Samsung SCH-U540 Review

Released for Verizon Wireless, the Samsung SCH-U540 is a mid-level clamshell with access to VCAST Music and Video services. Fully-equipped with features and capabilities customers have come to expect, the SCH-U540 also includes a 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder, speakerphone, Bluetooth capabilities for stereo headsets, VZ Navigator and a microSD memory expansion slot. The SCH-U540 showcases useful features including Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Notepad, Stop Watch, and World Clock.

This light, mid-range CDMA phone sports a large keypad and display while keeping a thin profile. The wide array of features includes EVDO high-speed data, a memory card slot, Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, color outer display with media controls, and support for location-based services.

The external display is a tad small (1 inch and 96×96 pixels) but it manages to cram in all the essential information, including the time, the date, the signal strength, and the battery life. Also, since it supports 65,000 colors, it displays photo caller ID and you can use as a viewfinder for self-portraits. Unfortunately, the display goes completely dark when the backlighting is off but you can activate it again by pressing a side button. A covered headset jack, a camera shutter, and a dedicated speakerphone key sit on the right spine, while a volume rocker rests on the left spine.

The SCH-U540’s internal display is a decent size at just more than 2.2 inches diagonally (176×220 pixels). It supports 262,000 colors but it’s not terribly vibrant, and it’s difficult to see in direct light. The standard Verizon menus look a bit better due to a tweaked design but it’s still not our favorite interface system as some features such as the camera are still too difficult to find. On the upside, you can change the backlight time, the brightness, the contrast, and the dialing font size and style.

Features:

• Weight 2.82 oz (80 g)
• Dimensions 3.88″ x 2.01″ x 0.66″ (99 x 51 x 17 mm)
• Form Factor Clamshell Internal Antenna
• Battery Life Talk: 3.53 hours (212 minutes)
• Standby: 200 hours (8.3 days)
• Battery Type LiIon 800 mAh
• Display Type: LCD (Color TFT/TFD)
• Colors: 262,144 (18-bit)
• Resolution: 176 x 220 pixels
• Memory 15.7 MB (built-in, flash shared memory)
• Phone Book Capacity 500

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