Sprint Upstage (Samsung SPH-m620) Review - Hardware
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Alfredo Padilla Published on April 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (7.51)
To test how easy it is to type on a phone's keypad/keyboard we time how long it takes to enter a smaple string of text. We do this 5 times and then take the average for our score. The Sprint Upstage took an average of 25.58 seconds to enter our sample text. This was using two hands with predicitive text entry on. This works out to a words per minute score of 37.5, an excellent score for a cell phone without a QWERTY keyboard. This is signifcantly better than the Razr V3m (29.4 WPM) or the LG Chocolate (25 WPM), and a little better than the Sanyo M1 (36.4 WPM). It's almost on par with the Motorola Q, a QWERTY phone that managed 39.5 WPM. Of course the Upstage's keypad is not as comfortable as a QWERTY keyboard, however it does have large buttons with a nice click when pressed that we appreciated. T9 and Auto Complete (10.0)
The Sprint Upstage supports both T9 predictive text entry and auto completion of words. The auto completion features learns words that you have used in series before and suggests them when a similar string appears the next time you type. We were pleased to see both of these features, especially the auto complete as it is missing from phones like the Razr V3m and LG Chocolate.
One Hand Usability (6.54)
For those who love to text one handed we also run our words per minute text using only one hand. The Sprint Upstage took 29.36 seconds to enter our sample text with a single hand. This works out to a word per minute score of 32.7, significantly slower than two handed typing, but still sufficient to enter a quick SMS message. We did find our hand cramping a little when typing one handed as the Upstage doesn't have a whole lot to hold onto.
Keypad Backlighting (7.0)
The keypad backlighting on the Sanyo M1 can be controlled separately from the screen backlighting. The backlight comes on when a key is pressed and can be set to stay on for 8, 15 or 30 seconds. You can also set the backlight to always stay on, or turn it off entirely. There is no light sensor that manages your backlight automatically, nor can you change the brightness of the keypad backlight. We found the keypad to be even and bright enough to clearly illuminate the symbols on the keys without burning your eyes out.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (3.5)
The Sprint Upstage has two directional pads. On the "front" of the device, the directional pad is a large squarish button located beneath the screen and surrounded by the other control keys. The directional button has a center select/menu key surrounded by a bevel, and the directional pad is also surrounded by a bevel to provide tactile differentiation from the surrounding keys. When pressing the different directions there is very little play or tactile feedback, and the same is true of the center select key. We preferred the directional pad found on devices like the Treo 700p, which provides much more play and is easier to use by feel.
On the "back" of the device is a touch sensitive pad, with a center select key that acts as a directional pad. The center select key is a real button, raised above the surrounding touch sensitive pad. This key provides good play when pressed, but not a lot of tactile feedback. The surrounding touch sensitive controls provide no play or tactile feedback, and there is no differentiation that allows you to tell where on the directional pad you are. We did find the touch sensitive controls to be more responsive than those found on the LG Chocolate. Because there are two directional pads on the Upstage, we scored each separately and then averaged them to reach our final score.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Sprint Upstage does not have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (3.5)
The Sprint Upstage does not have a jog dial, however it does have a feature that allows you to scroll up and down lists easily. When in a list you can use the touch sensitive pad on the "back" of the device to scroll by moving your finger along the pad in an up/down fashion. It does not function like an iPod's scroll wheel. You can scroll continuously by moving your finger down and holding it at the bottom of the touch sensitive pad. Although not a true jog dial, we will award points for this feature as it does provide some of the functionality you would get from a jog dial.
Soft Buttons (4.0)
As with many controls the Sprint Upstage has 2 sets of soft keys. On the "front" of the device, the soft keys are distinct buttons flanking the directional pad just below the screens. These buttons are slightly differentiated from the surrounding buttons by a dip where the buttons touch. Finding them by feel is not very easy, however they are well placed. There is only slight play when the button is pressed, and very little tactile feedback. On the "back" of the device the soft keys are assigned to the top left and right corners of the touch sensitive pad. In this case there is no differentiation from the surrounding touch pad and no play when pressed. We are not big fans of touch controls, however we did find the touch controls in this case to be slightly more responsive than those found on the LG Chocolate.
Volume Control (7.0)
The volume controls on the Sprint Upstage are located on the right side of the device near the top. The volume control is a rocker switch, with the top and bottom of the rocker raised clearly above the center to provide goot tactile feedback. Play when pressed in is good, but tactile feedback is not strong. We were able to find the volume key easily when using the device on either the "front" or "back". Compared to the volume keys on the LG Chocolate or the Razr V3m, we found the volume keys on the Upstage to be easier to find with better feedback when pressed.
Power and Standby (5.0)
The power button on the Upstage is a secondary function of the end key on the "front" of the device. A long press on this key will shut the device down, while a slightly shorter press when off will turn the phone on. Like many keys on the Upstage tactile feedback and play when pressed is small. We preferred the secondary function power key on the Razr V3m as the key is larger and provides better feedback, however we found the power key on the Upstage to be better placed and more functional than the one on the LG Chocolate.
Other Buttons (4.0)
In addition to the buttons we've spoken of the Upstage has several other buttons that provide useful functionality. Like many of the control keys, the Upstage often has two sets of these additional buttons. On both the front and back you will find a dedicated back key. On the front this key is located to the left of the D-Pad, and suffers from the same lack of play and tactile feedback that the other control keys have. On the back the back key is part of the touch sensitive pad, located on the bottom left. It is illuminated to find it easier, but of course has no tactile feedback or play.
On the front of the device you will find a dedicated camera key to the left of the directional pad. We found the placement to be somewhat peculiar since hitting the key will prompt you to turn the device over so you can use the larger screen on the back of the device as a viewfinder. Again, tactile feedback and play are minimal for this key.
On the left side of the device are two other keys, a dedicated "flip" key that switches the interface to the other side of the phone. Above the flip key is a switch that allows you to lock the device, just as you would with the lock switch on an iPod. We liked this as it alllows you to place the phone in your pocket while playing back music without worries that you will hit keys by accident. In addition to these keys, the directional pad on the back of the device allows you to control your music when in the music player. We did not award points for these functions in this section as they are awarded in our multimedia section. We only awarded a single bonus point for keys that have are found on both the front and back of the device.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (4.0)
Because of the Upstage's interesting layout we decided to award points for the "primary" display to the larger of the two displays. This display has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. Although this has been a "standard" size for low end phones for awhile now, we would have preferred to see a higher resolution QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) display such as that found on the LG Chocolate. Points for resolution are awarded based on the total number of pixels on the screen.
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (6.88)
Because of its low resolution screen the Sprint Upstage has a pixel density of only 137.5 pixels per inch. This is significantly less than the LG Chocolate's 200 pixels per inch, but slightly higher than the Razr V3m's 125 pixels per inch, due to the smaller physical screen size. 137.5 pixels per inch is sufficient for most tasks, but you will notice the low pixel density when viewing photos on the device.
Screen Physical Size (5.2)
According to our measurement the Sprint Upstage's primary screen measure 2.07" diagonal. This is only slightly smaller than the Razr V3m's 2.1" diagonal and slightlly larger than the LG Chocolate's 2" screen. Screens between 2 and 2.1 inches are fairly standard for phones. Our score for screen size is standardized based on how large the screen is.
Screen Brightness (2.2)
To measure screen brightness we set the screen to maximum brightness and then use a lux meter from 4 inches away to measure how many lumens of light the screen puts out. The Sprint Upstage measured 44 lumens in our test, slightly lower than the Razr V3m's 46 lumens and significantly lower than the Sanyo M1's 50 lumens.
Screen Bright Light Performance (7.0)
To test bright light performance of screen's we shine 3000 lux of light on the screen (equivalent to a sunny day) and judge how legible the screen is. We found the Sprint Upstage's screen to be as legible as that on the LG Chocolate and Razr V3m, allowing you to still read text on the screen and navigate through menus, albeit with some squinting.
Color Depth (8.0)
The Sprint Upstage's primary display is capable of displaying 262 thousand colors, the same as the LG Choclate. As with the chocolate we found colors on the screen displayed well, and significantly better than the Razr V3m's 65 thousand color display. Our score for color depth is standardized based on the number of colors the screen displays.
Secondary Screen (7.13)
The "secondary" screen on the Sprint Upstage is the one found on the front of the device. It is a small 176 x 65 pixel 1.3" diagonal display capable of displaying 65 thousand colors. This screen provides limited real estate for you to interact with the phone and is meant primarily to access the calling functions. Our score for secondary screens are standardized based on resolution, pixel density and size.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (2.0)
The Sprint Upstage has a proprietary port located on the right side of the device for both power and data. We would have much preferred to see a standard mini USB port on the device like the Razr V3m, however we were happy to see that the Upstage comes with a cable to connect your device to a PC.
Headphone & Jack Compatibility (6.0)
The Sprint Upstage uses the same proprietary port as it uses for power and data as a headset port. We were pleased to see that the handset ships with an adaptor and microphone that allows you to plug in your own 3.5mm headphones and make hands free calls with the phone. This is a step above the 2.5mm adaptor without a microphone that is included with the LG Chocolate. The Upstage also includes the A2DP and AVRCP profiles for bluetooth stereo headphones, allowing you to listen to music wirelessly.
Internatl Storage (1.0) Neither Sprint nor Samsung include information about how much memory is built into the Upstage, however in our tests we found that it is well below the 250 MB threshhold that we set for points above one.
Internal Storage (1.0)
Neither Sprint nor Samsung include information about how much memory is built into the Upstage, however in our tests we found that it is well below the 250 MB threshhold that we set for points above one.
Expansion Slot & Format (6.0)
The Sprint Upstage has an expansion slot for MicroSD/Transflash memory. This is becoming the standard for mobile devices, and currently allows you to add up to 2GB of memory to the device for music and other multimedia. The memory card slot on the Upstage is located on the left side of the device and is protected by a plastic cover that is attached to the device. We find MicroSD/Transflash cards to be rather fiddly to use due to their small size, however we like the access for hot swapping of your memory card from the Upstage. We also like that the slot is spring loaded so you don't have to shove the card in with all your strength as on the Razr V3m.
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