While I have only had this telephone for one week I have already used it in a variety of environments, wet and dry, and it does deliver as promised. This phone is solid, well constructed and can stand up to the elements. As for features, I don't want to get into too much detail as there are plenty of other resources online that you can use to find out the technical specs of this device. As for usability, in terms of signal quality, clarity and basic interaction with the phones operating system, I fell like this phone should last out my newly renewed 2 year contract and do what it is designed to do, function well in all environments. I was just coming off a contract with a Blackberry 8900, which I loved, but just didn't like paying for the extra data plan on when I decided to go smart phone cold turkey.
One of the things I did like about this model was how the interface was very similar to some of the Nokia's that I had previously owned. This is the type of OS that only takes a click or two to access exactly what you need and with enough practice, can get where you want to by memory without even looking at the screen.
While we are at it, let's talk about the screen real quick. There are a ton of adjustments that you can make to the background, fonts, layouts, size etc. and I find the screen easy to read and very sharp...indoors. Outside, the screen can be a bit darker than I prefer but I wouldn't say it is totally unreadable, but is a bit dark, even with the brightness turned to max. I have heard some people say that this is a deal-breaker with this phone and if you live in a bright and sunny climate, you may want to reconsider, especially if you are outdoors a lot. I didn't feel like docking this phone a star because of this flaw because to me, as long as the screen is usable, I am happy. Like I said, indoors, the screen is sharp, colorful and can be configured in a variety of ways.
What I can't report on, however, is the efficiency of the web browser as I don't have any type of data plan that I can use without being charged. Like I said, I went smart phone cold turkey but I would imagine on a 3G network this browser would handle most basic cell phone apps just fine. It does have some options to set up e-mail accounts on it but I just use it for its basic organizer tools and phone calls.
I do recommend that you check out the youtube videos on this phone. For me, the proven durability was a major selling point as I was always extremely cautious with my Blackberry and want something not that I can abuse, but can drop and not panic over.
Oh yeah, this phone does have a built in flashlight and compass which work very well and while it doesn't look like it, I find the sealed keypad easy to use. The company that I go through for this phone is a regional GSM network that roams on AT&T but, any cell phone company that will let you bring in an unlocked GSM phone should let you bring this one in. As for the price, well I have always felt that cell phones have an unnecessarily high retail price and mine sells for $79.99 with a two year contract. I feel that Amazon's asking price is fair as you are buying a fairly rugged phone that should give you years of service.
Reception-wise, in the steel and concrete high school that I teach in, I always have at least one bar and overall have better reception than my 8900 previously did. Also, the battery barely goes down. I might go down one bar in three days with an hour or use per day. Of course, the battery is only one week old but the battery is rated with a decent amount of talk and/or standby time.
Hopefully, I have covered enough basics on this phone and may add to it if I think if anything else. Let's see, yes it can play mp3's and it does have a built in FM radio that comes with headphones that double as a mic for phone calls. I believe it can accept up to a 16GB micro sd card but again, you will want to look up the tech specs on your own.
Go to gsmarena.com for more details on this phone and don't forget to check out the youtube reviews. All in all, it has been rough kicking the smartphone habit bit this phone is making that transition a little bit easier.
UPDATE: If you want to see just how durable this phone is, look it up on gadgetstress.com and you will be blown away by the durability of this device. It rates 94 on a 100 point scale. Basically after the apocalypse three things will be remaining...cockroaches, Twinkies, and the Samsung b2710!
UPDATE #2: I just added a 4GB Micro SDHC card to this unit and...my PC refuses to recognize it without any software. So, I popped the card in the larger adapter and then into a Sandisk reader and I was able to drag and drop albums from my music folder (WMA format) and the phone had absolutely no problems reading them. I have several options such as artist, album and genre view while using the phone to play mp3's.
Unfortunately, the headset is proprietary mini USB and I honestly haven't checked to see if there are any aftermarket ones out there, but the supplied headset (which is also used for hands-free talking) puts out pretty good sound. A decent amount of bass and they were loud enough for my taste. The phone also supports album art and I may actually use this phone as a substitute MP3 player instead of my old 30GB Zune that has faithfully served me for the last 3 years. The loudspeaker puts out pretty good volume for listening without the headset, although if you want to use the FM radio, you need to have the headset connected as I would guess it functions as an antenna. With the headset attached you can also play music through the built in speaker.
Really, this phone is almost like the Swiss Army Knife of cell phones. Yeah, I am sure that there are smartphones out there they have many, many more features and as a former recovering Blackberry abuser, oops, I mean user, it is nice to have a slightly more limited set of features that you can use really well instead of being inundated with a ton of Apps they you probably wont use anyway. Oh, hey, could your smartphone survive a dip in the pool, lake or ocean for 30 minutes or more? Didn't think so.
I still get stellar battery life with maybe one bar out of five disappearing after 3 days of average use (around 45 minutes of talk time per day).
Finally...
Pro's
Rugged quality build
Good battery life
Colorful screen
Lots of features
Flashlight and compass
Good 2MP camera
Large easy to read keys
Shockproof
Waterproof
Dust-proof
Simple OS
The Hummer of cell phones
Con's
Dim outdoor screen
A tad heavy
Speakerphone doesn't get as loud as I would like in a noisy environment but is usable.
I don't know what I will do when this model disappears because if you are someone who wants a fun, simple to use, regular cellphone, that can survive a tumble off the table, or down the stairs or the occasional roll down the side of a cliff, you really don't have a lot of options.
This phone is built like a tank. It's ruggedized, waterand dust-resistant, yet is pleasant to use.
I've sorted my various comments on this phone into numbered sections below:
Package Contents:
The package includes the phone, a manual each for English and Spanish, an AC wall charger (a two-prong CEE 7/16 Europlug, supports 120-240 volts and 50-60 Hz, also comes with a Europlug-to-US-plug adapter in the shipping box), and micro-USB stereo headphones with a built-in microphone (for phone use) and an integrated antenna for the phone's FM radio function.
Data/Charging Connections:
The phone can charge with any standard microUSB power source. I have connected it to my PC, a different brand USB charger, and the phone's included charger and all of them were able to charge it without complaint. Please note that the trim around the charging port on the phone is such that standard-thickness microUSB plugs may have some difficulty fitting. The included charger has a permanently-attached microUSB plug with much thinner trim so it fits properly. A standard-thickness microUSB cord I had lying around the house was able to fit for charging and data-transfer, but it didn't seem as securely attached as the thin-trim one. Using the Samsung Kies software (downloadable from their website) and the standard-thickness microUSB cable, I was able to connect the phone to my computer, charge the battery, and synchronize contacts.
There is no need to buy the special "Samsung Data Cable" listed at the time of this writing under the "Frequently Bought Together" section for this phone. That cable is not microUSB and will not connect to any port on this phone. That cable seems to be for older, non-microUSB Samsung phones and is not needed for this phone.
To use the microUSB port one needs to open a small, gasketed flap on the side of the phone. Thus, the phone is not dustor water-resistant while plugged in.
Call Quality/Reception
Call quality on T-Mobile in the US is quite good. The built-in earpiece in the phone produces crisp, clear sound. The microphone is also good (somewhat better than other mobile phones I've used), but is not on-par with landline phones. Considering that the microphone is water-resistant, this is is not a major problem.
Reception in the Phoenix and Tucson (Arizona, USA) metropolitan areas on T-Mobile is excellent and comparable to other phones. There are a few dead spots on the interstate between the two cities, but this is also the case with other major networks like Sprint and Verizon and other model phones. Outside my apartment in Chandler (suburb of Phoenix), the phone displays "full bars" of service. Inside, it is about half of the outside coverage, depending on which room I'm in. Call quality in either case is the same.
The phone supports four GSM bands: 900/1800 MHz (used in much of the world) and 850/1900 MHz (used in the US and Canada), and so can be used anywhere in the world that has GSM service for voice, SMS, and GPRS. Additionally, the phone supports UMTS 900/2100 MHz for faster 3G data speeds. If my understanding of frequency allocations is correct, 900/2100 MHz UTMS service is not available in North America and nearly all of South America and so this phone is not capable of 3G data speeds in these areas.
There is no option for disabling GPRS/EDGE/UMTS if one doesn't desire to use these networks.
I'll be moving to Switzerland in the next few weeks and will update the review accordingly to see if UMTS service is available there.
Battery Life:
Battery life seems excellent, going several days of light-to-medium usage between charges. The phone comes with a 1300mAh battery.
User Interface:
The rubberized, water-resistant keypad is easy to use. There is a very slight raised dot on the "5" key to help identify it by touch, but it is subtle. Other than the keypad (which includes the directional button for navigating the interface), there are three external buttons: the two-button rocker switch (used for turning the volume up and down and for zooming with the built-in camera) and the LED flashlight button. The flashlight button is not affected by the "keypad lock" option in software, and so may turn on while in one's pocket (this hasn't happened to me yet, but it's possible).
The top of the phone has the LED flashlight and a built-in loop for connecting the phone to a strap or other restraint (nice touch!). The loop also extends to the back of the phone, which has the camera (no flash for the camera), the speaker (for speakerphone, ringing, etc.), and the locked door for the battery compartment/SIM card/microSD card. When viewing the front of the phone, the flashlight power switch is on the top of the right edge of the phone, while the volume rocker switch is on the top of the left edge.
The display can appear somewhat dim in bright sunlight, and is completely unreadable in sunlight if one is wearing sunglasses (tested with non-polarized sunglasses). The screen is perfectly readable indoors or at night. The brightness control is entirely manual: it will not auto-dim indoors, or automatically brighten outdoors like some other phones. There are options to adjust the time the backlight of the keypad and screen stays on. The menu system is usually quite good, but there are some quirks: the Bluetooth settings is listed under the "Apps" menu, while the GPS feature is under "Settings/Phone".
The "Apps" menu can have items added based on your carrier and SIM card. For example, my Orange Switzerland SIM card adds an "Orange" App to the menu, which includes things like information about sports, finance, etc. while my T-Mobile USA SIM does not.
The very top of the main menu shows the signal meter, EDGE/UMTS status, and indicators for Bluetooth (enabled/disabled/transferring data), microSD (indicates whether the card is present and flashes when accessing the card), current sound profile (Normal, Silent, etc.), a battery meter, and the clock (hours/minutes only; seconds are not displayed). The remaining portion of the main menu can be customized in various ways. It comes by default with the "Smart home" enabled (which includes options for text messaging, contacts, displaying the calendar, etc. on the main menu), though one can switch to one of several simple clock displays if one wishes.
Language/Localization:
The phone supports numerous languages, including German, English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, and several other languages I do not recognize (each of the languages is displayed in that language). As the phone seems to be made for the European market, the English text has a distinctly British feel (with text such as "Synchronise" rather than the US spelling of "Synchronize", along with "Organiser" instead of "Organizer"). There is no option to use a localized dialect of a language (that is, there is no US English option).
The date format can be set to several options: DD/MM/YYYY (Europe), MM/DD/YYYY (US), YYYY/DD/MM, YYYY/MM/DD. It can display the time in 12or 24-hour modes. There is the option of automatically setting the date, time, and time zone from the network; doing so also respects your date/time display preferences. One odd language quirk: The "Downloads" option on the main menu always displays its contents in Spanish, regardless of the chosen language (I've tried both English and German).
Due to the various formatting of phone numbers used worldwide, the phone does not attempt to display phone numbers (either dialed directly or when stored in the contact list) in any particular style. For example, if one wished to dial toll-free directory assistance in the US, US-specific phones would display "1-800-555-1212). This phone simply displays the numbers as "18005551212" with no formatting.
Navigation:
The phone has a built-in GPS receiver which can, after acquiring satellites, display your latitude, longitude (both in DDD.DDDDD° format), and altitude. The altitude is only displayed in meters, and there is no option for displaying it in feet if one wishes. It takes about two minutes to acquire satellite signal and acquire a position fix while outside with a clear view of the sky. It does not appear that the phone caches GPS data between uses (presumably it completely powers off the GPS receiver when not in use), as if one gets a fix, closes the GPS application, and immediately re-opens it, the phone still needs to go through the time-consuming acquisition process again. Unless one has a map with detailed latitude/longitude grid squares, the GPS receiver is useless for navigation. It does not allow one to enter waypoints or coordinates as a destination, but simply displays its own current location.
There is an included Google Maps application (as well as Facebook and Twitter), but this requires use of data services which I do not have on my T-Mobile subscription, so I have not yet tested them.
The phone also has an application for accessing the built-in magnetic compass. After a simple calibration procedure (turn the phone as depicted on the screen), the compass is reasonably accurate. However, it is extremely basic and not really suitable for navigation.
Bluetooth:
Bluetooth connections are easy to set up, and I was able to transfer 144 name cards and several digital photos to and from my other mobile phone in about two minutes. Due to the lack of a data plan on my carrier, I have not yet tested the phone as a data modem.
Text Entry/Messaging:
In addition to regular text entry, the phone also supports T9 predictive text entry which can make text messaging faster. Not all text entry fields support T9: composing an SMS message does, but entering names into the contact list does not.
The phone can store 1300 SMS messages on internal memory. My T-Mobile SIM can only hold 30. It does not appear that one can store text messages on the microSD card.
microSD Storage:
I installed a Kingston 8GB microSD card in the phone (it fits under the battery, next to the SIM card, rather than in a slot on the side of the phone). After being formatted by the phone, I am able to access the card as expected (saving photos, sound, etc.)
From the box, most of the phone's internal memory is filled with the included ringtones, images, themes, etc. I highly recommend using a microSD card.
Multimedia:
The phone has a simple MP3 player, which works as expected. It's not really a substitute for a proper music player. The phone can play MP3 ringtones. The built-in 2MP camera is ok, but not great. There's no flash for the camera.
Interestingly enough, the phone has a built-in FM radio. The antenna is built into the included microUSB stereo headphones/microphone cable, and so the radio is useless if one doesn't have the original headphones (which are not bad). It can auto-scan for active frequencies, so one doesn't have to scan through static. It can also record audio from the FM radio to a sound file on the phone's internal memory or microSD card. If the station broadcasts additional data (e.g. station name, artist, song name, etc.) on a sub-channel, the phone will display this information.
Data:
I don't have a data plan with my T-Mobile pay-as-you-go prepaid service, so I cannot properly evaluate the data features of the phone.
Conclusion:
This phone is only slightly larger than most phones and is built much more ruggedly. It's reasonably priced for an unlocked, unbranded quad-band phone, and appearance-wise it looks nice (it doesn't look as "chunky" as other ruggedized phones).
It's a refreshing change from feature-rich yet fragile smartphones with a one-day battery life. It won't win any beauty or feature contests, and there's a few minor quirks as noted above, but this is a solid, everyday phone.
==========
Update #1: August 27, 2011: Greetings from Switzerland! As expected, this phone works great on the various Swiss networks (I've used it on Orange and Sunrise, and it works on both their GSM and UMTS/3G networks without problems. It's a shame that the phone won't work on UMTS frequencies in the US.). Call quality is good on either network, and battery life is in the "more than one week" range (though I habitually charge my phone when it reaches about 1/3rd charge, just so I'm never stuck with a dead battery).
As a test, I immersed the phone in a sink filled with water for several minutes, and the phone worked as normal (though it did bubble ominously for a short while; this is normal, and is just air bubbles between the waterproof inside and the outer shell escaping). Similarly, I've made calls in the rain without any problems.
The built in camera is not bad for a phone camera. Nothing to write home about, but I'm satisfied.
My requirements for a phone are simple: place and receive calls, send and receive the occasional text message, and occasionally use the camera when I don't want to carry my "Look at me! I'm a tourist!" Nikon DSLR (or when it's raining out). I don't browse the internet, check my email, or do anything like that with my phone. For these purposes, I've been quite satisfied with this phone.
Buy Samsung GT-B2710, Dust and Water Resistant Unlocked Phone - International Version - Black Now
The many highlights and pitfalls of this phone are outlined in previous reviews. My intention with this review is to provide a quick check list of items that will allow you to decide if this phone is appropriate for your usage needs. Also, further down, I have provided the settings I used to enable the multimedia messaging features of this phone for the AT&T network.
Who this phone is for:
People unhappy with the current United States tough phone selection. It is highly limited on AT&T.
People who are looking for primarily a calling and texting phone. Advanced media features are here, but not always available (if you are using AT&T, you cannot get 3G speeds) and also clunky compared to true data featured phones. If you are on AT&T and want data, this phone is not for you. If you are on Verizon, this phone will not work. If you are on T-Mobile, it would appear all features should work (however, I cannot attest to that statement personally).
People who do not wish to renew their 2 year contract, but still get an affordable phone. This phone was only slightly more than renewing my contract with AT&T with a far inferior tough phone the Samsung Rugby.
As a previous user of the Samsung Rugby, I love tough phones. I use my phone for calling and texting. That's it. So the fact that this phone cannot use high speed data on AT&T is of no consequence to me. If you are like me, and looking for an affordable and practical phone -this is it.
I love to go into the woods and not worry about my phone. And I love being able to leave my phone out around my nieces, nephews, and dogs and not worry if it will be broken. This phone is more than capable of handling all that abuse and more. Call quality is good, texting is very simple with T9 predictive text, and it boasts a wealth of little extras that make using the phone enjoyable. I'd recommend this phone over the Rugby hands down. Product arrived very quickly (less than 1 week) and boxed appropriately from HassleFreeCell. They included a US power adapter in the box, as the adapter that comes for this phone is not suited for US outlets. NOTE: There is no data cable in the box, but you can easily swap files with any Bluetooth enabled device.
Now, unlocking the multimedia messaging takes some finesse. And here are the settings I used to get it to work on AT&T.
Go to: MENU > SETTINGS > NETWORK > CONNECTIONS
Create a new connection.
SET NAME: Media Net
ACCESS NAME: wap.cingular
AUTH TYPE: Normal
USER ID: (leave blank)
PASSWORD: CINGULAR1 (all caps)
Protocol: HTTP
HOME URL:
PROXY ADDRESS: 66.209.11.32
PORT: 80
LINGER TIME: 300
ADVANCED SETTINGS
STATIC IP: Off
LOCAL PHONE IP: 0.0.0.0
STATIC DNS: Off
SERVER 1: 0.0.0.0
SERVER 2: 0.0.0.0
Traffic Class: Subscribed
After you save this, go to APPLICATIONS > MESSAGES > MULTIMEDIA MESSAGES > MULTIMEDIA MESSAGE PROFILES
And select the Media Net profile you have established. That's it! You should now have access to send and receive media text messages.
UPDATED: Note I have encountered a quirk with this phone on the AT&T network. Common with unlocked phones, I am unable to turn off the voicemail notification icon. I have no voicemails, and have tried all the usual phone tricks to remove it. After some searching, this seems to be an issue I'll have to live with.
But it is a MINOR issue, as call reception, battery life, and durability have all surpassed my expectations.
Read Best Reviews of Samsung GT-B2710, Dust and Water Resistant Unlocked Phone - International Version - Black Here
Great phone but after using it for 2 months, I've found out a few things. The default phone firmware is a bit buggy. I haven't tried to update the firmware yet. Texting with T9 causes the phone to lock up periodically while composing messages. About three weeks ago, after getting the phone wet while kayaking, the microphone started to act up. People complain they barely hear me or hear a lot of static on inbound and outbound calls. I thought it was because water or sand got into the microphone port. I checked the microphone port a week later with a magnifying glass and the port is dry and debris free. All o-ring seals are intact and clean. The internals are totally dry with no trace of water exposure. The only workaround for now is to use a bluetooth headset. Other than the microphone issue, the phone has performed like a champ. It's slipped out of my hand while cycling and I didn't have any problems. The gorilla glass is tough but I recommend putting on a screen protector. The screen scratched while washing car with my phone and keys together in my trouser pocket.
11/14/12 Phone is still going strong. Battery life is still admirable. However, the latest firmware updates still haven't resolved the T9 input crashing issue. I also noticed that after syncing my Google contacts using Kies in June 2012, the phone would start hang randomly for several minutes and then continue to operate as if nothing happened. The hanging was getting so frequent that I decided to factory-reset the phone a few weeks ago. After loading up my pre-Google sync contact list, the phone has been operating normally. The phone doesn't seem to either like the Google's formatting of the contacts or the sheer volume of contact info. The phone will detect a Rocksoul bluetooth keyboard but will throw up a "Unsupported Device" error.
Want Samsung GT-B2710, Dust and Water Resistant Unlocked Phone - International Version - Black Discount?
I'm an architect and I work largely at construction sites. So the B2710 looked like just the kinda thing that could be handy for me, I wasn't looking for a "smart" phone with a 20-inch keyboard, just something to make calls and stand up to tough work conditions.
On "ruggedness" of the phone I was impressed. It feels sturdy and its already survived some close calls although the screen did scratch after just a few weeks from putting it into and out of my jean pocket.
My biggest complaint is the samsung user interface. I used to own a Nokia and the OS on the samsung just sucks by comparison. There is a VERY noticeable lag-time between pressing a button and the screen reacting, which causes a lot of wasted time trying to get through menus. The engineers at samsung get a Cfrom me for overlooking small things like menu customization and ease-of-use.
The other thing I'm not happy about is that for a "dumb" phone its pretty clunky, not to the point where its my top concern but a few milimeters would've made a big difference.
Bottom line, if I could do it all over again I would NOT buy this phone!
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