Samsung A177 review

Network and connections
Here's another budget phone in collaboration with AT&T, dedicated to messaging functions, an aspect that is very successful on today's market. The technical features are good, with a GSM Quadband network receiver that guarantees optimal coverage anywhere in the world. UMTS support is not present, however you can easily browse the Web thanks to the internal modem, with data traffic managed via GPRS. This way the HTML browser can easily open any type of page. The phone can be synchronized with your home PC, thanks to the USB 2.0 data output. Or you can exchange files with compatible devices via Bluetooth.

Design and features
The style is classic monoblock Candybar, with rounded edges to provide greater ergonomics and security in the grip. Despite the extended QWERTY keyboard, the shapes remain absolutely compact, with a thickness of 12 mm and only 88 grams of weight. Portability is therefore guaranteed without any compromise. The display is a TFT at 220x176 pixels, capable of displaying up to 65,000 colors. A directional pad helps a lot in managing content, along with other function keys.

Main features
The proprietary platform offers complete functionality, such as a contacts address book, appointment calendar, calculator and alarm clock, as well as a currency converter and stopwatch. Java support also allows you to install compatible applications, to customize your device and adapt it to your personal needs. The extended keyboard is decidedly comfortable for text composition, making it easy to write SMS and multimedia messages, as well as E-mails complete with attachments. There are also instant messaging tools, such as Windows Live, Yahoo! and AOL. The voice aspect offers speakerphone, voice recorder and multiconference support.

Entertainment and multimedia
To complete the offering of this A177, Samsung's designers equipped it with a rear VGA camera at 640x480 pixels. Image quality is quite poor compared to the average of current devices, however it is handy for taking pictures when needed. It is equipped with autofocus and zoom, but there is no Flash. The internal memory is 64 MB, so you can carry music files with you to play with the media player. The battery is a lithium battery at 800 mAh, which guarantees good operating autonomy.