Samsung a530

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cnet editors' rating 7.3/10 Very good Editorial policies >>
average user rating from 94 users 6.5/10 Good Read user opinions >>

Product summary

The good: Compact; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; extended battery included; large phone book.

The bad: No analog roaming; call quality could be better; antenna is a bit flimsy.

The bottom line: Samsung's latest mobile is an attractive addition to Verizon's flip-phone lineup.

Specs: Carrier: Verizon Wireless; Band / mode: CDMA 800/1900; Talk time: Up to 162 min See full specs >>

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Reviewed by: Joni Blecher

Reviewed on 6/11/03 Release date: 5/29/03 Until very recently, Verizon Wireless hasn't had a reputation for offering the sexiest selection of phones for its service. But the carrier seems determined to alter that image. First, it introduced Motorola's T720, and now it's tapped Samsung's stylish SCH-A530. The good news is that this mobile's features are as appealing as its looks.

Design of Samsung a530

At first glance, the compact, platinum-colored A530 reminded us of an updated version of its long-lost cousin, the SCH-6100. This model sports a 256-color external LCD that shows battery strength, network signal, messages, and caller ID when available. You can associate pictures with people in the phone book for a less than stellar form of photo caller ID, as well as designate an image as the mobile's wallpaper. We should note that this mobile isn't MMS compatible, so it won't accept images from other MMS-enabled Verizon handsets.

Gone fishing: The 256-color external LCD is a nice touch to an already stylish design.

Tiny telephone: This flip phone is among the smallest available today.

Once you flip open the phone, you'll notice the crisp eight-line, 128x160-pixel, 65,000-color STN display--the same one found on the N400. But we really appreciated the spacious, blue-backlit keys, which made one-handed dialing a snap; we rarely experienced misdials. Above the dial pad is a four-way rocker key to maneuver through the phone's menu or launch the dedicated applications (the phone book, the voice recorder, messages, and the calendar). On the side of the phone, you'll find a dedicated volume control that doubles as a page-up/-down button. The only item missing is an OK button, which we would have preferred to the Get It Now control located in the middle of the navigation keys.

If we have one design gripe, it's the antenna, which you can easily damage when swapping in the included extended battery.

Features of Samsung a530

Go get it: Navigating the phone's menus is easy with the spacious keypad layout and the dedicated feature buttons.

The A530 sports Samsung's standard list-style menu interface, which makes for easy navigation through the phone's features. It has all the basics, including two-way SMS, voice-activated dialing, wireless Web access via the company's high-speed wireless data network, a spacious 999-name phone book, an alarm, a world clock, a calculator, and a calendar. You can also choose between 15 polyphonic ring tones and a vibrate mode. However, if you don't like any of those, you can always download more. Like most mobiles today, this Samsung is GPS ready for e911 services and comes equipped with a standard 2.5mm headset jack.

This mobile is enabled for BREW and 1xRTT, which means you can download new games, screensavers, animations, and applications to the phone's 32MB of dedicated memory via Verizon's Get It Now service. Prices for these extra features start at $1, depending on your subscription (monthly, annual, or a one-time fee). The A530 also works with the company's Mobile Office Kit accessory, so you can sync your contacts and use the phone as a data modem via either a USB or serial cable.

Performance of Samsung a530

Extra juice: The A530 comes with an extended battery, which helps it last longer.

We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) A530 in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area using Verizon Wireless service. We found audio quality to be quite loud. Unfortunately, call quality wasn't as impressive. Callers could definitely tell that we were using a cell phone, and we experienced occasional hiccups in service. Sometimes we had to repeat the last word said.

The verdict on battery life was clearer. We managed to surpass both the rated talk and standby times of 2.7 and 140 hours, respectively. In our tests, we got at least 3 hours of talk time and a full 168 hours of standby time--solid numbers. With the extended battery, we met the 4 hours of talk time and surpassed the 210 hours of standby time by about 50 hours.