vB Easy Archive - Samsung A500

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Samsung A500
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Posted by: Ralphieboi

Does have anyone have any feedback on the Samsung A500 that Bell World locations will be launching on Monday? How does it compare to Telus's Samsung A520?

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

A500:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=158

Modes AMPS 800 / CDMA 800 / CDMA 1900
Weight 3.60 oz (102g)
Dimensions 3.46" x 1.97" x 0.80" (88mm x 50mm x 20mm)
Form Factor Folder
Battery Life Talk: 2.50 hours
Standby: 216.00 hours (9 days)
Battery Type LiIon
Display Type: LCD (Color)
Size: 128x160 pixels
TFT / 4096 colors / up to 12 lines of text
Antenna Type Stub / Extendable
Navigation Keys 4-Way Keys
Phone Book Capacity 250
Ringtones 20
10 standard / 10 melodies

A520:
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?id=164

Modes AMPS 800 / CDMA 800 / CDMA 1900
Weight 3.60 oz (102g)
Dimensions 3.46" x 1.83" x 0.91" (88mm x 46mm x 23mm)
Form Factor Folder
Battery Life Talk: 3.00 hours
Standby: 120.00 hours (5 days)
Battery Type LiIon
Display Type: LCD (Color)
65,000 colors / STN
Antenna Type Stub / Extendable
Navigation Keys 4-Way Keys
Phone Book Capacity 250
Ringtones ?
FCC ID A3LSPHA520 (Approved Jun 4, 2002)

Main and biggest difference is the screen.

Good luck.

Posted by: shaner

Actually, the screen on the A500 is a TFT one (Like on a laptop), while the A520 is LCD. That's the only real difference.

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Indeed:

A500
Display Type: LCD (Color)
Size: 128x160 pixels
TFT / 4096 colors / up to 12 lines of text

A520
Display Type: LCD (Color)
65,000 colors / STN

Major difference in color count.

Posted by: Aravinth

An indepth review of popular color display phones.
Lot's of info on the A500...

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Who would have predicted cellphones to take such good pictures...

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by shaner
Actually, the screen on the A500 is a TFT one (Like on a laptop), while the A520 is LCD. That's the only real difference.

The a520 does not use LCD screen. Its STN which is like TFT but I think its a Samsung variation of it which is more efficient.

As for phonebook capacity the a520 allows up to 500 names and up to 6 entries per name.

Also, for ringers the phone comes preloaded with 10 ringers...I think 20 melodies, and allows you to download an additional 20 ringtones.

It also holds 10 downloaded wallpapers.

Posted by: laglessserf

what about Bells A500, can you d/l your OWN ringtones/images or is there d/l processing as complex as Telus cause if I can get my own Ringtones....Good Bye Telus, I swear, that was the last line when Telus started charing me for ringtones...

Posted by: some-gei

Quote:

Originally posted by Xirc
The a520 does not use LCD screen. Its STN which is like TFT but I think its a Samsung variation of it which is more efficient.

I think some people are confused with their acronyms here...

The a520 DOES use an LCD screen, just like every other colour cell phone... it just uses a STN-LCD screen as opposed to the TFT screen found in the a500.

STN ("super-twisted nematic") LCDs are passive matrix displays, less expensive to manufacture, but also generally inferior in display quality compared to TFT-LCDs. TFT-LCDs are active matrix displays, and so offer higher-grade images, but are more expensive to manufacture.

The main difference is the refresh rate... STN's refresh slower... in things like laptops STN-LCDs often produce "ghosting" effects -- left over traces as images disappear, such as when a mouse cursor is moved across the screen. This matters much less in cell phones however as nothing moves very fast across the screen.

Developing STN technology has also narrowed the gap between the quality of STN-LCDs and TFT-LCDs, while offering better profit margins.

Posted by: shaner

Thanks, sunil.

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

i read some spec differences between the TFT and STN screens and a TFT has many significant advantages..refresh rate (in milliseconds), contrast capability, brightness, etc.

Posted by: eRevo_Steve

Does anyone know at this point if the a500 support own image/ringtone upload from the comfort of your own pc?

Posted by: Xirc

I heard no. Must be downloaded from Bell Mobility.

Posted by: eRevo_Steve

Thankx Xirc. It seems that I won't be able to get what I want in one small device. Telus will most likely do the same with the 5300 as the a520...

Yup, they need to take a cut from every situation to be more profitable.

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Just like eveything else we buy....

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by laglessserf
what about Bells A500, can you d/l your OWN ringtones/images or is there d/l processing as complex as Telus cause if I can get my own Ringtones....Good Bye Telus, I swear, that was the last line when Telus started charing me for ringtones...

Uhh...Rogers charges for ringtones too...

MW

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by dirtyjeffer
i read some spec differences between the TFT and STN screens and a TFT has many significant advantages..refresh rate (in milliseconds), contrast capability, brightness, etc.

I'm sure the slower refresh rate (while of huge importance in a pissing contest) probably has benefits in terms of energy usage though. The battery life on the a520 has been superlative in terms of other colour phones, and there has been no ghosting on my phone, having used it since the day it was released. I find the phone to be exceedingly bright, and the display performs extremely well in terms of crispness and smooth images on the screen. In terms of proactical usage, I think the displays are probably remarkably close. What we need is a head-to head- comparison test. I would put my phone up against any other colour CDMA phone in Canada. Any takers?

MW

Posted by: static

Quote:

Originally posted by mwelch
What we need is a head-to head- comparison test. I would put my phone up against any other colour CDMA phone in Canada. Any takers?

MW

I will pit my a520 against yours any day!

Posted by: laglessserf

Quote:

Originally posted by mwelch
Uhh...Rogers charges for ringtones too...

MW

I know why you said this as my details state I'm switching to Rogers soon, but ALTHOUGH Rogers DOES charge for ringtones, the phone I'm planing on IMPORTING has infrared therefore I can get my own Ringtones

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

i just heard that the A500 is the highest rated phone in the US right now...if that means anything to anyone up here.

Posted by: shaner

Yep. Read about it here....

http://electronics.cnet.com/electro...4-20670518.html

The A500 is a CNet Editors' Choice Award winner.

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by dirtyjeffer
i just heard that the A500 is the highest rated phone in the US right now...if that means anything to anyone up here.

The a520 is a Telus exclusive... nobody in the states would be able to rate it.

Like I said above, let's have an a500 VS a520 cage match and see who is the real winner here in the greta white north.

MW

Posted by: Cyber 007

How much is Bell charging for the phone and are they planning on dropping the N370 already , they seem to be discounting it quite a bit .

My only beef with the N370 is the battery standbye time not more than 3 days

Posted by: snowkarver

Quote:

Originally posted by mwelch
I'm sure the slower refresh rate (while of huge importance in a pissing contest) probably has benefits in terms of energy usage though. The battery life on the a520 has been superlative in terms of other colour phones, and there has been no ghosting on my phone, having used it since the day it was released. I find the phone to be exceedingly bright, and the display performs extremely well in terms of crispness and smooth images on the screen. In terms of proactical usage, I think the displays are probably remarkably close. What we need is a head-to head- comparison test. I would put my phone up against any other colour CDMA phone in Canada. Any takers?

MW

Been using the a500 now since just before it's "official" release, and I'm reasonably confident now that it could go up against just about any officially-released phone in this country, regardless of network technology. (Yeah, well, ok the T68 has Bluetooth. But my screen is nicer....

)

Oh, and I'm currently not paying a dime for my ringtones.

Thanks, Bell. You rock. I promise to repay the $0.50 you lost on the download by being a loyal high-value customer for another 10 years (yes, I've been a BM subscriber since 1993)

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by mwelch
The a520 is a Telus exclusive... nobody in the states would be able to rate it.

Like I said above, let's have an a500 VS a520 cage match and see who is the real winner here in the greta white north.

MW

My money's on the A520. Bigger, more colourful screen for $200 less.

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Can I please know what difference does it make or who cares "what phone is better". THEY ARE BOTH FROM THE SAME COMPANY.

It's funny how others try to attack Bell any way they can, but in the end I would rather pay service from a company that has money to grow and innovate rather than pay monkey trainers to do commercials.

Geeez, "my phone is better than your phone".

Pissing contest anyone?

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by -- BellBoy --
but in the end I would rather pay service from a company that has money to grow and innovate rather than pay monkey trainers to do commercials.

As if the bell execs wouldn't kill to get ahold of the TELUS marketing team.

(Yes, this is a joke based on the pissing contest remark because in retaliation I have started another contest which is very funny ha ha woo hoo)

Okay I'm done

Posted by: Dreaderus

If Telus marketing is so strong I wonder what is bringing telus customers to bell in large groups, possibly the CS? or the rates both companies are good just see this happening alot lately.

Dreaderus

Posted by: rip

I'll post my opimions later as the A500 is not activated yet...BM activation center was very BUSY on the 24th and still is as I type.

here's a few pics

Posted by: rip

2

Posted by: rip

3

Posted by: rip

4

I got the A500 because I'm really PRO BM and I've never had a problem since DAY1...I'm one of the original subcribers to BM

One thing I can say so far the ear piece is louder and the screen on the A500 though slightly smaller is a lot more "crisper"...but more on that as I await my activation to be completed.

rip

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

with that side by side comparison of the scene with fish, you can definitely see that the A500, even though offers less colours, is by far a more colourful of a screen...the contrast difference is also very noticeable...but i still agree that the A520 is a good deal at its current price too, after all, it is almost half the price.

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by Dreaderus
If Telus marketing is so strong I wonder what is bringing telus customers to bell in large groups, possibly the CS? or the rates both companies are good just see this happening alot lately.

Dreaderus

This is a futile argument considerint that Bell has pretty much the exact same churn rate as telus.

I think the trend is for Rogers and Fido clients to move to Bell and TELUS.

Posted by: rip

I like both phones equally well (ergonomics and cosmetics)...it's the reception that has made me move to the A500...once the activation kicks in I will report on RF and other things that you guys will want to know just ask your questions cause I'm no Howard)...even though I'm slightly biased towards BM I will always give my honest findings, because when I do use a phone ...I would like that phone to work well and not drop calls etc., (I know there will always be dead spots)

The activation still hasn't been completed, well it is "xmas" and the ppl I got it from did tell me it will not be activated for a couple of days ...he knows how many phones I have so he knows it doesn't bother me that much (they were tell all those signing up about the back log). I don't think that BM anticipated the volume that was coming in! I heard those $79 specials were flying out the door and the A500s right behind them!

I'm still waiting for the K7135 and I still icthing to get a Thera and still drooling over Howard's PPC smartphone.

rip
hope you all are having a Merry Xmas

Posted by: Dreaderus

Xirc Telus has never had the same churn rate as Bell.

We all like to brand our employers but my statment was not weak, nor was it an argument. It appears that a large portion of former telus customers are coming to bell to give us a try. You will have to live with that reality.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but in the past 5 years has telus ever had the same Churn rate as bell? I do not think so, but if you wish to bring churn up as a playing card, I think Bell Mobility has had the best churn of any cellular based company in North America in many years.

But hey what do I know.

Dreaderus

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by Dreaderus
Xirc Telus has never had the same churn rate as Bell.

We all like to brand our employers but my statment was not weak, nor was it an argument. It appears that a large portion of former telus customers are coming to bell to give us a try. You will have to live with that reality.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but in the past 5 years has telus ever had the same Churn rate as bell? I do not think so, but if you wish to bring churn up as a playing card, I think Bell Mobility has had the best churn of any cellular based company in North America in many years.

But hey what do I know.

Dreaderus

In Q3 of 2002 TELUS churn rate was 1.69 while Bell was 1.7. So, technically, TELUS in fact had a lower churn rate than Bell and thus the lowest churn of any North American carrier.

TELUS clients are not defecting in large numbers, and neither are Bell clients. Sure they pass some back and forth, but it works both ways.

Posted by: Dreaderus

Ok if you feel basing one quarter and concluding that they are equal in the churn business thats cool, but if it were reversed and Telus had lower churn then bell every single quarter in recent memory would this argument be going the other way ?

Dreaderus

Posted by: rip

the external displays are the same size and shape, but the actual screen at rest of the A520 reminds me of the Motos optimax the A500 is mono green. Backlight on both are turned on by the side button and are both blue.
Messages are different though.

Posted by: rip

I neither like nor dislike either screens...they're both easy to read, regardless of size or colour ...for exact specs look at the web site www.samsung.ca. The refresh rate does "seem" a little faster on the A500, but very close.

Posted by: rip

the screen on the A500 is brighter, but goes to "black" after a few seconds...the A520's stays on. Here the A520s screen actually looks better to me?

Posted by: rip

p

Posted by: rip

The keypads of the A520 same as the N105, the A500 same/similar to the N370, for me both were easy to use

Posted by: rip

i did a 3-way conference with friends on
Telus, Bell, Fido and Rogers
*Audio was clean on both incoming and outgoing
Correction: I did get a little static with calls to "Rogers GSM & TDMA" with the A520 nothing on the A500

One thing I must say though...where I had the volume button @6 on the A520, it was set @ 4 on the A500.

The ringer volume is much louder on the A500, but these are my first phones with Poly ringers. As for 'drop calls" everyhing was done in my house so I'll report back if I do find I get/do not get better reception as I move around.

Conclusion, well for me both performed "equally" well, I still have a slight prefence towards the A500 because of the volume levels...I know that it is difficult to hear when I'm in a mall or noisy space with the A520...today I'll find out how the A500 performs.

Posted by: Freezer

out here in west, I think that whether you are with Bell or Telus is redundant, they basically have the same coverage. I have used bell and telus, but I flocked back to telus at the end of my bell term since they billed by the second after the first minute and my calls were usually less than minute. I also went to a Bell World Kiosk later and they had "Billing by the second" I asked the sales rep and they were ill informed. I tend to believe that out west, bell employees are not as well informed as telus dealers. My 2 friends both signed 2 year contracts and one was told that they get double minutes for the first year, another was told for the entire length of the contract. One got 1 month's internet usage free and another was told no. They both signed for the same phone/plan and around the same time but at 2 different bell worlds. but is it correct? such discrepancies?

My second beef with bell is that they changed my account number in the middle of my contract. when I called to cancel they added a penalty which was not suppose to be there since my contract has ended but when they changed my account number they also changed the contract dates. but they cleaned up that mess.

The most important thing was that bell phones seem to be more expensive than telus on a month to month basis. My T-130 broke and I thought it was a crappy sounding phone which dropped one too many calls so I decided that to hell with that. I do admit that telus seem to have much cooler phones than telus at this moment in time.

Posted by: rip

Now that I've done the drive around and go to the Malls to check reception...yada...yada, I'll stay with the A500...mind you if I only had the Telus account , that would have been good enough for me too. So in a nut shell if you're on Telus you're A520 is "it" and the same holds for the A500 on BM. (for now ...for a colour screen)

Now someone PLEASE tell me how to add a BM account to my A520.

Any info appreciated thanks.

Posted by: Freezer

whoops haha I meant Telus has cooler phones than Bell

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Cooler phones, yes.... For now. Give Bell another year to retire the old stuff and get new and cooler phones, which they already have begun, and we will see.

Bell also has a wider selection.

Posted by: rip

I was told the K7135 might be in stores as early as mid January?

YAAAAAAY...better scrape up some more moola. Finally I will be able to end this "maniacal" <<< is that a word?... search for a all-in-one phone *CDMA ver*(sans camera)...I really don't want a "Tablet" yet until that shrinks a little more.(size wise ...price I hope too)

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by Dreaderus
Ok if you feel basing one quarter and concluding that they are equal in the churn business thats cool, but if it were reversed and Telus had lower churn then bell every single quarter in recent memory would this argument be going the other way ?

Dreaderus

You could look at historical data and conclude that Bell has a lower year to date churn etc, but you still can't ignore the trends present in the data. Bell and TELUS both have very low churn.

In fact its so low that if anything in the future it will increase.

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by -- BellBoy --
Cooler phones, yes.... For now. Give Bell another year to retire the old stuff and get new and cooler phones, which they already have begun, and we will see.

Bell also has a wider selection.

By the time your "year" is up, Telus will have rotated the lineup again... the Lg 520 and the V120x will be ready to retire by then...

MW

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

- Samsung A500
- Samsung A460
- AudioVox 8500
- Kyocera 5135
- Samsung n370
- Motorola V.60

upcoming
Kyocera 7135

Telus has cooler phones? Please match them. Does Telus even have this many phones? I didn't include the ones that will retire soon.

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by -- BellBoy --
- Samsung A500
- Samsung A460
- AudioVox 8500
- Kyocera 5135
- Samsung n370
- Motorola V.60

upcoming
Kyocera 7135

Telus has cooler phones? Please match them. Does Telus even have this many phones? I didn't include the ones that will retire soon.

a500 VS. a520(299.99/199 on 2yr term)... this matchup has been discussed elsewhere

Audiovox 8500 VS. LG TM520(199.99/99.99 on 2yr term)...This one would be very favourable for the LG. It has a large screen, great battery life, and very similar features. The only thing it lacks is a two-way speakerphone.

a460 VS. a540 (219.99/119.99 on 2yr term)...The a540 has a larger screen, is tri-mode just like the 460, has the much vaunted (on the Bell website) blue backlighting inside and out (and it's bright like a lighthouse is bright) changeable screen savers. DL graphics and ringers, 3 games, 8 lines of text plus titles...very similar features...I find the presentation is a little nicer than the 460. Personal preference.

V60 VS V60 (249/149 on 2yr term)... 'nuff said.

Kyocera 5135 VS. Sony Ericsson T206 (129.99/29.99 on 2yr term)

Display size is just about the same, Kyo has no external LCD, so it might as well be open-faced, extensive voice activation features on the T206, DL graphics and ringers, graphics editor, bright blue backlight, excellent sound quality...changeable faceplates...

n370 VS Audiovox 8300 (179.99/79.99 on 2 yr term) Large sharp display, two-way speaker phone, iconic menu structure, DL fun, very small and light, custom screen savers/backgrounds, voice dialling, voice-digit dialling, etc...

Next question:

What have you got that lines up against the V120x, the CDM8150? Not to mention all of OUR phones that are about to be discontinued... Oh, yeah, and out phones that are coming out inthe next few months, too....

MW

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

Quote:

Originally posted by mwelch
a500 VS. a520(299.99/199 on 2yr term)... this matchup has been discussed elsewhere

- The A500 is a much nicer phone. You seem to highlight the price, but you previously were talking about COOL phones. I didn't know you attached the price too. The A500 IS cool.

Audiovox 8500 VS. LG TM520(199.99/99.99 on 2yr term)...This one would be very favourable for the LG. It has a large screen, great battery life, and very similar features. The only thing it lacks is a two-way speakerphone.

Where do you get your prices??? The 8500 is 119$ for a 2 year plan....
- The LG has a relativaly small green screen, compared to the 7 different colors on the 8500. I personally think the LG is a cheap phone, and my friends that have it at work agree. The 8500 is pretty cool.

a460 VS. a540 (219.99/119.99 on 2yr term)...The a540 has a larger screen, is tri-mode just like the 460, has the much vaunted (on the Bell website) blue backlighting inside and out (and it's bright like a lighthouse is bright) changeable screen savers. DL graphics and ringers, 3 games, 8 lines of text plus titles...very similar features...I find the presentation is a little nicer than the 460. Personal preference.

Again, the A460 is 119$ for a 2 year plan...... So they are the same price....
- The A460 is a higher rated phone and it has a bigger screen than the A540. I compared both at work, and the guy that had it wanted to switch to Bell to get the A460. He hates his phone. I never tried so I can't speak. And we can d-load any ringtone we want, not restricted like the Telus phones.

V60 VS V60 (249/149 on 2yr term)... 'nuff said.
100$ difference.

Kyocera 5135 VS. Sony Ericsson T206 (129.99/29.99 on 2yr term)

Display size is just about the same, Kyo has no external LCD, so it might as well be open-faced, extensive voice activation features on the T206, DL graphics and ringers, graphics editor, bright blue backlight, excellent sound quality...changeable faceplates...

- But the Kyocera is 49$ for two years, and is much smaller. Don't forget you talked about coolness. You would rather have the T206 rahter than the 5135?

n370 VS Audiovox 8300 (179.99/79.99 on 2 yr term) Large sharp display, two-way speaker phone, iconic menu structure, DL fun, very small and light, custom screen savers/backgrounds, voice dialling, voice-digit dialling, etc...

- Geezzz, the n370 is 99$ for two years. Get your numbers straight.
And all the options you mentioned are on the n370 except for the two way peakerphone, and looks nicer. The battery life on the n370 is amazing.

Next question:

What have you got that lines up against the V120x, the CDM8150? Not to mention all of OUR phones that are about to be discontinued... Oh, yeah, and out phones that are coming out inthe next few months, too....

All the phones I mentioned came out (except for the n370 and v.60) in the last two months. Not bad, hey?

I will let the guys that work at Bell answer that one. Are you getting the 7135 too??

Too bad we didn't talk about service. Don't get me wrong, I do like Telus, but this is like comparing apples to oranges. Even if you try to minimize Bell's size and money, you really can't. If they inject the money they said they will, their network will be amazing within the next year.

Cheers.

MW

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Every company has their own share of cool phones. Some companies have more than others. Bell has traditionally lagged behind the market just as TELUS used to be behind when they were still a smaller regional carrier.

Its just an endless game of leapfrog as each company constantly releases new models.

That being said I've seen the line-ups for both Bell and TELUS for the next year and Bell will continue to lag behind for the next while, most noticeably in a couple months time.

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

The biggest drawback I had against Bell is the ugly lame phones they had. The winds now seem to change, and if they are as cool or not as Telus, I don't mind as I am and will be (as long as they don't ruin it for me) a Bell fan.

Now that the cooler phones are starting to show up, it makes me a little happier.

I am still amazed thay have the A500. That is way out of their previous style.

Cheers.

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by -- BellBoy --

I am still amazed thay have the A500. That is way out of their previous style.

Cheers.

True national competition usually improves the performance of all companies in the marketplace...'cause if you don't get better, you start losing money. It's a fact of life.

MW

Posted by: rip

Okay one thing I found, the phone gets hot when talking for a long time in my case exactly 1 hour and 25 minutes. This is due to the external battery and also due to the fact I had it in the pocket of my "Fleece" jacket (i'm using my handsfree earpiece)

This is the same as all phones with an external battery(well the one's that I've used), others like the V60c with an internal battery doesn't get as hot on the outside. This neither bothers me nor would deter me from purchasing another phone with an external battery.

Oh and I found another "dead zone" for BM, Telus (send and recieve)and Rogers (recieve only) around Major Mac/Hwy27.

More little tidbits on the A500 as I find them or till I get another phone

"Have a great time celebrating your New Years everyone and don't drink,drive and yap on yer cellphones

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by rip
Okay one thing I found, the phone gets hot when talking for a long time in my case exactly 1 hour and 25 minutes. This is due to the external battery and also due to the fact I had it in the pocket of my "Fleece" jacket (i'm using my handsfree earpiece)

This is the same as all phones with an external battery(well the one's that I've used), others like the V60c with an internal battery doesn't get as hot on the outside. This neither bothers me nor would deter me from purchasing another phone with an external battery.

Oh and I found another "dead zone" for BM, Telus (send and recieve)and Rogers (recieve only) around Major Mac/Hwy27.

More little tidbits on the A500 as I find them or till I get another phone

"Have a great time celebrating your New Years everyone and don't drink,drive and yap on yer cellphones "

How about some info regarding reception and voice quality? (You know, the stuff people actually care about). =)

Posted by: rip

Incoming very "clean" and "crisp" on the A500, got "static" on the A520 about 30% of the time and the earpiece was low and when I turned the volume up it became "staticky"

Outgoing on the A500 was very clean...one person did not know it was from a cell ...another forum memeber who knew I had just gotten the A500. The A520 would break up a bit I was told by that same forum member.

anything else? Like I said i'm no Howard so you have to ask.

Posted by: KJ

Could you compare the reception to any phones you had recently? (hopefully a V60c, but comparing to the A520 is cool too).

Meaning, were you able to recieve calls in low signal areas compared to your old phone etc.

Posted by: rip

The V60c compared to the A500 in my opinion was the same if not similar in both reception and transmission. The A500's earpiece sounds a bit more cleaner. As for the low signal areas...I haven't had the A500 long enough because I golf a lot in the summer and thats my biggest testing ground for reception, so far though every where I've been with the V60c, the A500 has also given me the same results full bars and no drop calls this includes most malls between Mississauga to Pickering. I must add most basements, apartment building's elevators and the Scarborough/Pickering border has given me dropped calls or no service.

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by rip
I must add most basements, apartment building's elevators and the Scarborough/Pickering border has given me dropped calls or no service.

Is this with the V60c, the A500 or both?

Posted by: rip

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
Is this with the V60c, the A500 or both?

Both so far, like I said the A500 is "new" and I haven't had a chance to take it everywhere I normally went with my former V60c

Posted by: KJ

Thanks for the feedback. At least I know the A500 doesn't suck reception wise like the Telus A520 and A540 do.

How's the battery life on the phone? That's the biggest problem with the phone I've seen on the internet reviews.

Posted by: rip

Full charge (1st) lasted approximately 2 days and about 2 hours of talk time...that's what I would get with my V60c...strangely enough my current V60i (GSM version) gives me about 3 hrs talk time and 4-5 days of standby

go figure.

I'm now on my 2nd full charge so let's see how that goes.

I leave the phone on till the phone dies then I charge overnight.

You're welcome to any info that I can supply you with as long as people realize I'm no Howard.

I also don't know about the A540 as I just recently joined the Telus camp, just to get the A520 a move I do somewhat regret. No I'm not "flaming" Telus...they work for some people, unfortunately not for me. I am however at this time very "happy" with the A500.

Posted by: KJ

Hey man, we know you're not Howard, but your opinion is definitely important and taken seriously.

Thanks for your input and help.

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
Thanks for the feedback. At least I know the A500 doesn't suck reception wise like the Telus A520 and A540 do.

Did I miss something?

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by Xirc
Did I miss something?

Maybe you did miss something.

Impartial Reviews of the Telus A520 and A540 by Steve Punter (who's opinion we all respect)

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
Maybe you did miss something.

Impartial Reviews of the Telus A520 and A540 by Steve Punter (who's opinion we all respect)

I've seen his review, but the a500 is nearly an identical phone so I don't see how there could really be that much of a sound quality difference.

Unless of course its another v60 scenario...

Posted by: static

Having used both phones in the GTA I can not agree that there is a sound quality or reception issue... it just depends on the area your in... I found that sometimes the a500 experienced sound issues in one area and the a520 did not. Then in a new area it was reversed... I would assume that might have something to do with the towers and my location... I find both phones equally attractive, reception and sound quality are =... the crispness of the a500 screen is quite nice but so is the size and colourful a520... the a520 has twice as much phone book memory... they are nice phones for what your budget might be... $300 versus $500 but keep in mind the a520 will go up to $400 with out a contract.

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by static
Having used both phones in the GTA I can not agree that there is a sound quality or reception issue... it just depends on the area your in... I found that sometimes the a500 experienced sound issues in one area and the a520 did not. Then in a new area it was reversed... I would assume that might have something to do with the towers and my location... I find both phones equally attractive, reception and sound quality are =... the crispness of the a500 screen is quite nice but so is the size and colourful a520... the a520 has twice as much phone book memory... they are nice phones for what your budget might be... $300 versus $500 but keep in mind the a520 will go up to $400 with out a contract.

The thing about Steve Punter's review is that he reviews a lot of phones and has used enough phones to make a valid comparison between the A520/A540 and other phone's he has tried. If you read the review, he says that the A520/A540 couldn't pick up a signal where another phone could. In my opinion, that's a big problem.

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by Xirc
I've seen his review, but the a500 is nearly an identical phone so I don't see how there could really be that much of a sound quality difference.

Unless of course its another v60 scenario...

Which V60 scenario are you reffering to? The one where the V60ci on Bell performs worse than the V60ci on Telus?

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
Which V60 scenario are you reffering to? The one where the V60ci on Bell performs worse than the V60ci on Telus?

well not the V60ci, as they are too new, but the regular V60c, yes...that scenario. two of my staff are pissed that they wasted their money on that phone.

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
Which V60 scenario are you reffering to? The one where the V60ci on Bell performs worse than the V60ci on Telus?

Yes, sort of. The two v60c models, while identical in hardware, performed quite differently between TELUS and Bell.

The Bell phones performed very poorly, while the TELUS ones (after initial software bugs) performed very well.

TELUS will not be carrying the v60i, which Bell now offers in place of the v60c.

Posted by: KJ

That's interesting. I found that my V60c on Bell performed flawlessly. Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing since I don't have a Telus one to compare with. My friend works for a Telus subsidiary, so I should do a head to head comparison with him.

Posted by: Astroboy-ATM

I just went from the V60c to the A500...I'm happy...altho the inability to store the same number for more than one entry is irritating...

Posted by: rip

Quote:

inability to store the same number for more than one entry is irritating...

Can you explain this...I don't understand?

Do you mean...multiple numbers per name, if that's the case, you can infact do so! Read your manual again.

thanks

Posted by: KJ

Quote:

Originally posted by Astroboy-ATM
I just went from the V60c to the A500...I'm happy...altho the inability to store the same number for more than one entry is irritating...

Yes, you can store multiple entries per person in the A500.

This is one thing I found REALLY irritating about my V60c.

Everytime you store a new number for a person in your V60c, a new entry pops up. I mean, sometimes I have 5 entries for one person and I have to scroll though all that BS to get to someone that's after them alphabetically.

Some of those phone numbers I RARELY use, so having to do all that is really annoying. I'd prefer to be able to scroll to the person's name and then be able to choose from their various numbers (with the most dialed number being the default). This is how it was on older Motorola phones. I don't understand why they moved away from this.

Posted by: KJ

I was reading that the A500 on Sprint can only have a maximum of 12 charachters per person. Is that true for the Bell Mobility version?

Also, I read that when you recieve an incoming call, it shows the person's name that called, but it doesn't show which number they called from (i.e. Cell, Home, Work etc.). Is that also true?

If they are true, I would definitely NOT get the A500.

Posted by: rip

I just dbl checked...a friend of mine called from home and cell at 2 different times. When I "highlight" each call ( his name ) and pressed "ok" it shows which # he called from...1 from his home and the other from his cell.

As for the 12 character limit I haven't gotten there as yet.

Posted by: Xirc

When entering a name into the phonebook there is a limit of 12 or 16 characters. I can't remember which.

It was like this on the Samsung T300, a540, a520, etc and I do beleive its the same on the a500.

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

yes the limit is 12...i can confirm that for you guys.

Posted by: KJ

A 12 Charachter limit is retarded. Some people's first names will not even fit on there!

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
A 12 Charachter limit is retarded. Some people's first names will not even fit on there!

Don't worry, the Samsung people are well aware of our concerns.

I've made sure of that

Posted by: dirtyjeffer

Xirc:

isn't that pretty standard though?

aren't most phones about 12 characters max?

Posted by: Xirc

Quote:

Originally posted by dirtyjeffer
Xirc:

isn't that pretty standard though?

aren't most phones about 12 characters max?

If I recall I think my Sanyo phones used to allow a lot more. Sony Ericsson does as well. I think even motorola does...

Oh, LG too.

Posted by: rip

I wonder if it has anything to do with the "Storm" coming our way

That's the first time I dropped a call in my house with BM (on the A500)...

Posted by: Astroboy-ATM

the phone only gives you 12 characeters for peoples names...
yes, I know you can store more than one number per person unlike the v60, but my complaint is that I can't use the same phone number for more than one person...ie people who work in the same office etc...

Posted by: mwelch

Quote:

Originally posted by KJ-TypeR
The thing about Steve Punter's review is that he reviews a lot of phones and has used enough phones to make a valid comparison between the A520/A540 and other phone's he has tried. If you read the review, he says that the A520/A540 couldn't pick up a signal where another phone could. In my opinion, that's a big problem.

I have used a lot of phones myself and find the V60 to be the best phone released for CDMA yet (sound and reception), but just about every Bell/Aliant guy you meet will say different... it's an issue of personal preference most of the time.

MW

Posted by: -- BellBoy --

The V.60 was the only true quality flip phone Bell had. Not anymore, and it now seems overpriced. It will be interesting to see if they drop the price or not.

I wish my phone had a metal casing with interchanging covers. Oh well, I still love my A460. Reception both incoming and outgoing is great and no dropped calls.