There are a lot of mobile phones that are rich with features. There are even some mobile phones that come pretty close to being a smartphone. The Samsung E3210 fits into that second category thanks to it’s sleek bar design, tactile keyboard with nicely sized command and call buttons, and the suite of features that are included out-of-the-box. It is priced slightly above the budget category because of all its features, but rest assured that there is plenty of user value to be found for the increased investment. This might just be the best compromise between a smartphone and a feature phone that can be found today.
The Samsung E3210 Is a Sophisticated Mobile Phone
The first impressions of the Samsung E3210 are good ones. It all begins with the black case that has some silver accent lining that gives it a nice visual appeal. The silver highlights are brought into the keypad/command area of the phone as well, giving users a mobile phone that offers ergonomic comforts while providing several upgraded features that will allow everyone to stay connected in virtually any way they prefer.
Unlike other feature phones, the Samsung E3210 is supported by HSDPA so that there are faster download speeds for files and better overall conversation connections. Users will be able to setup a native SNS as well so they can stay in touch with all of their social networks as well. Business users will love the fact that they can link their business email to their phone so they can be productive while traveling should they want to be.
All users will love the integration of the instant messaging as well. There are multiple IM services that are compatible with this feature phone, so as long as users already have an account in place, it’s a simple process to get the phone linked in and messaging started.
The one negative here: the Samsung E3120 doesn’t always install .jar files properly. The files that it will install are not always executed properly either.
What About the Additional Features of the Samsung E3210?
Users can access all of their installed features through the 2 inch TFT display that has 256k colors to it. With a 102 PPI density, however, the images on this phone are far from crisp. It’s enough to get the job done and view some photographs that have been taken through the VGA camera that comes standard. Users will also be able to record videos at VGA resolution if there are specific moments that need to be relived.
The highlight of the additional features has to be the stereo FM radio. The antenna is included within the base of the phone and the signal plays through the phone’s equipped loudspeaker. FM recording is also available and these recordings can be assigned as a ringtone. If you’ve downloaded MP3 files, these can also be assigned as ringtones if desired.
With 36 MB of internal storage, so there isn’t a lot of spare room for extra files, but the phone can recognize up to 8 GB of external storage through the mSD slot. The WAP HTML browser makes it easy to access the mobile internet and games are available for some moments of down time when they come around. There are also downloadable games available for this phone through your preferred data provider.
The Samsung E3210 also supports Opera Mini if users want to get away from the pre-installed browser and this allows for music downloads that can happen directly through the phone instead of through file transfers. If your data plan gives you access to online streaming television, then this phone is capable of showing that broadcast, albeit at the VGA resolution. A 1 year warranty protects your investment.
What About the Battery Life on the Samsung E3210?
The battery on the Samsung E3210 is a lithium-ion 800 mAh battery that offers users about 8 hours of talk time – if they stay on a 2G connection. For those who prefer to use 3G networks, talk time is rated at just 3.5 hours. Standby times reach 550 hours, but are cut by 40% when connected to a 3G network. Accessing data through this phone will increase the battery drainage as well.
It comes equipped with Bluetooth and with a mUSB connection, so file transfers are a pretty simple process. It isn’t GPS equipped, however, so there are some limitations to what this feature phone is able to do. To round out the features, there is the typical organizer, calculator, and other standard features that will keep life structured. Accessing the features is easy enough to do with the keypad commands and the phone responds quickly to each command it is given.
Interestingly enough, even though it connects to a 3G network, the internal clock doesn’t always get updated when connected to a cellular or data signal. This is definitely something to watch if you decide to make this phone your own.
What Is the Verdict on the Samsung E3210?
The one knock on the Samsung E3210 is that it can be very sensitive to moisture and this may cause the phone to malfunction. Moisture tends to enter through the mUSB port and even just the sweat from a person’s hands can be enough to begin the oxidizing process of the internal components. The end result is a phone that requests to be plugged into its charger around the clock and will beep at users until this gets done.
For those that are on a budget and need a feature phone that does more than talk and text, then the Samsung E3210 brings a comprehensive package that needs to be considered. It isn’t going to replace a smartphone and there may be a couple of issues that come up while using the phone for some users, but the overall result is a nice looking feature phone at an even nicer price. If that’s you’re need, then this is definitely a phone to consider today.