Samsung SCH-A650
Average Ratings
Reliable to a fault
Pros:
--Small, manageable size.
--Tough flip mechanism.
--Loud, clear ringers.
--Easy to learn GUI.
--Loud and clear volume, crisp audio quality.
--Good dependable reception.
--Built tough: this thing hasn't quit on me in 3 yrs.
Cons:
--No exterior caller ID.
--STN screen isn't that great.
::I am currently on Verizon's network in South Florida.
Best Phone I Have Ever Owned!
This phone was one of the introductory free phones through Verizon Wireless.
Pros:
Small
Bright Screen
Texting Capability
Fairly good reception
Extremely durable
Strong Vibrate
Long-lasting battery
Cons:
No Camera
No speaker phone
Best thing about this phone was its durability. I have dropped it many times and it came out with only minor scratches.
Definately recommend for someone that just wants a phone for calling people on.
Great Basic Phone
I was looking for a basic non-camera phone with good sound quality, and the A650 fits the bill. As others have said, this phone does not have much of a "bling" factor, but it is well built, and has great reception and call quality. The signal bars are somewhat misleading since I have had very good reception with only 1 bar displayed.
PROS:
Great sound quality.
Excellent reception.
Tri-mode for those areas out in the boonies.
Nicely designed menu layout and graphics.
CONS:
Hard to open with one hand (although not incredibly hard).
Button illumination is very weak.
Poor selection of ringers (5 ring-types and 10 melody-types).
No external display.
Does not come with a desktop charger standard.
I consider this phone an updated version of my (now very old) Samsung A400. In comparison, I wish the battery lasted longer, but all of the current generation phones have color LCDs with backlights that drain the battery rapidly. In comparison to the LG VX4500, the sound quality of the Samsung is better, but the LG has more features (speakerphone, better keypad lighting, more ring tones). Sound quality won out for me and I went with the Samsung with no regrets.
Great Phone!!
This is a great phone with great features when what you want is a phone, not camera or mp3 player or whatever. I have had this phone for for a little over 6 months and it has been flawless. I don't need an external screen (more of luxury than necessity) and I don't need a speaker-phone (again luxury, not necessity). It has great battery life for a verizon phone.
PROS:
-Great battery life
-Great call quality and LOUD earpiece and ringer
-Sturdy construction. feels very solid in my hand.
-Screen is clear and easily visible.
-Keypad layout very easy to work with.
-Does a great job of what a phone is supposed to do.
CONS:
-none that i can think of.
Now it would have been a perfect phone with an external display and speaker-phone, but there is no such thing as a perfect phone, but this one is very close. I have always been a big fan of Samsung phones and this one has not disappointed me at all. If you are into gadget filled phones, this isn't for you. BUT if you want a phone that does a great job of doing the job of a phone, this is perfect.
Perfect as a phone, not so much as a gadget
Had a Samsung a670 for exactly 4 days before some lowlife stole it. So, realizing that items like the 670 look very very tempting to thieves, I decided to opt for something a bit cheaper and less "flashy", hence the 650.
I found the 670 to be of good build, felt really solid. Same thing on this one, maybe even a bit more. As far as the phone acting like a phone (something fewer and fewer seem to be doing lately) it's a very strong performer. Excellent signal, comparing both to the 670 and the old Nokias and Siemens I've owned in the past.
I know some people have had issues with the ringers and volume, I have none. Nice and bright, loud and clear. Lighting system is fairly basic, and while I don't expect it to be a deal breaker for those that looking for a good, reliable, inexpensive cell phone... gadget lovers beware. You will not be the hippest kid on the block with this one.
PROs
-Good call clarity
-Great signal strength
-Solid feel, almost rugged
-Menus well laid out, simple navigation
-Nice bright screen
-Nice ergonomics
-Number where you expect them (again, this is becoming a rare thing)
CONs
-No external screen
-Voice commands are poor (I'm comparing this to the a670 which worked great)
-Only 10 history, could have used twice that
-Very difficult (almost impossible) to open with one hand
-No speakerphone
-Gets hot really quick, I think this is a problem with all Samsungs
-Service light could have done more, it really doesn't do very much
-Gadget lovers beware, this one has very few frills
-Basic unexciting lighting system
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Bottom line:
This is a good solid performer phonewise. PDA it isn't, tech toy is isn't. Buy this if you need to make calls. It'll also answer them pretty well too ; )
Excellent Basic Phone
This is an excellent choice for someone who does not want a camera or need all of the bells and whistles of the more sophisticated phones.
I started with Verizon's highly recommended LG4500, and loved it: features, interface, menu, contact list, hands free, external screen, etc. I'm an LG fan, and that phone is really hard to beat.
But it's digital, and too often I found myself with a very weak or no signal at all, and dropping calls everywhere.
The A650 is a different story...as a tri-mode, it brings in a strong signal, calls are not dropped, and it has what would generally be considered essential features. Samsung makes good phones, and this is one of them.
A650 good phone for me!
No it may not be a perfect phone but it is as close to perfect as any for it's intended purpose being a phone. I like Samsung products, tv's and phones. I had a R225 with T-Mobile and really loved that phone but I just switched to Verizon and wanted a flip cover style phone. I got this one for $39 plus taxes after rebate. I am very happy with the phone after using it for a month. Verizon works really well for me as I am a truck driver in north GA and TN. This phone gets really good reception and is very clear to me and others that I have spoken with on the other end of the call. It may not have a lot of bells and whistles as they say but it has performed excellent for it's intended purpose of being a phone. I would recommend it to anyone. I just bought a A670 also to add to my account and it does have more features and a camera, but it also cost more. But I like the A650 just as well for a phone! I have no problems with the Samsung phones or with Verizon service where I live.
Good replacement for A310
I'm on the road Mon thru Fri covering about 75 sq miles. For me phone reception is the most important factor in choosing a phone. I would always purchase a Motorola until last year when I tried the V60P (Garbage phone). At that time I switched to the samsung A310 (excellent phone). I needed to add an additional phone and could not find another a310. That is what brought me to the A650 (the only tri-band Samsung). This phone has excellent reception and sound quality. Possibly even better than the a310.
Con: The only reason I took off a half a point is the lack of a second display although you do get use to opening the phone to see who is calling pretty quickly. Also, the addition of a speaker phone would have made this phone perfect.
Used to be good...
This was a great basic phone. It had a nice color screen and Mobile Web 2.0 + Get It Now. Nice for such an entry level device.
Pros:
- Get It Now and Mobile Web
- Color screen
- very small
- great battery life and reception
Cons:
- Hinge cracked on the right side on the indicator light. Just like the a670. It cracked then 3 days later the top half fell off.
- It's also a little ugly with the vertical samsung thing.
It's a shame. It was such a nice inexpensive phone.
Great, Simple Phone
I purchased this phone the other day. So far, its been a wonderful phone. The display is crystal clear, and in addition its great for those who want a cell phone, but not a phone with all the bells and whistles. There is no camera, speaker phone, or outside display. If your looking for something more advanced, I would not recommend this phone. Also, it works great with the Verizon network. Would highly recommend!
