Customer Reviews

T-Mobile Dual-Band Wireless Phone

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I'm just writing this review to clear up some of the things that were written in previous reviews.

The alert options for this phone are Vibrate, Melody, Light(just the backlight comes on), and Vibra+Melody(vibrates a couple times before ringing). Not just vibrate or melody.

The ring tones are pretty absurd, but there is one that I could live with, and I used the melody composer for another one.

There IS an autolock feature on the phone, 15 sec, 30 sec, 1 min, and 2 min autolock settings available.

The hands free jack is not propietary, and most any hands free kit will work with this phone. I've used probably 5-10 different hands free sets on my phone, and they all worked.

And lastly, the silent mode doesn't reset after a call(at least mine sure doesn't).

There, now I feel much better ;) I've had my phone for a while, and it's been through many drops and other extreme condtions, and it just keeps going with no trouble at all. It has excellent battery life, and excels at it's intended purpose: Making calls. Highly recommended.

I bought this phone with a T-Mobile package and have yet to be disappointed.

PROS:
-Lightweight
-Great blue backlight--extremely bright for that wow factor
-Indicator light can change color based on who is calling, very cool
-Easy menus
-Plenty of options for a grown up that doesn't require all the bells and whistles like the newest pop icon's song for a ringtone...although I'm sure that's available for more money...

CONS
-Numbers are a little small and tough to dial with fat fingers
-Plastic covering for socket where you plug in the charger is really dumb design...about the size of tic-tac and not attached
-Battery life is not as long as advertised
-Silent mode resets to ring when youmake a call and have to continually reset it to silent mode

Overall. I'm happy with the phone and reccomend it to people who want a new phone but don't care about all the doodads that a 15-yr old might want. This is just an early review...feel free to email me later for an update.

I never did want to take my time to write a review for anything, but now after I read the comment by Mr. David H. about this phone, I just have to throw out some opinions as well.

This phone's setting and navigation system are quite simple to figure out. Here is how you can set or adjust the clock:
Menu --> Organizer --> Clock

Basically I don't have any problem with this phone, including its ringtones. The reason I give it only 3 stars out of 5 is that although its small size makes it look nice and easy to carry around, all the keys are placed too close to one another, which makes it a bit hard to punch a # while driving. Also, internet capability would be nice to have.

I recommend this phone to anyone who just wants a phone that works great, with a reasonable price, and doesn't care much for new technology, i.e. internet capability, bluetooth, and camera.

I received a T-Mobile Samsung R225 from a friend for free. They didn't need it and I did because my old Nokia 8290 had quit on me. It didn't come with an instruction book and charger. I got a charger for $10 and some instructions for a similar Samsung model that allowed me to learn many if not all the R225's features. Since then, I have downloaded a PDF of the manual on my PC for the rest.
First impression, this thing is simple, basic and it does the job. I've had no problems with receiving and sending calls since I got it. I tend to treat a cell as a cell and not bother too much with fripperies like text messaging, web-browsing and camera phones. I feel that laptops/pdas and real cameras can do way better and that cells that have those features tend to be low quality, awkward "conveniences" instead of serious tools. (But hey, it sells more phones).
The R225 is similar in operation to the Nokias I've had. There are some differences that have made it difficult to navigate ,certain features are accessed differently and even basic operations are way different (like turning it on, the Nokias use the left top key, while the 225 uses the end key (?!), but this has been more due to the lack of complete instructions and brand differences then anything else.
I've used a total of 4 Nokias. 2 each of the 5190 series (tough, rugged but bulky and thick) and 2 of the 8290 series . (Light and compact, but rather fragile). I don't baby my gear. I don't go around abusing them , but I don't treat them like toys either. All my Nokias have gone under from daily handling and banging around (dropping, accidently whacking against door while in holster belt, etc). None of them have survived. This has especially been true of the way too fragile 8290s.
The R225 has the best of both, the ruggedness of the 5190 and the compactness/lightweight of the 8290.
Mine has a few scuff marks but works fine. Some suggestions though, the life of the standard battery is not the 120 hours (5days) in standby mode they claim it is. Turn off the blinking service light and the glowing lcd monitor light (which is on for a long time, even in short mode)in order to extend your battery life. Get a leather holster. This phone is rugged, but a holster definitely helps its ability to take knocks.
The good thing about the battery is that it charges to full strength relatively fast (about 2 hours or so).
The R225 is the best overall cell phone I've ever owned.

I've had this phone for two years now and I really really like it.

So the ring tones are a little high pitched. Whatever. The important thing is that I get clear reception, light weight, and long battery life. It is easy to use - the buttons feel good to me and the menus are intuitive. The blue backlight is also really nice. Sometimes I use it as a flashlight in the dark!

The one issue I have had is that once in a while when I speed dial a number, it somehow changes who I'm calling to a different number. Not sure why or how that happens, but it is so infrequent its not a problem.

I don't need a camera phone or bluetooth, so this has been great phone for me. In fact, I have the option of upgrading to something new right now, and I'm reluctant to swap it out! :)

I've hade this phone for 12 months. It is a simple phone that does as good job. It is easy to see and easy to set up. I use its alarm for my backup alarm clock. I get pretty good battery life although I have noticed in the last month or so that it seems to run down faster. It is my primary phone that gets used over 4,000 minutes per month. It has been dropped and banged around quite a bit and still works just fine.

i bought this phone and i must say it is great it's easy to use and operates perfectly i'm really glad they came out with a cell phone that does what it's supposed to-make and take calls.

There are obviously fancier phones in existence than the r225, but for the person who is interested in using their phone to actually make and receive calls, and not as a video game player, camera or music player, this is a good choice. The phone features a great blue backlight (which can be turned off), an easy-to-use menu system that allows you to customize pretty much everything and good reception. To address some of the criticisms by other users:

1) It's silly to call this phone "cheap." If you want a platinum-plated phone, look elsewhere. Samsung makes quality products, and this phone is no exception. It's small but very durable.
2) Battery time could be better, but extended batteries are available online for a low price. Incidentally, if you turn off the backlight, your battery will last MUCH longer.
3) If you don't like the default ring, there are many rings to choose from! Plus, you can adjust the ring volume if you think it's too loud. I am using J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue for organ which is nice and low-pitched, but if you don't like any of the rings that come with the phone, use your imagination and compose one, or download one!
4) The phonebook is accessed by pushing one button and then either scrolling up or down. I guess for some that's too much work; they'd like a phonebook that works by telepathy.
5) Reception on T-mobile in Manhattan is great. Obviously, your reception will vary depending on location, but the sound is very good even with only two bars on the reception indicator.

I think that this phone works perfectly fine if your looking for a basic cell. I havent had any problems with it, and it has good reception as well as clear voices. If your looking for a basic phone, this phone is great.

I went with this phone instead of a Nokia because the salesman said that the Samsung had better reception while the Nokia had longer battery life. I went with reception, but shouldn't have. I had used Nokias for years and I was happy with them. The Samsung was very disappointing. The menus are not intuitive at all, the phone book is bare bones at best, message notifications are buggy... it's just poorly set up and hard to work with after using the very intuitive Nokia software. The included headset is useless - it's uncomfortable to wear and the sound is very fuzzy.
The power port cover is stupid. It's very small, easy to lose, and should be permanently attached to the phone.

The first real functionality problem I had was that the phone would shut off unexpectedly even though the battery was fully charged. I had frequent times where calls were dropped though I had full signal, which I'm not sure is the fault of the phone or the service. Sound would cut in & out at times though I had full signal. Battery life is very poor. It rarely lasts me 36hrs of stand by with moderate use (maybe 30 mins of talk time). The most recent issue is that I will unexpectedly lose sound on my end and the only way I can correct it is by removing the battery and then putting it back on to restart the phone. Just powering it down & back up doesn't correct the problem. All that to say, avoid this phone if you want to have something you can rely on.

The positive points - It does have clear sound on both ends when it works and I like the design/look of the phone. It's small, light and thin, which I like. The blue backlit display is easy to read in most light situations.

Overall, it's disappointing. I can't rely on it, so I've got an order in for a Nokia. I haven't used a Motorola, Sony or other phone, so I can't compare to those brands. But the Nokias I have used in the past have been reliable.