The Samsung SGH-T809 is a new high-end GSM phone that packs an arsenal of features into an ultra-thin slider form factor. Key features include a QVGA display, Bluetooth, EDGE high-speed data, swivel megapixel camera with high-resolution video capture, music player, and a microSD memory card slot. Other features include speakerphone, mass storage USB, and quad-band GSM roaming.
Slider phones are all the rage right now and Samsung's T-Mobile SGH-T809/SGH-D820 is one of the sexiest slider's I've seen. Combining stunning good looks, a slim, sleek form factor and a gorgeous screen with the features you'd expect from a mid-range multimedia phone, the T809 is a winner in almost every sense of the word. If only Samsung had included a decent battery with it, they'd have a can't-miss hit on their hands.
The T809/D820 is a slider phone featuring a large screen and one of the slimmest profiles available on the market today. At 3.8 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches, the phone is noticeably wider than the average handset; in some ways it looks as though somebody took a standard candybar-style phone and stepped on the front of it until it flattened out underfoot. Weighing a scant 3 oz., the phone feels amazingly light in hand and is all but forgotten once tucked away in a hip pocket.
Samsung's advertising and documentation for the T809 shows a variety of young, attractive, and mostly female models holding the handset, and there's no doubt the phone was designed to appeal to the chic (or chic at heart) mobile user. From the shiny black finish to the hidden keypad and swiveling camera, this phone attracts attention from the moment you take it out of your pocket or pocketbook. Indeed this phone has drawn comparisons to Motorola's popular RAZR handset - the two phones are very similar in size and weight, though the RAZR is made from metal to the T809's all-plastic construction, and the RAZR is a flip-style phone.
When the T809 is slid shut, the front of the phone is dominated by the 320x240 screen, whose brightness and clarity really has to be seen in person to be appreciated. Below the screen, a cluster of controls features a five-way navigational pad flanked by left/right soft keys and a second row of three buttons — call send, clear, and call cancel/power — underneath. A Samsung logo along the bottom edge of the screen and a T-Mobile logo at the bottom edge of the phone near the microphone are the only other immediately visible markings.
Closer inspection, however, reveals a T-Mobile "t zones" logo on the center button of the nav-pad and, more importantly, a swiveling camera mounted along the top edge of the camera. The 1.3 megapixel sensor can be rotated for self-portraits and standard usage, and also is effectively "closed" - hidden away from dust and fingerprints - when it's rotated away from the user
The phone slides open to reveal a standard 12-button keypad which is quite roomy and comfortable to use thanks to the phone's wide footprint. Using the keypad is a pleasant experience thanks to the tactile feedback afforded by the buttons themselves (though some may not like the flat buttons since many phones feature subtly domed keys), and also really gives the user a sense of just how thin this phone is. Holding the phone near the top when it's in the open position is even more dramatic — the area behind the screen just beneath the camera housing is amazingly skinny, to say the least.
Along the phone's edges you'll find ports for the included AC adaptor, combination hands-free headset/stereo earphones, USB 1.1 cable, and microSD memory card. A 32MB memory card is included to supplement the phone's 65MB of built-in memory.
All of the phone's ports and slots are covered by grey rubber caps that can be a little tricky to open and secure, particularly if you have large fingers and/or short fingernails. I've heard some complaints from T809 owners that the rubber caps on their phones are constantly falling open, but I've yet to experience any problems with that.
The overall look of the T809 is best summed up with one word: Hot! The phone is every bit as sleek and futuristic looking as the RAZR, if not more so, and the front-mounted screen lends an immediate sense of "Wow" to the overall look. As soon as I got the phone home, however, I made sure to affix a plastic film screen protector to the front of the handset, as the screen's positioning leaves it very scratch-prone.
Slider phones are all the rage right now and Samsung's T-Mobile SGH-T809/SGH-D820 is one of the sexiest slider's I've seen. Combining stunning good looks, a slim, sleek form factor and a gorgeous screen with the features you'd expect from a mid-range multimedia phone, the T809 is a winner in almost every sense of the word. If only Samsung had included a decent battery with it, they'd have a can't-miss hit on their hands.
The...
Lest you think that the SGH-T809's beauty is only skin deep, this shiny mobile packs a bevy of features beneath its flashy exterior. While not quite top-of-the-line in any one area, the T809 is a solid multimedia device sure to keep its fans happy long after the thrill of its surface beauty has worn off (as if that could happen).
Samsung includes a wired stereo headset with microphone in the T809's packaging so you can take full...
The 320x240, 262,000 color QVGA display on the T809 is as gorgeous as the phone itself. Even bigger and better than the exemplary screens on the Sony Ericsson K750i and w800i, the T809's screen is sharp, vivid, and has ample room for gaming, photo viewing, and more mundane tasks like contact and datebook browsing. As I mentioned before, the first accessory you'll want for your T809 is a case or screen protector; the one drawback of...
The T809 supports both SMS and MMS messaging protocols as well as Instant Messaging using the pre-installed Wireless Village (AOL/ICQ/Yahoo) client. Email is not supported via the included software, though the camera application does support posting of cameraphone pictures to Internet photo albums. Predictive text input using T9 is turned on by default, and the included PC-only synching software also allows you to compose a handful...
When my fiancée first saw the Samsung SGH-T809, she fell for it. She's not a gadget head like me, but she certainly agrees that this device blends technology and style while retaining user-friendliness. With the T809, Samsung has achieved just that in a phone that's exclusive to T-Mobile subscribers. The handset is razor-thin, lightweight, and stunning to behold. From the big, bright screen to the quality swivel camera...
By: Tammy Rosenthal on Monday, November 27, 2006 From: Sunrise Beach, MO (United States) Experience: 5 Months
Pros: I like the phone because it has many options. I bought a bigger capacity SD card and have downloaded music and books to listen to when I travel.Cons: I tend to reject calls alot because I touch a button before I can slide it open. The battery does not have as long a life as some other phones. Summary: Overall, I like the phone. It is compact in size, has a large screen for viewing. I can take pictures and assign them to call ID. I do not use the internet or text message, so I cannot really comment on those features.
By: Frank Molinelli on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 From: Spring Hill, FL (United States) Experience: 30 Days
Pros: Can play Movies or Tv shows when you purchase the optional 1 gig card.The best screen I ever seen.Like looking at a plasma TvCons: Keypad numbers should be a little biggerSummary: One of the best phones you can buy.A MP3 player and TV all in one with alot of expanded memory
By: oscar calderon on Thursday, September 28, 2006 From: boston, MA (United States) Experience: 2 Months
Pros: camera size Cons: battery many drop callsSummary: this phone does not charge well. the phone gets hot for no reason. the battery says its fully charged and its really not. the battery will die in 5 minutes. another problem is that when its charging it says that the charge is paused by temperature. this phone sucks and its the 2nd that t-mobile has sent me. the problems at first started when the phone kept turning on and off by itself. t-mobile then sent me a new battery and the problems really began with the phone not charging and the phone getting hot for no reason
By: Andy Dong on Thursday, August 24, 2006 From: Houston, TX (United States) Experience: 2 Weeks
Pros: Pro: 1. Quality of screen is great - color and definition excellent 2. Small and light-weight 3. looks fancyCons: Cons: 1. DROP CALLS A LOT 2. phone book takes a long time to initiate after the phone was turned back on 3. keypad awkward to use - too crammed together 4. You cannot have ringtone and vibrate at the same time, it is either or. 5. Excesssive useless botton and features such as repeated "my music/ my photos / T-zone," etc. 6. Samsung doesn't offer loaner phone while your phone is sent into for repair Summary: This phone has a lot of things you don't need (voice tags, automatically sends all your pictures to a TMobile online service etc), yet, it does poorly the most basic things: it cannot vibrate and ring at the same time (you have to choose either of the two modes). If you send a text message it gets rather painful, the T9 service is there but it does not add new words that you typed to your dictionary (names you type often have to be retyped every time the old-fashion way) and you cannot correct any mistake/typo on a word once you have typed the whole sentence (you have to delete and re-type the word). Also if you don't have coverage when you are about to send a messgae it simply deletes the message! If you text often, just avoid this phone (even a Motorola would be better). Other than that it's a sleek phone and the screen is great.
By: Faraz Abbas on Sunday, August 13, 2006 From: Bristol, CT (United States) Experience: 1 Weeks
Pros: Beautiful screen, great multimedia features, very nice camera for pictures and video.Cons: cant change the ascending ringtone keys might seem small for someSummary: When I got this phone the first thing I noticed was the great screen, its crisp and very bright. Video on the phone looked extremely nice and very watchable. The 1.3 megapixel camera is very sharp, and both the pictures and video look great. The phone as an MP3 is very versatile, and is great for times you dont want to carry an extra mp3 player. The call quality is solid.
Motorola Krave-ZN4Carrier: Verizon Retail Price: $349 or via ebay Contract Price:$149.99 or via Let's Talk Hot Feature: "interactive touch flip."
Pantech Matrix-C740 BlueCarrier: AT&T Retail Price:? or Via ebay Contract Price: $79.99 or via Let's Talk Hot Feature: unique dual-sliding, double-keypad design
BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220Carrier: T-Mobile Retail Price: $379.99 or via ebay Contract Price: $149.99 or via Let's Talk Hot Feature: RIM's 1st Flip Backberry
Samsung SGH-A637Carrier: AT&T Retail Price: $99.99 or via ebay Contract Price: $49.99 or via Let's Talk Hot Feature: Video capture
Motorola MOTO-ACTV-W450 OrangeCarrier: T-Mobile Retail Price: $159.99 or via ebay Contract Price: $29.99 or via Let's Talk Hot Feature: Music Player
LG Rhythm-AX585 BlackCarrier: Alltel Wireless Retail Price: $299.99 or via ebay Contract Price: $119.99 Hot Feature: Great music phone
Samsung Rugby A837-BlackCarrier: AT&T Wireless Retail Price: $279.99 Contract Price: $179.99 Hot Feature: Rugged to military specs
Samsung SGH A237-RedCarrier: AT&T Contract Price: $49.99 Hot Features: Bluetooth technology, WAP browser, VGA camera
Sony Ericsson TM506-GreenCarrier: T-Mobile Contract Price: $129.99 with instant rebate Hot Feature: Quad band, Live TV
Hey kids, just a heads-up: If you like cell phones you're going to want to check in on the PhoneDog.com home page at 12:01 Eastern Time tonight/tomorrow ... that is, just after midnight as Wednesday turns into Thursday, October 16. For us West Coasters that's only 9PM!I can't say anything specific, but there will be plenty of video, photos, and text for you to enjoy. And the subject matter is sure to be of interest if you're...
Carrier: VerizonRetail Price: $349 or via ebayContract Price:$149.99 or via Let's TalkHot Feature: "interactive touch flip."
The Motorola Krave ZN4 is a touch phone that sports and interactive flip cover. Key features include a 2.0 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, media player, live TV support, visual voicemail, microSD slot (up to 8GB), Haptic sensory feedback and a 3.5mm headset jack.
Finally you can all stop asking me when AT&T's gonna get them a QWERTY phone. Boom! Here's four for your SMS-fiending thumbs to drool over. I'm going to be lazy and just cut-and-paste from the press release:
Pantech MatrixThe Pantech Matrix is available today in navy blue and black with green and will be available Oct. 16 in red. It is $79.99 with a two-year agreement and mail-in rebate1, and it features the unique...
This is an interesting turn of events, if it proves to be true. With all of the speculation about if and when Samsung would bring their Windows Mobile powerhouse, the Omnia, to AT&T, nobody stopped to think about a CDMA version of the device. Nobody, it seems, except Samsung and Verizon Wireless.
According to this rebate form posted on HowardForums and later found on Engadget Mobile, Big Red is prepping a VZW-branded Omnia to...
I'm "at" the Motorola Virtual Press Conference where they're launching the Krave ZN4 for Verizon. No surprise here, as this device was leaked far and wide. But it still sounds pretty interesting - it's a flip phone with a touchscreen and an "interactive flip." Apparently the clear plastic flip cover has touch controls so you can access frequently used functions without opening the device up.
Krave looks like it's going to...
Noah gets his hands on two new flip phones with some power under the hood: The BlackBerry Flip 8220 for T-Mobile and the LG Lotus for Sprint. Will your next smartphone be a flip? Also, more on the Android "G2" rumor, and news on tons of new cell phones.
Did you listen to this week's podcast, Noah's Bark #7? If so, you heard Noah's list of his Fave Five cell phone TV commercials of all time. Watch 'em for yourself here and chime in: What'd he miss? What's in your five? Let us know in the comments (with links if you can find 'em). 1. T-Mobile "Pookie" Commerical with Charles Barkley and D-WadeThe series with The Chuckster and D-Wade is my all-time...
Technology: GSMLikely Carrier: AT&TExpected: October 2008
A square slider with the best of AT&T’s entertainment offerings such as instant messaging, Mobile Email, AT&T Navigator, CV, AT&T Video Share calling, AT&T Mobile Music, a 1.3 megapixel camera and more, the Samsung Propel slides upward for easy access to its full QWERTY keypad. Also available for $79.99 after a two-year agreement and mail-in rebate, the Propel will be...
Carrier: AT&T
Technogly: GSM
Expected: Novmember 2008
A slider boasting a touch screen in addition to the full keypad, the AT&T Quickfire can read messages in portrait or landscape mode and also download music over the nation’s fastest 3G network with Napster Mobile and eMusic Mobile. The AT&T Quickfire will be available in November in orange, lime and silver for $99.99 after a two-year agreement and mail-in...
Carrier: AT&TRetail Price:? or Via ebay Contract Price: $79.99 or via Let's TalkHot Feature: unique dual-sliding, double-keypad design
The Pantech Matrix is available today in navy blue and black with green and will be available Oct. 16 in red. It is $79.99 with a two-year agreement and mail-in rebate, and it features the unique dual-sliding, double-keypad design that is found on the popular Pantech Duo smartphone in AT&T stores. The...
Carrier: T-MobileRetail Price: $379.99 or via ebayContract Price: $149.99 or via Let's TalkHot Feature: RIM's 1st Flip Backberry
The Pearl 8220 Flip is Blackberry's first smartphone to to sport a thin clamshell form factor. Key features include a 2.0 megapixel camera, SureType keypad, stereo Bluetooth, Wifi with support for UMA calling, puch email support, music player, microSD(up to 16GB) and a large 240 x 320 internal display....
What’s Good: Universal landscape mode and universal landscape QWERTY; optically-enhanced action button functions as a scroller or track pad; appropriate use of haptic feedback and accelerometers; excellent 5 MP camera with LED flash, auto-focus and face detection; secondary cam for video calls; embedded GPS; FM radio and overall A/V-friendliness; large, welcoming and sensitive screen; it's a generally comfortable phone that makes you feel cool...
Part 2 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides the buttons away for a sleek look, but does it have the juice to keep Crackberry addicts happy?
Part 1 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides the buttons away for a sleek look, but does it have the juice to keep Crackberry addicts happy?
The first ever flip BlackBerry is a winner, so long as you play to its strengths. While the 8220 is very large for a modern day flip phone, it's lightweight and slick looking enough to trick you into thinking it's a little smaller than it really is. I've had the 8220 for just under a week now, and I very quickly grew used to carrying it around in my pocket. No, it's not as thin as a RAZR or as small as a low-end sliderphone,...
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October 6, 2008 - Cogratulations to Omar Flores of TX. He is our week 17 winner of a brand new Motorola Q9m. "It feels good to know i won, I really did not expect for me to win, it came of great shock to me, thank you phonedog.com for the awesome phone!"
3.5
The T809/D820 is a slider phone featuring a large screen and one of the slimmest profiles available on the market today. At 3.8 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches, the phone is noticeably wider than the average handset; in some ways it looks as though somebody took a standard candybar-style phone and stepped on the front of it until it flattened out underfoot. Weighing a scant 3 oz., the phone feels amazingly light in hand and is all but forgotten once tucked away in a hip pocket. 
