[+]
8.0
Get a free unlocked Motorola RAZR v3i instead!
Why settle for less, or commit yourself to a specific cellular provider and service plan, when you can get a complimentary unlocked top of the line Motorola RAZR v3i cell phone that works with any cellular service provider and any SIM card. I got mine free at this web site: bestfreeproducts.info/razrv3i
[+]
4.0
Review about actual phone
Compared to other phones on the market and the price, this phone doesn't offer much in the "extra feature" department. No camera, no MP3 player, etc. The only reason I bought it is it was black, looked sporty, had a color display, and the key pad was well designed/illuminated. If that is what you're looking for, wait, there's more...unfortunately after one year, my LCD screen will NOT turn off and stays illuminated 24/7. As a result, not only does my battery die FAST, but my sub LCD screen (the small one on the outter shell) doesn't turn on. And I can not view time/date/caller id without openning the phone. And of course fixing this costs more than the phone itself. That was on my phone's 1 year anniversary. Another 2 months later, the charger hardware is screwy too! When I plug in the charger, it goes in and out of charging. It's not the charger either, as my husband uses the same charger for his phone (different model) without problems. I however need to charge my phone 2X a day! Ridiculous! I paid $250 for this phone with only a year of problem free use...that just doesn't seem fair to consumers. The response I get is you should've bought insurance!!!! How about you should manufacture better products! Shouldn't these higher ticket items (especially laptops) offer longer warranty periods?
[+]
8.0
Get a free unlocked Motorola RAZR v3i instead!
Why settle for less, or commit yourself to a specific cellular provider and service plan, when you can get a complimentary unlocked top of the line Motorola RAZR v3i cell phone that works with any cellular service provider and any SIM card. I got mine free at this web site: bestfreestuff.biz/razrv3i
[+]
10.0
Get a free unlocked Motorola RAZR v3i instead!
Why settle for less, or commit yourself to a specific cellular provider and service plan, when you can get a Free unlocked top of the line Motorola RAZR v3i cell phone that works with any cellular service provider and any SIM card. I got mine free at this web site: http://topdeal.biz/razrv3i
[+]
2.0
Sprint - terrible customer service
I wd give this one -10 stars!!
I had sprint for ~2 and 1/2 years - that too forced... every time I would want to add something to my plan - they would upgrade the contract - without informing me that they would be doing so....
Then I started getting charged for "premium text messaging" avg ~$15 extra a month - repeated efforts to block the spam sender went unheard... all these extra charges inspite of no text messaging enabled on my phone.
I went through 5 Customer Service agents(excluding 2 in the store who were completely clueless) till i finally got one of them to block these (even now I dont trust that its been done) - that too after threatening to disconnect the service.
I am so exasperated that I am terminating the service and changing my # - as I would rather pay extra $150 to do that than go through this BS again...
Not only this - but i keep getting blank calls with no caller id @ 3am - and have heard several sprint customers go through this problem too...
Even Cingular (had 2 yrs of their crap)is better!!!
Now am trying T-Mobile - who atleast have the same deals with only a yr's contract - so far so good!!!
[+]
10.0
Get a free unlocked Motorola RAZR V3 instead!
Why settle for less, or commit yourself to a specific cellular provider and service plan, when you can get a Free unlocked top of the line Motorola RAZR V3 cell phone that works with any cellular service provider and any SIM card. I got mine free at this web site: http://cellphone.top-deal.biz
[+]
10.0
The reasons Why Sprint Nextel are the best!
Sprint in my opinion the best wireless carrier out their. It is odd that they merged with Nextel, because they are my second favorite.
Sprint's native network reaches over 250 Million POP. That, with the roaming, their network reaches 290(Digital only phones) or 295(Digital and analog phones) people. that makes it the largest Wireless network in the USA.
You get to roam on Verizon's, ALLTEL's, ect networks for free as well.
Sprint only offers Unlimited data plans. They offer them for both their Visions and Power Visions access. Prices range from $10 to $25. $25 being the Unlimited Power Visions (EV-DO) access with all of the Sprint TV channels and some Sirius satellite radio, along with other streaming radio channels. Other content can be added, but you would need to check the list. They are always adding new things.
Sprint is the only carrier that will let you use your Smart-Device like a Treo 650 with the unlimited Handset data plans. So with Sprint you can use the Unlimited Data on your Treo 650 for $10 a month. Both Verizon and Cingular charge $45 a month for this. T-Mobile $20.
They also allow their customers to use their phones as modems, with moderate use. Other carriers either do not have this feature, or have it shut off.
Sprint has also added Free Incoming plans to their Fair & Flexible plans. These are plans that keep adding new minutes to your plan, as you go over your bucket.
this keeps you from paying 45 to 60 cents a minute in overages. Also keep in mind that other carriers charge roaming and long distance fee's on top of the overage fees. So you can be paying into the $2 dollar a minute range for going over your plan minutes. T-Mobile USA is notorious for this. You pay a fee for the overage minutes, a fee for the long distance, and a fee if roaming. T-Mobile USA's network is pretty small, so you could roaming easily.
Another thought to throw around. Is Sprint uses 1900MHz signals for their CDMA/EV-DO coverage. They are also building out their 800MHz coverage with the licenses acquired from Nextel. Since 1900MHz needs more towers to cover a given area, this allows your phone to have more tower choices to choose from.
This also increases Internet speeds, because speeds drop with distance.
So I have found Sprint's data speeds to be faster then Verizon's. And Much faster then Cingular's and T-Mobile's Internet speeds.
Sprint also uses Lockline for their replacement insurance provider. They cover Any phone on your account, purchased from Anywhere, no matter if it is New or Used. Other carriers insurance providers only cover new phones purchased from the carrier.
I could go on and on, but just take this into consideration before choosing another carrier just based on a commercial. Or the bucket of minutes they "Claim" they are going to provide you. Minutes don't mean a thing if the network is not dependable and the calls sound like crap.
Also keep in mind that Sprint uses CDMA, which is the same network technology Verizon uses. CDMA is the most efficient network technology.
(...)
[+]
2.0
Too Many Dropped Calls
I have an older Sanyo phone that works a lot better than this unit. I have never had a phone that dropped calls as often as the RL-7300.
[+]
8.0
Excellent, beautiful high quality phone
My first Sanyo phone last for years. Finally I decided to upgrade to another Sanyo because of my excellent experience with my first.
Cell phones fall into 2 broad categories, junk and non-junk. Junky phones are the LG-type POS phones and most of what Verizon has to offer.
Sprint is a much more consistent vendor of high quality phones.
I love this phone. It's a durable phone with a rubber grip, it's light and not too tiny. I am surprised that so many phones are so small. I don't agree that smaller is always better. For a while I used a Samsung phone, the popular one, and found it to bee too small and dainty. It felt like it was going to fall out of my hands all the time.
This phone is, construction wise, the best phone I have seen.
The speaker phone is incredible. Loud and clear. The rubber grip allows you to hold the phone firmly without requiring a case. The screen is big and colorful. The charge lasts a long time. It DOESN'T have a camera (waste of space, whoopee 1 megapixel).
It has a wonderful little feature. It "clicks" when you open it. Many phones click too loudly, but this is absolutely perfect.
The plastic used is durable. Some cell phones use cheap plastic. This is more of a polycarbonate, durable and strong.
The buttons are nicely laid out. The menu system is navigable, self explanatory. You don't need to RTFM if you don't want to.
Some negative things, you can't turn of the out-of-signal beeping. There is supposedly an option to turn that off in the menu but it doesn't seem to work. The way around that is to "silence all" for volume. Also, when closed, the clamshell has a slit wide enough for a coin to slide up and mar the display screen, which happened to mine. You can see a faint outline of the scraping of a quarter. A bit of an annoyance, mostly because my perfect little phone has been "de-flowered".
I salute the designers/engineers/marketers at Sanyo for creating an excellent device.
Maybe I just had bad luck with this phone but I would not buy it again. I think it has some sort of a switch problem, After 5 months the outside screen just stopped working. And then because the switch wasn't working, when I closed the phone, the inside screen would stay on all the time and drain my battery. Sprint replaced it with another RL-7300, and after 2 months the second phone stopped working in the exact same way. Sprint advertises this phone as being "rugged" and I feel it's not. I take care of my phone so I don't believe these phones stopped working through any fault of mine. My old Samsung lasted 2 1/2 years. I'm considering buying a Samsung again.
[+]
10.0
Great Phone Minor Problem
i have had this phone since april 2005 and i love it, its a good phone, my only problem is the lack of a good cell phone case, i have looked high and low but i cant find a case for under 30 bucks, body glove only offers a case for this phone on the sprint web site.
This is truely a great phone. I am not into the latest picture phones so this is a great option. The phone is compact, light weight and has good clarity. The menu system is good and easy to navigate through. I do not use the vision services so I cannot comment on them. The rest of the phone's functions are very easy to operate and adjust. I would recommend the extended battery and the phone usb cable adapter with bitpim software. With that it almost functions like a palm pilot.
This is another POS cell phone from Sprint who haven't had a decent phone since they stopped selling the more reliable and rugged Motorola StarTac. This phone is just slightly better than the equivalent Samsung and LG models which I've owned prior to purchasing this phone. Some six months after purchase the #2 doesn't work, it has always lost signal in places where other people have signal and the button to change the ringer volume or to set it to vibrate gets caught on things or comes under my fingers when talking causing it to change at inopportune times.
the last guy said it isnt easy to redial last number called.
all you have to do is press "talk" twice.
I love this phone.
I have had it probably 10 months, and am still in love with it.
I looked hard for a good phone that didnt take pics, and I sure found a good one!!!!
I also have not had a problem with dropped calls.
[+]
8.0
Above average with some minor flaws
The SCP-7300 is above average at best, but that could be because I live and work in NE Florida, and most things don't work correctly here. The features that most others have talked about are nice, like the ease of use and the ability to quickly navigate through the various menus.
The four main problems I have with this model are as follows: 1. Calls get dropped or signal is lost despite having 4 bars. 2. Speaker does not work well in that it picks up too much background noise and is difficult (but not impossible) to use. 3. No easy way to redial the last number you called. 4. And I haven't seen this problem mentioned, but there are times when I dial a number, press the "talk" button, and the number disappears. I then have to re-enter the number, sometimes 5 or 6 times before it takes the number and actually dials. This also happens on the presets, I'll push number 5, for example, and the 5 disappears after pushing the "talk" button. I have 4 bars and everything seems to be working properly. Unfortunately, I cannot replicate this at a Sprint store, so they look at me like I'm nuts! But it does happen on occasion, so keep that in mind. Also, I've have 4 of these phones (same model) and they all do it. In fact, I got a new one yesterday and it did it today already.
It's not a bad phone, and I get them pretty cheaply for use at work, so I can't complain too much. They're better than Nextel, that is for sure.
[+]
10.0
great no frills phone
If you also believe that a phone should be a phone & a camera is a camera, then this may be for you.
This is replacing my old friend Sanyo 4900...greatest reception phone by Sprint ever made....I just dropped it a few too many times until it finally became unreliable.
The 7300, after 2 days, seems to equal the reception of the 4900...I find that the signal strength BAR indicator may show 1 bar, but that appears to equal what 2 bars were for the 4900....just need to interpret it differently.
the volume from both the speakerphone and earpiecee are very loud and perhaps clearer than other phones that cram a photo lens into the same area of where you listen...
Feels durable and solid for a flip phone.....I like the rubberized edges. Not sure if the battery life will come close to the 4900, but its a smaller phone so probably thats 1 trade off.
I highly recommend the (discontinued) 4900 model as well as this 7300. In general, most people i talk to say Sanyo is the best Sprint Cell phone maker. Ive owned LG and Samsung, and they both had issues. Go with Sanyo!
[+]
10.0
Best phone I've used
I got this phone to replace a Samsung that got lousy reception. The Samsung would drop calls, and left people asking me to repeat myself. I decided to go with this phone after seeing strong reviews for it on the internet. That's why I'm surprised to see some people here say they didn't get good reception with this phone. I think it's very well designed and rugged....I know it's going to last me years. I get good reception no matter where I go (I'm in the Atlanta area and take trips to D.C. and NY). Maybe there's a lot of bad units that get shipped with manufacturers. I never liked my Samsung, and replaced it with the same model when I thought it could be the model. The replacement would get lousy reception as well. I have a couple friends who use that model Samsung, but they don't seem to have the same problems. Sanyo seems to work for me better, and I notice it emmits less radiation then Samsung models.
[+]
4.0
Sanyo 8100 is better than Sanyo 7300; I miss the 8100 menus
Reception - 2 bars low
The reception of the Sanyo 7300 is about half of the Sanyo 8100. The number of bars on the 7300 is always about two less than the 8100. When in a call, it's hard to understand the other party because they are always dropping out.
Speakerphone - can't interrupt speaker
When using the speaker phone, you can not talk (interrupt) until the other stops talking.
Returning Missed Calls is much more complicated
If you like how the 8100 menu works, you'll miss the ability to quickly call back missed calls. Here are the key strokes for both to call back from the point where you first see the Missed Call:
8100 = View, View, OK, OK
7200 = View, Exit, Menu, OK (Call History), 3 (Missed Calls), Options, OK (Call)
That's 3 extra keystrokes and 3 extra moves. Note: "View" and "Exit" is the same button. "Menu" and "OK" is the same button. "Options" is the button above the "Back" button. "Extra Moves" are defined as having to use a different key.
Calling Alternate Numbers is much more complicated using Outgoing History
8100 = Menu, OK (Call History), OK (Outgoing calls), OK (for last outgoing), Down (Alternate), pick alternate phone number
7300 = Menu, OK (Call History), OK (Outgoing calls), Options, Down, Down, Down, OK (Go to phone book), pick alternate phone number
That's 3 extra key strokes and 2 extra moves. The 8100 uses the same key for the first 4 key strokes. That's value. Whoever made this so complicated should have their head examined. I used the alternate feature of the 8100 all the time. After the primary phone number fails using voice dial, 70% of the time I want to try the alternate. The 7300 is such a pain.
Summary - Software investment saved
The only reason I will keep the 7300 is that my employer doesn't want pic phone on their premise. Also, the software I bought for the 8100 (FutureDial) works on the 7300 once I downloaded the update.
[+]
4.0
Writing my frustrations - since I can't call anyone
I bought the RL 7300 in June and returned it for a new one a month later when I wasn't able to make or receive calls and my text messages were coming in hours after being sent (with the original times to prove their tardiness) and weren't being sent out at all. I figured it MUST have been the phone.
The brand new replacement is even worse. One reviewer mentioned not being able to make or receive calls in Pittsburgh. Since I have purchased this phone I have traveled to Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis and Chicago. In not one of those major cities was able to use my phone like normal people. My boyfriend, who was with me through all of those cities, was able to call any and everyone on earth. He also has Sprint, but luckily, a different model Sanyo phone.
The phone looks nice and is easy to navigate, but everything else about it makes me want to scream. I have been trying to hold out on buying a new phone, mainly because that one was expensive enough and I keep praying that ONE DAY it will work. Sprint admitted that the performance is not as good as many of the other Sanyo phones and after numerous "fixes", I still can't dial out when I want to. Only when the phone allows me to. Unfortunately for me, tonight is not one of my few lucky nights.
[+]
10.0
I gave it 5 stars because Amazon won't let me give it 6!
I'm hard on my phones, so I thought the sturdy construction and rubberized edges would be beneficial....
I was right! My phone has held up well to my throwing in my pocket and far-too frequent-yet-inadvertant drops to the pavement. But last weekend I apparently left the phone atop my car as I loaded my trunk. As I later learned, the phone held onto the roof of the car for about a mile, where it lay to rest alongside the highway. Five days later, after cold weather and rain all weekend, I got a call from a gentleman who found the phone in along the highway. Sprint customer service (I had called to suspend service when I lost the phone) told me when I called to re-establish service that most phones don't work after they've been wet, let alone the slam to the pavement from a car driving 60mph. Guess what? I dusted the phone off and the Sanyo 7300 works like a charm!
I also must say that my antennae works better on my Sanyo than the Samsung I owned previously. I've yet to drop a call in six months of ownership, and get service in my office where most others' phones do not work. I have no issue with the speakerphone, either.
The phone is a bit larger than other flip-phones, but not overly bulky. And that it is so substantially constructed makes any concerns about size practically moot.
I have had this phone for 6 months now. I have no problems with the phone. The phone pook only requires 1 button to access, as well as many other features. The service isn't the best here in north Florida, but it beats the heck out of nextel. I had nextel for 1 year and couldn't wait to get out of my contract. All in all I would definately reccomend this phone and service.
[+]
2.0
Very disappointed
I purchased this phone a little more than a week ago. Once I finally received the phone I was quite disappointed. I charged as the recommendations say and then turned the phone on. To my suprise i was in analog roam at my apartment in downtown Pittsburgh where my Samsung A-460 has a decent digital reception. So, I took it to the Sprint store where they reprogrammed it. Sadly, the reception still wasnt any better than my Samsung. So, I called a friend to test the phone out, albeit good clear reception, but a horrible feedback from the speaker phone. Plus the phone book is a pain in the butt to get to. I love my Samsung in the fact i just have to hit the scroll down key to scroll my address book. Good luck if you choose this phone.
Everybody loves my phone and I love it b/c it is sleek and stylish, yet has several capabilities. Definitely recommend it!!!
[+]
10.0
Another great Sanyo
I have owned this phone for approximately 2 months and love it. I've been on the Sprint service for approximately 4 years and this is the 4th phone that I've had (the second Sanyo). In response to another review, every problem with dropped calls / bad coverage I've ever heard of or had has been a Sprint problem, not the phone. Be sure you have current programming!
The features that are used daily are easy to access and require a minimum of buttons to access. One addition that I particularly like is the ability to turn off the start up / shutdown tones so going in and out of meetings is much less noticeable. I've also found the battery life with the standard battery more than adequate, however, I am the type that regularly plugs in the phone every night. The plastic and rubber case serve me well in the foodservice business where I tend to be hard on any personal electronics (pagers, PDA's, cell phones).
I have been told by a couple of different sources that Sanyo phones get the best reception on Sprint, and I absolutely find that to be the case. I am routinely in office / manufacturing buildings where I am the only one getting cell phone service in a group of people with various other providers.
I purchased this phone because of the lack of camera, and all of the other features have come through with flying colors.
[+]
2.0
Poor quality phone
I would not reccomend anyone buy this phone. The receive signal strength is very low compared to other Sprint phnoes I have used. It tends to drop calls and allow calls to roll directly to voice mail. The battery life is not nearly what is advertised. This phone sucks down all of the battery with only a few phone calls. It will not last me a full business days worth of calls. I estimate the actual talk time is about 1-1/2 hours without using Ready Link or the net. Ready Link kills the battery very quickly.
[+]
8.0
All the glory and not the glam......
This is my 2nd favorite Sprint phone of all time. I've been with the company for 5+ years, finally got over the camera-phone craze and settled for the RL7300. It's rugged, so it can withstand the daily grind and it's a Sanyo, which makes it dependable. Some great features include the 18 sec. recorded memo feature, great for catching an all-important phone number or mid-conversation directions , ReadyLink capabilities for quick interactions with up to 5 ReadyLinkers, actual 4 digit dialing to quickly connect with anyone in the phonebook, speakerphone, downloadable games, ringers and applications to make your phone all your own, SMS 2-way messaging and Wireless Web (ofcourse).....The battery life is about what is expected for all the extras that are included but, much longer with an extended battery pack. Overall, a good phone that serves the intended purpose. If you're not into the photo sessions or video capabilities and are looking to go "back to basics", the RL7300 is right up your alley.
[+]
8.0
Great phone, but sorry speaker phone...
Great phone, but has its defects. I mainly purchased this phone because it's a flip phone with a speaker phone (I get tired holding the phone up to my ear, and I hate ear pieces). By my experience and of two other owners of the same phone, the speaker phone works poorly. You can hear the caller talking nice and loud but they cannot hear you. Most of the time I had to turn off the speaker phone and just use it normally. I took my phone phone back in exchange for the Sanyo 4500 hoping it doesn't have the same problem. If you plan to buy this phone for the speaker as I did, save your time and money and look for another phone. If speaker phone is not of an essence to you, than this phone is great!
[+]
8.0
Geat Phone, small problem
This is a very user friendly phone, light, rugged, excellent receive voice capability, but.
I have been a PCS customer for 4 years and with my mortorola phone I never had a reception problem With this phone several times I have been in situations where I can hear the other person and they can not hear me at all-no the phone is not muted. This occurs when I am not moving and there is nothing changing around me that could affect the signal. Then when I look at the display it says signal lost, but the signal strength indicator is maximum. This morning I find I can not use the phone at all from my desk. Signal strenght is full and another PCS phonne is working just fine. I think the problem is software, but I do not see a download on the sprintsite.
Bummer.
[+]
10.0
The best I've ever had
One caveat before you read further: I've only had the phone a day and a half, so if you insist on more seasoned use from a reviewer, go to the next review. But I do think I can offer some value in at least 2 areas: 1)Sprint PCS service and 2)ease of use of the phone, and its basic PCS features. I have not acquired the readylink service or used the phone for that so again, if you need specific feedback on that, look at the other reviews (or I'll update soon). However, I can safely say right now that I've never been as excited about a phone as I have about this phone.
I probably don't rank up there with heavy duty phone buyers and users. This Sanyo phone is my 6th phone (my wife has had an additional 2 during that time period) and my second Sanyo. Some reviewers here go through that many in a good year! I don't have to have the latest and greatest, but I'm more than willing to pay a premium for good stuff. Though I got this phone as a replacement for another one (long story), it is well worth the price.
About the only thing I don't like (and its sort of a real bummer) is the front display. Its the size of a postage stamp, which isn't a problem. But when the phone's LED has cut off, the digital time and signal strength readout is dark and unreadable unless you get some light on it. Its black on medium grey, not exactly a great contrast. I guess in the bright outdoors it might be OK, but indoors you have to twist it to get a beam of light going to see it clearly. You CAN leave the LED on if you must, but that will drain the battery. I can't truthfully say this is a minor irritation; to the contrary, it is somewhat aggrivating. However, I'm not going to return the phone just due to this.
The rest of the phone is great. While, as stated, I haven't used the ReadyLink feature, I have used the speakerphone feature without opening the phone. You can set it to make calls (or answer them) without flipping the phone open. As far as I can tell, the speaker phone broadcasts your voice very clearly. I left a message this morning on my home answering machine and even my deep voice came through great. I've made a dozen or so calls, all mostly clear with no drops (truthfully, a Sanyo staple). Finally, this thing is a breeze to set up -- both for contacts and voice dial. MUCH easier than the Samsung A500 I had for only a few months. Menu navigation is now easier even than the Sanyo 5150 I had for a year and a half and liked very much. As far as battery life, I've gone a day and a half and three out of three bars are still indicated. Truthfully, this will vary and its never as good as you would like.
The absolute best feature, to me, of this phone is its plastic, almost rubberized, exterior. I can firmly hold it, it doesn't slide around in my pocket, and I'm not worried about other things in my pockets scratching it. It is a little bigger than I would like, but it is very light.
I would also recommend Sprint. Now, I haven't used other services, so I can't compare, but I am about as happy with SprintPCS as I've been with almost any other service of anything technical (cable, phone, sat., internet, etc.). I can't say I've had no issues come up, but they've been taken care of reasonably.
I can't wait to try the Ready Link service and features. If I can only find someone to talk to!
