Samsung SGH-T629 Review - Conclusion
ConclusionSamsung seems to have moved away from their all-black look for their newest T-Mobile handsets. Personally I was a big fan of the all-black t809 slider, and as such was ever so slightly disappointed by the look of the new t629. That being said, the 629's matte silver finish is a big improvement over the chromed plastic look of some other Samsungs I've seen of late. And the t629 is a fine looking handset, to be sure; it's just not all black.
When it comes to performance the t629 is a solid offering, improving on the t809's battery life but also taking an ever so small step backwards from the t809 in terms of overall design. I really liked the t809's swiveling camera, and the t629's rear-mounted camera both causes the back panel to bulge out and lacks any sort of protection from dust and scratches.
I don't mean to take anything away from the t629 by harping on the t809 so much. Clearly, the 809 was one of my all-time favorite Samsung phones!
The t629 adds myFaves compatibility, however, giving users access to T-Mobile's new inter-network unlimited calling plan. That alone should make it attractive to new T-Mobile customers. Combine that with a brilliant screen, solid looks, and a good introductory price, and the Samsung t629 is a solid mid-range slider that's sure to be a hit with consumers.
 Compare prices »Fetch me more...Quickly jump to more information about related topics, cell phones, carriers or phone manufacturers mentioned in this In-Depth Review by using the links below. About our in-depth cell phone reviewsWe take great pride to ensure that the our reviews are thorough and accurate. In no way are our editors directed or influenced by any manufacturers, advertisers, or partners; we believe that honest, opinionated reviews -positive or negative - are the only way to maintain credibility and serve our users. Reviews by companyApple, BenQ, BlackBerry, Eten, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, o2, Palm, Pantech, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony EricssonSliders, sliders everywhere but nary a black one in sight. Samsung's new t629 slider phone takes the place of the t809 in T-Mobile's lineup, trading in all-black chic for silver sleek while leaving the rest of the handset mainly the same.
Why the change? Is the t629 really any better than the t809 it replaces? I guess that depends on which you prefer, black or silver. As the adage goes, beauty is only skin deep,... Battery life has always been an issue with Samsung's slim phones, and I'm happy to report that the t629 performs better in this regard than the t809. You're not going to get best-in-class talk time numbers if you make heavy use of the t629's features - Bluetooth and camera, in particular - but I had to go out of my way to get a low battery warning by the end of one day of use, and that's a marked improvement over the t809.
Like the... The 2.2" TFT screen on the t629 lives up to Samsung's reputation for excellent mobile handset displays. With a resolution of 220 x 176 pixels at 262,000 colors, the display is capable of sharply rendered photos and graphics, and is about as good as you'll find on a mid-range phone. The screen is easy to read in all but the brightest direct sunlight.
The t629 supports user customization of the home screen wallpaper, as well as... The t629 has support for SMS, MMS, and IM messaging. Messaging packages are available through T-Mobile as add-ons to voice service plans, and messaging is also available without a package on a fee-per-message basis.
Composing SMS and MMS messages on the t629 was straightforward, as was attaching images, videos, and audio clips to MMS messages. As I mentioned, the membrane-style keypad isn't likely to become a favorite of heavy...
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4.3
