Samsung Beat for T-Mobile Cell Phone Review - Making/Receiving Calls
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Mark Brezinski Published on February 21, 2008 Comment on this |
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Dialing Speed (5.97)
Those with good phone flipping skills and dexterous thumbs should be able to establish an outgoing call in about 3.35 seconds. This is a tad slow for a non-smart flip phone; the difference is most likely due to the bad flipping mechanism. Though this might seem a bit dramatic, every time we opened the phone we felt we were fighting against the flip mechanism. A good flip should be like gently releasing a dove from your hands, and watching in awe as it takes flight. Opening the Beat is like pushing a busted Oldesmobile down the highway. We like team players here at WirelessInfo.com, and we are sorry to say the Beat's flip is more hindrance than a help on team dial.
| Cell Phone | Time (sec) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 3.35 | 5.97 |
| Razr2 V8 | 3.45 | 5.80 |
| Samsung Blast | 3.36 | 5.95 |
| Samsung SLM | 3.02 | 6.62 |
| Motorola W385 | 1.97 | 10.15 |
| Samsung Juke | 2.64 | 7.58 |
Talk and End Buttons (4.0)
The talk and end buttons are good, but not great. The problem lies with their lack of differentiation. You'll have to rely on sight, or finger memory to find them, since the entire keypad feels like a smooth sheet. We would've liked some kind of textured surface on or near them so we could easily navigate to them by touch. The buttons do have good travel. They also have a good snap to them, which provides both tactile and aural feedback.
Call Management (6.0)
The Beat has good call management options for an entry-level handset. When in a call, the other party's phone number is displayed, along with a timer. Initially, you can turn on the speakerphone with the right soft key, or open up a deeper menu, courtesy of the left. The options menu will allow you to mute a call, put it on hold, start a new call, turn on whisper mode, mute the keys, or send DTMF. There are also shortcuts to commonly-used applications, such as the phonebook or message, as well as a shortcut to the full main menu. Conferencing is done by first establishing a new call (which will automatically put the existing call on hold), then joining the two calls with an option in the menu. At this point, both of the connected phone numbers will be displayed on screen, along with the timer.
The call log consists of four categories: all, missed, incoming, or outgoing. Once you've selected your filtration method of choice, a series of listed entries will appear. Each list item consists of an icon, the number, and the number of such calls (missed/incoming/outgoing) from/to that number. Clicking on a number will also let you check out the length of the call and the time it was made. From this menu you can also add a call to your block list.
Startup to Call (5.59)
If the Beat is off, you should be able to get a number dialed in about 17.88 seconds. This is quick; only the Juke was able to clock in with a faster time. For even more perspective, keep in mind some smart phones take over a minute to boot up.
| Cell Phone | Time (sec) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 17.88 | 5.59 |
| Razr2 V8 | 27.72 | 3.61 |
| Samsung Blast | 21.48 | 4.66 |
| Samsung SLM | 30.1 | 3.32 |
| Motorola W385 | 24.53 | 4.08 |
| Samsung Juke | 11.9 | 8.40 |
Ring Volume (8.48)
The Beat was only capable of outputting 84.8 decibels, which isn't very loud. Though the decibel range we've found in our testing is from 80 to over 100 decibels, the spectrum is heavily weighted towards the higher end. Typically phones with relatively quiet volumes are saved somewhat by shrill or ear-catching rings; this isn't the case with the Beat.
| Cell Phone | Volume (decibels) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 84.8 | 8.48 |
| Razr2 V8 | 103.4 | 10.34 |
| Samsung Blast | 98.9 | 9.89 |
| Samsung SLM | 83.9 | 8.39 |
| Motorola W385 | 98.7 | 9.87 |
| Samsung Juke | 101.6 | 10.16 |
Ringtone Customizability (8.0)
You can either use your music as your ringtone, or record your own with the voice note application. You can't edit your songs on the device, but such a feature is rare so it likely won't be missed. We're frankly shocked to see the ability to use your own music files as ring-tones.
Non Audio Alerts (6.0)
Since its ring volume is a bit lackluster, it's disappointing that the non-audio alerts are also weak. You could notice the vibration in your pocket if you were standing still, but while walking there's no way you would notice. One good feature, though, is that the front display will show a little animation when a call is incoming. We appreciate the movement, since most phones simply light up, display a message, and sit; if you miss the Beat's screen turning on, at least the animation has a chance of drawing your attention.
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