T-Mobile SGH-339

All articles on this site are by Harry Skevington unless otherwise noted with another byline

T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung
With Wi-Fi to Save You Minutes
Webredt339cloesdopen When taking a first look this seemed to be a very basic phone. Under the hood are some features that bring the T-Mobile (SGH-339) beyond the basics. The Reddish colored case is a head turner. The ability to move from Wi-Fi and Mobile (cell) calling is intriguing and worked well in my tests. The extra cost for unlimited T-Mobile HotSpot@home are minimal at around $ 9.99 per month. The 1.3 MP camera takes the usual good photos in available lighting outdoors but did not fair well during low light situations. The flash does help inside but I saw very little improvement when taking outside low light shots. Video was on a par with most 1.3 cameras.

From T-Mobile:
In the Box
Battery
Charger
Hands-Free Headset
SIM Card

Size: 1.8 x 3.6 x 0.8 inches
Weight: 3.3 ounces
Included battery: 880mAh Li-ion
Talk time: up to 6 hours
Standby time: up to 11 days
Band (frequency):850 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz

Note: I found talk time and standby times were much shorter when Wi-Fi was on. I recommend turning Wi-Fi off when not in a WiFi zone.

The signal and actual phone performance is very good here in Key West. Friends who were looking to change phones and provider expressed interest in T-Mobile due to very poor service at their location when using another provider. I allowed them to test the T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung for 24 hours. They were amazed at the improvement. They purchased a contract with T-Mobile that included two of these phones. They called recently and were full of praise for the phone and service. My wife, who is a tough phone user, also found the T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung to be easy to hear and simple to use.

Actual Wi-Fi and Cellular Tests
I have Wi-Fi at home and also have been testing a new Wi-Fi service that has been setup to be used around the pool in our condo complex. The router is on the wall outside of our unit so I get great coverage. I turned on the Wi-Fi option for both services in the T-mobile SGH-339 by Samsung. I found little degradation in service using Wi-Fi until I moved beyond the broadcast area. That is to be expected. At that point the cell service took over seamlessly. Depending on your location this can save you some plan minutes. The router name “Shipyard Pool” is shown at the top of the screen when WI-FI is available. It does seem to require more frequent battery charging when connected to Wi-Fi. This is much like using Bluetooth. If you do long conference calls this can be a dollar saving capability that is well worth having.

I brought the T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung on a trip to South Carolina. I also took some photos in Key West. (See photos and videos on Flickr)

Below are a few samples

Cell Camera in Key West and others

The Internal Screen is so bright/white that it is hard to read as delivered. It becomes easily readable when you replace the default screen with a personal photo. Of course wallpaper is available from T-Mobile using T-Zones Internet service.

My Album
Placing your photos in “My Album” gives you a backup storage area on a T-Mobile internet based website. Emails can be sent for friends to share shots stored at My Albums. This was easy to do and free. It did not seem to work with videos. Storing a free personal copy of your contacts at the T-Mobile site is a good backup measure for anyone but especially those who have hundreds of contacts.

Audio Postcard is an easy way to share photo emails while adding a voice message or singing a song. You decide what your message contains and record it right on the phone. I created one with voice and sent it to our daughter,

Bluetooth is available for file transfer and worked well. Using a USB cable is another option but the cable is not included in the box so standard USB cables will not work. It can be purchased from T-Mobile.

Audio files play very well and the included hands free headset is very adequate.

To see detailed features, accessories, and other details on the T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung Click Here.

Even though this is a fairly basic phone I was very please with its features, look, and performance. If WI-FI sounds good to you I would recommend the T-Mobile SGH-339 by Samsung as a good choice.

For more Samsung phones and other products CLICK HERE.

For more T-Mobile phone possibilities CLICK HERE.


	Harry Skevington has been involved with electronics since 1981. He has taught, written for, and provided support to, computer users since 1985. Information that will help consumers with buying decisions is more important than ever due to the current convergence of computers and other consumer products . Harry attends CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas on assignment as a working press writer each year to find and write about emerging technology that seems to fit the needs of his readers. Contact Harry

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