Get three services for $100/mo
The megapixel camera takes pictures in four resolutions: 1,280x960, 640x480, 320x240 and 160x120. You also get a choice of three quality settings, five color modes, and three shutter sounds along with a silent option. A feature we haven't seen before is a "ready sound" that plays just before you take a picture. Besides "Say cheese," you get three other choices, or you can turn it off completely. Other controls include a self-timer, a 4X zoom, a brightness control, and an editing function that lets you rotate the image or flip its orientation. We also were impressed that the phone came with a flash, although it is only effective up to about a foot. The mobile is capable of recording 15-second MPEG4 clips with sound and offers editing options similar to those found in the camera. When finished with your shots, you can save them to the handset, but you get a limited 8MB of memory. Unfortunately, as is the case with so many camera phones today, there is no way to get pictures or video off the camera directly; you have to mail them via Verizon's network.
You can personalize the phone with a variety of wallpapers and sounds. Additional customization options and ring tones are available from Verizon's Get It Now service. You don't get any integrated games, so you must get them through the V Cast service.
We tested the dual-band Samsung SCH-A890's (CDMA 800/1900; EVDO) in New York City using the Verizon Wireless network. The sound quality was generally good with clear conversations and volume, although we did have some dead spots from time to time. We also really liked the voice-recognition performance that let us place calls without touching the keypad.Video clips from the V Cast service were of good quality. The feed was mostly smooth, but remember, at just 16fps, it is not designed to mimic your television. It's available in only 32 cities nationwide. Although the SCH-890 was designed to be a multimedia phone, the rear-mounted speaker is a little disorienting. It is fine for playing games, but it means that when you watch video, the volume is much louder for the person in front of you than for the person watching the screen.
The phone delivered nearly 4.5 hours of talk time, matching the rated time almost exactly. It lasted for a full week of standby time on a single charge. While that's a few days short of the promised time of 14 days, it's still admirable. We were disappointed, though, that the mobile only includes a desktop charger, which means you can't talk on the phone when it's charging. Road warriors should invest in a travel charger ($29.99).
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