Compatible with Sprint cell phone service, the Sanyo PM-8200 includes a built-in VGA digital camera with an LED flash, push-to-talk capability, voice dialing, Internet capability, and much more, all displayed on a 1.8-inch, 65k color LCD screen.
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See a detailed view of
the phone's features |
Calling Features Used simply as a phone, the PM-8200's features include vibrating alert, voice dialing, call screening, a dedicated speakerphone and voice mail button, push-to-talk, and a 300-entry phone book capacity with picture-ID capability. It also supports mobile-to-mobile (walkie-talkie) direct link for up to 6 simultaneous users. This phone supports TTY/TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) devices.
Messaging and Internet
This phone provides SMS two-way messaging, conventional email, and predictive text assistance, plus picture sharing and voice-memo picture attachment. The PM-8200's Internet connectivity also lets you access online services such as stock quotes, road directions, airline information, entertainment, and more. You can download Java applications (version J2ME) to add additional capabilities to your phone, and high-speed data transfer and download round out the package. The PM-8200 is GPS capable.
Organizer
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Multishot feature:
Take up to 8 rapid shots in sequence |
The PIM organizer included with this phone provides programmable reminders for holidays, birthdays, or other significant dates, an event calendar, to-do list, call alarm, alarm clock, calculator, world clock and more.
Fun and Games
For fun, the PM-8200 sports a built-in VGA digital camera, outfitted with a flash, digital zoom, self-timer, multi-shot capability, plus fun frames, color tones, and a security camera lockout feature. The PM-8200 also features 32 chord ring tone capability, and the usual downloadable ring tones, screen savers, wallpaper, and games, in addition to the ones built in to the phone.
Vital Statistics
The Sanyo PM-8200 weighs 3.64 ounces and measures 3.34 x 1.85 x 1.02 inches. Its Lithium Ion batteries are rated at up to 3 hours talk time, and up to 12 days standby time.
1 what's up with the hissing on sprint phones?
I got this phone after switching over from Verizon. The first thing I noticed was an audible hissing when I'm talking on the phone. I went to 3 different sprint stores and tried out all the models that were available and there was noticeable hissing on almost all the phones. But most notably on Sanyo models. The phone that had the least background hissing was the LG 325, but I wanted a flip phone. The PM 8200 also has a horrible speakerphone (it's loud, but very distorted and cuts out when there is cross-talking). The PM 8200 also distorts the caller's voice slightly. If you've never had a good cell phone like an LG, (my previous verizon phone was the LG 4400 and callers sounded crystal clear), you may not notice the relatively bad sound quality of most of the Sprint phones. I returned the 8200 within the 14 day period and instead got the Samsung RL-A760. The sound is much clearer on this phone with less hissing, but is slightly larger and does not have a camera. the speakerphone on the Samsung is much better and does not cut out during cross-talking, at least on my end. overall, the PM8200 is a good phone if you can stand the hissing and distortion.
2 What a great phone...
and it does everything that I could ever imagine (web, pictures, alarms, downloads, speaker phone) - except streaming video, which the newer version (PCS Phone Sanyo MM-7400 (Sprint) has.
One great buy!
3 GREAT!
This is a great phone! It has all the features such as camera with flash, calendar and other stuff. I have no problems with it except for one. The metallic seems as if it is prone to scratches and it feels awkward when I handle it with extra care.
4 Terrible audio
I bought this at Radio Shack and returned it. The incoming audio is terrible... I can't believe Sanyo considers this acceptable with so much better technology out there. Every other feature of the phone was fine, but the audio makes this a must-pass. I bought a Samsung model instead and am very happy.
5 Great phone
I love this phone i had just lost my phone and is looking for a new one and this will be a good 1
6 I really like my cell phone.
I don't have the kind of money where I can buy a new phone whenever I get tired of my old one. I'm a college student and need a phone that is reliable and can be on all day. I actually paid less than expected for this phone after all of the rebates!
The main reason that I got this phone was because everyone else had a Sanyo 8200. It was really the word of mouth and seeing the features demonstrated that made me get the phone.
I'm very happy with my phone. I can have it on all day and use it when I need to. I'm home before the battery even tells me that it needs to be charged.
The external color display is nice to have. I like having it over the LCD that my old cell had.
I have more trouble with silencing this phone, though. When the display says that the sound for the ringer was off, the sound for the messages was still on. This can be annoying when you're in class. I found out that I needed to take the volume down one more notch to "Silence All" and the problem was solved.
The signal for this phone is a lot stronger than previous cell phones that I've had. I still go into roaming on occasion, but I don't have the trouble with dropped called or the phone mysteriously shutting off.
Another thing that I really liked about this phone, was that I am able to use the accessories that I had for my Samsung A500. I didn't have to go buy a new car charger or hands-free device. (Though this phone does have a speaker phone option, there are sometimes that the hands-free device is just better.)
The camera is decent quality. I was able to take some pictures of a friend's wedding that I was able to share with her family and friends the next day. I also can take lots of pictures, upload them, then take more pictures. On high resolution, my phone holds about 20-25 pictures.
Perhaps the best feature in terms of the construction of this cell phone is that the plastic is blue all the way through. If the outside of the phone gets scratched, you won't have a cream colors line. (This was a problem with a Samsung phone that I had. It had been scratched after 2 years of use, and the silver paint was coming off. I had flat gray plastic on the edges of my phone.)
I went to an electronics store, and the wanted about thirty bucks more for the red or blue phones. However, if you get the phone from Amazon, there isn't a different in what you pay based on color!
One improvement that I wish Sanyo would make is to have colorful hard plastic cases (kind of like the ones Nokie offered for the Nokia 5100 series phones). Other accessories would be nice, but I would just like to have something neat to protect my phone and to change it's personality a bit.
7 OK at best
I just bought this phone at Radio Shack on Friday. I returned it on Sunday. Nice features, but the audio quality is awful.
8 Great Phone!
First off, the color isn't blue, it's more of a cobalt, and I love the cobalt. The speaker on the outside is loud. I can actually hear this phone ringing as opposed to many other flip phones. The color LCD on the outside is just one of those extra things that you don't need, but is really awesome to see who is calling. The screen quality (for both screens) is amazing. Very sharp colors. The phone doesn't flip open and closed easily, it clicks... and that's good because it's not always falling open all the time and I'm not worried about it breaking the hinge.
My only quarrels with the phone are that it is sort of confusing at first to navigate around and figure out all the settings (since there are so many) and you are not able to change the default soft keys for the main screen.
9 You Will LOVE It!!!
After having several cell phones, the Sanyo 8200 is definitely the best cellular phone. My last phone was indeed the Sanyo 8100 and Sprint has done a great job upgrading. By adding the speaking phone to the two-way radio, I have enjoyed this phone more than ever. Can you believe the phone even comes in three different colors to match your own style? The blue was a great choice for someone like me that drops his or her phone frequently. The phone has an awesome picture quality due to the built in flash. This allows the pictures to come out nice and clear. The menu is really neat with the large letters that makes it easy to see and cool pictures to make it fun. The text message has been a great improvement from the 8100 because now you do not have to log onto the net, you can just send. When listening with the flip open or close, the sound is great. You have a variety or sound levels that come out nice and clear. All of these things are hard to find in such a small phone, only 3.64 ounces. Your service as well gets better with the better phone. Believe me, you will love it.
10 amazing
I got this phone only a few hours ago and I love it. I was looking for a phone with a camera and a speakerphone, it exceeded by expectations. I love the look of the phone; it's light and slim.The service is great and everything is so easy to hear. The camera works great as does the speaker. I downloaded a ring earlier thinking i was going to hear different beeps and was super suprised when I heard a bit of the actual song. This phone is great, I couldn't ask for much more.
11 A winning cell phone for Sprint PCS
The last PCS cell phone I owned was the venerable SCP-8100 from Sanyo. It was a cute little phone that was the second cell phone from any U.S. carrier that could take pictures. (The first-ever model was the SCP-5300 also from Sanyo, released in July 2002.) The PM-8200 addressed two shortcoming of the 8100: 1) camera quality, and 2) speakerphone.
The 8200 sports a higher-resolution built-in camera. Picture quality is also improved. The old 8100's pictures often had streaks and distorted colors. The 8200's pictures look much better. The speakerphone is definitely a great addition for those of us who like to multi-task yet dislike headsets. The volume and clarity could be a little better, but given the compact size of this phone, it's not bad.
Reception on the 8200 is great, thanks to its external antenna. Battery life is good, unless you save a lot of things in memory, which depletes battery faster the more stuff it holds. The phone is attractive and can be customized in many ways, not to mention it comes in three colors. To Sanyo, I suggest you use the iPod Mini color scheme, because not many people like big red!
In summary, the 8200 delivers lots of improvements over the already-excellent 8100. If you have Sprint or plan to get Sprint, this is the phone. If you want video recording, check out the Toshiba phone for Sprint.
12 i love this phone
this phone comes in handy all the time the menus are user friendly it looks nice and it holds 100 pictures the ting i use most often me being a outdoor person is the flash light its not really bright but you can see in the dark with it
13 I LOVE THIS PHOME
WOW this is the greatest phone i have ever seen in my entire life! IF only it came with verizon as a service provider then i could actually afford to get it. I've searched far and wide for the best cell phone on the market and here it is. A cool, unique design sets Sanyo PM-8200 Blue apart form any cell phone i've ever seen. Not only is this phone stylish but it is a callers dream. Easy access buttons allow the owner to navigate the phone. Wheather it's just answering a call, accessing your phone book, talking using AIM, or taking a picture, it's easy and fast to do so. If you are able to get this phone DO IT!
14 Excellent features, better than most
The features on this phone are awesome and certainly this phone is easy to use. The speakerphone is also by far the best I have encountered. However, the clarity of calls is a slight issue. The volume control does not seem to do a whole lot for the clarity as people sound too loud or not loud enough, and even when not on speaker sometimes it feels like they are because of the way the phone sounds. Even when I have perfect reception and am in an area where I know others Sprint phones are working just fine. Have not decided yet whether or not to switch phones or just stick it out, but two years is a long time. I also do not know what other phone I would go with as there is not a consensus on one excellent phone all around.
Hope this helps.
15 Good features but sent mine back
I ordered the Sanyo 8200 for a replacement of an LG phone that pretty much had worn out with use. The 8200 has some great features like integrated SMS and tri-mode. I also liked the color blue which was the reason I ordered it from Amazon as the Sprint stores only stock the silver.
Without the phone activated, I played with the menus and made a few "free" calls to *711 to see how it worked.
The menus have some cutesy bears as animation which I didn't care for although it would not surprise me if they could be turned off.
Otherwise the two more serious issues were:
1) The lack of LED charge status indication. Every other cell phone I've ever had has some type of "phone charged" led so you know when it's ready to take out of the charger.
2) The voice quality compared to my old LG phone was clearly inferior on calls to Sprint customer service and vastly inferior to calls on my wife's new Samsung 1000. I did the comparisons on each ear hitting TALK at the same time.
I like the LG phone and wish SprintPCS supported the new camera versions as Verizon does. Otherwise I'll get the Samsung and hope I don't pick up my wife's phone by accident.
16 take it from a verizon wireless employee..get this phone!
Let's just say that after working at Verizon for a while, that I have come to realize that their phones are pretty shoddy compared to Sprint's.
While Sprint's total coverage area of america isn't as good as Verizon's, we're here to talk about phones rather than service (although i could argue for Sprint's superiority)...
So after going Sprint, I saw this phone and saw the price. At first I thought I was seeing things, because a feature-equivalent Verizon Wireless phone would sell for easily one hundred more dollars. Well, after the initial shock, I did some research on this little phone, and after purchasing it, verified some things...
Incredible battery life (advertised as 3.5 hours talk time, 12 DAYS standby); although I haven't tested these numbers, I've had this puppy on for a long time and have yet to go under two out of three bars of battery life!
Compact and lightweight...It's a LITTLE smaller than most phones I've encountered, yet the buttons are not too close together at all for someone with big fingers, nor is the screen too small for people who cannot see well.
Nice looking to boot! Definitely the nicest looking phone I've seen in a while (only one that maybe compares is the LG VX6000). It's sleek, and the blue looks really sharp both up close and far away.
Now onto the best parts...The features!
Ready link...Not that I use it, but it's great to have such a thing included if I ever decide to go ready link.
Speakerphone! One of the nicest features about the phone, the speakerphone is VERY loud compared to other phones I have used, and as far as I've been told, I sound pretty decent from my end.
Camera...Has a flash, zoom capabilities, the ability to send picture mail, link a photo to a caller ID (so you see the photo when a particular person calls), etc etc. It's got all the camera features you'll ever need!
Quality of sound...I don't know what other reviewers are talking about, because whether I'm using my plantronics headset, using the speakerphone, or just talking normally, everyone sounds crystal clear! Very rarely will you get some distortion in the way the person sounds, but that may just be a result of the service and not the phone itself. In fact, I would say that is likely.
Key layout...I couldn't rate this high enough! The speakerphone has a dedicated key, as does the camera. The buttons are all spaced out nicely and are big enough for those with big fingers. In terms of layout, this baby trumps all of the verizon phones I've ever used.
Menu layout...Superb! Everything is easy to get to, and the most commonly used menu items (settings, downloads, messaging, and contacts) have one button shortcuts built into the phone! The menu itself is really nicely put together, with every setting put in the logical place (unlike many phones i've used, unfortunately).
What complaints do I have about the phone?
Sometimes the button on the side that's used to answer the phone is a little annoying. Why? Because if you just press it quickly, it'll mute the ring (which is a nice feature). But if you press it quickly, because you're not used to it yet, you'll be sitting there struggling to answer the phone. It's just something that needs some getting used to.
I guess the only other thing I could possibly be disappointed about is that you can't have the date and your personalized 10ish-character greeting display on top of your custom background. You'll still see the time, battery life, service, etc, but not those two things. Why????? It should at least be an option to turn on/off.
So..to summarize...It's the nicest/most reliable/most fun phone i've owned, scoring high in every category. Battery life A+, features A+, layout A+, aesthetics A+, sound quality A (would be a + if I could verify the distortion I SOMETIMES experience is a result of sprint, not the phone).
Oh and one last thing: Unlike most phones you'll buy today, this one doesn't actually seem fragile; it has a very durable feel to it.
To be cliched, go get this phone now!
17 Great Phone!
I was looking for phone w/ good functionality. I could careless about the bells and whistles. Custom ringtones, screensavers, games? Who cares! I remember when phones were just phones. But I must confess this time around I wanted a camera in my phone. I'm always using my digital camera but because it's so big and bulky (plus who wants to drag around a digicam when you're in a poolhall or bar?) I rarely have it with me. After doing my homework I settled on the 8200 and wow was I ever impressed! The camera works great but obviously it can't compare to my 4MP digicam. But whenever I need a camera I can always count on my phone being there w/ me. The rest of the phone is great. The menu is intuitive and very easy to use. The speakerphone is clear and web browsing just as good. Although navigation can be kind of tricky at times. Overall a very well balanced phone. I highly recommend this!
18 More features than I will ever use
This phone is great to look at, and works like a charm. The talk time allows for long conversations before recharging, the internet and messaging capabilities are very user-friendly, and setting up the phone book, calendar and alarms were a breeze. I hear callers clearly, and love the speakerphone option for hands-free conversations. The standard ringers, games and backgrounds are cute, but there is also a wide variety available for download inexpensively. The phone accepts ReadyLink calls (walkie-talkie capability) which I have yet to try. And the phone can be linked to one's PC for downloading the pics taken with its camera. Did I mention the phone has a ton of memory, too?
I LOVE my new phone. I'm sure if you buy it, you'll feel the same.
19 This phone is great
Well, with sprint there are 2 phones to go with, sanyo and the others. Sanyo gets better reception, works better, and has better features hands down and that is true to their new kick butt upgrade from the 9100.
I just got my 9200 and it is flawless. Actually much better than the 9100 in the fact that they moved some of the buttons from annoying spots and made the antena a little less anoying.
For those who give the phone a low rating because they are having reception problems in there area, get a clue. This is to review the phone not the provider.
If you are in the market you cant go wrong with this choice. It is a great phone and I would not own any other brand from sprint.
20 Great Little Phone
Nice little phone. I find the sound quality to be very clear. To the reviewer who said all their calls sounded like the person to whom they are talking had swallowed a bag of marbles I would have to suggest they take it back to Sprint for a replacement. The only thing I would avoid purchasing is the "Voice Command" service at $5 a month. It actually takes you longer to call using the Voice Command service than it does using the voice dialling already built into the Phone. I love this phone. And the camera actually takes decent pictures.
21 Problem with the network and not the phone...
I got a hold of this phone about a month ago and have to say that I am pleased overall. It is my 4th Sprint phone, and is my second favorite- a big boost over the old Sanyo 4500, but not quite the great reception of the Samsung 8500 (1st generaion Sprint phone). I have found that the reception is the problem of Sprint's network, and not the phone itself, so I cannot throw any fault at Sanyo.
Beyond the reception, the phone is stacked with features. The camera is a nice one, and I like to take pictures of places I am at and share them with people not with me before I erase them. The quality is not of a digital camera, but for someone just using them for kicks like I do, its alright. The zoom on the camera is a little tricky, but another nice touch, as is the flash and the frames you can put around the pics.
Another great feature is the speaker phone- it is way clearer than landline speakerphones that I have used, and is a great alternative to a clumsy headset.
Also, the screens are tight, with brilliant color and clear resolution. Still, what happened to some free screen savers and games. Even the games on here are trials - you get interrupted in the middle with a clever reminder that the game must be purchased using Sprint online. I am surprised sometimes that you dont have to pay a fee to just open the phone sometimes.
Another problem with the phone is the lack of accessories, partly due to its newness- I blew 30 beans on a Sprint leather case, but it can't hold a torch to the Bodyglove Ion or Cellsuit cases. Still with time this I am sure will be fixed.
I got the phone with a lot of rebates and think the cost/benefit is phenomenal. Still, I dont know about the 280 price tag. Overall, though, this is a great phone, as far as Sprint phones go, that is.
22 Sprint... Bad Service
Buyer beware... do not buy Sprint. I give them zero stars! I purchased a Treo 600 for metro Atlanta. Basically the service was very bad. I called to cancelled and charged me $112 and change. As a business customer or any customer why am I being changed for poor service. I am not going to speak bad about their customer service because they tried. But they do not understand about business relationships and how to assist the customer. If you intend to buy a phone from them get the least expensive plan first. Then will not loose as much monsy as I did for just 7 days of service.
23 Great Phone But...........
Having just sent a Samsung A-500 swimming off of Catalina Island, I decided to try a change of pace with the Sanyo 8200. As others have noted, the Functions and Menus on this phone are outstanding. The Camera is a lot of fun and really preforms pretty well.
That being said, I'm really dissappointed with this phones sound quality. When listening to callers with the phone flipped open, you'd swear that each and every one of your callers has swallowed a bag full of cotton or marbles. The calls sound downright horrible. It only gets worse once you plug in the earbud. Turning up the volume only distorts the call even worse.
I'd love to keep this gadget friendly phone but will be switching back to the Samsung. Its sound quality is 10 times better than the 8200 even though I will have to live with its limited features.
Really surprised Sanyo skimped on a key feature for this otherwise excellent phone.
24 the coolest phone
hey every one this phone is great it has every thing u would want but it doesn't have video camera the vm4500 has video camera but it isn't that good because the battery meter keeps dropping every time u use it i like this phone i have used and it is far the best and for a good price too it is worth it.Oh yeah it also has walkie takie and it lets communicate with every one using this cell phone and plus u can comunicate with the vm-4500 and that why it is neat.
25 Best phone yet
This is by far the coolest phone I have seen or have used to date. The features are awesome and you can pretty much do everything except video capture. It has a camera with built-in flash, built in speakerphone and a whole lot more. Definitely worth the $129 after rebate.
26 from Nextel to Sprint
Well I rescently switched from Nextle to Sprint. I switched because of the price and the hardware. The price, you get what you pay for. I live an area that is very affulient and about an hour from Boston, Ma. I never had many issues with connectivity to Nextel. And I did not assume I would have any issues with Sprint either boy was I wrong. There is a stop on my way to work where I have full signal strength and my call gets dropped every time. Sprint is bad in my area.
The phone however ROCKS, Nextel has crappy phones for gadget freaks like me. This phone you can download songs to the ringer not just midi's. The screen is big and bright, unlike the new i730's tiny screen. The camera is easy and fun to use, and with the color display on the outside of the phone you can even take pictures of yourself if you are that vain. The battery last well.
If Nextel could get some cool phones I would switch back... Oh wait I have a 2 year contract. I guess I will have to wait.
I hope this helps
