS:
-Bluetooth says name of caller so that you do not have to look at your phone to see who is calling.
-Voice clarity is awesome and loud.
-The case included with the phone is an extended battery and it helps if you like to listen to music.
-Screen quality is always superb because it is a Samsung.
-The lock button shuts off the phone so that there are no buttons being accidentally missed
CONS:
-Getting used to "flipping" of the phone takes a while
-The phone screen is way too small. When you text you only see three lines.
-The touchpad sometimes is a little sketchy because it is not like an scollwheel on an iPod.
great concept, ruined by add on crap to lug around.
I have had it for a day now and I am not sure what to think.
PROS: the phone works great. The flip function is super easy to use despite what others are saying so far. Everything works fast and clean without effort. The music player controls work smoothly. I dragged my files to the F drive folder and bam. i had music. I haven't used the software that comes with the phone yet.
The phone looks 100 times better in person. It is truly incredible!
Feels super solid, button lock is perfect.
CONS: The battery pack is horrible! It is very large and awkward. You might as well get the old school nokia if you plan on carrying this around. It also only opens to 180 degrees while talking so it looks like you have a brick from the 80s. The top of the pack wraps around the top of the phone digging into my ear which is slightly painful. If I wanted to carry 2 pieces for a day of minimal use, i would have bought a small phone and an I POD. The point is to cut down on the clutter of having two devices and they decide to add another right back in. Not to mention you also have the extra adapter for the headphones to carry around. More clutter, great.
Between tracks there is a static like crackling in the background, other than that it sounds decent hooked up to a large stereo. There are no equalizer options so keep that in mind.
Since a screen always has to be against the surface it is sitting on, you think they would put some little knobs on the face to lift the big screen from being directly on that surface. Nope. The screen is flush with everything else leaving it victim to the elements. A screen protector will stick out more than the rest of the phone.
No flash is always a con for me.
Possible BUG: If you dial international calls it will bring you straight to a voicmail but your VM will not be heard. Same wit those texts. Once they call me I have to save that number and call it back. Weird. May be happening with some US #s as well.
Simply Excellent!
I've owned (far too) many Sprint phones. I never planned to purchase this handset as the "flip" design didn't thrill me, but have been blown away by this unit and can confidently recommend it.
**PRO**
--Great size! This unit is perfect to tuck in a pocket or backpack. It's slightly larger than my iPod Nano and just "feels good."
--Sexy! Let's face it, this phone really looks good. I've never said that about a cell before.
--EXCELLENT signal! I live in a fringe area and all my previous handsets dropped calls or faded in and out. I've not had a single signal issue with this phone.. anywhere. Very impressed! (And this is really the only thing that's important to me.)
--Love the "contacts" features. In the past, I've had to use third party programs to add mailing addresses for contacts, but for once, Samsung did this right. The "memo" field is large enough to add an entire mailing address.
--Battery. I use this as a business phone often and have had no trouble at all with the battery. The extended battery/wallet is a great bonus, too.
**CONS**
--Software integration with Vista is "iffy." It works, but the music software could be smoother.
--Extended Battery/Wallet. I love this feature, but don't want to carry around the wallet to protect the phone.
--Non user replaceable battery. This is something I seriously considered when buying this handset. I am a hard phone user and would prefer to have a battery I can replace. That said, I can't do this with my iPod either, so it's probably not a huge deal, but do consider it a downfall.
Overall, if I had to do it again, I would buy this phone a second time. I have used several business class phones in the last year (Motorola Q and Palm) and a couple flip phones (Samsung A900, Samsung 610 and Sanyo M1.) This phone blows away the others in terms of reception by a mile... And when it really comes down to it, reception is key.
Awesome phone!!!
I got this phone and it's amazing. If you want a phone that looks cool and plays music, this phone is for you.
Pros:
Feels REALLY cool to talk on! (without the case on it)
comes with a case,
the case has a battery!
Nice camera
the touch sensitive actually works OK once you get used to it.
Speaker is really decent
Cons:
The touch sensitive is hard to get used it
you have to flip this phone over and back to do some functions
the case is awkward to have on while talking
I couldn't imagine browsing the Internet or playing games on it... (touch sensitive controls for games? one line display for Internet.... you don't need these features!)
I rated this phone a 5 because it really is that cool. I work in the wireless industry and nothing has created this much buzz and held up to it. Ya, the touch sensitive was prolly a bad idea and it kinda sucks to get through the menu to the camera or calculator or alarm or whatever but it IS worth that sacrifice!
If you want a small phone that plays music and looks really cool while you're doing it, GET THIS PHONE!!! Don't get it to play games or browse the net, that's what PDA phones are for.
BUY IT!
UpStage>II
Upgrading from Samsung a920 & ppc-6700, SLVR L6 when in China. Owned samsung VGA1000 (worst phone ever), sanyo 8100 & 8200, and a few others.
Love the Upstage, small thin size, sleek looks. Smaller than SLVR L6, no crappy motorola gui. SizeEasy.com for virtual size comparisons.
The Upstage has a tiny slot on the left side (if your using the big screen side) that allows you to hook up the wall charger, usb data cable, or headphone jack adapter. Bummer that you can't charge the phone via usb data cable...
Want a hack to remove the forced icons on the main/home display. I'll never use them, they are eyesores.
Forced ascending ringers - Should be an option to toggle this setting.
Works as a music player... far cry from my nano. Will never use Upstage as mp3 player. If a 3.5mm jack was built in... different story then. But an adapter doesn't cut it.
Upstage is probably more friendly to the tech savvy or patient since learning curve with the touch sensitive pad & flipping. Flipping is weird at first but very easy to use. Texting is not an issue, grateful for battery wallet but hate carrying around extra crap, also deters from the small size. Battery life should be built in, but I compromise for the smaller size.
The Upstage is a keeper for me, it's not perfect but it's the best choice yet.
Search youtube for 'Upstage' for a great review done by PhoneScoop.com & 'unboxing' video showing all the accessories.
PRO:
-#777
-Thin & Light (perfect for a suit pocket)
-Cool/Flashy Design, people will comment
-Great Samsung menu/interface
-Did I mention thin & light?
GRIPES:
-forced ascending ringers
-forced icons on main screen
Concerns:
-Learning Curve
-non user replaceble battery
-difficulty inputting text into some java applications
-Short 2.5 hrs talk time (6 hrs with included wallet/addon)
-No headphone jack (comes with adapter)
-Includes USB data cable (data only, doesn't charge phone)
-Typical samsung voice memo limitations, only 1 minute maximum.
Great phone!
I just bought this phone yesterday, and after having the day off today (lots of play time), I am very happy with my purchase!
PROS:
Great size, materials, finish - feels great and secure in your hand.
Screens are bright and crisp.
Samsung software, features, functions, UI is fantastic - smooth scrolling and operation.
The WOW factor when I showed it to a few people today - I had a call while in line at the store and the couple behind even commented.
Sprint TV/media player is smooth and clear - even the wide screen feature when viewing video is not pixelated like some other phones i've used.
Access to Music is great - you have a one-touch menu to by-pass the Sprint Music store when you want to play your own music.
The ability to text, surf the web, etc. while you are playing music or using other applications.
I was easily able to download all of my own ringers and screensavers, with no problems (Samsung software is great for this - I know there were some issues with Motorola phones).
The Bluetooth Caller ID feature (whispers who is calling) - no more having to take the phone out of your pocket to see who's calling).
The battery and battery wallet really seem to last, even when playing all day..
CONS:
The lack of stereo speakers on a music phone (the single speaker is sufficient, but stereo would be better).
The touch-sensitive navigation and the flip-feature takes a little bit of getting used to (however, when I was showing it off to a friend earlier tonight, I was already an expert and can manuever it and navigate very quickly now).
I keep it in my pocket and noticed I need the ringer volume up pretty high to hear it (may be my ringers tho too) - however, the earpiece and bluetooth headset volumes are very loud.
Carrying it without the wallet, I am weary of how this phone will stay scratch/scuff-free going forward (time will tell).
I have to say, I've used many Sprint phones in my time, and this one is very solid and impressive. Give it a try!
cool phone
this phone in my opinion is the best phone that any carrier has ever come up with. it has a phone and full mp3 player on it, what more could anyone ask for. and with the extended battery wallet that comes included you have enough juice to hear your music or talk with all your friends.
pros:
excellent battery life
excellent signal
excellent appearance
great features
cons:not available in other colors
does not have standard headset jack
