Sanyo Katana / SCP-6600
Average Ratings
awesome phone
I have had the Katana from Sprint for almost a year and it is an awesome phone. I have found no glitches, bugs, or anything negative. It is very sturdy and will not break when dropped.
PROS:
-lightweight
-very sturdy
-good keypad
-good camera
-good ringers
-good backlight
CONS:
-no texting keyboard for avid texters
What is so horrible
I found this phone to be a wonderful year of my life.Alright now that was cheesy! But...
It may not have a QWERTY key board but the texting isnt bad at all. I read reviews saying the keys were "slippery" and especially hard with long nails. But screw that because I have long nails and find no problem with this phone.
There may be no flash on this camera but its quality I have found to be quite excellent.
The internet has a great reception. I am able to send pictures and IM without a problem in the world.
I have yet to drop a call in my year and a half of having this phone and always seem to have reception when my friends don't.
So overall the only thing I don't like about this phone is that, well come to think of it I actually like this phone aton and dislike it not one bit.
Unbreakable...so far
This phone has fallen out of a car, on a tile floor, down the stairs in my college lecture hall and still works perfectly. The only sign of any accidents is a barely visible line scratch on the front display. Signal is perfect anywhere I go, since I live in a Sprint dominated region, and haven't dropped a call since I got the phone in July.
Texting, internet browsing, camera all work without any complaints...although holding the phone while talking takes some getting used to due to the width, and you have to watch how you hold the phone so you don't block the internal antenna's reception.
Battery life lasts for 3-4 days on average usage, much better than the Samsung A900.
My only minor issue is not with the phone, but with Sprint for not including a data cable to transfer pictures off the phone, but everything else with the carrier is far superior to my previous Verizon and T-Mobile service, which I left Sprint for a couple of years back.
Very first phone I have yet to break!
Well, I am very impressed with this phone. I work in the public safety feild, and in the past I break on an average of 3-5 phones every couple months. Typically due to work conditions. This is the very first phone I have owned that has more then far exceeded my expectations. I went in and purchased 2 of these Sanyo 6600 Katanna's, one for normal use and a back up one.
At first I was very reluctant, as a friend of mine owns a "Razor", and he has had nothing but issues with the display on his phone, and it wasnt that old. Come to find out, i was warned that any of the "slim" phones will have display problems sooner then expected.
I have had this Katanna since it first came out, and must admit to abusing it on a daily basis.. It holds up. The metal casing is strong, the flip open design hasnt failed, the display is just awesome. I absolutely love how slim it is. I wear a duty belt and really didnt want to add more to it with a phone carrier. The Katanna slips in and out of my back pocket and not even noticed it there.. Which helps me loose it on an occassion!
Pros:
Lightweight
Rugged
Beautiful phone, very asthetically pleasing
Display very crystal clear
Excellent reception
Bluetooth quality ad connectivity awesome!
Cons:
The speaker phone does need to be louder. I use the navigation option, and cant hear the voice,
Keypad- its a key pad, but because it has such a smooth surface, after texting a while you loose track of where your finger is, mispelling happens easier.
Great phone. I love mine, cant believe I got such a deal, as it should be up there with the blackberry pricing. I have yet to go back to my back up phone, and would be heart broken if I lost this one!
Practically Perfect... In Every Way!
We just got the "blue" Katana several days ago, the very day it went for sale at our Sprint store (they had gotten 2 blue, 6 black, no pink... and they had already sold both blue phones after we bought ours).
BLOWS AWAY the original RAZR! The Katana wins with:
- A more solid feel (only slightly heavier)
- Positive flip open/close "click"
- Easy-to-use blue keypad with better feel
- Super high resolution main screen
- Super fast interface and gorgeous menus
- Bluetooth works flawlessly
- Battery life very good
... Plus the legendary values of the Sanyo/Sprint combination:
- Excellent voice clarity and volume
- Excellent speakerphone
- Excellent internal antenna/coverage
Now, to address the concerns of people who say "the phone doesn't have this, or that":
#1 - "The phone doesn't have a megapixel camera"... But one picture taking from the phone will have you surprised at the clarity. There seem to be no rough edges indicating any pixelation. Most people are viewing camera phones as a way to take pictures and share them on their phone, not necessarily upload them to a webserver or their computer for professional printing, so the point that this is not megapixel is really moot. The clarity is very good for being only 640x480! Also note that the phone doesn't have a "backlight", but it does have "night mode" which will help with getting night shots.
#2 - "The phone doesn't have an MP3 player or an TransFlash slot"... The phone wasn't designed as a multimedia phone in the first place, it's designed as a serious phone for people who value fashion/slim form factor, and just want the necessities, and the Katana delivers!
#3 - "The phone doesn't support EV-DO"... But, the web is blazingly fast considering it's not running on the "PowerVision" network (also still under final roll-out).
Only negative, the battery cover is a bit flimsy if you like changing the battery a lot, but while on phone stays put, still feels solid.
This phone ROCKS!!
The First Phone To Replace My Candybars
I have been using candybars since the 4900 came out. I was looking for a few things in my new phone. it had to be:
-Sanyo (reception)
-Bluetooth compatible
-Smaller than my 4920
The Black Katana meets and exceeds my requirements. I like to use a plain black holster for my phones and i ordered one for my Katana before i even got it. I must say, i might noteven use it because i can barely tell it's in my pocket. It's great.
The reception seems to be right on par with my beloved 4920. I've read some comments about the antenna being where the mic is. It is sometimes effected by normal use but it hasn't cause any dropped calls yet.
I never wanted/needed a camera on my phones so this one is a bonus. The quality isn't great but if you want to capture something, it's there.
I agree with others. It could be louder. The ringers are very similar in volume to my 4920, but the speakerphone speaker is considerably lower than my past phones.
My first wake up call from my gf with it ended in me fumbling it and dropping it right on the floor. the battery popped out and the cover came off. Not a scratch. I think i got lucky though.
So far, the battery with normal use is nowhere near as good as my 4920 which lasts 2-3 days without losing a bar. But, the only time i noticed great battery decay is when i spent a long time on the browser and that's normal.
PROS
-That quality Sanyo reception i require.
-Small form factor. Barely know it's there.
-Great design. It's pretty sexy.
-Bluetooth works great.
-Excellent large screen.
-Descent battery life. (im getting the extended one)
CONS
-Very thin/delicate battery cover.
-The antenna can get obstructed at times.
-Dont buy it for the camera because it's low quality.
-Only 5mb of storage.
-semi-quiet speakerphone
Overall i love this phone. The small factor is more important to me than anything else since i have a big MP3 player. Nothing fancy here with features. Just a slim, sexy Sanyo cell with great reception.
THIS PHONE IS BOTH UNIQUE, FUN AND REMARKABLE!
THIS PHONE IS BOTH UNIQUE, FUN AND REMARKABLE!
I bought my Sanyo Katana (6600) phone a week ago primarily for the âhands free profileâ that works with Bluetooth in my car â it is the only small cell phone that Sprint has that does! I must confess to being very intrigued by this phone since I first saw it. It is not a typical cell phone and looks markedly different from others - even the razor phone.
This is a terrific cell phone that is very âun-cellâ like. Itâs got most of the goodies including Bluetooth with many usable Bluetooth profiles for hands free in the car etc. Bluetooth is just a name and without the specific profiles, cell phones with it do not do much so be aware. This one does it all!
The phone I got is white with silver accents and its very attractive. The earpiece quality is among the best I have ever heard. The speakerphone is small but loud and clear. The reception is not quite as good as my last Sanyo because the antenna is built in to the bottom of the cell phone. It still gets a â9â for cell reception âitâs thatâs good! Sanyo builds high quality products and the Katana is very well made and durable.
Pros:
Excellent build quality
Same for the fit and finish
Reception is very good
Strong flip for durability
Very good camera âI am amazed
Superb Bluetooth with all of the extraâs needed
Great battery life
Simple to learn and use
Keypad is the best with large buttons
Cons:
Takes a while to learn about Bluetooth and get it right ânot the phoneâs issue
Speakerphone could be located on the front
You have to get used to holding this phone higher than traditional cell phones âagain no biggie
Conclusion:
If you demand quality and want a fun phone that can do the tough things and survive, this is your baby. Its about the size of a credit card and very thin so be prepared for a small guy with big ambitions. Another A+ product from Sanyo folks! Now what will they think of next?
Great Phone!
I just bought the black Sanyo Katana to replace my old Sanyo SCP-7300 and so far this is an awesome phone.
The obvious plus is the size. My old phone was almost twice as thick and feels like a brick compared to the Katana. The phone opens and closes with a crisp snap and feels nice and solid in your hand. The internal screen is crystal clear, the buttons feel good, and the UI is easy to use.
Compared to other thin phones the dedicated speakerphone button is great and you don't have to search through menus to access it. There is also a favorites list which is easily accessed to open applications or games.
I installed the Opera Mini web browser right away and despite the lack of EVDO the web is very fast on this phone so if that is a concern you shouldn't be too worried. I don't use bluetooth so I can't say how that works, but if the rest of the phone is any judge, I'm sure it works great.
One thing that I especially enjoy is the alarm clock application which is new for me. Before I had to set alarms through the calendar which was a pain, this is very simple and nice to use.
Pros:
-Thin form factor
-Solid Construction
-Great internal screen
-Great user interface
-Great Reception
-Great Call quality
Cons:
-No EVDO
-Weak Camera
-Price (a little too high without rebates)
Why Do People Hate Katana?
First off, I don't understand why people hate their Katanas. I have went through many, many cell phones and this one is the best one yet. I have YET to have a problem out of it, I have never dropped a call, and I think it's the best phone out there if you just want a regular phone, unlike those blackberrys and iphones that will do everything but cut your hair for you.
True, it is a simple phone, and that's what I like. The sound is crystal clear, I get GREAT service EVERYWHERE, even when I go to KY to visit my mom, and that's way out in the country! Please, don't be swayed by those who are saying it's "the worst phone ever". Give it a try for yourself. If a pocket sized nasa computer is what you're looking for, then NO this phone is not for you. But if you're like me and you just want a good, reliable and simplistic phone, that just so happens to be very attractive, then pick yourself up one.
My Pros:
-I love the screen!
-The volume options can't be beat!
-It's never "froze" up on me like all my cingular and verizon phones have.
-It's inexpensive (especially if you get the rebate deal!)
-Veeerrrrrry aesthetically pleasing (comes in several colors- blue, black, pink- mine)
-Unique and not something that everyone and their mother have.
My Cons:
-I will admit that verizon is my favorite service, and I only settled with sprint because I loved this little phone so much.
-Ringtones- many to choose from but the ones I've had do not have very good sound quality on them, in fact, I missed a lot of calls when I was using my last one.
-Key pad is very smooth, which does cause some not-so-simple dialing (especially if you have long nails)
-Battery life COULD be better...
Shot in the Dark
What can you say about a year-old phone that hasn't already been said? With over 50 reviews, the major pros and cons of the Katana have already been explored ad nauseam. Anything more would be mere reiteration.
And yet...
And yet no one has mentioned that this is one of the few Sprint models that can receive and send text messages while roaming. No one has celebrated its ultra-low rate of dropped calls (none in three weeks for me, using an average of two hours per day). Any praise for its external screen, which is vivid and bright and easy to read in bright sunlight?
Well, you can't win 'em all.
What we read instead is how this phone is not a video camera. It's not an MP3 player. It's not a Gameboy SP. It doesn't have a flash. It doesn't have enough ringtones.
Whoever complained about the quality of the screen--do me a favor, Jack; take off your glasses, carefully wrap them in a layer of protective cotton, and repeatedly smash them with a hammer. They're doing nothing for you, and you sure as mud don't need to be driving with those babies. Maybe you got a lemon, but my Katana's screen is first-rate. Better even than the Rizr and the Krzr.
So let's not concern ourselves with great call clarity and excellent reception. Instead, let's criticize the myriad things that this phone is not: Okay, it's not a jackhammer. It's not a toilet brush. It's not bubble gum. It won't help you fly a kite, and it won't offer that special brand of comfort while crossing lonely storm-tossed seas.
Of course the Katana is a blatant clone of the Razr, but when the imitation is better than the original, is it still really just an imitation? Neither has a 2.5mm headset jack, and the buttons on the Katana lack sufficient tactile feedback for my taste, but those are basically my only complaints.
The Katana also doesn't come with an idiot detector, but I guess I always know where to find more of those, eh?
