I have owned a number of mobile phones over the last few years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been especially brilliant, some have most definitely been rubbish. The only problem I have ever had with my cellular phones has been with the cell battery. The cellular phone battery has either stopped working or it just would not last long enough and I would need to purchase and carry a replacement battery.

I tend to use my cellular phone a lot, both for my career and for home use, so having another battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is so annoying. My current phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for those times when I am on the road.

Cell Phone Batteries

These are the details of my current phone (yeah, I know it is a bit old, I really should find a new cellular phone):

Samsung SGH-T609

Positives:
The Samsung SGH-T609 offers Bluetooth, a speakerphone, world phone support, a megapixel camera, and an expandable memory slot. Also, call clarity is admirable.
Negatives:
The Samsung SGH-T609 has cramped controls and slippery keys, and the call volume is somewhat low. Plus, music quality is poor, and the design is uninspiring.
Facts:
Although the Samsung SGH-T609 offers some useful features and satisfactory performance, there are much better options in T-Mobile’s lineup.

In many ways, T-Mobile’s Samsung SGH-T609 is an update of one of the carrier’s previous phones, the Samsung SGH-T309. Bearing a similar design–except that it comes in white–the SGH-T609 offers the same basic features but adds Blueotooth, a megapixel camera, an MP3 player, and an expandable memory slot. Although it’s a pleasing feature set overall, the design is rather dull, and we weren’t impressed with the keypad buttons. For what you get, however, the SGH-T609 is fairly priced at $199, and it’s even cheaper with service.

Although the white color is nice, the Samsung SGH-T609’s design is unremarkable.

Unlike most cell phones that come in either black or silver, the Samsung SGH-T609 is styled pleasantly in white. Like Samsung’s SGH-T309, the SGH-T609 has the same rounded flip-phone shape, with the camera lens positioned above the postage-stamp-size external display. At 3.59 by 1.81 by 0.88 inches, the SGH-T609 is larger than its predecessor, but strangely, it’s also lighter at 2.9 ounces. Unfortunately, the result is a rather dull and slightly bulky design; this is not a handset for the fashion conscious. Also, while the large hinge seems well constructed, the plastic casing feels flimsy. The phone is, however, comfortable to hold while you’re talking.

The 1-inch-diagonal external display and the camera lens are set in a mirrored frame. The display is monochrome, but it shows everything you’d expect, including the date, the time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). You can adjust the contrast but not the brightness or the backlighting time, and the screen does not show photo caller ID. The display functions as a viewfinder for self-portraits, but the monochrome resolution means it’s not very useful.

Inside the Samsung SGH-T609 is a 2-inch-diagonal, 262,144-color display (176×220 pixels). It’s a typical Samsung screen, which means it’s bright and vivid, but it’s hard to see in direct light. It comes with a full range of customization options, though; you can change the brightness, the contrast, the backlighting time, and the font size and color. The enormous hinge means the flip opens and shuts with authority, but it also means the navigation array is located an inch below the display. As a result, during the first few minutes when we were using the phone, our fingers trailed around, trying to find the correct control. What’s more, the five-way toggle and the two soft keys felt crowded together. Although it’s not marked as such, the toggle gives one-touch access to the contacts list, messaging, the camera, and the voice memo. You can’t change the shortcuts, and we thought it was weird that the OK button has no function when the phone is in standby mode. Below the toggle are a Clear button and the traditional Talk and End/power keys.

Like the navigation array, the keypad buttons are raised above the surface of the phone. Although the buttons themselves are big enough, they’re too slick, and we found the overall design a bit cramped. We had a couple of misdials, so users with large hands should give the SGH-T609 a test-drive. On the left spine are a dedicated camera button and the Micro SD card slot, while a volume rocker and a covered headset jack sit on the left spine.

Despite some work-friendly and multimedia offerings, the Samsung SGH-T609 is far from being a cell phone powerhouse. On the other hand, it should please low-maintenance users. The phone book holds an impressive 1,000 contacts, with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, and notes; the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts. You can organize callers into groups or pair them with one of 33 polyphonic ring tones. Essential features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a voice-memo recorder, an alarm clock, instant messaging (Yahoo, AOL, and ICQ), a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a timer, and a stopwatch. On the higher end, you get voice dialing and commands, a speakerphone (operable after you make a call) and a Micro SD card slot (card sold separately). There’s also Bluetooth, and we were impressed with the variety of supported functions. Besides connecting to a headset, you can use Bluetooth to transfer and contact information, and you can hook up with a computer to use the phone as a modem.

The Samsung SGH-T609’s camera does not come with a flash.

The Samsung SGH-T609 has a 1.3-megapixel camera that takes pictures in six resolutions: 1,280×1024, 1,152×864, 600×640, 640×480, 320×240, and 176×144. Other functions include four shutter sounds but no silent option; a 4X zoom; multishot and mosaic-shot options; five color effects; 24 fun frames; a 3-, 5-, or 10-second self-timer; and a brightness control. There are also a number of camera shortcuts and sounds, and you can play with a photo’s orientation as well. The camcorder records clips in two resolutions (176×144 and 128×96) with sound. Editing options are similar to a still camera’s, and clip length is capped at 45 seconds for multimedia messages. You can save as many pictures and videos that will fit on the phone’s 25MB of shared memory, or you can store your work on a memory card. Photos were decent but not spectacular by any means. Although most colors were distinct, some objects were fuzzy. Videos, however, were quite grainy, and the sound was barely audible.

The Samsung SGH-T609 had average but serviceable photo quality.

The MP3 player is similar to the minimalist but functional version found on the
Samsung SGH-T809. The primary user interaction is done through the toggle, with a few other keys acting as shortcuts to different functions. The interface is pretty spartan; there’s no album art, and only the track name scrolls across the top of the display. You can choose from a couple of animated graphics for when music is playing, but they’re not anything special. That said, the player comes with a number of functions, including playlists and repeat and shuffle modes, and you can set music tracks as ring tones. We were pleased to see that getting music on the phone was pretty easy. In addition to transferring tracks from a memory card, you can send them via Bluetooth or download them from the wireless Web browser.

You can personalize the Samsung SGH-T609 with a variety of wallpaper and sounds, though the choice of included wallpaper is pretty limited. If you want more options or ring tones, you’ll have to download them from T-Mobile via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gaming options were plentiful, however. You get five Java (J2ME) titles–Bobby Carrot, AirShip Racing, Arch Angel, Freekick, and Midnight Pool–with the option to buy more.

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobile’s service. Call quality was mostly good, but the volume was somewhat low. The Samsung SGH-T609 also has a sensitive sweet spot, so users with hearing impairments should try it out before buying. On the upside, audio quality was satisfactory, and we encountered little static or interference. Callers said we sounded hollow at times, but they could understand us fine overall.

Speakerphone calls were about the same on our end, and callers reported the same. We successfully paired the Samsung SGH-T609 with the Plantronics Explorer 320 Bluetooth headset and enjoyed decent call quality, despite a bit of static on our end. Music quality was mostly bad overall. Songs were bass heavy, and the phone’s tiny speakers didn’t do our tracks justice at all.

The Samsung SGH-T609 has a rated talk time of 3 hours and a promised standby time of six days; our tests also showed a talk time of 3 hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the Samsung SGH-T609 has a digital SAR rating of 0.59 watt per kilogram.

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Samsung SGH-T609 cell phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are very inexpensive but a new phone would be fun. Decisions, decisions…

I have had numerous cell phones over the last few years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been especially extraordinary, some have definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my cellular phones has been with the battery. The cellular phone battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to get and carry a replacement battery.

I always use my mobile phone a lot, both for my job and for private use, so having a second battery is often worth it but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is annoying. My latest phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for times when I am travelling.

Cellular Phone Battery

These are the details of my latest phone (yes, I know it is a bit outdated, I really should buy a new cell phone):

Kyocera K323

Positives:
The light and compact Kyocera K323 offers integrated Bluetooth, a VGA camera with flash, a speakerphone, and good call quality. The phone is also simple to use and works with Verizon’s VZ Navigator service.
Negatives:
The Kyocera K323 has a low-resolution internal screen and took sub-par pictures.
Facts:
The Kyocera K323 offers good call quality and a decent feature set, including integrated Bluetooth, but there are better camera phones out there.

The Kyocera K323 has made its way to Verizon’s lineup of entry-level camera phones, but the handset doesn’t quite pass the mark. Though it’s easy to use both in design and function and includes some nice extras, such as integrated Bluetooth, if it’s a good camera phone you seek, look beyond the K323. Disappointingly, it produced some really blurry and dark images, and we think Kyocera could have included a better internal screen. As such, we recommend the LG VX5300 for a better VGA camera phone option. The K323 is reasonably priced at $29 with service.

Design
One look at the Kyocera K323 and you might just see a face staring back at you. A curved silver bar that somewhat resembles a mouth sits smack dab in the top middle of the phone, while just above it is the rectangular external display. We don’t mean to say the K323 is a bad-looking phone but it definitely is unique. The 96×16-pixel resolution monochrome screen shows the vitals, including the date, time, network strength, battery life, and caller ID (where available; no photo ID).

On the upside, the K323 is compact and lightweight (3.5×1.8×0.9 inches; 3.4 ounces) and though it’s a tad slippery, it had a comfortable and solid feel in the hand. The charcoal gray color is a nice touch as well. Rounding out the design features is a 2.5mm headset jack, a volume rocker, and a camera activation button on the left spine, and a power connector port along the bottom edge. A small speaker grille sits on the bottom left of the front flap, while a camera lens sits just above the display. There is a flash set into the aforementioned silver bar, and the reflective ring around the camera lens is meant to act as a self-portrait mirror.

Open up the phone and you’re presented with a 1.75-inch diagonal color screen. It displays 65,000 colors at a low 128×160 pixel resolution, so it’s definitely not the sharpest or brightest screen we’ve seen. We think Kyocera could have bumped up the resolution just a bit, especially when you consider the comparable LG VX5300 camera phone has a 262,000-color screen. Below the display, you’ll find a set of standard navigation keys and a spacious keypad. You get two soft keys, talk and end buttons, a programmable, four-way toggle with a center OK button, a clear button, and a speakerphone activation key, which we absolutely love. Not only does this save us from having to dig through the phone’s menus to turn it on, but you also can activate it before making a call–nice. All controls are well spaced, as is the numerical keypad so we didn’t have any problems with misdials. They’re also adequately backlit for dialing in darker environments.

Features
The Kyocera K323 is a basic camera phone, so you won’t get all the bells and whistles, but it does include some nice extras, such as integrated Bluetooth. First, the handset has a 500-name phone book with room in each entry for 5 numbers and 2 e-mail addresses. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a contact a photo, a group ID, or 1 of 5 polyphonic ring tones. Other features include a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, a vibrate mode, MP3 ring tones support, a Web browser, text and multimedia messaging, and a set of PIM tools, such as a calendar, a to-do list, a calculator, an alarm clock, and a voice recorder.

As we mentioned earlier, the K323 does have integrated Bluetooth 1.2, which was a pleasant surprise. The handset supports hands-free headsets and kits, object push, and dial-up networking capabilities, though we suspect Verizon will kill this last feature. The K323 also supports Verizon’s VZ Navigator service so you can get color maps and driving directions right on your phone. In addition, you can access other Verizon Get It Now services, such as Fox Sports Mobile Pro and AccuWeather.com. The K323 supports BREW games, but you’ll have to purchase them on your own as the phone doesn’t come with any preinstalled titles–boo. Of course, other ring tones and wallpaper are also available through Verizon.

The K323’s camera doesn’t offer a self-portrait mirror.

The Kyocera K323 comes with a VGA camera with flash and 5x digital zoom. There’s a self-timer, a multishot mode, and the option to turn off the shutter sound. In addition, you get a choice of three resolutions (640×480, 320×240, or 160×120), color effects, a 5x zoom, and white balance and brightness settings. Once you’re done snapping photos, you can save it to the phone’s 43MB of internal memory, send them via multimedia message, and save them as wallpaper or caller ID. We were really disappointed by the photo quality of the K323’s camera. First, it was really hard to get a clear picture as they consistently turned out blurry. We had to keep our hands extremely still to get a somewhat viewable image, and even then, the lighting and colors were dark. Though the LG VX5300 and Motorola V325i didn’t have the best photo quality either, we much prefer them over the K323.

The K323’s photo quality was disappointing.

Performance
We tested the tri-mode (CDMA 850/1900; AMPS 850) Kyocera K323 using Verizon service and call quality was decent. We noticed a faint hiss in the background, but could still hear our callers just fine. Our friends reported much of the same, though they said our voice sounded a bit flat. Activating the speakerphone diminished the audio quality a bit. There was a slight echo on both ends, but volume was adequate even in louder environments. We also were able to successfully pair the phone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.

The Kyocera K323 battery has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and up to 6.8 days of standby time. It has a tested talk time of 2 hours and 6 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the K323 has a digital SAR rating of 1.42 watts per kilogram.

So for now the real question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Kyocera K323 mobile phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a long lasting battery? Replacement batteries are quite low cost but a new phone would be nice. I must make a decision…

I have had numerous mobile phones over the years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been that great, some have most definitely been useless. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the cell battery. The cell phone battery has either broke or it just would not last long enough and I would need to buy and carry a replacement battery.

I tend to use my cellular phone a lot, both for my career and for home use, so having another battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is so annoying. My latest phone is working fine but I would like a replacement battery for when I am on the road.

Cell Phone Battery

These are the details of my most current phone (yeah, I know it is a bit old, I really should get a new mobile phone):

Samsung MM-A900M (SPH-A900M)

Quick take: The Samsung MM-A900M is an update to the MM-A900, which was touted as Sprint’s answer to the Motorola Razr late last year. Its features are identical to that of its predecessor; it supports Sprint’s Power Vision and Music Store services and has a 1.3-megapixel camera, a camcorder, a built-in media player and MP3 player, Bluetooth, text messaging, a speakerphone, a voice recorder, streaming music support, and basic PIM functions. The only difference is that the MM-A900M adds in extra personalization options to its interface. This includes customizable themes for menus, shortcuts, and screensavers; customizable ring tones and alerts; and customizable screensavers from personal videos. All in all, the MM-A900M is only a cosmetic upgrade from the MM-A900. Read our review of the Samsung MM-A900 for more details of the phone’s features.

So I suppose the true question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Samsung MM-A900M (SPH-A900M) cell phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are quite low cost but a new phone would be great. I must make a decision…

I have owned a number of cell phones over recent years, as I am sure many people have, and while none have been that brilliant, some have most definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the battery. The battery has either stopped working or it just would not last long enough and I would need to buy and carry a replacement battery.

I tend to use my cellular phone heaps, both for my work and for private use, so having a second battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is a pain. My newest phone is working well but I would like a replacement battery for those times when I am travelling.

Cell Phone Battery

These are the details of my most current phone (yes, I know it is a bit outdated, I really should get a new mobile phone):

Motorola V325

Positives:
The Motorola V325 promises a speakerphone, and it’s the first cell phone to use Verizon’s new GPS navigation system for location-based services.
Negatives:
The Motorola V325 is hobbled by a small external display, a lack of Bluetooth and video playback, and poor picture quality.
Facts:
The Motorola V325 takes advantage of Verizon’s latest GPS application but falls short in regard to breadth of features and a well-integrated design.

Are you perpetually lost but don’t want to be weighed down by an additional GPS device? Then Verizon Wireless may just have an answer for you with its new Motorola V325. The handset takes full advantage of Verizon’s newest network offering, called VZ Navigator. It offers a respectable alternative to Nextel’s TeleNav GPS service, complete with voice-activated turn-by-turn directions, maps, and an extensive points-of-interest database. The V325’s design could use some improvements, and we lament the lack of Bluetooth, but the phone’s feature set and quality performance still should appeal mostly to the practical business user who prefers functionality in a relatively compact handset. The V325 is fairly priced at $129, but you should be able to find it at a discount.

Although the Motorola V325 is hardly a cell phone for a supermodel, the unassuming design is somewhat attractive. The brushed-metal finish with a black grip border gives the exterior of this clamshell a sharp but not overly modern appearance, and we like the thin, ring-shaped LED light that sits inside the black border. The light flashes in four patterns when the phone rings, or you can turn it off completely. With dimensions of 3.6 by 1.9 by 0.9 inches and a weight of 4.1 ounces, the phone is long and feels somewhat heavy, but it still ranks far below the usual GPS-equipped Nextel behemoth. The 1-inch antenna may make for a tight fit in smaller pockets, but it is large enough to fish out of a bag or a purse without much effort. The stubby antenna also extends, but it is flimsy and easily bendable. On the other hand, the clamshell’s construction is similar to that of other Motorola models, such as the V557, and should prove durable over time.

The Motorola V325 has a simple design.

We are disappointed with the Motorola V325’s external display, which is grayscale and very tiny; plus, it has no programmable settings. The external display packs in as much information as possible in the rectangular area, including the time, battery life, signal strength, various message icons, and caller ID (where available). The placement of the camera lens at the top left of the phone is a bit high, which made it hard to avoid taking pictures of our index fingers. There is no camera flash or self-portrait mirror.

As with other Motorola handsets, the side buttons on the Motorola V325 remain a nuisance, with the volume rocker doubling as the ringer-style select. It is very easy to accidentally turn off the ringer or change the ringer style inadvertently. Besides the two buttons controlling the ringer select, the left side of the spine has a covered headset jack. The button on the right side of the spine activates the voice-record memo when the phone is open. The back of the V325 has a large speakerphone, which is activated by the left side button when the flip is open. Unfortunately, Motorola does not include an external dedicated camera button.

The Motorola V325’s internal display measures 2 inches diagonally (176×229 pixels) but supports only 65,000 colors. The screen is bright and easy to read, but the difference between the 65,000 colors or the 262,000 colors on higher-end phones is definitely noticeable. The backlight timer on the internal display can be set to 5, 10, or 20 seconds. The brightness can be adjusted, but the font size cannot be changed.

The Motorola V325’s five-way navigational buttons have an attractive blue-backlit line in place of arrows or icons, which not only makes it easy to use the control in dark conditions but also gives it a modern look. The four outer navigational buttons are set as shortcuts to the camera’s pictures menu, Verizon’s Get It Now service, the Web browser, and the calendar, while the center OK button opens the menu when in standby mode. These shortcut keys are not programmable. There are two soft keys, which when on the background screen are set to Messages and Contacts. Below the soft keys sit a dedicated camera button on one side and the Clear button on the other side, as well as the Talk and End/power buttons.

All navigational and keypad buttons have a blue backlight, which is attractive against the glossy finish of the black keypad. While the buttons on the keypad are large and have a nice rectangular shape with a slight U-shape curve, they are also flat against the surface of the phone, making it impossible to tell them apart when dialing by feel.

The Motorola V325’s menu navigation is not intuitive or well designed. We were forced to use different buttons to control the same navigation command in several situations. For example, sometimes we had to push the Clear button to go backward, and other times, this navigation command was controlled by one of the soft keys, so going back two steps usually involved pushing two different buttons.

The Motorola V325 has a phone-book capacity of 500 contacts, with an impressive flash memory of 64MB for all applications. Each contact stores four phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, a fax number, and a ring tone. The handset has three predefined caller groups, but we also successfully set and named our own groups. You can pair contacts with a photo for picture caller ID, but the image shows up only on the internal display. The V325 includes an impressive 50 ring tones. We were able to record our own tones, and the handset supports MP3 tones as well. Unfortunately, the vibrate mode cannot be combined with a ring tone–it is one or the other.

Organizer features include a calendar; an alarm clock with three settings; a world clock; a notepad; and a calculator. Other offerings include voice dialing and commands; text and multimedia messaging; voice memos; PC syncing, a speakerphone that can be activated before you make a call; and a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. On the downside, there’s no wireless connectivity. Bluetooth or even an infrared port would have been a nice addition to the handset.

The highlight of the Motorola V325 is the GPS system, which allows users to take advantage of Location Based Services, such as obtaining maps, as well as written or spoken turn-by-turn directions for walking or driving to their destination. This is the first Motorola handset to take advantage of Verizon’s new VZ Navigator application. At $9.99 per month or $2.99 per day (plus airtime), the service lets you choose directions by the fastest, shortest, or simplest route, and it will adjust automatically if you go off route. Maps can be zoomed or panned, and you can place and receive calls when using the application. You can also do a local search of 14 million points of interest, as well as save preferred locations to the phone’s memory.

The V325’s camera has no flash or self-portrait mirror.

The Motorola V325’s VGA camera has a 4X zoom and three resolutions (640×480, 240×320, and 120×160). The camera also features a 5- or 10-second self-timer; adjustable brightness; white-balance effects; three file-quality settings; three shutter sounds (there’s also a silent option); four color effects; and 10 fun frames. We were a bit disappointed with the picture quality, as it was nearly impossible to take a picture that was not blurry. Plus, it was quite hard to keep our fingers out of the way, due to poor lens placement. Once you take a photo, you can crop the image size and rotate or flip the orientation. We were able to remove the red-eye, as well as add color effects and elements such as fun frames, text, and clip art. The neatest feature on the camera, however, is the ability to warp the picture into new shapes. You also have the option to send or save the picture.

With fuzzy images and washed-out colors, the V325 had poor photo quality.

Multimedia options are limited on the Motorola V325. Motorola did not include a video camera, nor the ability to stream media or play downloaded video. No games are included with the handset, but you can download BREW-enabled titles and ring tones through Verizon’s Get It Now service. Other personalization options include several included wallpaper patterns, three themes, and a customized greeting.

We tested the dual-band, dual-mode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) Motorola V325 in San Francisco on the Verizon network. Call quality was quite good, with clear conversations and loud volume. Callers could tell we were using a cell phone; however, they didn’t report any significant drawbacks. The phone does pick up some wind noise, though we could hear well when using it on a crowded street. Speakerphone quality was diminished somewhat, but it was fine overall.

The Motorola V325 has a rated talk time of 3.3 hours and a promised standby time of 8.3 days. In our tests, we got 4 hours of talk time, and though we fell short of the promised standby time by 3 days, we were satisfied with its performance. According to FCC radiation tests, the V325 has a digital SAR rating of 1.14 watts per kilogram.

So for now the right question is do I spend the money buying a new Motorola V325 mobile phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are very inexpensive but a new phone would be good too. Decisions, decisions…

I have owned plenty of mobile phones over the years, as I am sure everyone has, and while none have been especially brilliant, some have most definitely been useless. The most common problem I have ever had with my cellular phones has been with the battery. The battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to buy and carry a replacement battery.

I always use my cell phone often, both for my work and for private use, so having a backup battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is annoying. My latest phone is working fine but I would like a replacement battery for those times when I am not in the office.

Cell Phone Battery

These are the details of my most current phone (yes, I know it is a bit old, I really should find a new mobile phone):

Compaq iPAQ BlackBerry W1000

Product Short Spec:

Installed RAM:

4 MB Flash

Processor:

Intel 80386

Dimensions (W x D x H):

3.5 in x 0.9 in x 2.5 in

Input device type:

Keyboard,

Trackwheel

Weight:

5 oz

Smartphones ShortSpec:

RAM installed size:

4 MB

review

So I suppose the true question is do I spend the money buying a new Compaq iPAQ BlackBerry W1000 cell phone battery or do I just buy a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are fairly cheap but a new phone would be good too. Always decisions need to be made.