Samsung B3210 Review

If the Samsung logo wasn’t on the B3210, the average person might just think that the phone is a Blackberry instead of an Android device. The visual aesthetics are remarkably similar – from the small QWERTY keyboard that’s part of the base unit to the navigation components that are smack dab in the middle of the phone, everything about the Samsung B3210 says that it is a Blackberry clone.

The visual aesthetics are the only place where the two brands have similarities, however, because the B3210 is more of a value purchase. For users who are in the market to get a new phone, there’s only one question that needs to be asked: is the value of this purchase worth the features that will be received with the Samsung B3210?

Those Are Some Small Keys To Text On

The size of the tactile keyboard on this Samsung phone are about the same size of the capacitive keys that you’ll find on the modern smartphone of today when it is in the vertical position. With a little practice, you can get pretty good at being able to hit the right key with your large fingers, but it takes some work. The tactile response of the physical keyboard on the B3210 add extra definition to the experience, which is definitely nice at times. If the purpose of having the physical keyboard is to be able to text quickly, however, the design of the Samsung phone comes up a little short.

Even kids are going to find it a little difficult to manage the actual spacing of the keyboard keys on this full QWERTY keyboard. The issue seems to be the design of the keys themselves. They’re actually slanted with the intention of making them easier to access, but the reality is that the slanting of the keys makes the phone more difficult to use.

One of the more interesting features that come with this particular phone is that you get two extra battery covers out-of-the-box. It’s certainly a small touch, and doesn’t really do anything to improve the functionality of the phone, but it does allow users to put a personal flair to their smart device without having to spend any money on a third-party item.

The Samsung B3210 also utilized the threaded SMS texting that allows conversational tone to the messages that are sent. Text and client also supports the inclusion of PO P3 and IMAP email linking so that you can use the B3210 to stay in touch with your work responsibilities as you are taking care of some of your personal needs.

What About Some of the Technical Specs?

The Samsung phone has a relatively small screen at just 2.2 inches in size. The resolution itself is pretty modest at just 220×176. This causes icons that are displayed on the screen to look more like an old 8-bit video game than a modern mobile phone. When the screen is exposed to direct sunlight, it’s virtually impossible for a user to be able to see without covering the screen with some sort of shade. The colors are nice and vibrant indoors, however, if you can get around the pixel location issue.

Some users might find the placement of the microSD card slot to be a little problematic as well. It’s actually located under the SIM card slot and is designed to be a permanent installation. If you plan on managing multiple cards, will have a difficult time doing so.

There’s also a two megapixel camera incorporated within the design of the Samsung B3210. Picking capture videos with a frame count of 15 and a resolution of 176×144, so it’s not going to be everyone’s first option to create images that could go viral. The interface itself appears to be design from interfaces that first appeared when cameras first appeared on mobile phones. It’s simple and really easy to use, but the resolution of the camera itself is its own primary limitation.

Multimedia Options on the Samsung B3210 Are a Bit Slim

You have the option of being able to play MP3 and MP4 files with this smartphone, but there is no internal memory that is included with the phone upon purchase. You can solve this problem by installing the microSD card or you can just turn on the built-in FM radio to enjoy some local stations. The Samsung phone is also able to play AAC and WMA files if you wish as well.

As for the audio output that comes when you’re playing music or videos with this Samsung phone, the actual sounds are a little muted and a bit blocky. It’s a lot like placing the phone inside of an empty cardboard box, sealing it shut, and then listening to the music across the room. You’ll still hear the noise, but it’s not there is an authentic noise.

Although this is technically a smart phone, it is important to note that the data connection that the Samsung B3210 allows is 2G only. This means that data will crawl to your phone at a rate of 50 Kbps. Although this allows you to visit certain mobile sites and access your email, most modern web browsing is not going to happen on this phone. When you pull up optimized large mobile websites, you’re still going to get an error message produced from the browser because there is just too much data.

How Is the Performance of the Samsung B3210?

If one were to compare the Samsung B3210 to a feature phone, it would actually be a pretty solid device. The call quality is pretty loud and you’ve got a reasonable data access that can let you customize your phone and access the data that you need to access from your email accounts. Allowing for the ability to get used to the smaller keyboard, this phone really can be considered an upgrade to an older model feature phone in many aspects.

Most users are going to receive a full day’s worth of use from a single charge of the battery, but data consumption greatly reduces this capacity. If you primarily use the phone for music, the B3210 holds up pretty well over the course of 3-4 days.

As a smart device, however, this Samsung phone is a little disappointing. Data sketchy at best and nonexistent at worst. The design itself is pretty comfortable in the hand and the compact nature of the phone makes it easy to transport it, but the body of the phone is made of plastic that could be sensitive to certain work environments. The benefit is that you can customize the front of your phone with different casings if you want, but the downside is that they tend to break more often than not.

From a user standpoint, the two primary advantages that come with this particular phone are its visual aesthetics and its affordable price. Even the simple inclusion of a Wi-Fi connection would improve the user experience with the Samsung B3210 greatly. On the whole, users who need to do consistent email updates or prefer to communicate with others through texting are going to find that the Samsung design here in this phone lends to a pretty reasonable experience. From a performance standpoint in the other features, however, the affordability of the phone may not necessarily outweigh the lack of features that are received.

What Is the Verdict?

Samsung seems to be directing this phone towards to specific marketing demographics: kids who need to have their first cell phone and want to do a lot of texting and adults who have a need to stay connected to email accounts while on a tight budget. This phone will meet those needs pretty effectively and the additional features are just a bonus for those target demographics.

For those who are looking for a phone that has full power and data, voice, and texting, using the Samsung B3210 may become a disappointing experience. Although you can connect to your social networks easily and have access to information, it is all server-based information. Anything over the Internet is going to download to the phone at a snail’s pace and that speed made be enough to drive some users away.

There’s also the question of the customization features taking away some of the overall strength of the design. Being able to swap out components of the case is a nice feature to have, but it comes at a clear price. This phone is pretty susceptible to drops and although a cracked cases easy enough to replace, there is an associated cost with it every time that happens. The shape is good and the price is good, but the placement of the microSD card is not so good.

If you have specific needs that this phone can meet, then you can save a lot of cash by investing into this phone. If you are looking for a phone, however, that can effectively meet all needs instead of just specific ones, then you will need to look closely at the features of this phone before purchasing it.

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