Samsung SGH-T509
| By Allen TsaiLast year Samsung entered the ultra-thin arena with its MM-A900 clamshell for Sprint, battling against and reminiscent of Motorola's popular RAZR handset. Although eerily similar in form and design, the MM-A900 was technologically more advanced, upgrading and improving many features consumers griped about on the RAZR.
Released this month, Samsung's latest slim phone debuts on T-Mobile store shelves. Designed to go head-to-head against the Motorola SLVR L6, the new SGH-T509 hopes to improve and enhance features lacking in Motorola's iconic phone to dominate the "credit card" phone market.
Adding improvements over the SLVR L6, the T509 features high-speed EDGE connectivity and a large 262K-color screen. With external similarities with the SLVR, comparisons are undoubtedly going to be made.
Currently Motorola has three SLVR-family handsets available, the high-end L7 (with iTunes), the mid-level L6, and the entry level L2. Since the T509 is a mid-level device priced competitively with the L6, further references to the SLVR will mean the SLVR L6.
Going against Motorola's SLVR L6, the T509 hopes to offer consumers another fashionable choice when deciding which ultra-thin phone to go with.
Design
Providing another slim and sleek fashion phone, Samsung managed to create the T509 at 117 x 46 x 9.8 mm in size. Measuring about 0.4-inches, it's remarkably even thinner than the SLVR, and the slimmest handset launched in North America. As the latest entry into the growing market of "credit card" phones (similar in shape and size, albeit slightly longer and narrower), the T509 may make even iPod Nano owners envious.
Featuring clean lines and a particular attention to aesthetics, the T509 offers an improved LCD screen and tactile keypad compared to the SLVR.
Prominently displaying a brilliant 262K-color LCD screen, consumers can view images at 176 x 220 px in resolution. With standard navigation using a 5-way keypad, the front of the T509 also features standard Send, Power / End, Clear, and Left and Right Soft Keys. And unlike the one-piece wafer numeric keypad of the SLVR, the T509 provides more conventional individual keys for faster text messaging and improved feedback.
Providing a minimalist approach to design, the left edge only contains Volume Keys, while the right side houses the Camera Key.
Turned around, the lens to the built-in VGA camera resides on the back, with a mirror nearby to take self-portraits or group shots. For loud and clear handsfree speakerphone operation, a dedicated speaker grill is adjacent to the lens.
Samsung took great care to minimize not just the T509's thickness, but also its weight. And at only 2.7 ounces, consumers may just forget they're carrying the T509 in their pocket.
But Samsung may have been too successful. As a consequence, the T509 almost feels too lightweight. Lacking the heft which conveys quality materials, the T509 suffers in build-quality compared to the SLVR L7's heavier hybrid glass-filled body; added to enhance stability and rigidity. The T509 feels fragile, but consumers shouldn't worry. For everyday wear and tear, the T509 is deceivingly resilient, standing up well to the accidental bump or drop.
Out of the box, the Samsung SGH-T509 comes with a standard 800 mAh Li-Ion Battery, Charger, Handsfree Headset, and User Manual.
Camera
Pressing the dedicated Camera Key activates the T509's integrated VGA (0.3-megapixel) camera. Identical in quality to the cameras found on the Motorola SLVR and RAZR (released last year), the picture resolution is usable at best, only able to capture photos at up to 640 x 480 px.
Picture quality can also be lowered to QVGA (320 x 240 px), QCIF (176 x 132 px), or Sub-QCIF (128 x 96) px, but at those resolutions the images are practically unusable. Consumers will probably stay with VGA (640 x 480 px) since approximate image file sizes are only 50 KB; almost insignificant compared to the storage space available.
With imaging technology on phones pushing past 1-megapixel to 2- and above, the T509's camera is quite poor, using outdated imaging technology. However, the T509 is a fashion phone. And similar to the other ultra-thin devices, the T509 was never meant to have strong features in imaging. At best, consumers can expect grainy photos unfit for prints, ideal for phone wallpapers or a quick snapshot when users leave their digital camera at home.
Controlling Brightness Levels (Up / Down) and the 4X Zoom (Left / Right) with the directional keypad, users can quickly adjust basic functions.
Surprisingly the T509 also comes bundled with many useful filters found on high-end camera phones. Aside from common functions such as Effects, Timers, and Frames, the T509 contains various Shooting Modes (Single Shot, Multi-Shot, and Night Shot), Spot Focus, and ISO Settings (Auto, 100, 200, 400).
For full-motion capture, the T509 produces videos in 3GP format. Grainy and choppy, mobile video up to 15 seconds in length can be recorded at QCIF (176 x 144 px) or Sub-QCIF (128 x 96 px), a slight improvement in resolution to the L6.
Overall the T509's camera is best suited for taking snapshots, but not for print. VGA cameras were found on phones two years ago, several generations in terms of cell phone advancement.
Oddly though, the filters and effects are quite good. But pairing them with outdated technology makes them pretty much useless.
Basic Features
The tri-band (850/1800/1900 MHz) T509 (released for T-Mobile) operates on GSM frequencies worldwide, provided it is unlocked.
By default the T509 is locked to the T-Mobile network (since it's an exclusive device). As a common carrier practice to prevent customers from taking discounted phones (purchased in conjunction with a plan) to other carriers, good-standing customers can usually request the unlock code after 90 days of service. Only after it's unlocked will users be able to take it to other GSM networks worldwide.
Samsung rated the T509's 800 mAh Li-Ion battery at a mediocre 3.5 hours and 168 hours (7 days) of talk and standby times respectively, slightly less than the SLVR's optimal times. However, when manufacturers and carriers list talk and standby times, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Actual talk and standby times are lower.
Screen
Developed by consumer electronics giant Samsung, experience from making high-end televisions have undoubtedly been transferred onto the small screen. And the T509 doesn't disappoint.
Offering a brilliant 262K-color (24-bit) LCD, the T509's screen provides similar color and contrast to the SLVR's display, but with much better clarity. Due to more pixels (176 x 220 px) on its large 1.8-inch display (over the SLVR's 128 x 160 px LCD), the T509 provides sharper imaging with more detail.
Using TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LCD technology, the T509's screen is manufacturer with circuit transistors placed directly on the glass. Offering faster refresh rates from not having to each scan pixel location (compared to other LCD technology such as STN), the T509 is ideal for fast changing applications in various lighting conditions.
While many devices currently past 262K- and up to 16.7 million-color displays, the T509 offers an exceptional screen for its price point. Complementing its sleek design, the bright and clear LCD is the focal point of T509's slim design, and the foundation to all other multimedia capabilities.
Audio
With limited memory and the lack of an expansion card slot, audio capabilities are virtually nonexistent. Unlike Motorola which still included an MP3 Player on the L6, not enough memory was available to make it particularly useful.
Samsung instead decided just not to include it. Still supporting MP3 ringtones, the T509 users can download "HiFi Ringers" from T-Mobile for real clips of music.
Messaging
Something that isn't mentioned much about phones is well-designed numeric keypads. And as a drawback to optimizing its profile, the SLVR's wafer-keypad was difficult to type on.
Offering a conservative layout with individual keys (rather than a wave-layout on the SLVR), users will comfortably sending text messages on the T509. Providing tactile feedback necessary for quick and efficient typing, the T509 offers all the standards on present day cell phones including SMS (Short Messaging Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), and MMS (Multimedia Message Service).
As standard with T-Mobile devices, the T509 also comes preinstalled with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. Providing real-time chat from a wireless device, consumers no longer need to end the conversation with family and friends. With the T509, users can keep the conversation alive just as if they were sitting in front of a PC. Airtime charges may apply.
Entertainment
The T509 comes preinstalled with a few essential applications such as Alarm, Calculator, Calendar, Stopwatch, Timer, Unit Conversion, and World Timer. Arch Angel, Freekick, Forgotten Warrior, and a demo version of Midnight Pool come on the T509 as well. While there's no dedicated email client, T-Mobile customers can access common providers' accounts through T-Zones.
To install additional applications and games, the T509 runs on the J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) mobile platform. As the most popular mobile application platform for cell phones today, many developers and companies have created "mobile versions" of popular PC applications, with games resembling old 80s console titles.
Consumers can download programs through the Internet or through T-Zones online service (costing a small fee from $2.99 to $6.99 apiece).
Internet
The T509 comes with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Class 10 to allow users to surf the web at up to 48 kbps. But customers will probably opt for EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution) technology, T-Mobile's 3G high-speed network.
EDGE allows the T509 to transfer 3 to 4 times faster than traditional GPRS networks by achieving realistic rates of around 70-135 kbps.
For convenience, T-Mobile gives its customers access to T-Zones, its online multimedia service. Through the service, users can connect to send messages, check email, or purchase multimedia, or access a variety of premium services.
Should users need information on the road, 411 directory assistance comes in handy. By calling live operators available 24/7, customers can get movie listings, weather reports, horoscopes, sports scores, restaurant listings, stock quotes, and more. Three listings cost $1.49.
Storage
Without an expansion card slot, users will need to practice memory management should they run out space. But lacking memory-intensive applications such as an MP3 player, and only a VGA camera, consumers should be fine with what they have.
Connectivity
Capable of transmitting and receiving data wirelessly through Bluetooth within a 10 meter range, the T509 can pair with peripheral devices including headsets, car handsfree systems, PCs, printers, PDAs, and digital cameras. As the already-popular Bluetooth standard grows even more popular, more and more devices in a wide range of industries are adopting the standard.
Conclusion
It's fairly obvious that Samsung spent much of its efforts on the T509's design. Building a device even thinner than Motorola's iconic devices was no easy task, and Samsung also managed to improve usability and features. However, as appealing as the exterior is, the T509 only rather mediocre on function.
By integrating a past-generation VGA camera and the lack of audio capabilities, the T509 doesn't stand up to the multimedia phones on the market today. With the absence of an expansion card slot, the limited internal memory cripples any significant multimedia applications consumers could use. But then again, the T509 and Motorola's ultra-thin devices weren't really designed to offer robust functionality. Instead focus was placed on getting the aesthetic appeal to lure fashion-conscious consumers.
The T509 is undoubtedly sexy, and being initially priced at around $50 with a plan, surprisingly affordable as well. Competing directly against Motorola's SLVR L6 (similar in features), the T509 moves slightly ahead as the better value by offering a higher-resolution LCD screen and EDGE broadband technology. While the L6 contains an MP3 player (which the T509 does not), its limited memory makes it practically useless.
For consumers who can spend a lot more (about $200 with a plan), the SLVR L7 with iTunes should be considered. But realistically the SLVR L6 is more within the price range of the T509. And in comparison, the T509 looks to be the better value, offering a head-turning profile for consumers desiring fashion at an affordable price.
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Won't Buy Again
Pros:
well. The battery cover comes off too easy now, but that's to be expected with a bit of abuse. I like the slim fit; it is very comfortable to hold in my hand while I talk on the phone. Most "clamshell" phones give my hand a cramp if I have to talk on them for more than a couple minutes, but this one doesn't.
Cons:
I really don't like the T509 very much. I bought it when all the hype was going on right after they released it. The guy at the store pushed me towards it a lot. I got the impression that they were just trying to get as many of them out the door as possible.
I really don't like the UI. I prefer Motorola's UI, but that is just a matter of preference. I just feel like I had a whole lot more options on my last Motorola phone (and that has been a while). This one is very simple to use, but I like a more customizable interface.
I have the same problem with the alarm as everyone else. I have the same problem with the ringtone volume. I did some research, and found a couple programs so that I could create my own ring tones (chop up MP3s and convert them to.SMAF) but even when I increase the mater volume of the song in the data file, the volume is pitifully quiet.
The vibrate function blows as well. I almost always have mine on vibrate because I am at work or in school (I do both full time) and it is hard to tell sometimes if it vibrated or not. It also randomly vibrates at times when I am not getting a call or a message. Maybe I have dropped it to many times, but I think it has done that from day one.
The last thing I don't like is the predictive text. I enter words into the dictionary when it doesn't have them, and the same word isn't always there. Sometimes it remembers my entries and sometimes it doesn't. I know I have entered the word "meow" like 15 times, and it just doesn't seem to hold the words I put in.
I wouldn't buy it again.
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46 out of 49 people found this review helpful.
Gripes
Pros:
- It's slim and light. The screen is sharp and clear. Camera is pretty good. Zoom is a nice feature. Video is alright (considering that I did not have this on my previous phone.) Basically, it is cosmetically nice.
I have had Sprint for the past five years and decided to go with T-Mobile because they were the ones who gave me the best deal on a phone. But now that I think of it, I should have shelled out a little more money for a nicer phone and gone with Verizon or better yet, Cingular.
My last phone was an oldie by today's standards. It was a Sanyo and it had a camera but not video or Bluetooth. The phone I bought from T-Mobile is the T509. I've had it for about two weeks now.
Cons:
- Unfortunately, I have to jump on the band wagon. The ringer is not loud at all. The vibrate setting is really weak. I don't ever hear the phone when I have text or voice messages waiting and I barely hear it when it rings.
- The reception is horrible. I live in Miami, so it's not like I live in the country or mountains somewhere, where good reception is not to be expected. But every call that I have made so far has ended with either myself or the person on the other end saying, "Call me back from a land line. I can't hear you."
- Oh, and another thing -- when you talk to someone, the highest volume is weak. I can barely hear anyone and have to talk to them on the speakerphone but with it to my ear like a regular call. I'm pretty young, and my hearing is very good. So I see no reason why I have to almost shove my phone into my ear to hear someone. And just barely at that.
I am sad to report that I have more gripes than compliments. Before I bought the phone I saw this forum about the phone and against the better word, decided to come to my own opinion.
Conclusion: I am pretty disappointed with this phone and would not recommend it to anyone. My last phone was a clamshell and this time around I wanted an open face one. I am sad that my return time has expired and I seem to be stuck with T-Mobile for the next two years. I don't see paying $300+ for a phone. I don't need it to be my iPod or my Organizer or my Internet connection. I just need to talk. And maybe snap a picture or two. Maybe in time, T-Mobile will come out with another phone I like, and then maybe I won't have to shell out a quarters' week pay on a phone. But so far, it looks like I've made a bad decision.
Bottom line: When you try to take the cheap way out, you end up paying double.
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45 out of 48 people found this review helpful.
Slick Stick
Pros:
The T509 is slick. I happened to walk into a T-Mobile store the week it was released looking to buy a new phone, anyway. I prefer the straight phones as they're not as bulky as any clamshell phone. Being a guy opposed to any type of bag I was looking for something that wouldn't take up precious pocket space. The price with a new contract at $50 was something I could deal with, and far cheaper than a lot of others out there.
I love having the ability to send text messages to multiple people at once, which is something the cheaper phones I'm used to couldn't do.
Cons:
One thing that was odd for me was the navigation arrows. When I simply pressed some of the arrow keys it seemed the cursor only moved when it felt like it! I was ticked off and actually took it back to get an exchange. They obliged and the same problem was on the second phone. Then after calming down I noticed the directional keys formed a small, circular bowl. So in order to be consistent, rather than pushing down on the outer edge of the bowl as I was doing at first, it works if your thumb is more on inside of the bowl, pushing outward.
Sometimes my big fingers get clumsy on the small keypad and I end up tiptoeing around. I'll be using my headsets very little as I like putting the stick right to my ear. This phone is as slick as you think it is.
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33 out of 36 people found this review helpful.
Exactly What I Want, But...
Pros:
- Slim, large display, nice keypad, better UI (over Motorola), functional
I was on the brink of going crazy with T-Mobile. My contract had been up for two months and my Motorola V300 was killing me -- I couldn't stand the phone anymore. I scoured the Internet trying to find out when T-Mobile was coming out with new phones and that's when I came across this little guy.
This phone fit my needs (almost) perfectly. My prior V300 was somewhat of a bulge in my pants and definitely wasn't the most comfortable thing to carry around when going out for the evening. That is why the slimness feature of this phone had such great appeal to me. I can carry it in my front pocket of my jeans and it isn't cumbersome at all.
I hated the user interface on my V300 and I think that Samsung has done a notably improved job over Motorola. The only slight complaint that I have here is that Motorola allowed me to customize my soft keys and arrow shortcuts. If there is a way to do this on the T509, I have not discovered it yet. While not a huge issue, it is kind of annoying every time I hit the upper-right soft key thinking that it is my calendar only to find myself connecting to T-Zones.
I am super satisfied with the large screen this phone has to offer. I feel like it really makes a difference when scrolling through menus and viewing contact information, everything is more comprehensive and less disjointed.
If there is anyone out there debating between this phone and the Slvr, other than the improved user interface, the keys on the T509 are a lot more practical and useable.
Also, I am not one for the "fancy" features that now seem to dominate the cell phone market. I do not care for my cell phone to play my MP3s... that’s why I have an MP3 player. Even though the phone has Bluetooth, I do not use it. I will admit, however, that the camera is a nice feature to have and it is markedly improved over the V300's. Other than that, I love this phone because it is so basic and very intuitive for me.
Overall, I gave this phone a high rating because I love it for what it is: beautiful design, very functional and easy to use. The slenderness is very attractive and I am proud to use it (if that doesn't sound too weird). Again, the only hard thing is actually knowing when you are receiving a call sometimes. But, even with the aforementioned shortcomings of this phone, it is still the only phone I would buy that is currently on the market.
Cons:
- Sometimes too imperceptible: ringer volume not loud enough and vibrate not very strong, internal antenna reduces reception
Actually, the size aspect is also a double-edged sword: sometimes the phone is too imperceptible. Often I find myself leaving the phone around the house because it is so unnoticeable and then find that I have already missed several calls because the ringer volume is not very loud. I know that different phones have different scales of loudness, but this one only goes up to 5, and 5 is not very loud, at all.
Furthermore, the vibration is not very strong either. In somewhat baggy, men’s shorts I could not feel the phone when on vibrate in the front pocket. This is probably my biggest grievance about this phone. It gets high marks in every other category, but ringer alert in both forms is very poor. It just seems to take a little extra awareness, which is ironic since that is exactly what the thinness aspect is supposed to dispel.
The only other thing I would have to say is that my reception does not seem to be quite as strong and I am pretty sure that it is due to the phone's internal antenna. I think one other reviewer had problems with the sound quality, I have found the sound to be plenty loud and clear (reception permitting). Although, I do have to keep it at its loudest setting and I have not tried using it in a crowded or noisy setting.
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41 out of 45 people found this review helpful.
Ringer Volume Problem
Pros:
My only complaint is the volume of the ringer and the message tones.
Cons:
I can't hear this phone ring and I can't hear the message indicator. Also, even though I've set the message indicator to ring every minute, I never hear it after the first ring. If I can't resolve this, I'll have to try to get around it somehow by recording or importing an extremely loud tone (will that even work?) or by trading it in. Or, I'll just have to let people know on my voice mail that I can't hear either the ringer or the message indicator and that I'll get back to them whenever I notice I have a message. Maybe that's not so bad after all.
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22 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
No Ringer Problems
Pros:
I got my T509 and messed around with it and didn't like it at first. My last two phones were Motorola phones and I knew how to navigate through those. The navigation is different, to say the least. The text messaging keys are way different, but now that I have it figured out, it's okay.
The guy that said the ringer isn't loud enough and the vibrate function isn't very good, is deaf. My ringer is plenty loud enough and the vibrate mode makes my entire body vibrate when it's in my back pocket. He must have a different phone.
All in all, I like it. It's lightweight, easy to use and smaller than my Razr. It's just a different brand, so things work differently. It's just like buying a new car. You have to get used to the way it works and looks. I'm glad I purchased it.
Cons:
I use the alarm on my phone on a regular basis and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Don't know why. I'm working on figuring that out.
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30 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
No MP3 Ringers
Pros:
This is a good little phone. It's amazing the thing can do everything it does in such a small package. However... it is really small! Almost too small in that it barely fits in my female hands.
Cons:
One thing I really have a beef about now is it doesn't really support MP3 ringers. It will let you play MP3s but it won't let you select one as a ringer. I went to a T-Mobile store and the sales guy thought it did and once I showed him mine and he tried out the floor model he was surprised it didn't. Where you select ringers, the MP3s are greyed out while the others aren't. The phone even comes with a couple MP3s and you can't select them.
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19 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
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Features
- Stylish and super-slim profile measuring just 9.8 mm, even thinner than the Motorola RAZR and SLVR
- Bright and vivid 262K-color screen for clear and crisp imaging
- Integrated VGA camera with 4x zoom and dedicated one touch video capture and playback
- Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free conversations
- Enhanced T9 for text messaging via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and instant messaging on the most popular platforms (AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger)
- WAP 2.0 compliant browser with EDGE for high-speed data transmission
Specs
Form Factor:
Block
Dimensions:
117 x 46 x 10 mm
Weight:
77 g
Navigation:
5-Way Keypad
Battery Type:
800 mAh Li-Ion
Talk Time:
3.5 hours
Standby Time:
7 days
Processor:
Memory:
7.0 MB
Expandable Memory:
No
262,000 colors (176 x 220 px)
External Screen:
No
Camera:
0.3 MP / 640 x 480 px / 4X Zoom / Multi-Shot / Self-Timer / Video Recorder
Multimedia:
Yes
FM Radio:
No
Push-To-Talk:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Bluetooth:
Yes
PC Sync:
Yes
(0.74 W/kg)
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