I have bought many cellular phones over recent years, as I am sure everyone has, and while none have been particularly outstanding, some have definitely been useless. The most common problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the battery. The battery has either died or it just would not last long enough and I would need to purchase and carry a replacement battery.

I do use my mobile phone regularly, both for my career and for personal use, so having a second battery is often a good idea but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is so annoying. My newest phone is working ok but I would like a replacement battery for when I am not in the office.

Cellular Phone Battery

These are the details of my current phone (yeah, I know it is a bit outdated, I really should find a new cell phone):

Hand Held Products Dolphin 9500

Product Short Spec:

OS provided:

Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition

Installed RAM:

64 MB

Processor:

Intel 400 MHzXScale PXA255

Wireless connectivity:

IrDA,

Bluetooth,

IEEE 802.11b

Dimensions (W x D x H):

3.5 in x 1.7 in x 9.6 in

Input device type:

Stylus,

Keyboard,

Touch-screen

Weight:

1.3 lbs

Smartphones ShortSpec:

Band/mode:

GSM 900/1800/1900

RAM installed size:

64 MB

review

So for now the right question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Hand Held Products Dolphin 9500 cell phone battery or do I just buy a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are fairly cheap but a new phone would be great. Always decisions need to be made.

I have bought many mobile phones over the last few years, as I am sure everyone has, and while none have been particularly amazing, some have most definitely been useless. The only problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the cell battery. The cell 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 do use my mobile phone heaps, both for my career and for personal use, so having a backup battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is disappointing. My current phone is working fine but I would like a replacement battery for when I am not in the office.

Cell Phone Battery

These are the details of my most current phone (yeah, I know it is a bit obsolete, I really should buy a new cell phone):

Nokia 7390

Positives:
The Nokia 7390 has a stylish, user-friendly design with attractive displays, a full range of features, and reliable sound quality.
Negatives:
The Nokia 7390 supports only European 3G networks. Also, the volume level is a tad low and the camera lens is in a poor location.
Facts:
The Nokia 7390 is a lovely cell phone with a generous feature set and solid performance. It’s not optimized for U.S. cellular networks, but it’s impressive just the same.

You can usually count on two qualities in Nokia cell phones: good audio quality and unique design touches. Sure, the company misses a couple beats here and there, but the reliability of Finnish handsets like the Nokia 7390 is well-known in the cell phone world. As part of Nokia’s L’Amour design collection, this phone definitely meets the unique design criteria, but unlike its L’Amour sibling the Nokia 7380, the 7390 doesn’t go out on a limb to do so. And yes, it also fits the first criteria while offering a solid set of features. It’s not offered by a U.S. carrier but you can get it unlocked in the States for about $350.

Design

While the Nokia 7380 tackled a wholly unconventional cell phone form factor and the Nokia 7370 (also a L’Amour model) brought the swivel design to Nokia, the 7390 is a traditional flip phone. Granted, Nokia’s flip-phone gallery is still outweighed by its candy bar selection, but the 7390 succeeds in what it sets out to do. Available in two distinctive color schemes–powder pink and bronze black (we looked at the latter model)–the 7390 is without a doubt an eye-catching and stylish phone. Despite being a bit boxy, the bronze faceplate contrasts nicely with the phone’s overall dark color and we liked the swirled patterns etched into the front face. The leather-like square on the rear of phone is a nice touch too, but we continue to be divided on the little fabric tag that adorns all L’Amour models. Some think that it’s cool, while others think that it’s just unnecessary.

The lovely looks do come at a slight cost. At 3.5 inches long by 1.8 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick, the 7390 is a tad large as far as flip phones go, and its 4.0 ounces of weight is more than we expected. It still slips easy into a pocket and it’s comfortable to hold in the hand, but the rear flap is a tad weighty. On the upside, the 7390 has a sturdy construction.

The front face is dominated by a 1.25-inch (160×128 pixels) external display that shows a solid 262,000 colors. As external displays go, it’s quite bright and vibrant and a big step up from other Nokia models. It shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and photo caller ID, and it functions as a viewfinder for taking pictures when the phone is closed. Yet because the camera lens is in the rear face, you can’t use the external display to take self-portraits. You can choose a wallpaper selection but no other options are customizable.

The 7390 has external controls that sit just below the attractive external display.

We like that the display also lets you browse through a few menu functions when the phone is closed. Below the display are three small buttons that serve a variety of functions. You can use the right and left controls to select the desired feature and then use the central key to select an option. The buttons also control the music player when the phone is closed.

As we mentioned earlier, the camera lens sits on the top of the rear face of the phone next to the flash. Unfortunately, it’s not the most ideal place overall–it was the natural place to rest our finger–and it’s disappointing there’s no self-portrait mirror with a 3-megapixel camera. We also aren’t thrilled that Nokia put the mini-USB port and the charger jack at the top of the phone, because it makes for more awkward ergonomics when you charge the phone while talking. A volume rocker and a camera shutter sit on the right spine, while a power button and the Infrared port sit on the left spine. The MicroSD card slot is behind the battery cover. No, that’s not the best place, but you don’t have to remove the battery too.

The internal display is even more impressive than its external sibling. With support for 16 million colors it’s quite lovely indeed, with rich colors and easy-to-read text even in direct light. It’s also quite large at 2.25 inches (240×320 pixels), and the Nokia Series 40 menu interface is attractive. You can change the font color and the font size and personalize it with a background. We also like that the swirled patter from the front flap is also visible in a silver border surrounding the display. For video calls, a second VGA camera lens sits on the top of the flap.

Below the display is the amply-sized navigation array consisting of a four-way toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, and the Talk and End buttons. The toggle and shift keys can be set as shortcuts to user-defined shortcuts, and the OK button opens the menu when the phone is in standby mode. The design is very simple yet perhaps it’s a bit too simple. The Talk and End keys aren’t marked in the traditional green and red colors, and the controls are too flat against the surface of the phone. The toggle is raised somewhat but it’s not quite enough. The backlit keypad buttons are also flat with the surface of the phone and are a tad slick. On the upside, though, they’re quite large and tactile and their bronze color makes them easy to see.

Features

The Nokia 7390’s feature set proves it’s much more than a pretty face. Armed with a 3-meagapixel camera, a music player with FM radio, an Infrared port, and Bluetooth, the phone has the brains to go with the beauty. But first we’ll detail the basics. The phone book is smaller than we’d prefer, but each entry has room for six phone numbers plus a push-to-talk number, an e-mail address, a job tile and company name, a Web address, a nickname and formal name, a street address, and notes. For even more room, the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts. You save contacts to groups and for caller ID pair them with one of 23 polyphonic ringtones and a photo or video. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, voice commands and dialing, a calendar, a to-do list, a notepad, a calculator, a countdown timer, and a stopwatch.

On the higher end, the 7390 also offers full Bluetooth (with a stereo profile), an Infrared port, e-mail, instant messaging, support for push-to-talk networks (operator dependent), a voice recorder, and PC syncing. Globetrotters can take advantage of the world clock, a nifty size-converter sensor for changing between U.S. and European clothing and shoe sizes, and support for Nokia’s Sensor application, which is a quasi-social networking feature that scans nearby Bluetooth users. The 7390 also supports the WCDMA (3G) 2100 band, but that frequency is used only in Europe and not the United States.

The 7390’s camera has a bright flash but no self-portrait mirror.

The Nokia 7390 has a fantastic 3-megaixel camera that far outshines most other camera shooters on the market. It takes pictures in five resolutions–from 1,536×2,048 down to 120×160. Other options include three quality settings, three color effects, nine fun frames, an autofocus, a self-timer, a multishot mode, a white-balance setting, a digital zoom, and a selection of camera sounds. The flash provides an exceptional amount of light, but as noted, self-portraits are tricky. The second VGA camera inside the phone is available for video calls, but keep in mind those are only really effective when you’re using a 3G network.

We like the 7390’s photo quality.

The camcorder records clips in four resolutions (640×480 down to 128×96) with sound. You can choose from three quality settings and you can mute the sound. Clips meant for multimedia messages are capped at 20 seconds; otherwise you can shoot for about four minutes. Internal memory for all of your work is a bit small–just 21MB of shared space–so we suggest using a MicroSD card (the 7390 supports cards up to 2GB). Photo quality is decent for a megapixel camera phone, with distinct colors and object outlines. Video quality was above average but not really impressive.

The 7390 also includes a music player. The interface is pretty generic but it supports a variety of file formats including MP3, AAC, and WMA. There’s an equalizer as well and you can save music files as ringtones. The FM radio lets you store station presets; just remember you’ll need a wired headset to act as an antenna.

You can personalize the 7390 with a variety of wallpapers, screensavers, color themes, and alert sounds. You can always get more options via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. For playtime, the 7390 comes with three Java (J2ME) games: Music Guess, Rally 3D, Snake III, and Sudoku.

Performance

We tested the triband (GSM 900/1800/1900; EDGE) Nokia 7390 in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Call quality was reliable overall and we had little trouble getting a signal. Voices sounded natural, though the volume was a tad low. It wasn’t a big problem for us, but users with hearing impairments should test the phone first. Though they could tell we were using a cell phone, callers said they could hear us plainly, and the voice automated system had little trouble understanding us. The sound was diminished on both ends when we were in noisy environments, so again, you might want to test this phone first. Speakerphone quality was also decent; the sound was a little more muffled but that’s pretty common on cell phone speakerphones.

Since the phone doesn’t use the GSM 850 band, reception can vary depending on how strong the 1900 coverage is in your area. Indeed, when we traveled outside the city or went deep into buildings, the connection grew patchier. And don’t forget, although the 7390 supports the WCDMA 2100 band, it’s not used in the United States.

The Nokia 7390 has a rated battery life of four hours talk time and up to 11 and a quarter days of standby time. Though the standby rating is decent, the promised talk time is rather low, especially for a GSM phone. Our tests confirmed that the talk time is indeed only four hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the 7390 has a digital SAR rating of 0.26 watts.

So I guess the right question is do I spend the money buying a new Nokia 7390 cellular phone battery or do I just purchase a new phone with a better performing battery? Replacement batteries are very low cost but a new phone would be great. 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 outstanding, some have absolutely been useless. The main 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 do use my mobile phone often, both for my work and for private use, so having another battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is aggravating. My latest phone is working well 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 latest phone (yep, I know it is a bit obsolete, I really should buy a new cell phone):

Samsung SGH-T219 (Chocolate)

Positives:
The Samsung SGH-T219 is easy to use and comes with ample memory and a speakerphone.
Negatives:
The Samsung SGH-T219 has disappointing sound quality.
Facts:
Though its red color is definitely eye-catching, the Samsung SGH-T219 doesn’t impress.

Note: This product is part of the Samsung SGH-T219 series. .

Red has become a popular color for cell phones in the past couple of years, but on most crimson handsets the hue is restricted to the front face. Now Samsung takes the design trend a step further with the new Samsung SGH-T219 for T-Mobile. Rather than just show red on the outside, the SGH-T219 brings the color inside as well for a brilliantly colored keypad. The phone also comes in a chocolate (aka brown) version, but the red handset certainly is more exciting. The feature set on both models is quite simple–instant messaging support and a speakerphone are the main highlights–but the call quality didn’t live up to expectations. You can get it for $19.99 with service.

Design
The Samsung SGH-T219 takes its basic design cue from Samsung’s previous SGH-T619. Though it lacks a camera, the SGH-T219 has almost the same hinge design as the SGH-T619 and, except for the color change, the two handsets have near-identical profiles. The SGH-T219 also weighs the same (2.8 ounces) as its sibling, though it’s slightly smaller at 3.5 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches. The phone fits comfortably in our hands, but its overall construction didn’t feel very sturdy and the hinge mechanism was a tad loose. This doesn’t feel like a phone for an active user.

The postage stamp external display sits in the center of the large black panel on the phone’s front face. Though it’s a bit small for the SGH-T219’s size, it shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID (where available). As is the case with most low-tier phones, it has a monochrome resolution–but that’s hardly an issue since the handset doesn’t have a camera. You can change the contrast, but the backlighting time and font size aren’t customizable. Users with vision impairments should take a close look before buying, as the display becomes very dim when the backlighting is off. Other exterior features are limited to a volume rocker and combination headset jack and charger port on the left spine.

The 1.75-inch (160×128 pixels) internal display is serviceable, but it won’t knock your socks off. The 65,000-color resolution is about what we’d expect of this caliber of phone; the user-friendly menu interface looks fine, but games and graphics aren’t very sharp. You can change the brightness, the backlighting time, the background color, and the font size and style. Just below the display is the spacious navigation array. Though the circular toggle is very un-Samsung–the company usually goes with a square toggle–it’s easy to use and we like that it has some texture. An OK button sits inside the toggle, but it’s annoying that it won’t open the menu when the phone is in standby mode. Two soft keys, a clear control, and the Talk and End power buttons surround the toggle, which also functions as a shortcut to the call list, the voice recorder, the contacts list, and the text message menu.

The Samsung SGHT219 has an eye-catching red keypad.

As previously mentioned, the SGH-T219’s keypad is entirely red. On the whole, it’s a nice change from black and silver. The individual keys have only a slight tactile feel, but they’re lit by bright backlighting and the numbers on the keys are rather large. Fast text messengers may want to give it a test drive, though, as the keys can be difficult to use by feel.

Features
The Samsung SGH-T219 has a basic feature set that will appeal to users who just want to make calls. The phone book holds 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 names). You can save contacts to groups or pair them with one of 10 polyphonic ringtones. The phone supports photo caller ID as well, but since there’s no camera, you’ll need to receive photos of your friends in a multimedia message. And in any case, the photos won’t show on the external display.

Other basics include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, a one-minute voice recorder, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a unit converter, a stopwatch, and a timer. And to prove that LG doesn’t have a monopoly on the nifty application, Samsung is beginning to include a tip calculator in its phones as well. Instant messaging for AOL, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo clients is here too, while a speakerphone rounds out the offerings. Unfortunately, there’s no dedicated speakerphone button.

You can personalize the SGH-T219 with a variety of wallpaper, color schemes, and alert sounds. If you’re bored with the variety on the phone you can download more options with the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers only get demo versions of five titles (Forgotten Warrior, Freekick, Arch Angel, Lumines Block Challenge, and Midnight Pool), so you’ll need to buy the full versions for extended play. The SGH-T219 has a hefty 22MB of shared space for all downloads.

Performance
We tested the triband (GSM 850/1800/1900) Samsung SGH-T219 in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Unfortunately, sound quality wasn’t quite up to par. Though the volume level was fine, voices had a muffled effect that came and went during conversations. At times, our friends sounded natural and clear, but at other times it was difficult to understand them fully. Callers didn’t report any big problems on their end, but on the whole our experience wasn’t the greatest. Speakerphone calls were about the same, but the speaker on the front flap did allow for plenty of volume. For a better T-Mobile basic phone, try the Motorola V195 or the Nokia 6030.

The Samsung SGH-T219 has a rated battery life of six hours talk time and almost nine days standby time. We only got five hours of talk time in our tests. According to FCC radiation tests, the Samsung SGH-T219 has a digital SAR rating of 1.28 watts per kilogram.

So for now the right question is do I spend the money getting a new Samsung SGH-T219 (Chocolate) cell phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a long lasting battery? Replacement batteries are very low cost but a new phone would be fun. I must make a decision…

I have had a number of mobile phones over the last few years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been especially outstanding, some have absolutely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the 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 usually use my cell phone regularly, both for my work and for private use, so having another battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is annoying. My current phone is working well 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 latest phone (yes, I know it is a bit outdated, I really should purchase a new cellular phone):

Samsung SCH-u740 (Black)

Positives:
The Samsung SCH-u740 has a sleek and attractive design with a cool, dual-flip hinge that lets you view the display in either portrait or landscape mode. It has a QWERTY keyboard, access to Verizon’s V Cast offerings, and a full array of multimedia goodies.
Negatives:
The Samsung SCH-u740 lacks a dedicated camera key on the phone’s exterior, and the video quality is mediocre. We’re also not fans of the touch screen music controls.
Facts:
The Samsung SCH-u740’s dual-flip design and QWERTY keyboard are great for text-messaging fans, and its impressive feature set seals its deal as one of Verizon’s strongest multimedia handsets.

Note: This product is part of the Samsung SCH-u740 series. .

Despite the recent trend toward touch screen phones such as the NEC N908 and the Apple iPhone, phones with actual buttons are not going away any time soon–tactile feedback is still king in the cell phone world. Handsets with a built-in QWERTY keyboard are especially desirable for many a texting fanatic, and the brand-new Samsung SCH-u740 for Verizon Wireless is one such example. Similar to Cingular’s Samsung SGH-d307, the u740 features a cool, dual-flip design that lets you switch between portrait and landscape view for easy messaging. The SCH-u740 is a huge improvement over its predecessor in almost every way — not only does it have much better navigation controls, the SCH-u740 also comes packed with a megapixel camera, a music player, and access to the full stable of Verizon Wireless multimedia services including V Cast Music and Video. A decent alternative to the LG enV (VX9900), the SCH-u740 is a solid multimedia offering for Verizon customers. It’s currently available for $149.99 with a two-year service agreement.

Design
Unlike the SGH-d307, the SCH-u740 is quite a handsome phone. Its wide yet slim body is a subtle metallic-champagne color, and simple black accents give it a sophisticated and stylish look. Though it’s not nearly as skinny as the Motorola Razr (which is 0.5-inch thick) at 3.84×2.04×0.58 inches, the u740 is still thin enough to slip into your pants pocket with ease. It also has a nice heft when held in the hand, thanks to its 3.6-ounce weight, and it cradles nicely next to the ear when opened.

Located on the SCH-u740’s front flap is a small yet bright 1.1-inch external display that shows the date, the time, signal and battery strength, and photo caller ID. We were impressed with its 65,000-color display, especially because we could use it as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits. When the music player is active, you can use the external screen to view the album art as well as the current track playing. In a nice touch, you can change the wallpaper or clock format of the external display if you wish. Above the screen and the Samsung logo is the camera lens, while touch-sensitive music player controls are underneath the display. Slightly reminiscent of the controls on the LG VX8600, the music player controls can only be used when the music player is on. We aren’t fans of the touch-sensitive music controls, which required unlocking every time we want to change the track. It’s possible to leave them unlocked, but this might lead to accidental track changes with a quick swipe of your finger.

The rest of the phone’s exterior is pretty basic: The left spine is home to a Hold button to lock or unlock the aforementioned music player controls, a volume rocker, and the charger/accessory jack; the speakerphone key and a microSD card slot are on the right spine. We were disappointed that there wasn’t a dedicated camera button on the phone’s exterior, which meant we could only activate the camera with the phone open.

The SCH-u740 has a dual-flip design.

As we mentioned earlier, the u740 features the same dual-flip design as the SGH-d307. This innovative design lets you open the phone vertically like a traditional clamshell, or you could open the phone horizontally and rotate it so the orientation of the display changes to landscape mode. The hinge felt quite sturdy when opening and closing the phone in both directions. Speaking of the display, we were delighted to see a lovely 2.2-inch, 262,000-color LCD inside. Images were saturated with color, and navigating the phone’s colorful and photorealistic menu was a delight. You can adjust the screen’s contrast and backlight time, plus the style and the size of the phone’s dialing fonts.

The SCH-u740 has a QWERTY keyboard.

Thankfully, Samsung appears to have learned its mistake from the d307’s quirky navigation controls. While the d307’s navigation controls did double duty with the QWERTY keyboard, the u740’s navigation controls are decidedly separate from the rest of the keypad. There are two soft keys underneath the display when viewed in portrait mode, and a third soft key on the lower-left corner is for use when viewing in landscape mode. The familiar circular navigation controls with a middle OK key is also present, and they double as shortcuts to four user-defined functions. Below the soft keys and the navigation controls are the Send and End/Power key, the camera/camcorder key, the Clear key, and the voice command key.

We were surprisingly pleased with the mini QWERTY keyboard and the button layout of the phone. A block of 12 keys at the top double as the number keypad, and they are colored grey to stand out against the black. There is a NumLock key next to the spacebar so you can still type out numbers and make calls when in landscape mode. All the keys were raised above the surface of the phone, and we found the keyboard to be spacious and tactile enough to type out text messages with ease. The backlight time of the keypad can also be adjusted.

Features
Though u740’s improved keyboard was notable by itself, it’s the features that make the u740 really shine over its predecessor. The SGH-d307 lacked multimedia features, but the u740 ramps it up with a megapixel camera, a music player, and full access to Verizon’s V Cast capabilities. And its phone offerings are pretty good as well. The u740 comes with an address book including room in each entry for five phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, and a note. You can also save contacts to a group and pair each contact with a photo for caller ID or one of 10 polyphonic ringtones. Other basic features include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging (AOL, MSN, and Yahoo messengers are supported), e-mail, voice commands and dialing, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a stop watch, a notepad, a speakerphone, a wireless web browser, and Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also an optional Wireless Sync e-mail feature that lets you sync up with your business or personal e-mail addresses. Wireless Sync supports Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, POP3, and IMAP e-mail systems. The Bluetooth technology on the u740 supports profiles for Vcard Push plus headset, hands-free operation, serial port, and dial-up networking.

The u740’s EV-DO support comes in handy especially when it comes to accessing Verizon’s multimedia broadband offerings like V Cast Music and V Cast Video. It’s worth noting that you can only access the music player plus the V Cast services when the phone is in landscape mode. The music player and V Cast interface is similar to that of other Verizon phones, right down to the red-and-white navigation menus. You also have the option of purchasing and downloading other applications such as VZ Navigator, Chaperone Parent, and many more via Verizon’s Get It Now service.

The SCH-u740 took decent photos.

The 1.3-megapixel camera has a healthy array of settings, which include five different resolutions (1,280×960, 640×480, 320×240, 160×120, and a Picture ID setting), three quality settings (Fine, Normal, Economy), up to 4x zoom, color effects, white balance, light metering, flash, a self-timer of up to 10 seconds, auto save, preview mode, multishot, three "ready" sounds ("Say Cheese!", "Look here," and "1,2,3!") plus a silent option, and three shutter sounds also with a silent option. The camcorder has two recording modes: Clips meant for multimedia messages are limited to 15 seconds, but Normal mode lets you record for as long as the available memory permits. Of course, you always can use a microSD card for more space. The quality of the photos was acceptable; though the images appeared a little blurry, they weren’t as pixilated as that of a VGA camera, and colors remained bright and bold. The video quality on the other hand was pretty shoddy, especially in low-light conditions.

Personalization options are plenty with the u740. Not only can you use the wide array of preloaded wallpapers and graphics, you can download more from Verizon’s Get It Now service. The same goes for ringtones and alerts. The u740 doesn’t come with any games, but you can download more BREW games from Verizon. We managed to download Pac-Man in a mere second, and playing it in the phone’s landscape mode was quite fun.

Performance
We tested the dual-band Samsung SCH-u740 (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. We were impressed with the call quality, which was very good, and callers reported little to no static. The speakerphone quality was excellent as well; callers reported that we sounded loud and clear even though we placed the phone a couple feet away. The audio quality did sound a little metallic, and people still knew we were calling from a cell phone, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. We managed to pair the SCH-u740 with the Technocel T50 Bluetooth headset without a problem, and call quality from the headset was quite good as well.

We downloaded music files via V Cast Music within seconds. Browsing the web was also quite speedy, and video streamed without buffering issues. The video quality was pretty mediocre, however, with a lot of pixilation that was especially noticeable in action shots such as sports video clips. On the other hand, music quality was very good. It sounded loud and clear from the phone’s speakers and through a headset.

The Samsung SCH-u740 has a rated talk time of 3.5 hours and a rated standby time of 8.3 days. Our tests revealed an impressive talk time of 4 hours and 18 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the SCH-u740 has a digital SAR rating of 0.68 watts per kilogram.

So for now the right question is do I spend the money purchasing a new Samsung SCH-u740 (Black) cell phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a long lasting battery? Replacement batteries are very inexpensive but a new phone would be good too. Decisions, decisions…

I have had a number of cellular phones over the years, as I am sure most people have, and while none have been particularly outstanding, some have definitely been crap. The main problem I have ever had with my cell phones has been with the battery. The cellular phone 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 do use my mobile phone often, both for my career and for private use, so having a backup battery is often worthwhile but having to replace a faulty or damaged battery is aggravating. My newest phone is working fine but I would like a replacement battery for when I am not in the office.

Cell Phone Battery

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

Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Product Short Spec:

OS provided:

Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Phone Edition

Installed RAM:

64 MB

Processor:

Intel 624 MHzXscale

Wireless connectivity:

Bluetooth

Dimensions (W x D x H):

3 in x 1.5 in x 6 in

Input device type:

Stylus,

Keyboard,

Touch-screen

Weight:

11.9 oz

Smartphones ShortSpec:

Band/mode:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900

RAM installed size:

64 MB

review

So for now the true question is do I spend the money buying a new Symbol MC70 Enterprise Digital Assistant mobile phone battery or do I just get a new phone with a better battery? Replacement batteries are very low cost but a new phone would be nice. Decisions, decisions…