It's Just A Phone. But That's What I Want!

Unlike many cell phone customers, I use my cell phone simply as a phone (imagine that in this day and age!). I don’t need an internet connection, text messaging, games, or music on my phone. Some of these features are standard even on the most basic phone (including this one), and that is fine--I just don’t want to pay extra for something I will rarely if ever use.

I finally replaced my 5-year-old phone with the bargain priced Samsung SCH u340. Since I truly only use my phone to make phone calls, I chose a no-frills phone that did not come with many bells and whistles. This phone is not cutting edge by any stretch of the imagination, but it does everything I want it to do. Plus, it was among the most inexpensive models available. My cell carrier, US Cellular, offered this phone for only 1¢ with a two year agreement. My husband and I both purchased the Samsung u340 phones and have been happy with them.

Description
The Samsung SCH u340 is a dark metallic blue with chrome trim flip phone. Like most phones, the antenna is internal. There is a small LCD screen on the outside that displays the time, date, signal strength, roam indicator, and battery life. When there is a new voice or text message, a missed call, or an incoming call, that information is displayed on the screen instead of the time. On each side of the phone are two keys. These are the camera, speakerphone, and volume up & down keys. These commonly used keys seem to be located conveniently on the phone for easy access, but not so convenient that they are activated by accident.

With the phone open, a color LCD screen takes up one half, and the keypad and control buttons occupy the other. In addition to the number keys, the buttons include the send and end buttons, as well as a four-sided navigation button, the OK button, plus two additional multipurpose buttons that are used for different things depending on what is displayed on the screen. The buttons are all large enough to make usage a breeze. I have only sent a text message once, so I am not good at it, but the key pad seems like a great size for texting quickly.

The main menu can be displayed as icons or as a list. There are nine main categories in the main menu that include:
Display (control display colors, LCD screen, lighting, etc.)
Camera (resolution, color, balance and other camera settings)
Contacts (address book, assigning speed dial numbers)
Calls (recent, missed, dialed)
Messaging (text and picture messaging options)
Easy Edge (U.S. Cellular’s download portal for pictures, ring tones, etc.)
Sound (control volume, ring tones, & alert sounds)
Tools (control and set calendar & alarm clock; memos, calculator)
Settings (control settings for calls, location, network, clock, security)

Features
• VGA camera
• Internal Antenna
• Advanced Speech Recognition
• Speakerphone
• Color external screen
• Polyphonic ring tones
• Text and Picture Messaging
• Personal scheduler
• Calendar
• Calculator (with tip calculator)
• Alarm Clock

While the Samsung u340 doesn’t have the latest high-tech innovations, there are some useful features that I like. The camera included with this phone is pretty basic, but suits my needs. Honestly, I don’t really need it, but I do like to take pictures of my kids and use them as the camera’s wallpaper and screen savers. It is very simple to change the resolution, brightness, and white balance of photo simply by pressing the camera button and following a few simple menu options. Sending pictures is an option when taking pictures as well.

This phone came with a hands-free ear piece that connects to the phone. No, there is no bluetooth capability here--the ear piece has to be connected to the phone. I only use this when I am driving longer distances, and while a wireless ear piece might be nice, I can live with the one I have since I don’t use it often. The sound-quality is just fine. The bluetooth capable phones were an extra $49, which was not worth it to me for the amount I would use it.

One feature that I use frequently is voice recognition. There is no need to preprogram this phone to recognize my voice pattern. By simply pressing one button to activate the voice control, I can say I want to use Voice Dial. It then asks me to say the name or number. If I have a contact stored in my phone, then I simply say that person’s name and the phone dials automatically. I use this feature if I need to make a call while driving in order to keep my eyes on the road.

I am not too crazy about the Polyphonic ring tones. There are 32 of these electronic, chimey-sounding ring tones that come standard on the phone. Other higher quality ring tones are available for download at an extra cost.

This phone also includes a calendar, calculator, scheduler, and alarm clock. These are pretty standard on most phones, as well as text and picture messaging. I rarely use the text or picture messaging, but it is simple to do on the Samsung u340, due to its nice-size buttons and easy to follow menu options.

Other Things To Consider
Durability
This phone seems to be built well. While I don’t intentionally go around dropping my phone, I have dropped it accidently without incident (and no protective cover). There are no dents, chips or scratches on my phone. The plastic housing seems to protect the phone adequately.

Size
Samsung SCH u340 is small and easy to carry. It measures about 3.5” x 1.75” and is about .75” thick. It is thin enough that it is not cumbersome or bulky when in a pocket or small purse.

Sound
I would say the sound quality and clarity of this phone are slightly above average, but nothing to write (or call) home about. Most of the time I can hear the caller clearly, and when I don’t, changing my position or driving further down the road helps. I often cross a state line while on my phone, and on rare occasions the sound breaks up a bit. I have not lost a single call, which happened frequently when crossing state line (cell tower switch) with my previous phone.

Battery Charging
I like that the port for connecting the battery charger has a cover. It keeps dirt out which will hopefully make for good charging connections for some time. My previous phone did not have this and became very touchy when charging (or not charging). The battery lasts a fairly long time before needing to be recharged. According to the manufacturer, the standby time is up to 8.5 days and the talk time is up to 3.25 hours. These figures seem a bit high to me. I estimate that I get about 6 to 7 days of standby time and about 3 hours of talk time, which I still feel is pretty good. A completely discharged battery takes between 3 and 4 hours to recharge. I usually recharge when my battery charge indicator gets down to one bar (out of three). It takes 2.5 to 3 hours to charge. I only charge my battery about once per week, so I won’t complain!

Overall
For a phone that was virtually free, the Samsung SCH u340 is an excellent value! After using this phone for about two months, I have found that it meets all of my needs in a cell phone and then some. This phone came with a wall charger, a hands-free earpiece, and a 160-page instruction manual. When looking for a relatively basic camera phone, consider the Samsung SCH u340. It doesn't come with many the bells & whistles (or their hefty price tag). Many cellular carriers offer this phone. Not too bad for a penny (and 2 year agreement, of course)!