Samsung Juke Cell Phone Review - Intro
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Robin Liss Published on November 05, 2007 Comment on this |
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According to the Juke's marketing, it's an MP3 player that just happens to be a phone. We think this is a very accurate portrayal; It doesn't offer much in the way of software other than an above-average music player, and this is the only phone that we've seen recently that doesn't support video playback or capture, doesn't have a browser, and can't send e-mail. But what it does have is 2 GB of internal memory, so it can hold can hold more music than your typical cell phone. Physically, the Juke is surprisingly tiny and fat. It's certainly one of the smallest phones we've come across at 2.82 ounces, 3.82 inches high and 1.18 inches wide, but it's more expansive than photos make it look, at a rather chunky 0.82 inches thick. The phone is shaped like a small candy bar, but has a new swing-open design that we haven't seen before. Though it seems a bit gimmicky, this design actually gives you faster access to the keypad, which meant it was quick at dialing and not bad at sending text messages. The Juke is currently priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract from Verizon and after a $50 online discount. It's available in Teal (shown on the right), Red and Navy.
Below is a guide to the review. Clicking on a section title will skip to that section.
Tour & Design - The Juke is certainly a quirky little phone, whose looks alone will undoubtedly score it some customers
Audio Quality - The Juke offers decent audio quality, though it tends to handle your own voice better than that of incoming callers.
Imaging - The Juke is a poor imaging device: its camera has low resolution and can't capture video.
Making/Receiving Calls - The Juke performs well with making and receiving calls thanks to its swing-open design and decent keypad.
Messaging - The Juke is by no means a messaging powerhouse. It doesn't support e-mail and its IM clients charge both your data and messaging accounts.
Organizer - The Juke is not a business device. Its organizer is very basic.
Multimedia - While the Juke is an above-average music device, its scores are hurt by its lack of video playback.
Software - Without a browser, the Juke relies mainly on its responsive OS to give it some points here.
Battery Life - Probably the worst aspect of the Juke; it scored below average on both its call and music battery tests.
Connectivity - The Juke also isn't the best connected phone out there. It supports Bluetooth but little else.
Hardware - The Juke also doesn't have very impressive hardware. Its keypad isn't suitable for fast texting, and its display is microscopic.
Other Features - The Juke has a GPS alternative, but not much else.
Value & Comparisons - Although it is well priced at $99, real budget callers may want to wait; it will probably be free with a new contract in a few months.
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