Overview
Compatible with T-Mobile cell phone service, the Samsung R225 features a variety of features such as a color-coordinated phone book, a Internet browser, picture caller ID, and plenty of phone and organizer features displayed on a 128 x 64 pixel, black and white backlit LCD screen.
Calling Features
Used simply as a phone, the R225's calling features include call timers, redial, missed call indicator, call log, any-key answer, auto-redial, roaming indicator, speed dial, phonebook look-up, phonebook scroll, mute control, no-answer transfer, usage alert, vibrating ring, differential ring and a phone book capacity of 250 entries. Each entry can be assigned one of four colors for your enjoyment.
Internet
This phone lets you get online and access e-mail, popular Web sites, and download ring tones and data. There's also 2-way text messaging with text templates, plus three games: Casino, Mole, and Hexa.
Organizer
Organizer features include voice memo, scratch pad, a calendar, and a to-do list.
Vital Statistics
The Samsung R225 weighs 3.4 ounces and measures 4.3 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches. Its Lithium Ion batteries are rated at up to 250 minutes talk time, and up to 120 hours standby.
What's in the Box
R225 phone, charger, battery, strap, hands-free headset
1 worth the money
I never did want to take my time to write a review for anything, but now after I read the comment by Mr. David H. about this phone, I just have to throw out some opinions as well.
This phone's setting and navigation system are quite simple to figure out. Here is how you can set or adjust the clock:
Menu --> Organizer --> Clock
Basically I don't have any problem with this phone, including its ringtones. The reason I give it only 3 stars out of 5 is that although its small size makes it look nice and easy to carry around, all the keys are placed too close to one another, which makes it a bit hard to punch a # while driving. Also, internet capability would be nice to have.
I recommend this phone to anyone who just wants a phone that works great, with a reasonable price, and doesn't care much for new technology, i.e. internet capability, bluetooth, and camera.
2 Good basic phone
I think that this phone works perfectly fine if your looking for a basic cell. I havent had any problems with it, and it has good reception as well as clear voices. If your looking for a basic phone, this phone is great.
3 What A Turd!
Dear Consumer,
Run for your very life. I am the bewildered owner of this crappy cell phone. This device is the modern equivalent of, well, (insert your favorite torcher device here.) The heinous organization and navigation of the phone book, and the various settings menus is enough to make your teary with insanity. Even the ring tones (when the phone actually rings that is) are horribly ear piercing. Friends call and the neighborhood dogs cower. You even have to set the clock on the phone, WTF?! (I know clock setting my sound like a crappy gripe, but it was impossible to figure out how to set the clock.) Oh yeah, and don't expect to make more than one call on a charge because two minutes into your second call you will be deafened by the chime that ends your call as the battery falls as dead as a bucket of fried chicken.
4 terrilbe
i hate this phone you cant get a screensaver or id pics and the ringtones are terrible. even if you download one off the internet. it just sounds annonying.
5 disappointing
I went with this phone instead of a Nokia because the salesman said that the Samsung had better reception while the Nokia had longer battery life. I went with reception, but shouldn't have. I had used Nokias for years and I was happy with them. The Samsung was very disappointing. The menus are not intuitive at all, the phone book is bare bones at best, message notifications are buggy... it's just poorly set up and hard to work with after using the very intuitive Nokia software. The included headset is useless - it's uncomfortable to wear and the sound is very fuzzy.
The power port cover is stupid. It's very small, easy to lose, and should be permanently attached to the phone.
The first real functionality problem I had was that the phone would shut off unexpectedly even though the battery was fully charged. I had frequent times where calls were dropped though I had full signal, which I'm not sure is the fault of the phone or the service. Sound would cut in & out at times though I had full signal. Battery life is very poor. It rarely lasts me 36hrs of stand by with moderate use (maybe 30 mins of talk time). The most recent issue is that I will unexpectedly lose sound on my end and the only way I can correct it is by removing the battery and then putting it back on to restart the phone. Just powering it down & back up doesn't correct the problem. All that to say, avoid this phone if you want to have something you can rely on.
The positive points - It does have clear sound on both ends when it works and I like the design/look of the phone. It's small, light and thin, which I like. The blue backlit display is easy to read in most light situations.
Overall, it's disappointing. I can't rely on it, so I've got an order in for a Nokia. I haven't used a Motorola, Sony or other phone, so I can't compare to those brands. But the Nokias I have used in the past have been reliable.
6 not bad
I had this phone for almost a year.Its just a regular phone.The battery of this phone is not so good.It has to be charged almost daily.The charge goes down very soon.Except that.. its okay.
7 old reliable...
Recieved this phone as part of the sign up plan the cheap way. One went for a drink and revived after being dried out, then the second one we own, got missplaced by mistake in the driveway and got ran over... It still works fine except for the display... I am not fond of the menu selections, or battery life, but it does take a licking and keep on ticking like a timex. I recommend it as a basic phone that could see some rough use, with some extras you might not expect.
8 Very reliable
I've had about 7 different phone models by now and my most frequent complaint is low battery life. This phone lasts all day considering that I have 3000 minutes to use per month. It has a basic organizer that I use religiously and find it easy to use. Compared to Kyocera models this phone is on steroids; non-stop battery power and very sturdy. I got my phone last year Nov 2003 and it has yet to malfunction or disappoint me. It is very basic (no cameras, clamshell cover, or colored displays), but still the most robust and reliable model I've had. If there was an upgraded model I would get it.
9 Don't spend good money on this phone
I have had this phone for 22 months, and the volume is highly variable, the ringer stopped ringing, the battery life is just ok. It's a really basic phone, there are so many more great phones out there. Skip this one.
10 Excellent phone...especially overseas
I've had this phone for over a year. I get good reception even at one-bar. I've also used the phone in Europe and South America without any problems and I don't even have to change the chip. I've also sms'd friends while in the US, Europe or South America.
11 Best for the buck!
I agree with the last reviewer. Unless you are trading on the stockmarket or are 15 years old, this phone offers you all you need and then some. The features are easy to use and that blue backlight? Yeah, it's bright enough that I regularly use my phone as a flashlight.
12 Worst Phone Made
Do not buy this phone it is a piece of junk. I got horrible signals with it and dropped calls. After I upgraded to a motorola my signals were 50x better. ALso, if you drop this phone a short fall, the battery falls off. Every few weeks the sms number would disappear and i would have to call 611 to put it back in. Constantly the textmessaging and aim would go down and i would not be able to get back on or recieve messages sometimes for two days and when i called tmobile they could not help me. It's worth it to spend more money on a decent phone.
13 Great investment
This phone is great. I always have service with it. A lot of people say they can hear better with flip phones, well, I can have this phone far away from my ears and still hear, even when it's on one bar. The only problem is, it may take a while to figure out where the mouth piece is located which means you may get a few complaints regarding hearing. That only happened with one person but it may have been their phone and not this phone. There's really nothing bad I can say about this phone. It's simple. Some of my family members own one too and they havent complained.
14 Excellent phone
I got this phone when my I dropped my motorolla v66 in the river! This is a great phone for people who live in areas where the tMobile signal is weak (like me in Ann Arbor, MI). I love this phone. I could not speak from home before with my v66, but that has changed now. The sound quality is unbelievable. Very very crisp and clear, even with 1 line of the signal.
The ring tone is nice and low profile. The blue back light is cool. The address book is good. The vibrate tone is a bit motor like, but is liveable. It is as small as a flip phone but is ergonomic. The number buttons are out and accessible, unlike models where they are embedded in the phone. The only features I use (and want in a phone) is good sound quality even when the phone shows 1 line of signal, the organizer and scheduler, the calendar and the phone book. I am extemely happy with my choice on all these counts. Of course the price is the best!
15 Don't underestimate this phone
i bought this phone few months ago. its great. but wat it lacks is good text spacin. but its good 2 text on it. wat it also lacks is name 4 its ring tones like for ex the names 4 tha ring tones r tone 1 tone 20 stuff like dat. i also like this phone blc it is very colorful. most phones have a clear back light but this phone has a colorful blue back light. this phone also has a blinkin service light. this phone can also be put on vib mode like most phones. this phone also contains aol instant messanger so if u can't use ur computer just use ur samsung r225. i hope u guys go out and buy this phone. so just cause its little dont underestimate this phone.
16 It does the job
I've had my phone for over a year and haven't had any mechanical issues to date. My only complaint would be poor reception in certain areas, but I'm not sure if that can be attributed to the phone or the network.
I've been very satisfied with T-Mobile (especially the service!) and I'm very hesitant to try another carrier. If not for the reception, I'd give it a ten. It does all you'd want a basic phone to do!
17 Simply Brilliant!
This is a good little phone. I got it for a penny at Car Toys and everyone in my family has this phone because they love it so much. It has normal cell phone features, a bright backlight, and a service indicator light that can change colors. It may be a simple, inexpensive phone, but it sure works well.
18 no fancy gadgets but a great phone.
glad i got this phone. reception is very good, i've never had to step outside to get a signal. i got my phone and service contract through letstalk.com and they actualy paid me 50 bucks to take the phone (because of the $50 rebate). this phone doesn't have any spiffy features but do you really a color screen and a camera? so i guess this is a phone for us practical types.
19 Good deal, good phone
I got this phone for free with my plan, and its a decent phone. The best feature is AIM, which I love, but it's free, so you can't expect any outstanding features. If you're looking for a good deal and don't care about the camera or color screen, this phone is for you. But if you want the features, spend the money on a better one.
20 It's OK
I've had this phone for 2 years.
Pros
-easy to use
-has many call transfer options: always, unavailable, cancal all
-can switch phone numbers from phone to sim card.
-can create text message and save them to be sent another time.
-hold up to 10 missed calls, incoming calls, outgoing calls
-battery life is ok (but I usually charge it everyday, I can go 2-3 days without charging.)
-works even in elevators.
Cons
-terrible call volume either people can't hear you or you can't hear them
-drops calls for no reason the tower bar could be to limit it may still drop a call (this could be a network problem this is the first phone I have had on T-mobile.)
-people know you are calling from a cellphone.
21 How much I love this phone
This is my dream phone.Every sense I layed eye's on this phone I wanted it. Im hoping that I get it one very soon so I can be happy.
22 Ok phone
Nice little phone for me. Ring tones are bad but you can download more. Small and very easy to use if you just want a simple little phone to make calls to order pizza on a saturday night.
23 good little phone
I've hade this phone for 12 months. It is a simple phone that does as good job. It is easy to see and easy to set up. I use its alarm for my backup alarm clock. I get pretty good battery life although I have noticed in the last month or so that it seems to run down faster. It is my primary phone that gets used over 4,000 minutes per month. It has been dropped and banged around quite a bit and still works just fine.
24 A tool, not a toy. No frills reliability.
I received a T-Mobile Samsung R225 from a friend for free. They didn't need it and I did because my old Nokia 8290 had quit on me. It didn't come with an instruction book and charger. I got a charger for $10 and some instructions for a similar Samsung model that allowed me to learn many if not all the R225's features. Since then, I have downloaded a PDF of the manual on my PC for the rest.
First impression, this thing is simple, basic and it does the job. I've had no problems with receiving and sending calls since I got it. I tend to treat a cell as a cell and not bother too much with fripperies like text messaging, web-browsing and camera phones. I feel that laptops/pdas and real cameras can do way better and that cells that have those features tend to be low quality, awkward "conveniences" instead of serious tools. (But hey, it sells more phones).
The R225 is similar in operation to the Nokias I've had. There are some differences that have made it difficult to navigate ,certain features are accessed differently and even basic operations are way different (like turning it on, the Nokias use the left top key, while the 225 uses the end key (?!), but this has been more due to the lack of complete instructions and brand differences then anything else.
I've used a total of 4 Nokias. 2 each of the 5190 series (tough, rugged but bulky and thick) and 2 of the 8290 series . (Light and compact, but rather fragile). I don't baby my gear. I don't go around abusing them , but I don't treat them like toys either. All my Nokias have gone under from daily handling and banging around (dropping, accidently whacking against door while in holster belt, etc). None of them have survived. This has especially been true of the way too fragile 8290s.
The R225 has the best of both, the ruggedness of the 5190 and the compactness/lightweight of the 8290.
Mine has a few scuff marks but works fine. Some suggestions though, the life of the standard battery is not the 120 hours (5days) in standby mode they claim it is. Turn off the blinking service light and the glowing lcd monitor light (which is on for a long time, even in short mode)in order to extend your battery life. Get a leather holster. This phone is rugged, but a holster definitely helps its ability to take knocks.
The good thing about the battery is that it charges to full strength relatively fast (about 2 hours or so).
The R225 is the best overall cell phone I've ever owned.
25 Great Phone!
well, i have had this phone for 8 months now n it is working fine. it has survived so many drops...lol n its still working...although there mite be a few scratches on it. its still good. i havent had any problems with it either. i agree that it doesnt have a color screen or web access or even a camera in it, but its still a great phone. now i am trying to get my hands on the new motorola v300. it seems really cool. it has everything. hopefully i'll get it soon. i have tried everything and went everywhere to get it, but so far no luck :(
26 If you like to send phones back, buy this
I'm on my THIRD unit of this phone. First phone mic. died after a few months. Second phone had screen freezes. The current unit is holding up so far. We'll see if it makes it to the six month point. Oh, also the "travel" charger died within six months. That cost me and extra $25. I can say that T-Mobile did a good job sending replacements. The signal is decent as is battery life. Otherwise it's a waste.
27 Great little phone
I'm just writing this review to clear up some of the things that were written in previous reviews.
The alert options for this phone are Vibrate, Melody, Light(just the backlight comes on), and Vibra+Melody(vibrates a couple times before ringing). Not just vibrate or melody.
The ring tones are pretty absurd, but there is one that I could live with, and I used the melody composer for another one.
There IS an autolock feature on the phone, 15 sec, 30 sec, 1 min, and 2 min autolock settings available.
The hands free jack is not propietary, and most any hands free kit will work with this phone. I've used probably 5-10 different hands free sets on my phone, and they all worked.
And lastly, the silent mode doesn't reset after a call(at least mine sure doesn't).
There, now I feel much better ;) I've had my phone for a while, and it's been through many drops and other extreme condtions, and it just keeps going with no trouble at all. It has excellent battery life, and excels at it's intended purpose: Making calls. Highly recommended.
28 amazing
My R225m phone is awsome. Its been beaten, scratched, and thrown agains a wall (so i have anger issues). The phone generaly gets good reception, but when it seems to have full reception it makes alot of noise for the person on the other side of the phone. The biggest drawback is i cant connect it to my PDA... cheap PDA and cheap phone.
29 Is it good?
Good:
- can hold over 150 numbers
-has many addictive games
- is strong, can stand falls
-battery life last long
-can recieve emails
Bad:
- not color screen
- antenna falls off at times
- moving down the menu is slow
30 decent phone, horrendous design
If your finances dictate that you absolutely need a free phone, then this should serve. It has good battery life and strong reception. But everything else about it is awful!
It uses a special type of headset jack so you can't get a new headset -- and the one it ships with is uncomfortable and low-quality. It's hardly hands-free when I have to constantly use one hand to keep the earbud from falling out of my ear!
The keypad design makes the buttons difficult to press -- I need both hands to type on it.
Instead of several configurable ring-sets, you have only two options: ring and vibrate.
Every ring tone that comes with the phone is absurd, and set in the highest ear-splitting frequencies. It has a ring tone composer, but due to what seems like a bug you can't insert consecutive rests -- necessary if you want to mimic the "beep once" feature that nearly every other phone offers.
There's no way to turn the phone on without it making a loud beeping noise -- a definite problem if you ever need to send messages from classes or meetings
When you unlock the phone, it freezes for a second or two before you can type anything. There's also no autolock feature, and it's _extremely_ easy to press buttons accidentally while it's in your pocket.
Not one day goes by when some feature of this phone doesn't cause me annoyance. The interface on my first cell phone, back in '99, was better than this. I feel like I've been scammed.
31 Great, Basic Telephone
The Samsung R225M is a fantastic telephone. It is slim, lightweight and durable. It is a basic telephone, without the bells and whistles of other modern mobile telephones. So, if you need a telephone that primarily functions as a telephone - this is a great choice. The LED display is easy to read and the menus are very easy to navigate through. The Address Book, Messages and Call Logs function very well. I like the keypad size and design, and the neon blue backlight is cool, too. Reception is great in most places for both GSM and RF.
I highly reccomend this telephone if you need simplicity and ease of use. I've bought this model twice. And, a friend of mine bought it for her family members, she liked it so much.
32 T-Mobile Samsung R225m phone
The Samsung R225m is a great phone. It does what it needs to, it doesn't ever freeze up and it's very, very bright, great for looking around in the dark. The only bad thing about it is that it's near impossible to find a different faceplate for it. You have to go to a specialty store at a mall (mall of america, burnsville mall, etc.)
33 samsung simple
i bought this phone and i must say it is great it's easy to use and operates perfectly i'm really glad they came out with a cell phone that does what it's supposed to-make and take calls.
34 just the basics please
I bought this phone with a T-Mobile package and have yet to be disappointed.
PROS:
-Lightweight
-Great blue backlight--extremely bright for that wow factor
-Indicator light can change color based on who is calling, very cool
-Easy menus
-Plenty of options for a grown up that doesn't require all the bells and whistles like the newest pop icon's song for a ringtone...although I'm sure that's available for more money...
CONS
-Numbers are a little small and tough to dial with fat fingers
-Plastic covering for socket where you plug in the charger is really dumb design...about the size of tic-tac and not attached
-Battery life is not as long as advertised
-Silent mode resets to ring when youmake a call and have to continually reset it to silent mode
Overall. I'm happy with the phone and reccomend it to people who want a new phone but don't care about all the doodads that a 15-yr old might want. This is just an early review...feel free to email me later for an update.
