The Samsung SCH-U340 has a simple, easy to use design and decent call quality. The basics just got better with the Samsung SCH-U340. Capture the moment, even on the go, with a VGA digital camera. Also, have access to the In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) contacts menu, even when the phone is locked. This sleek tri-mode phone with internal antenna gets you where you need to be in affordable style.

It has a 500-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can save callers to a group and pair them with one of nine, 32-chord polyphonic ring tones. Other features consist of a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, voice command and dialing, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a notepad, and instant messaging.

Camera

Samsung SCH U340 camera takes pictures in three resolutions (640×480, 320×240, and 160×120), and you can choose from three quality settings (fine, normal, and economy). Other features include a self-timer, a 4x zoom, five color tones, brightness and white-balance settings, and four shutter sounds plus a silent option. When finished with your shots, you can save them to the phone’s memory, upload them to an online album, or send them in a multimedia message. Picture quality was average for a VGA camera. Colors weren’t terribly sharp and images tended to be blurry.

Performance

The speakerphone quality was about average; the volume output on our end was a bit weak, and we had to speak close to the phone in order to be heard. The Samsung SCH-U340 has a rated battery life of 3.5 hours talk time and 9.2 days standby time. Our tests revealed a talk time of 4 hours, 10 minutes. Samsung SCH U340 has a sleek design and is fairly easy to handle. The volume and camera/speakerphone buttons on the sides can be a bit of a hassle, but you get use to it. The display is clear and easy.

By: Monty Alexander