Want all the best phone features without breaking the bank? The basics just got better with the Samsung SCH-u340. Capture the moment, even on the go, with its advanced VGA digital camera. Also, you’ll have access to the In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) contacts menu, even when the phone is locked. This sleek tri-mode phone with an internal antenna will get you where you need to go in affordable style.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a vibrant 128 x 160 pixel full-color display with 65,000 colors. A supplementary external screen can display call information, current date and time, battery and signal strength, and more. Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. The u340 has no external antenna, so there’s nothing to snag in your pants pocket. A charging port is located on the bottom edge of the phone, while an advanced VGA camera with a self timer is housed on the front cover of the phone. Lastly, the built-in speaker phone allows you to talk handsfree.

Calling Features
The u340’s built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones while more ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon’s Get it Now service (additional charges apply). The included advanced voice recognition feature allows you to make calls and access other essential features, all without ever touching the device. Meanwhile, a built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Plus, picture ID functionality lets you assign photos or other images to callers. Perhaps most importantly for users in rural areas, the u340 is a tri-mode phone, meaning it can operate on Verizon’s digital networks, as well as analog networks that serve many outlying areas.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The u340 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text, pictures, and sound. The phone also supports mobile instant messaging. Instant Messaging allows you to communicate with your friends or family in the AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, or MSN Messenger communities. With the AIM, Yahoo! or MSN mobile IM client, you can see who is available, busy, or offline. You can also get sports scores, traffic updates, weather reports, news, and even your Horoscope via Verizon TXT Alerts. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile text messaging users.

The u340 includes a personal organizer that includes a calendar, an alarm clock, a notepad, and a calculator. Meanwhile, the included I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency) feature insures that others can access user programmed numbers in the event of an emergency, even if the phone is locked.

Imaging and Entertainment
The fun really starts with the u340’s built-in VGA camera, which features a self-timer, shutter sound selection, and brightness adjustment.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung SCH-u340 weighs 2.82 ounces and measures 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.77 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 220 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the AMPS 850/CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Customer Review: Average “free” phone, but speakerphone is low quality.
Here’s another “free” phone from Verizon, with a two-year committment. I don’t like paying for phones because the service costs plenty enough by itself. I needed a new phone because my old Samsung A670 had no speakerphone at all. This U340 has one, but the volume is simply not loud enough to be what I would consider an acceptable speakerphone. With the volume at the highest setting, it’s just barely OK if there’s very little ambient noise in the background. Two friends of mine have LG phones and their speakerphones are loud and have good voice fidelity. But, each of them had to shell out about $40 for their phones, even with a plan committment. What I do like is the navigation through the menu items, which is quite a bit better on this phone than my old Samsung A670. Very user-friendly, even to a person who doesn’t use a cellphone as a plaything. Transmission and reception is about average compared with other cellphones. To a much greater extent than most people realize, these characteristics are controlled more by what kind of equipment the antenna sites have and how they are configured for coverage. You can have a hooptie iPhone with sucky call performance just like you can with these cell phone company freebies if the coverage is marginal. I haven’t had any problems with the battery so far, but I’ve only had the phone a couple of weeks. I must say, it is quite small when compared to any other cellphone battery I’ve ever seen. The camera seems to take better quality pictures than my old A670 did, and there’s no flash. This is a disappointment to some people, but I’d rather not have a flash that may draw unwelcome attention to it and to me. Physically moving the phone up and down in the air changes how light or dark the image capture will be, and I’ve found this camera will take OK pictures in even fairly low light situations. All in all, if you’re a cellphone “power user” go get a hooptie name brand latest-gen phone. If you are oriented toward simple functionality and economy, consider selecting this from the “free” phone list at Verizon. The price is right! +++ Additional comment after having the phone for two months +++ The battery in this phone is really the best I’ve ever seen in terms of strength and length of service between charges. After seeing other reviewers complain quite a bit about the battery, the amazing battery performance surprised me, and I thought I should add this comment. So, yes, the speakerphone is a tinny, low-volume bust, but the battery is definitely a big cut-above that of any other cellphone I’ve used.
Customer Review: great phone but terrible battery charge
I just wanted a simple cell phone without all the fancy things. This Samsung phone would have been perfect. Small size, cute, sturdy, etc. But, the battery charge was unpredictable. It would stay charged for only 12-36 hrs, even though I talked on it for about 15-20 mins total. My previous Samsung phone did not have this problem. Verizon replaced the battery, but there was no improvement. Since quite a number of people have made this complaint, I wonder if there is a bad batch of Samsung U340 phones. After a month, I eventually switched over to a different brand.

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