Samsung SGH-T349 Review

Introduction:

By now there have been tons of devices that sport QWERTY keyboards to satisfy the messaging needs of todays world. Whether it be a slide out, flip open, or swivel design, there are just many to choose from. In case you want to try something different and have mastered predictive texting, the Samsung SGH-T349 may fit the bill. The half QWERTY candy bar phone aims to emulate the keyboard design found on RIM's BlackBerry Pearl with an emphasis on simplicity. Does it fundamentally capture the needs of quick texters out there?

The package contains:

• Samsung T349
• Charger
• User Guide
• Wired headset

Design:

There are phones that utilize a slider or clamshell design with a half QWERTY, but the candy bar form factor is simple for the Samsung SGH-T349. The simple form factor accommodates it well with the corners rounded off. We like how the plastic material feels smooth and looks shiny; also adding an element off fashion with the back cover. The subtle use of the lime color works well with silver looking plastic body. There is no noticeable weight (3.2 oz) when you hold it and slips nonchalantly in a pocket (0.53”). Although it may look like a play toy, the construction and material is top notch.



You can compare the Samsung SGH-T349 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

For a candy bar phone, the Samsung T349 has a relative well sized 2.2” TFT screen. It's resolution is at 176 x 220 - which is pretty average and capable of displaying 262k colors. We didn't come across any issues reading text, although colors seemed a little washed out. Our biggest complaints are the poor viewing angles which became prominent when using it in direct sunlight.

Every button found on the Samsung SGH-T349 had a really solid tactile feel – even the directional pad located below the screen. The send, end, left, and right keys are flush with the surface while the back/clear and messaging ones are raised. You can assign the messaging button to launch a specific application.

Twenty extremely well sized buttons that form four rows compose the half QWERTY keyboard. They are raised, evenly spaced from one another, and actually has one of the best tactile feel. The only ones that are strictly dedicated are the alternate, enter, and delete keys – everything else will have multiple functions. To top off the great experience, the backlighting made it very easy to distinguish everything from one another. 

Accessing the microSD slot is done by simply removing the cover on the left edge. Although placed closer to the middle, the tiny buttons used for the volume rocker had a good feel.  On the other side, you'll find the proprietary charging port and dedicated camera key. And finally, the 1.3 megapixel camera is discretely tucked away in the top right corner of the back of the phone. Removing the designed back cover will uncover the SIM card and battery slot.

Software/Features:

Now here's the good news about the software found on the Samsung SGH-T349 – it's simple, straightforward, and quick. It's almost reminiscent of the Sidekick because there are few menu options to go through and without all the clutter of getting lost. At first you'll have you myFaves on the home screen, but you can change it in the options if you prefer not to have it. Furthermore, there are some personalization settings you can change such as menu styles, themes, and sounds. Once the main menu is loaded, you'll be given the choice of five rotating icons to choose from – people, messaging, media, settings, and organizer.

Adding contacts was a painless procedure with you having to input the traditional set of information for each. You can store a bunch of numbers, an email address, write a note, or assign a ringtone. Even with all the items, you can store up to 1,000 contacts.



This phone was built for its messaging capabilities; and it definitely shines in that aspect. Once you've mastered predictive texting, you can easily send out an SMS or MMS with the press of the messaging key. There are also a decent amount of templates for both if you want to really send out something quickly. Another feature added is the audio postcard which is basically a MMS template and does what it says.



Don't expect to find a really robust email application on the T349. However, it provides a simple set up of specific providers by inputting the address and password. From there, you'll be able start doing your normal thing with emails. Providers like Yahoo, AIM, Gmail, and others are already named on the list. If you don't see your specific provider on the list, you can select the “other address” option to get it. We proceeded to add another account by providing the incoming/outgoing server addresses. Amazingly it worked and we were soon able to receive and send messages.

One of the best thing about having the half QWERTY is the speed typing you'll be doing while using an IM client. The choices are limited to AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo Messenger with only allowing one client being used at a time. Fortunately, you can still go back to the home screen without the worry of being signed off.

Snapping quick shots is basically what the 1.3 megapixel camera was meant to do. The interface isn't complicated at all; with the user capable of changing settings like white balance, color effects, and automatic timing. Results were mix with the color representation varying for each lighting condition with a lack of fine detail in all shots (max resolution of 1280 x 1024).




One of the weak points of the T349 is its low quality video capture; definitely not a highlight. The grainy looking video was meant for only one thing – MMS messaging. Granted the audio capture and frame rate were pretty decent, the 176 x 144 video was pixelated enough to notice blocks.

Nothing too fancy with the music player – it'll display the artist, song title, and album cover. The directional pad will correspond to the on screen functions so you can pause, stop, forward, reverse, or repeat. Finally, playlists can be created to give you a fresh sound each time. We were quite impressed with the sound quality from the single speaker. It was loud enough to hear and had a very strong tone to it; bass was definitely pumping.

If you plan on watching videos on here, you're most likely not going to find it. We were unable to play any of our test files in H.263 or MPEG4 format, the only one to work was the one we used to take a video earlier. Finally, it also would not play a YouTube video as well. Just a bit disappointing, but could you blame a messaging device for it?

It'll connect here domestically through T-Mobile with its tri-band GSM capabilities (850/1800/1900 MHz). Just don't expect any 3G speeds on here.

Load times while on EDGE was pretty lengthy, but nonetheless nice to see complex sites like ours come up. Everything looked as it would on a computer while scrolling with the d-pad or volume rocker came naturally. You can also use the smart-fit view to eliminate the need for horizontal scrolling. Although the download speed may be too slow, it ran pretty well afterwards and provides for a decent experience.

Saving items to the T349's available 50 MB memory may seem minuscule toheavy media users, but that can be fixed with microSD support for up to4 GB cards.

Performance:

You'd think that the great half QWERTY may steal the show on the Samsung SGH-T349, but we were equally adamant of how well call quality came out. Voices were clearly distinct and you really couldn't tell if someone picked up the call because there was no background interference. Callers stated that our voice was clear and did not notice any problems during our conversation. Using the speaker phone was also exceptional thanks to the powerful audio output. Even placed on the lowest volume, we were able to talk to one another. Surprisingly there was no crackling sound when we placed it on the loudest setting.

At any given time, we had a steady signal when testing the phone out in the greater New York area. Bars were pretty solid and barely any major fluctuations when idle.

Samsung rates the T349 with 7 hours of talk-time and 300 hours of standby. During our testing period, we managed use the device for 7 days before we got the warning that the battery was too low. All throughout that time, we placed the brightness on the highest setting. That's quite a feat in our books.

Conclusion: 

There are many things that the Samsung SGH-T349 has going on for it. For starters the design is simple and when T9 predictive text is used, users can probably out type someone with a full QWERTY. The design is pretty solid while the software is not complicated. The good depth of messaging features also plays to the phone's strengths; seeing that it was built for that purpose. Finally, it all wraps up with being a functional phone worthy of any messaging consumer out there.

Samsung SGH-T349 Video Review: