Samsung SPH-A640 Review - Introduction / Design

Introduction

Newly launched on Sprint, the Samsung SPH-A640 offers consumers several key visual enhancements and personalization features such as an illuminated backlit external display and three user changeable interfaces including a new black and white menu.
Offering many of Sprint's features, such as SMS messaging and ReadyLink push-to-talk walkie-talkie technology, the A640 caters to functional consumers. Including many now-standard necessities, the A640 features a built-in camera, text messaging, and Bluetooth technology.

While lacking some newer cell phone features like MP3 and video recording capabilities, the A640's sleek black design and focus on usability make it attractive device for consumer looking for a fashionable and affordable phone to communicate with friends and family.

Design

With dimensions of 3.6 x 1.8 x 0.09 inches and weighing 3.2 ounces, the A640 is a light, compact phone for easy portability. Featuring a sleek black clamshell design with a "disappearing" external OLED screen, the screen gives the illusion that the blue OLED lights appear directly onto the glossy black casing. This effect not only makes the text easy to read, but also gives the phone a cool futuristic look, a nice break from the traditional gray-and-silver approach.
The external grayscale OLED screen is positioned in the center of the front panel, with the VGA camera lens located above it.

Dedicated side buttons control volume, summon the call list, start up the camera, and activate Ready Link. The headphone port is also found on the side of the phone, with the electric port found in the usual place on the bottom. The speakerphone, activated by pressing an external side button during a phone call, operates via an external speaker on the back of the phone.

The disappearing external screen gives a unique look to mid-range phone, while the side buttons allow for easy access to oft-used features like the camera and ReadyLink.

Although the current trend in cell phone design leans towards the ultra-thin, with its light weight and sleek design, the A640 is as convenient to carry and as nice to look at its more expensive cutting-edge counterparts.

Out of the box, the Samsung SPH-A640 comes with a Standard 800 mAh Li-Ion Battery, Travel Charger, and User Manual.
source:
http://www.mobiledia.com/reviews/samsung/sph-a640/page1.html