Slider Phone: Review of the Samsung Slash Slider Phone

Guide Result: Recommended
Recommended For: Basic Needs, Low Price
Not Recommended For: Advanced Users

The new Slash by Samsung knows it’s no iPhone. It’s not trying to be all things to the most hardcore technophiles.

Instead, the Slash for Virgin Mobile “cuts right to the core” for all our basic cell phone needs without muddying itself up with advanced features its youthful users won’t use.

The Slash, which marks the first time Samsung has designed a phone for prepaid leader Virgin Mobile, has successfully married simplicity with style, a healthy feature set and a low price.

The cheap price point is designed to be especially friendly for the youthful Virgin Mobile spender. Don’t expect the Slash, though, to knock your socks off with the latest and greatest technologies.

There’s no touch screen. Its screen size doesn’t make it a prime candidate to watch a full-length mobile movie. It doesn’t have iPod-like software for music on the go. There’s no full keypad for fast mobile emailing.

At a retail price of $69.99, though, the slider phone – which initially hides its basic, 12-button keypad until you slide the phone open – is designed to “slice through the wireless monotony” by featuring:

a decent-quality, VGA cell phone camera

short-range Bluetooth wireless communications (i.e. for Bluetooth headsets)

a bright, full-color screen

access to the mobile Web

a built-in speakerphone

a decent amount of storage (499 contact entries with up to five phone numbers)

a Spanish-language user interface for Spanish-speaking customers

a paid content portal called VirginXL to buy various customizable goodies

text messaging (fast and easy texting called Autotext^™)

screensavers

voice dialing

ringtones

The only relatively different and unique addition to the Slash is a minuscule mirror on the back of the phone once you slide it open. The small mirror is designed to show you what its on-board camera is about the capture.

Unless you actually have eyes in front of your head and behind like your mother always told you, though, you can’t see the mirror when you have it pointed at what you’re photographing.

At 3.5 hours of talk time, the Slash’s standard battery neither screams out as an industry leader nor underwhelms. The talk time satisfactorily fits nicely in the middle of the industry’s current average. The Slash’s battery has a standby life of about 170 hours or seven days.

At 3.8 inches by 1.8 inches by 0.7 of an inch, the Slash’s size is just right. The cell phone fits snug as bug in your hand and in your pocket. It’s neither too large nor too small. At a weight of 3 ounces, it’s perfectly light as well.

An extra battery costs $29.99, a car charger runs $24.99 and a cheap Bluetooth headset (there are many more choices) can cost you only $24.99. The Slash for $69.99 as well as its accessories can be purchased from Virgin Mobile directly.

The phone can be coupled with various prepaid calling plans from Virgin Mobile with no contract as well as several monthly payment plans. As Virgin Mobile is an authorized Sprint reseller, all calls on its phones use the Sprint network.

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