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Samsung's Upstage SPH-M620 is by no means the first music phone to hit the ever-widening cell phone market. Motorola, Nokia, and Sony-Ericsson have included MP3 playback capability in their handsets, attempting to woo consumers away from their cell phones and iPods by combining the functionality of both in one device. Apple hopes to dominate this growing niche market with its recently released iPhone, but many are unwilling to go that route due to the relatively high sticker price and expensive, AT&T-exclusive service coverage. Nonetheless, the Upstage's price, feature set, and Sprint service might be enough to convince many buyers to purchase it over the iPhone or other music phones.
DESIGN What separates the Upstage from every other handset in the music phone category is how the MP3 player is integrated into the phone. Rather than a simple, one-sided candy-bar handset, the Upstage utilizes both sides of the device, one exclusively for phone and texting use, the other for MP3 playback and Web browsing, among other things.
The phone side is simple and easy to use with an intuitive button layout. There's a four-way directional-pad with a "Menu/OK" button in the middle, standard "Talk" and "End/Power" buttons, a "Back" button, a "Camera" button, and two function buttons. The keys have a solid feel to them, raised ever-so slightly from the body of the phone, and are spaced far enough apart for two-handed texting. The screen on the phone side is relatively small, but sufficient for the simple call and text functions. Click the "Flip" button on the left side of the handset and turn it over to reveal a much larger screen and a multi-directional touch pad, with a "play/OK" button in the middle. The screen is bright and very sharp; certainly a welcome improvement over the postage stamp-size screen on the other side. The touch pad takes some time to get used to and, on occasion, still seems to have a mind of its own.
On the right of the phone are volume controls, and on the left is the "Flip" button as well as a keypad/screen lock, familiar to any iPod user.
FEATURES
The Upstage has basic cell phone necessities such as an alarm clock, a world clock, a calculator, and even basic organizing functions including a memo pad and planner. The phone also features a 1.3 megapixel camera, voice dialing, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Available services from Sprint include mobile Web, Sprint TV, Sprint On Demand, Sprint Music Store, and downloadable ring tones and background content. Most of the premium content, such as Sprint TV, and Sprint On Demand is overly expensive and has a limited selection. The Sprint Music Store has the latest pop, rock, hip-hop, and country hits available for download, but is not as comprehensive as iTunes or Ruckus.
MP3 playback on the phone can be done through the onboard stereo speaker, wired, or Bluetooth wireless headphones. The Upstage does lack the obvious features of any MP3 device in that it doesn't have a miniplug jack for standard headphones. You have to purchase headphones with a proprietary plug or compatible wireless headphones. The mobile Web service offered is a strong point for Sprint and the Upstage. Web pages load very quickly and are easy to read on the phone's larger screen. E-mail services, such as Google's Gmail, will allow anyone to stay connected with work and social life in a snap.
PERFORMANCE
Although the Upstage does not have a user-replaceable battery, included with the phone is an extended battery and cover for the phone. Standard talk time is around 2-3 hours, and jumps to 5-6 hours with the extended battery. As a music player, the Upstage will last around 10 hours and upwards of 18 hours with the extended battery. Voice service around campus and the Metro-Boston area was superb. Call quality was crisp, with very little static.
In two months of use there were only a handful of dropped calls. Texting service was always reliable even in basement classrooms and the media workroom of Conte Forum, where voice service is typically unreliable. Mobile Web was quick even with one bar of service or when roaming.
Samsung's Upstage puts a new twist on the music phone genre as a whole. Its innovative two-sided interface is easy to learn and to use. Although some may find flipping the device back and forth to be a chore, most of the time use will be on one side or the other. Paired with Sprint's robust voice and data network, it is a powerful device packed into a small package and is a definite contender for the user looking to call, text, listen to music, and use the Web on their mobile device.
The Upstage is available exclusively from Sprint and is $99.99 with a two-year service agreement.
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