Samsung T401g Phone Review

Net10 has sold the Samsung T401g for about a year, after first releasing it in October 2009. About half a year later, Straight Talk added this device to their list of phones as well. I have worked with the t401 extensively, having carried it as my primary phone for nearly a year, and found some noteworthy features. Here are a few of the highlights from my Samsung t401g phone review:

This phone is one of the few models for either Net10 or Straight Talk that features a QWERTY keypad AND video recording capability. (Just a few days ago as of this writing, in October 2010, Straight Talk has also added two new Nokia handsets that include these two features as well.) Additionally, it includes an mp3 player and decent 1.3 mp still camera.

The QWERTY keyboard slides horizontally from the body of the phone. When the slide-out is collapsed, there is also a 12-key numeric keypad so you don’t need to slide the phone open to make a call. The screen rotates when you slide out the keyboard, so the screen is always oriented in the right way to according to which keyboard you are using.

I struggled a bit initially using the qwerty keypad. IT seemed cramped, and since it was my first QWERTY phone I was not used to the layout of the keys. Fortunately I was able to quickly adapt, and in just a few days I really liked the qwerty keyboard. I was soon able to tap out messages much more quickly than I previously had using a 12-key pad.

The left side of the phone (as you face the phone toward you) includes a volume switch to adjust the volume of ringtones when on the main menu, or call volume while on call. Below that is the microSD card slot. Inserting memory card will let you store extra files such as pictures, videos, and mp3s. This phone will accept cards up to 16gb, which is room for plenty of media.

On the right side you’ll the multi-function port used for the charger, headset, and USB cable. I really don’t care for this layout because the Samsung-branded connector means you have to use an adapter or special headset to listen to mp3s, which means you’ll end up paying more money if you want to use it that way. I was able to find an adapter fairly cheaply on Amazon, but I still believe it’s a hassle to users. Farther down the right side is the button to launch the camera, and this button also will snap a picture when in camera mode. This key only works when the phone is unlocked (open), so you don’t have to worry about taking unwanted pictures.

The quality of the camera is pretty good for a prepaid phone. The video recording function is also handy, but to be honest the video is grainy when played back on the phone’s screen, and even more so if viewed on larger screen.

I also noted that the music quality of the mp3 player on this phone is better than that on the Motorola EM326g, which was the first Net10 phone to offer a music player. The music sounds fair through the built-in speaker (compared to what I was expecting) and better when using headphones. Also, it appears that you have the option to play songs through Bluetooth stereo, although I don’t have a stereo Bluetooth headset to test this out.

I’ll close here with a few more features I was impressed with: long battery life and good reception. Further, the sound on voice calls is very good. In conclusion, I’ll score this model at 9 out of 10. Of course, the value depends on how much you are spending on the phone. Pricing on this particular model varies depending on a few different factors.

I discuss pricing and give much more detailed info in my Samsung T401g review.