vB Easy Archive - T-Mobile Samsung T609 from a MacOS X Perspective

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T-Mobile Samsung T609 from a MacOS X Perspective
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Posted by: ikjeft1b

In box: wired hands free headset, North American AC power cord and international adapter, battery, manual; missing are the items that other cellular providers (and Samsung themselves) include: handstrap, USB cable, TransFlash card. Samsung’s Windows PC software is a free download from the Samsung website.

First Impressions: small, relatively light, good hand feel. Not as ugly as you’d guess from pictures on the web. Keypad is well-arranged and the D-pad seems uncramped compared to other phones. Ugly default T-Mobile Wallpaper is offset by a new, more sprightly version of the default “t-jingle” ringtone. Menus are fixed and not customizable with few exceptions, but navigation is quick using numeric shortcuts and the UI is usually very responsive.

Phone output volume is sufficiently loud. Speakerphone quality is a bit muddy but serviceable, on par with other cell phone speakerphones. RF seems slightly better than the x495 but not on par with a Nokia.

TransFlash inserts “upside down” (label side down/gold contacts facing up) – no mention of proper orientation in the manual. Card is hot-swappable, spring-loaded. When inserted or released while phone is powered, the appropriate information message displays. Formatting a 256K card in the phone leaves about 237K free. Formatting renames the card “V” and creates a series of folders:

Images
Music
Other files
Sounds
Videos

These folders are not visible when the memory card is in the phone, only when the memory card is mounted to MacOS via an external reader. Files placed into these folders are visible to the phone, but beware the clutter of phantom ._ files that MacOS creates on alien disks.

Phone’s File Manager (which you interact with when sending files to the phone) is “smart” (not really) and won’t allow you to manipulate “forbidden” files nor will it allow access to certain directories. On the Mac, Bluetooth File Exchange can see only these root-level (phone) folders when browsing the phone:

Downloaded videos
My downloads
My music
My photos
My sounds
My videos
Other files
Voice list

Even though the phone comes pre-loaded with sounds, images, videos and music, all of these files are invisible to MacOS because of the phone’s intrusive DRM technology.

The documentation notes that the File Manager does not like certain characters in a filename but it doesn’t note that filenames longer than 64 characters render the file inaccessible. The documentation states that the phone can display Excel, Word, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and BMP files. I could only get the phone to recognize the graphics file formats. Since the file viewer lacks a “zoom” option I doubt the usefulness of viewing Office documents or PDFs in a tiny display.

The music player is very basic: pause/play, next track/previous track, repeat, shuffle. No fast forward or reverse, nor an equalizer. There is a very simple on-screen visualizer with a choice of effects. The music player continues to play even when the flip is closed, and when closed switches the external display to a digital peak meter. Attaching or detaching the hands-free headset automatically reroutes audio output between the hands-free and the phone. Volume can be adjusted using the volume keys when the flip is open or closed. Not documented, but it can play both MP3 and AAC files of any length, encoded at 192kbps or lower. Although re-encoding music is a pain, doing so not only will save space on the phone and transfer much more quickly (over Bluetooth), frankly, the phone’s audio output is not of such quality that anything over 128kbps is warranted.

A note on AAC files: the standard AAC file created by iTunes (.m4a) is unrecognized by the phone unless the file suffix is changed to .aac; even then, an “.aac” iTunes song will not play: “unsupported format”. I am still trying to figure this out; in the meantime I successfully tested AAC compatibility with AAC files downloaded from a Nokia 6270 that VLC identified as “CODEC: mp4a”; the phone played them without complaint but QuickTime Player refused to open them (both VLC and RealPlayer played them fine).

Playback of the included sample 3gp music video is glitch-free but nothing to write home about. I created my own 3gp file using a 96MB MPEG4 music video as the source; with default settings QuickTime Pro turned it into a 3.1MB 3gp (mobile MP4) file. My 3gp test file played back from the memory card but video was very pixelated; however, no frames dropped and audio playback was smooth. The same test on a Nokia 6270 yielded even less-satisfying results: pixelation plus video and audio drop-outs, so the T609’s performance is, perhaps, good-but-disappointing.

The camera is 1.3 megapixel, no flash, with a dedicated camera button on the right side of the phone body. Even with a memory card inserted, photos are stored in phone memory (“My photos”) when taken and must be manually moved to the memory card; pictures are captured as JPEGs and range in size from as little as 12k to as much as 490k depending on resolution and orientation. The camera-click sound cannot be disabled even if the phone is set to otherwise silent operation. The interior screen serves as the viewfinder and the image rotates in real-time, portrait-to-landscape, as the phone itself is rotated. In viewfinder mode, the D-pad left-and-right buttons zoom and the up-and-down buttons adjust image brightness. Additional still-camera options include self-timer, real-time effects (black-and-white, negative, sepia, emboss, sketch), frames, mosaic, and multi-shot modes. When using mosaic or mutli-shot, images are automatically sized at 176x144 pixels; otherwise, image sizes are selectable at 1280x1024, 1152x864, 800x600, 640x480, 320x240, and 176x144. The quality ranges from so-so to decent: not terrible for a phone, but, it’s a phone. And that extends to viewing photos as well – although there are multiple options for photo viewing and management (use as Wallpaper, send via Bluetooth or in a message, web upload), because of the small screen and limited controls, photos are best viewed and manipulated by a computer.

Front bezel has a mirrored insert surrounding the camera lens, necessary for self-portraits (but a fingerprint magnet!) To take a self-portrait, open the flip and use the mirrored bezel to good advantage, then press and release the camera button: the external display will display a camera icon; press the camera button a second time to capture your picture.

The camera also records video in 3gp format at 176x144 or 128x96 frame size. A quirk: even though the viewfinder may be in landscape mode, the camera itself only records in portrait mode so recording while the phone is on its side will produce a video that is also lying on its side despite the viewfinder showing it in a misleading orientation. As with still camera operation, there are effects and timer options, and video is automatically stored in phone memory (“My videos”) even when a memory card is present. 3gp video captured by the phone’s camera is low-quality, even at “best” settings in good lighting.

Oddly enough the camera is the only phone component where user customization of shortcut keys is allowed.

The phone includes the following Bluetooth profiles: headset (HSP), hands free (HFP), serial port (SPP), dialup networking (DUN), file transfer (FTP), object push (OBEX Push). When Bluetooth is enabled a blue icon appears on the interior display, and when active, pulses red; there is no exterior indicator.

Bluetooth File Exchange works well, limitations of the phone’s File Manager and MacOS’s ._ file quirkiness notwithstanding. But computer-to-phone transfer speeds peak at around 25kbps so I don’t recommend using Bluetooth to move large amounts of data: a 3MB file transferred to the memory card (in a Lexar USB 2.0 reader) over USB 2.0 in less than 5 seconds; the same file via Bluetooth took about two minutes. Interestingly, phone-to-computer transfer speeds were a bit faster, peaking at around 31kbps.

BT transferred files land in “My downloads” and have to remain there in order to be seen as Wallpaper (can’t move to memory card).

As a Bluetooth modem, the phone works very well using the “Generic 3G CID1” modem script downloaded from Ross Barkman’s Home Page (http://www.taniwha.org.uk/). There’s also a “Samsung GPRS” modem script that I didn’t try. No EDGE indicator appears even when EDGE speeds are being achieved: the speed test at www.broadbandreports.com reported 133kbps down / 35kbps up – consistent with reported speeds from other class 10 EDGE devices I have used from this location.

In addition to DUN, MacOS Bluetooth Setup Assistant offers Address Book configuration, but iSync “Add device…” reports that the phone is not compatible and thus Address Book will not recognize it. As a workaround, export the Address Book entries as vCards and then transfer them over Bluetooth to the phone, which happily accepts them. The phone book stores up to a 1000 entries and is organized alphabetically by the first name. Each entry can have up to five phone numbers (mobile, home, office, fax, other), one email address, a picture, custom ringtone, group, and freeform note. You can assign your own mp3s as ringtones, although the phone is picky about it and I am still experimenting, hit-and-miss, with what the phone finds acceptable. Did I mention that the phone’s documentation is useless for all but the most rudimentary questions?

The phone implements VoiceSignal’s speaker-independent voice dialing, triggered by your headset or by the keyboard * key. In addition to voice call by phone book entry name, you can voice all by saying the digits of a phone number. A limited number of non-dialing voice commands are also supported. In voice dial operation, the phone uses spoken feedback. In my limited testing, it works very well.

Missed Call alert includes caller name (or #), date, time on interior display, # of calls and caller name on exterior display.

There are four permanent, fully-playable games: Bobby Carrot (maze-navigation); AirShip Racing (driving); Arch Angel (shoot’em-up); Freekick (soccer); and one “demo”, Midnight Pool. All are Java-based. The phone is so new that there are no downloadable games available via t-zones yet.

The Organizer menu contains:
A dual-alarm Clock that can optionally power-on the phone;
A relatively simple Calendar with day, week and month views;
A simple Task list;
A basic but nicely-designed four-function Calculator;
A very simple two-location World Time viewer;
Unit Converter covering currency, distance, weight, volume, area, and temperature;
A simple countdown Timer;
A four-split Stopwatch.

Miscellany:
Lanyard strap hole on the top left edge of the phone’s rear panel.
Headphone jack uses a non-standard, mini-USB –looking female connector.
USB connector/AC power connector at the base of the phone body is covered by a access door that is attached by a thin clear plastic tongue that slides in and out from the phone. Odd, somewhat difficult to operate (especially if you have large fingers), and I doubt it will hold up under sustained use.
Holding down the keyboard # key toggles “silent” mode, which by Settings preference can be either vibrate mode or true silence.
Typical of Samsungs, the phone can ring, or vibrate, or vibrate then ring.
The keys have a nice blue backlight.
The interior screen goes dark after a variable (in Settings) amount of time. Personal preference, but I’d prefer it to simply dim rather than go completely dark.
The center-button on the D-pad isn’t a “t” for tzones! It’s “OK” – which is what it should be on all of T-Mobile’s phones, if you ask me!
The D-pad shortcuts are: left=new text message; right=new voice note; up=camera; down=phone book.

Pros:
Compact
Sturdy
Good keyboard
Loud audio
Uncrippled Bluetooth
Voice-dial and voice-command
Expandable Memory
Megapixel camera w/ video
EDGE Class 10

Cons:
Intrusive, obnoxious Digital Rights Management
Fixed menus
Average battery life
Documentation is nearly useless

Without the DRM, the phone would rate a 9 out of 10; with the DRM it rates a 7 at best.

Posted by: rivvah

Thanks for a great review. Question: are the SyncML settings/interfaces exposed through the T-Mobile branding on the handset? (i.e. ability to add your own SyncML server setups)

Posted by: rivvah

Different question: do the usual shortcuts work?

*#87927# (*#VSWAP#) - WAP Settings
*#87667# (*#VSMMS#) - MMS Settings

The others I have aren't as important and you probably don't want to test some of them, but:

*#8999*8378# = Test Mode (Versions, Tests, SIM Info, etc)
*#4777*8665# = GPRS tool (attach, detach, mode, etc)
*#7465625# = Check the locks
*#8999*377# = Show Errors

*#8999*523# = Contrast Control (both LCDs)
*#8999*3825523# = External LCD (DUAL LCD, Ratio/Volume)

#*5737425# = JAVA serial control (PPP, Serial download, TCK)
#*53696# = JAVA download mode status
#*536961# = JAVA mode set (WAPSAR enable, HTTP disable)
#*536962# = JAVA mode set (HTTP enable, WAPSAR disable)
#*536963# = JAVA mode set (Serial JAVA, others disable)

*2767*688# = Full Reset (erases calls, configs, favorites, etc)
*2767*5282# (*2767*JAVA#) = Java Reset and (Deletes all Java Midlets)
*2767*63342# (*2767*MEDIA#) = Reset Media (Deletes All Sounds and Pics)
*2767*927# (*2767*WAP#) = Wap Reset
*2767*2878# (*2767*CUST#) = Reset Custom EEPR0M

Posted by: remusrm

nice review, but i might odd the front of the phone is damn easy to scratch. i did not drop it and anything is has a few already. my 3 635 is black and used for around 2 months and none came up. reception is abismal, the 635 is better. also the DRM will make me return it...

Posted by: ikjeft1b

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivvah

Different question: do the usual shortcuts work?

*#87927# (*#VSWAP#) - WAP Settings
*#87667# (*#VSMMS#) - MMS Settings

The others I have aren't as important and you probably don't want to test some of them, but:

*#8999*8378# = Test Mode (Versions, Tests, SIM Info, etc)
*#4777*8665# = GPRS tool (attach, detach, mode, etc)
*#7465625# = Check the locks
*#8999*377# = Show Errors

*#8999*523# = Contrast Control (both LCDs)
*#8999*3825523# = External LCD (DUAL LCD, Ratio/Volume)

#*5737425# = JAVA serial control (PPP, Serial download, TCK)
#*53696# = JAVA download mode status
#*536961# = JAVA mode set (WAPSAR enable, HTTP disable)
#*536962# = JAVA mode set (HTTP enable, WAPSAR disable)
#*536963# = JAVA mode set (Serial JAVA, others disable)

*2767*688# = Full Reset (erases calls, configs, favorites, etc)
*2767*5282# (*2767*JAVA#) = Java Reset and (Deletes all Java Midlets)
*2767*63342# (*2767*MEDIA#) = Reset Media (Deletes All Sounds and Pics)
*2767*927# (*2767*WAP#) = Wap Reset
*2767*2878# (*2767*CUST#) = Reset Custom EEPR0M

I only tried the first two shortcut codes - yes they work.

As for the SyncML interface, I don't know - kinda doubt it though. But I'm not through playing around with it yet.

Posted by: ikjeft1b

Update: No, the SyncML settings are not exposed.

Posted by: Mark Larson

Thanks for the review. If you are taking suggestions, I'd say that you covered the PC interface quite thoroughly but didn't spend as much time on the operation of the phone, but that is a minor nitpick because you did do quite an exhaustive review. Good job!

Posted by: ikjeft1b

I'd be happy to answer questions. "operation of the phone" covers a lot of ground though, I'm not sure what to include.

Posted by: rivvah

Thanks on looking for the SyncML for me, man that's really a deal killer sometimes. Hey, I thought of you last night on accident, I was walking through CompUSA and saw this:

http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...7327&pfp=SEARCH

...almost picked one up (my other phones use microSD/tflash too) but decided not to.

Posted by: tweaK_s

Anyone know the java code to get serial downloading working? That code doesn't work =/

Posted by: SurferBoy

1. Does anyone know if there is a way to increase the phone's ear volume? If there is any minor background noise in the room, I have to push the phone into my ear quite strongly to hear, even at the loudest setting (5).

2. Is there a way to record *multiple* voice notes? I want to record voice notes to myself when I think of stuff, e.g. "Buy milk" "Don't forget to ...". Sometimes it seems to record the notes individually. Usually it just overwrites the default file (even if I exit the voice recorder between each recording). Also, the times when it does seem to record the notes separately, they eventually seem to disappear, leaving only the default filename. I've had to resort to using the camcorder to store voice notes. Can anyone explain the operation of the voice notes?

Thanks!

Posted by: nikivan

Thanks for your reviews.

Here is mine. I was looking for something that is lightweight, has decent MP3 player, has external memory and could play video. I ended up buying Samsung t609 and here are my major concerns. The battery life is terrible. I have to recharge the phone every 2 days after only a moderate use (30min to 1h MP3 play, 30 min video play, and one or two conversations 2-5 min long). Maybe I’ve got a bad unit? I was not able to convert any video files to something the phone will play, by using the supplied Samsung PC studio. I am getting “Unsupported media” message, even if the file is in 3gp format. I found a software called SUPER that converts the files for me and they play just fine. So why Samsung can’t give us a software that works with its own phone? Another problem I encountered is that during the files transfer (over USB cable), the Samsung PC studio would stop and the message that the phone is not connected would appear. Well, the phone is connected (cable is carefully inserted), my PC is decent and the phone battery shows plenty of power. Some times it works though, so I can’t troubleshoot this for now.

So, here is the summary:

Pros:
Lightweight, stylish
Good reception
Useful photos
Bright color display

Cons:
Terrible battery life
Useless video (heavy compression artifacts) when shot with the build-in camera
Buggy software
No fast forward feature (big problem with lengthy video files)
Disappointing MP3 player quality
Proprietary headphones connector (I was hoping to use my own headphones with the MP3 player)
No equalizer
No good way to organize the songs, and very weird way to make them ‘visible’ for the MP3 player once transferred to the phone’s memory card
No zoom option during picture review
Pictures associated with phone contacts are shown so small, you need a microscope to see the person. Useless.
Annoying beep sound when using the slide shown (could not find how to disable it)
Very loud ‘click’ sound when talking pictures, impossible to disable
Default menu option is Rogers Mall (never use it), wish I knew how to change it
Bunch of phone navigation annoyances

Unfortunately I can’t return the phone and I will have to stick with it for now. I hope I will have a good alternative in a year or two.

Nick

Posted by: tweaK_s

Yep Nick. I have to stick with mine too

.

I did get one of those little adaptor things thogh that would eanble me to use my own earphones with the thing. But then theres the probelm that my headphones (ex71s) sound horrible due to the 128kbps limit of hte mp3 files on the phone.

Posted by: nikivan

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweaK_s

Yep Nick. I have to stick with mine too

Where did you find the adaptor? One thing I forgot to mention is that the headphones connector is located on the side, which makes it impossible for use when the phone is inserted in my caring case.

Regarding the music quality, my 128kbs MP3 files sound MUCH better in my 5GB Virgin player. Maybe if I could re-encode the songs boosting the highs and lows, the Samsung phone will give me more pleasant sound? Do you know a software I can do this (apply equalizer during the encoding)?

N.

Posted by: tweaK_s

I got the adaptor from an Asian shop at a chinese mall in my area. I've seen them on ebay (Samsung headphone adaptor) for a few dollars.

As for the equalizer for the mp3s, I havne't found one yet, although i'm sure it exists.

I'm using the "LAME XP" mp3 encoder to down the quality of my mp3s to 128kbps to what the phone can acutally play.

Kind of a bummer really, a simple feature to leave out.

I'll give you a PM if i ever find a encoder that I like.

Posted by: dm2243

does anyone know if there's a way to sync t609's calendar with iCal on mac os 10.4?

Posted by: amy_alley1

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferBoy

1. Does anyone know if there is a way to increase the phone's ear volume? If there is any minor background noise in the room, I have to push the phone the into my ear quite strongly to hear, even at the loudest setting (5).

Mine does the same thing. Did you find anything out about adjusting the vol. I love this phone except for the low vol.

Amy

Posted by: whaleya

Additional notes:
call volume is low - this is quite annoying.
Turning vibrate mode mode means a keypress and an audible "beep" Older samsungs would go into vibrate mode by bringing the ring volume down. The audible beep getting into vibrate mode is a problem at meetings.
Manual is useless
Front display only is vislble in direct sun OR if the backlight is still on. On older phones the front display was always clearly visible - now I can't easily use my phone as a watch replacement since I can't see the display without cracking the phone to turn on the backlight.
The front display also scolls the incoming phone number so you need to wait for 2-3 rings to see the entire phone number.

Overall if I wouldn't purchase this model again. I have had several Samsung phones in the past and been very happy - but this model is half-baked

Posted by: Mark Larson

You can press and hold a volume key to activate the external LCD's backlight.