PCS Phone Samsung N400 (Sprint)

Amazon.com

Similar to Samsung's much-hyped A500, the N400 has an amazing 128-by-128 color screen, an easy-to-view menu, and all the multimedia features that come with the Sprint PCS Vision network—wireless Internet and e-mail access and downloadable Java games and apps, ringers, and screen savers. All that, and it has a speakerphone function, too.

The N400 fully charged in about 4 to 5 hours and powered up quickly. Unlike its cousin, the A500, this phone does not have an external LCD screen; however, we didn't miss it. When the earpiece to this flip phone is closed, it frames the main screen so your display is still exposed for screening your calls. We also loved the elegant placement of the navigational buttons, which we found much improved from the A500's tightly clustered button layout. With the flip phone closed on the N400, you can still access the Menu button on the left and the Back button on the right so you can do everything but use the phone features while the top is closed. A joystick between these two buttons makes scrolling up and down through menus or left to right during messaging fast and easy. Opening the flip top gets you to the phone keypad and Talk and End buttons, so there is no danger of accidentally hitting a button and calling someone with the top closed. Cool blue backlighting on the keypad buttons made dialing from a dark office a piece of cake.

As a Sprint PCS phone, the N400 supports all the multimedia extras and we tested them out. We used the standard aquarium screensaver, which looked amazingly crisp and bright on the full-color screen. The standard polyphonic ring tone--a maniacal clucking chicken sound—was far too realistic. As for games, the N400 is loaded with Space Invaders and demos of Cybiko's CyRace and Sega's Monkey Ball, which all look great on the color screen and are easy to maneuver through with the joystick controls. Other fun screen savers, ringers, games, and applications are downloadable through PCS Vision, but you should expect to pay a buck or two for each one. The N400 also joins the picture-taking craze by offering the ability to download photos from a Sprint PCS camera and e-mail them to friends. This is more of a frivolous feature, but can be valuable for e-mailing photos immediately when vacationing or house hunting

We expected an amazing Internet experience on the N400 with its color screen. While the experience was good, we were surprised that Internet surfing on this phone mainly uses a text-based menu so the great graphics aren't always utilized. In addition, we found connection and page loading times to be fairly slow (about 1 minute average). Still, the superior contrast and 10-line screen made reading a CNN article much more pleasant than on most competing cell phones, and we think that the interface would entice most consumers to access news, weather, and sports scores pretty regularly via the Internet connection. E-mail and text messaging (among other Sprint PCS-enabled phones only) were also slow in terms of load and send time. Text input was a bit tedious but you have the choice of T9 input, which speeds typing up a bit. We did find the character count of 128 characters per message to be limiting for anything more than the simplest correspondence.

And what about the standard phone features? They may seem almost secondary on this phone with all the other awesome facets attracting your attention, but they are actually quite good. The phone book only holds 250 entries but features multiple phone numbers and the option to set speed, voice, and/or group dialing and a special ringer or image for each of your contacts. Unfortunately, the name field only allows 12 characters and can't fit a first and last name for most contacts, which is a real drawback for business use. Another disadvantage to the N400 is that it doesn't let you assign the same number to two contacts (i.e., roommates or co-workers with the same work number).

The N400's voice quality was adequate and the speakerphone was loud and crystal clear. We found it convenient to shift into speakerphone while on a call by pressing the small button on the upper left side of the phone and liked that we didn't have to be using an earpiece to activate it. The ringer on the phone is also on the loud side. If you like to have the alert sound for tasks or meetings scheduled in the N400's planner, we recommend you turn the sound way down during quiet meetings so you don't startle everyone around you. Our tests of voice dialing on the N400 found that voice recognition worked perfectly. One final and unusual bonus on the N400 is its airplane mode, which allows you to access some of the phone's features, such as games or the planner, during air travel without interfering with the aircraft's electronics.

The phone fell just short of its rated standby time, making it through 5 rather than 7 days.

Overall, this phone is on our list of favorites, and we would recommend springing for the N400 if upgrading from a basic phone to one with a high-quality color screen. We think the flashy aspects of this phone will appeal to techno-geeks who want to wow their friends with the latest and the greatest. The multimedia features are more focused on fun than productivity so the N400 is probably best for light business users. --Cristina Vaamonde

Pros: <ul>

Amazingly crisp graphics on color screen

Great button layout

Supports PCS Vision multimedia features and downloads

Optional digital camera attachment

Speakerphone for safer phone use while driving

Airplane mode </ul>

Cons: <ul>

Slow Internet connection/loading

Limited character count in text messaging and phone book

Can't assign same number twice in phone book </ul>

How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time

When reading our reviews, you should view the test results of mobile-phone battery talk time and standby time as relative information only. Many variables, including carrier signal strength at your location, signal consistency (including incoming and outgoing calls), display and ringer settings, and battery charging methods and history, will affect performance. When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Some quote expected battery life ranges, and in this case you're probably safe to assume you'll experience at least the minimum rated range. Note that manufacturers of dual-mode digital and analog handsets publish battery-life rates for both digital and analog modes, as analog mode consumes much more power than digital mode.

Our Tests: We tested digital-mode talk and standby times with each phone. Prior to each test, we fully charged the phone's battery according to the manufacturer's directions. To test digital-phone talk time, we turned the phone on, established a digital carrier signal, dialed a number in our test lab, and, when the call rang through, took the receiving phone's handset off the hook. When all went well, we didn't do anything else except record the time when the phone died. In a couple of cases, the phones lost the signal and dropped the calls. If we were right there and could redial, we did so immediately and continued running the test. Otherwise, we halted the test, recharged the battery, and started the test over. Assuming consistent carrier-signal strength, this test should represent best-case talk time. And it's worth noting that several phones' talk-time performance significantly exceeded the manufacturers' ratings.

To test digital-phone standby time, we turned the phone on, established a carrier signal, and left the phone in standby mode. We checked the phone every few hours (for what was often days on end) until the phone finally cut out. Since no outgoing or incoming calls occurred during testing and because the phone was not moved, this method should represent best-case standby time, again assuming consistent carrier signal strength.

Customer Reviews:

Who dropped the ball at samsung?!?.......2006-07-17

This phone is quite possibly the worst item to ever hit the hot little hands of consumers in the history of the entire universe. It might as well have a button that retracts razor blades to cut the users hands off.... that would even be a welcomed feature IF IT WORKED! This phone can't hold a call for longer than 1 minute on a good day in ideal conditions. If its raining or a small insect flies within the path of the antenna and the receiving tower, you better have that person's number on speed dial because you will be calling them back! I have never had a phone, correction, i have never had ANYTHING i have hated more than this piece! I had a samsung a400 before this one and it worked great! In fact i dropped it in my pool TWICE and it still recovered! I thought another samsung phone would be equally great but it seems that someone overlooked the whole phone part of the design and focused more attention on making it roughly the size of Zack Morris' phone on Saved By The Bell! The battery should have been equipped with a hand crank in order to "Charge On The Go" and maybe even an optional foam outer casing because of the thousands of times you will want to throw the SOB against a wall! Do yourself a favor and destroy any Samsung N400 phone you ever see. With your help, we could rid the world of this horrible device.... it hasnt been proven, but i would not be suprised if the ozone layer corrected itself after these phones are all destroyed! Israel would become a peaceful nation and Pennsylvania would probably fix their roads! Peace Out!

This phone is crap.......2004-12-13

Everything that the reviewer below (Sarahnoid) said is accurate.

This phone offers a lot of attractive options - surf the wireless web, speakerphone, slim design, nice phone book, etc.

Of course, on the negative side, IT OPERATES HARDLY, IF AT ALL.

I have owned this phone for almost two years. In those two years (my service plan is thankfully almost over), this phone has repeatedly dropped coverage in the midst of calls. Never mind that I have been standing in the same freakin' room, in the same POSITION.

The battery, fully charged, is good for a hour, maybe two tops, of sporadic use. If you don't use it at all, it might stay powered three hours. This model also likes to shut off once you plug the charger into the phone. As if plugging in the charger is injurious.

So, if you don't mind a weak antenna, a worthless battery and the always-fun propensity for shutting down in the midst of operation, then this is the phone for you.

I wish it were possible to give 0 stars........2004-11-24

This phone was sent to me as a replacement when my fabulous Sanyo lost an argument with gravity. It is, quite possibly, the most worthless piece of crap I've ever owned. It's so horrible that I've called Sprint on several occasions trying to get a replacement for this phone, as it doesn't work very well, if at all. I'm always told that since it was issued to me through the insurance policy I took out on my plan, I have to go through the insurance company. The insurance company then tells me that if I get another phone via the insurance, they will cancel my insurance, as two phones in a year is some sort of red flag--nevermind that the one they sent me is worthless.

If you're lucky, it won't suddenly die when you're talking. "Three hour battery" when talking is generous. I'm lucky to make it an hour. I feel I'm constantly charging the damn thing. The voice dial that comes with the phone dials the wrong numbers, if it recognises your voice at all. If you can move two inches to the right or left without dropping the call you're on, it is an act of God. Connecting to the internet to text or get email? Don't even bother. You'll never get on, and if it does make some sort of connection, it's simply to tell you there was a connection error and to try the entire 15 minute process again.

But the best part? The phone jams up. It freezes like a bad computer. You could be mid-dial and the screen will freeze on whatever number you just punched. Nothing will get you out of the freeze except removing the entire battery and starting up the phone again. This will happen whenever you most need to make a call. And it will happen repeatedly. As in, 5 times in a row.

That this phone is still sold is practically a crime. It is a complete rip off. The reception is horrible. It jams. You cannot connect to the internet. You can put in 12 characters for a phone book entry. 12. Got a first name longer than 12 characters? Tough. Don't even waste your time thinking about putting a last name in.

And just to further my point: I am stopped at least once a week by someone who recognises my phone. They always ask me how much I like my phone and when I tell them I hate it, they immediately go off on a tirade on how big a piece of junk this phone is. That it jams. That it drops calls. That it doesn't connect. That it's about as useful as a cup of sand in the desert.

I believe the phone is now discontinued on amazon.com. If I ever saw anyone buying this phone in public, I would do everything in my power to convince them to do otherwise. Do yourself a favour and do not waste your money on this p.o.s. Get yourself a Sanyo. Just don't drop it like I did mine.

Good little tank of a cell-phone..........2004-09-27

Samsung is a good phone company because in the two years I have owned their products, they still work for me just as well as they did when I first opened the box up.

I had this phone's older brother first. The N200 seemed to be invincible. I could drop it and it would take a licking and continue ticking. The decision was easy once it was time to upgrade. I had heard not-so-good things about the new Sanyo 5300 and found a heavily-discounted N400 at the Radio Shack near my house.

A year or so later, this phone has done me well. It has a few dings and scratches but so far, has been there for me whenever I need it. If you DO pick one up, I would recommend going to a Sprint Store to get the firmware flashed and updated.

The phone has the ability to screen calls thanks to an ingenious flip design that enables you to still see the call-screen even with the lid down.

It features a speakerphone...however, the speakerphone does not work as well as one would like it to. I never got the idea of a speakerphone on a cell-phone since you could do a hands-free headset and get better voice-quality. It works just well enough but I would advise against using it in a car since the noise in a car just adds to the break-ups and already-hollow sounding voice quality.

The battery has about a week's worth of standby-time and about three hours worth of talk-time, which I don't like very much. A three-hour battery is pretty worthless. What's more, you need a car-charger since it's horrible on the go and the car-charger doesn't come with it, only an A/C Adapter is found in the box.

It supports polyphonic and mp3 ringtones as well as color-photos (you can even take photos using a Sprint-manufacture digi-cam) and the ability to take them. It doesn't support mono ringtones but really does not need to since polyphonic and mp3 ringtones are better. Sprint also CLAIMS that the N400 does not support animated screensavers but the default Aquarium screensaver is animated, so I don't understand why Sprint says this.

You can save up to about 250 contacts with about 6 numbers per contact and a calendar/organizer. You can e-mail, surf the Wireless Web (which is a lot different than the actual Web seeing as how the phone doesn't have the ability to read HTML) and use text-messages. It supports voicemail, 3-way calling and voice-command dialing.

You can also play a ton of basic games...and, oh, by the way, you can make phone calls, too.

I am looking to upgrade soon but this little phone was a godsend. It's durable, light, and compact.

Nice product.

Matt

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