12:00 PM
Quadband GSM 850/900/1800/1900
1.3 Mpix camera
176x220 Internal screen
96x96 external blue external screen
MicoSD memory slot (1 gig free on 3 year memory promo as of time of writing)
Video support recording / mms
External touch sensitive MP3 controls
Reception:
The Samsung A516 performed quite well in my trials
It handled the on road drive test* admirably and, truth be told, was one of the loudest phone's i've used in quite a while. At full tilt, 7/7 it was to loud for me so i usually kept it at 4/7.
*The drive by test is:
Yonge and 16th, east on 16th to woodbine. North on woodbine to 19th. West on 19th to Yonge. North on Yonge to Bloomington. East on bloomington to Bayview. South on bayview to Stouffville sideroad. East on Stoufville sideroad to Leslie and Leslie back to the Hill.
So in a nutshell, the A516 that i used worked very well, handled the network with ease and did it in one little loud package.
Sound Quality
Incoming
Like i mentioned earlier, the A516 is a loud phone. The earpiece itself is blistering and should satisy all of you out there who find other phones to be medium. It was so loud that I rarely ever used it on 7/7 and averaged 4/7 or 5/7 in the louder enviroments. The callers sounded natural and clean although some backbround hiss was present. More of a comfort noise I guess.
The A516 also didn't have any transmitter buzz that I could hear. Even in the weaker areas and the cantina it was still a solid performer
Outgoing
The Outgoing call quality was equally good. The form factor of the flip puts the mic really close to your mouth so it's sensitivity doens't have to be so high. As a result you get good conversations with minimal backgroung noise even in the louder enviroments.
For those of you looking for a phone primarily for it's incomining volume and outgoing characteristics the A516 is a definite strong player in this
So in a nutshell, the A516 that i used worked very well, handled the network with ease and did it in one little loud package.
speakerphone
Along with the ridiculously loud earpiece the A516 has an equally ridiculous speakerphone. It's so loud at full volume it easily filled my office with conversation. Although it's worth noting that at full volume you're gonna get some distortion on the unit.
Camera
The A516 features a 1.3 mpix camera without Flash.
As most phones these days, the Camera is there for MMS and quick shots of your mobile life. The camera will take a half decent pic in ideal conditions and is pretty straightforward in it's usage.
Video
The A516 will also handle Video.
standard offer here really, Takes short clips that you can MMS to your friends which are usually up to 30 seconds.
Connectivity
The A516 features bluetooth and USB connectivity options to keep you connected and mobile.
USB
Out of the box the A516 comes with a proprietary USB cable.
Simply install the driver and utilities on the CD and then connect your phone.
You'll be loading/unloading pics/MP3's in no time
SYNC
you can sync the A516 with your outlook but it's not the traditional SYNC like other Samsungs or other manufacter
Basically you have to load up the samsung program, import in your contacts FROM outlook and then PASTE those contacts into your phone. Needless to say it's not a full 2 way sync in the traditional sense of the term.
External Memory
The A516 at the time of writing this was on the 1 gig Memory promo for 3 years
as of Nov 1st it'll be on the 2 gig memory promo so you can't go wrong!
The memory card is located outside of the phone so removing the battery isn't necessary to get at the card.
Aesthetics
The A516 has that classic Samsung Look. Clean, flowing lines, and lacquer black. The front of the phone is glossy black with heat sensitive touch controlls for your MP3 players.
Screen: Internal
the screen is a 176x220 offering that is capable of 262k colours.
The screen is rich and colorfull although nowadays anything under QVGA seems to coarse in it's resolution.
Screen: External
The External LCD is a blue easy to read 96x96 display
It's nothing fancy, but it works.
Keys
The Keypad on the A516 is RAZR inspiried
however, i had no issue using the unit. It was reponsive and had great tactile feel.
OS
The OS on the samsung is pretty much standard issue. it's quick, does the job and looks good while doing it. It also allows numeric shortcuts a-la classic nokia for those of you who like to memorize key items you do on the phone a lot.
Battery
Out of the Box the A516 provided me with enough Juice to easily last me a full day of hofo wap / sms and voice calls. EVen on the loudest settings for the earpiece i scored a full day with no complaints.
SMS
The SMS system on the A516 is Standard issue T9
easy to use, takes custom words and is really quick.
PRO's
*Excellent battery life
*Nice clean styling
*Easy to read external LCD
*Wickedly Loud earpiece
*Insanely loud speakerphone
CON's
*No full SYNC with outlook
*background hiss @ all times
*No flash for camera
*Different port for charger (not same as D807 or prior Samsungs)
