Samsung U540 Silver Phone (Verizon Wireless, Phone Only, No Service)
From Samsung
Amazon Sales Rank: #51557 in Cell Phone Accessories Color: Black Brand: Samsung Model: u540 Released on: 2007-03-22
Want all the best phone features without breaking the bank? The high-end handset market just became a lot more affordable with the Samsung SCH-u540. Capture the moment, even on the go, with its advanced 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder. Also, you'll have access to advanced media functions such as Verizon's V Cast Music and V Cast Video services, as well as location based services that include VZ Navigator GPS functions, and Verizon's chaperone child and parent modes. Other high-end features include a microSD card slot with support for cards up to 2 GB in size, stereo Bluetooth, dual color screens, an internal antenna, dedicated external music keys, and more. Design The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a vibrant 2.1-inch, 176 x 220 pixel, full-color display with support for over 260,000 colors, perfect for V Cast Web and Video content. A supplementary full-color external screen can display call information, current date and time, battery and signal strength, and more. The external screen can also be set to display a handsome analog clock. Just below the external display, you'll find convenient music control buttons that allow you to navigate through your favorite music content without ever needing to open the handset. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. The u540 has no external antenna, so there's nothing to snag in your pants pocket. A charging port is located on the bottom edge of the phone, while an advanced 1.3-megapixel camera with a self-timer is housed on the front cover of the phone. Lastly, the built-in speakerphone allows you to talk handsfree. Calling Features The u540's built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones while more ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon's Get it Now service (additional charges apply). The included advanced voice recognition feature allows you to make calls and access other essential features, all without ever touching the device. Meanwhile, a built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Plus, picture ID functionality lets you assign photos or other images to callers. Lastly, the u540's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911. If desired, the onboard GPS feature can do more than give your current location to emergency personnel. The u540 is fully compatible with Verizon's VZ Navigator service, a feature that provides all the bells and whistles of an advanced navigation system on your mobile phone at a fraction of the price of other GPS devices and systems. The VZ Navigator service provides heads-up, voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions (with auto-rerouting if you miss a turn), local search of nearly fourteen million points of interest (POIs) in the United States, and detailed color maps that can be quickly panned and zoomed. With VZ Navigator, you'll know where you are, know what's around you, and know how to get there fast (additional Verizon charges apply). Messaging, Internet, and Tools The phone's support for multimedia messaging means that text, photos, video, and audio can be sent with ease (Verizon messaging charges apply). When used in combination with the u540's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. There's also a built-in Web browser for downloads and mobile Web browsing. Verizon's optional Mobile Web 2.0 package allows you to read and send emails, exchange instant messages, and view your favorite Web content. You can check your email, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings, and find directions to the theater. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, the u540 is fully compatible with Verizon's V Cast service. With V Cast, you can download and stream high-quality video. Need news and weather? Get the latest AccuWeather forecast delivered right to your handset, or stream CNN news headlines. ESPN sports updates, entertainment news from E!, and even Sesame Street content for the kids, are all available. V Cast also serves as a portal for enhanced 3D games, making it possible to have more fun with a new breed of realistic games. Learn more about V Cast. Verizon's music service is another EV-DO-powered service that makes the u540 all the more desirable. With V Cast music, your phone is a music player, letting you jam out wherever you are. It's also a music store, and you can download songs instantly to your phone. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you. You can even pause to take a call without missing a beat. View the V Cast Music demo. A number of handy software tools are bundled with the u540 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock. The u540 is chaperone capable, a feature that allows you to always know where the user is, be it a child, a baby sitter, or a teenager on her first date. You can define a zone or a specific area, such as a school or summer camp, and when your family member enters or leaves the zone with their handset, Verizon will automatically send an alert to your phone with the time and location of your family member's handset (additional charges may apply). Imaging and Entertainment The fun really starts with the u540's built-in 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder, which features a self-timer, shutter sound selection, brightness adjustment, and other editing features. When it's time to jam out to your favorite music, listen to music with your favorite stereo Bluetooth headset, or share the music via the built-in stereo speakers. Vital Statistics The Samsung SCH-u540 weighs 2.82 ounces and measures 3.88 x 2.0 x 0.66 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 200 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/1900 frequencies, as well as the EV-DO and 1xRTT data frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty. Note: The SCH-u540 supports Headset (HSP), Handsfree (HFP), Dial Up Networking (DUN), Serial Port (SPP), and Object Push (OPP) for vCard. It does not support all Bluetooth Object Transfer (OBEX) Profiles.
Unimpressed I had a Samung phone before and knew how the buttons all worked. I assumed Samsung would maintain the same good-sense button logic on newer, similar model phones. I was wrong. I've got a few problems which I outline below: LOCK BUTTON SUCKS - I keep my phone in my pocket. Even though I've enabled the Lock feature, you can unlock it without opening the phone, so you can accidentally unlock it. (What kind of lock is that?) When it unlocks while in my pocket, sometimes the camera feature gets pressed, and I have a dozen black photos of the inside of my pocket. Similarly, the voice dial can be enabled, and I hear a voice from my pocket asking me to re-say the name I wish to dial. "Wish to dial?" I locked the dang thing! I didn't want to call anyone! CONTACT LIST SCROLLING - My old Samsung had external side buttons that, when showing the contact list, would 'page down' or 'page up' scrolling through the contact list. On the u540, the buttons do nothing, and you have to choose the first letter of the name of the person you wish to call from the keypad. It requires far more attention to chose a letter than to just scroll down. DEFUALT RINGTONES STINK - This may just be because of my carrier (Verizon), but all the default ringtones are irritating. There's nothing mellow or unobtrusive. If you want to have something else, you have to pay extra. Since mine is a company phone, I don't think management is gonna like paying for 'ringtones' or having to go to the effort of getting $3 from me. What a hassle. Also, after browsing the Verizon site, all the ringtones are pop songs. Whatever happened to a simple ring? LITTLE BUILT-IN MEMORY - You can take photos, video and listen to music! But only if you go and buy a chip. Some aren't too expensive, but it's still just another barrier to enjoying the phone. SLOPPY HINGE - I'd expect a product like this to be made to tight specs. When the phone is closed, the 'screen' half is loose. It wiggles on top of the 'button' half and gives the phone a flimsy feel to it. Also, you'd think with stereo speakers on the outside on top, you'd think the phone has speaker phone ability. It doesn't. SOME GOOD POINTS - It's sleek and thin (though if you get the extended battery like I did, it ain't so thin). I seem to be easily heard by people I call, and the buttons are large enough to press easily. The screen is bright and readable. The camera has some good controls on it (exposure bias, ISO, etc), which surprised me. All in all I'm disappointed. I really just want a good phone as a phone. Make calls, accept calls, and usually sit there quietly. Given the chance again, I would not choose this phone. ***EDIT***: I've since discovered that my carrier, Verizon, has put its own interface/software on this phone to make it match all its other phones (in order to simplify tech support, I suppose). Most of my complaints about this phone actually stemmed from the fact that Verizon did a poor job of making the buttons work sensibly, including the poor selection of default ringtones. With another carrier/interface this phone would likely perform differently. This discovery partially renewed my confidence with Samsung technology, though further aggravates my frustrations with Verizon Wireless. Samsung missed the point The purpose of a cell phone is to communicate. This phone does have many features and does have style, but it can't communicate. The talk-out is perfect, no complaints from callers. The problem with this phone is the earpiece. The volume is loud and can rattle the phone, but the earpiece hole doesn't let the sound out of the phone. Very hard to hear and understand the caller. The phone may be OK with bluetooth. Took mine back after two weeks and exchanged for a LG 8600. Big difference in voice reception. good phone, mediocre battery life I replaced an older Samsung A670 with this phone several months ago and am overall very pleased with it. It is much thinner and lighter and can easily be forgotten in my pocket. Reception: It's a little better than my previous Samsung and on par with my wife's Motorolla crazr. It works just about anywhere to include basements and elevators. I don't know what was wrong with the previous reviewers speaker but I can understand others just fine. I also keep the volume all the way up and it doesn't cause my phone to rattle. The default ringtones do stink but I have yet to see a Samsung where they don't. I think the designers have a 70's disco fetish. There are a couple basic ringtones and those work well for me. The lock button feature does suck on this one. It doesn't seem to stay locked on my phone for very long. I have yet to take a picture with it in my pocket though. That happened daily with my old A670. Battery life: I'm actually on my 2nd phone and 3rd battery. I was surprised when my first phone ran through it's charge within 36 hours of minimal to moderate use. I used to charge my A670 2-3x/week and my old LG once per week. This thing is on the charger at least every other night and many times every night. I am not a heavy cell user. We tried changing phones first with the same results. Then we changed batteries and there did seem to be some improvement. The tech at the Verizon store said that it's normal to have to charge the phone every night. I don't think he read the manual for the phone. I don't use the mp3 player function but I'd be willing to bet it would eat the battery very quickly. The camera is acceptable but it's still a cameraphone, which I don't think is good for much. Perhaps the fact that the phone comes unlocked has something to do with it because the mp3 buttons are pretty sensitive. I wear loose slacks though so there is not a lot of pressure on the buttons. It is an annoyance but it's not enough to outweigh the lightweight and slender design, which is the most important feature for me. The construction is no different that other cells I've used. Drop it and it may loosen. Mine has maybe 1mm of deflection when I try to slide the two halfs back and forth. I like something that feels solid, not like it was made by a toy manufacturer. This phone is solid (and it's been dropped a few times). If I had to go buy another cell phone right now I'd buy this one again.
