Simple Technology Choices - Cell Phones - T-Mobile Samsung T609 Review

The Samsung T609 from T-Mobile

Ease of Use: Overall Rating:

Reviewed by Jamie Lendino 7/15/06

The Samsung T609 packs in a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth for connecting a wireless hands-free device, and a well-lit screen. If it was priced at $79.99 or less it would be a good value, but at $149.99 it’s too expensive. It doesn't feel as expensive as it is.

We liked the lightweight design and the pearl white color, the latter reminiscent of the extra-cost paint on a 1990’s Audi. The phone uses a concealed antenna, making it more "pocketable" than fixed antenna designs. Once opened, the screen is hard to ignore. It’s bright, evenly lit and looks like it belongs on a more expensive model. Each key is raised slightly and easy to locate by touch. When dialing numbers, you get the typical Samsung huge digits on the screen; they scroll onto multiple lines but you’ll never have to squint. The camera lives up to its higher resolution sensor. Test photos showed good balance and control of brightly lit environments, though darker portions of each photo lost detail and were somewhat murky.

Things went south once we started making calls. The T609 sounds clear, and you won’t have any trouble hearing anyone, but the sound quality is fairly harsh on both ends. The sound is not as warm as other phones tested. Tests back to back with the T-Mobile U6 PEBL as well as several Verizon and Sprint phones confirmed the deficit in sound quality.

The best part of the T609 is its menu system. The main menu screen was a bit crowded, but we were able to add contacts and navigate our settings without any trouble. Despite the unlabeled main menu icons, you can get around very quickly. Adjusting various call options and answering functions took a minimum number of key presses. After taking a picture, all you have to do is press the Options key in order to send it to another phone or e-mail address.

It’s a simple affair to add numbers to the address book. The dedicated volume buttons on the side make it easy to change the T609’s ringer volume, though once we were in Silent mode, we couldn’t use the volume keys anymore until we exited Silent mode by holding down the # key. This is a little more complicated, but perhaps safer since there’s no way to accidentally exit silent mode if the phone is in your pocket. We’re not fans of the high price, but we like the feature-packed T609, and can recommend it to anyone looking for an easy to use model with a decent camera and Bluetooth.

Pros: simple to use, brilliant screen, good camera, lightweight
Cons: not a great value, mediocre sound quality

Details:

Samsung T609
Carrier: T-Mobile
Price: $149.99 w/2 year plan
Dimensions: 3.6 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches
Weight: 2.9 ounces
Camera: 1.3 megapixels
Bluetooth: Yes
Card slot: MicroSD
Battery Life: up to 3 hours talk time

Ease of Use Rating: 4 stars
Overall Rating: 3 stars