If you’re looking for a second phone that is reliable, not bulky, and has a good battery life, then you might just be looking for the Samsung E1195. This compact phone offers a light folio design that flips up nicely and offers a CSTN display that gets the job done. Some users might be disappointed by the fact that this mobile phone doesn’t offer access to a 3G network, but for those who are looking to have pay as you go options and the flexibility to insert your own SIM card to work with your existing plan, then this is the phone for you.
The Samsung E1195 Is the Epitome of a Value Phone
Although the features on the Samsung E1195 are pretty light, there are some useful items that are included that you won’t find on every value phone. The highlight for most users is going to be the FM radio, which offers a reasonably good reception and decent audio. Sometimes the audio sounds like some of the old AM radios from the 1950’s, but any multimedia options on a budget-level phone are better than no options at all.
Samsung has also equipped this phone with a surprisingly useful fake call feature. If you’re tired of being in a meeting or you just want to extract yourself from an unwanted conversation, then the fake call feature can be activated and this will give you an excuse to “take” the call that is coming in. There is also the standard suite of pre-installed features that you’ll be able to find on the average feature phone, such as a calendar and a calculator.
There is also a lot that is missing on this phone. There is no data connection associated with the Samsung E1195. What you see is what you’re going to get. It’s a basic phone that makes calls and can send texts and it works just fine for that. You won’t be able to connect any Bluetooth devices to the phone either, so there isn’t any file sharing that is going to happen. For users who were hoping to setup an email connection, this isn’t the phone for you. There isn’t even a camera, nor is there the ability to send multimedia messages.
The Navigation Menus Are a Bit Tricky
Although users can get through the menu options to be able to change ringtones and customize their phone in a few other ways, getting through the menus can be a bit of a tricky process. The phone can sometimes be a little oversensitive when pressing button commands and this may take users to different menu options than anticipated. Pressing the keypad too firmly can also result in multiple numbers being dialed instead of one.
The location of some of the customization features is also a bit unusual on the Samsung E1195. To change the ringtones, for example, users will need to go into their settings menu to access their profile From there, where they’d change the type of ringtone that is heard, such as vibration or silent, the actual tones must be selected in order for them to be changed. The selections of different ringtones are a little limited and users can’t assign MP3 files in any way, but it doesn’t give this budget phone some extra personality when others can’t make that happen.
The buttons themselves are nicely designed, although they are relatively flat in nature. The round confirmation button in the upper center of the keypad works nicely with most fingers and the call acceptance or conversation ending buttons are nicely placed, but some users may find it easy enough to have a finger accidentally slide onto the wrong button while attempting to navigate, text, or dial.
Why Is the Screen So Difficult to Access?
This flip phone has a 128×128 screen that is used for text reading and some basic graphics that can be displayed, but the 127 PPI makes any motion a blur. It’s also a little difficult to read texts under certain lighting conditions and the brightness of the white background can become quickly bothersome if the brightness settings are turned up all the way.
Although the Samsung E1195 comes equipped with just a 800 mAh lithium-ion battery, the talk time exceeds 8 hours under most circumstances, which means the average user will get about 2 days of life out of their phone before it needs to be charged again. Standby battery life exceeds 600 hours in case you happen to misplace your phone.
The call records are a little hampered by the lower levels of internal storage that are included on this mobile phone. You can keep track of 20 missed calls, 20 received calls, and 20 dialed calls at most. This is due to the 8 MB of internal storage. Your phonebook can receive up to 1,000 entries, however, and at just 71g in weight, there isn’t any user fatigue that will creep up one someone who needs to have an extended conversation.
Is the Samsung E1195 the Right Phone For You?
If you have the need to call and text with a phone and don’t need any other features, then the Samsung E1195 is a good phone to consider. It’s perfect for kids because it allows for texting and phone calls without access to data that some parents might be hesitant to offer. Because it accepts mini-SIM cards, the transfer of data is easy with this phone. Just copy all of your contacts onto the SIM card of a previous Android phone and then install the SIM card into the E1195.
For those who want to have the classic smartphone experience, the Samsung E1195 is about as far away from that as a phone can get. It provides basic functions, but does so reliably. Featuring a strong battery life and a couple of useful features to supplement the experience, this is the perfect first phone, backup phone, or no frills basic phone that users may need to fulfill their communication needs.