Review: Samsung Z500 3G Phone

Samsung Z500 Review

Phone rating:

The Samsung Z500 is the lightest, sleekest 3G phone ever released (as of July 2005), weighing in at just 95g. In fact it's so small and light that you'd never know that it was a 3G phone. It looks and feels just like a conventional clamshell.

There's a high-quality OLED external display with 65k colours, and inside is a very high quality TFT display with 262k colours. The phone is equipped with a megapixel camera and video camera, although there's no flash for night time photography. The phone is capable of video recording and video calling. The integrated MP3 player can handle a range of formats including AAC.

A welcome feature is the expandable memory card (microSD format). The phone has a generous 50 Mbytes of internal memory and comes with a 35 Mbyte memory card, but this can be expanded up to 256 Mbytes. Connectivity is excellent, with Bluetooth, USB and infra-red supported. Battery life is average for a 3G phone.

However, this is not the perfect phone. Users are reporting a range of problems including poor 3G reception, battery life problems and faults with the clock and alarm. It has to be said that 3G coverage in the UK is not yet up to the standard of the 2G network, and in some parts of the country this may be a real issue. Battery life on the 3G network is also poor compared to what people are used to on 2G, but the performance of the Z500 battery is no worse than any other current 3G phone. You should also consider the Samsung Z300 which has a similar specification (although it's a heavier phone), but with fewer reports of problems. The Z500 has now been replaced by the Z510 which is a much better phone.

Features of the Samsung Z500 include:

• Megapixel camera (1152 x 864 pixels) with 2x digital zoom + VGA second camera (640 x 480 pixels)
• Video calling / video camera
• Internal display: TFT LCD, 176 x 220 pixels, 262,144 colours
• External display: OLED-LCD, 80 x 64 pixels, 65,536 colours
• MP3 Player (MP3/AAC/ACC+)
• 64-voice polyphonic ringtones
• Messaging: SMS (with learning T9), MMS, E-Mail (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP)
• Games: Powerinlinex, TheLastAge plus downloadable Java games
• Wallpaper & animations
• Phonebook (max 1000 entries) with Photo Caller ID
• Personal Information Management: Calendar, Scheduler, To do list, Short cut, Clock / Worldtime, Alarm (snooze/once/daily), Currency converter, Calculator, Memo book, vCard, vCalendar
• WAP 2.0, GPRS, class 10
• Memory: 50 Mbytes internal memory plus 35 Mbytes microSD memory card (expandable)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth™ (version 1.1), USB (version 1.1), IrDa, Sync ML (version 1.1.2)
• Tri Band (GSM 900 + 1800 + 1900 MHz) plus 3G (UMTS 2.1 GHz)
• Size: 89 x 45 x 25 mm
• Weight: 95g
• Talktime: 3.4 hours (2G) / 2.2 hours (3G)
• Battery standby: 260 hours (2G) / 200 hours (3G)

Samsung Z500 Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

Average rating from 100 reviews:

Reviewed by Mike from England on 4th Oct 2005
After reading 'every' review on this site - not one person has managed to sum up the 'battery' issue. 1. Battery life is v.poor (when operating 3G) 2. Battery life is good (when operating 2G) 3. Barrety life is v.good (when operating 2G AND setting the network to 'MANUAL') 4. Clock is fine (if you switch-off Automatic Update). There ya go - all you need to know in 4 lines !
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Reviewed by Ant from England on 3rd Oct 2005
This phone is fantastic, best screen quality ive seen on a phone. None of the problems previously mentioned by other users on vodafone. no flash and boring ringtones the only thing that stop this phone getting 5 stars.
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Reviewed by att from UK on 3rd Oct 2005
when i had to get a new fone cos my old one broke i found this website. i found the fone i wanted the samsung Z500 when i looked at the reviews on this site i had second thoughts about getting a contract with it however i thought it couldnt be all that bad otherwise they would stop selling it and sort out the problems so i went and got it on a vodafone contract. i imediatly turned the 3G network off and made sure the automatic time change was swicthed off. i have now had this fone for 3 weeks and yeah the battery doesnt last as long as other fones but to be fair this fone has so many accesories using the battery im not suprised. i think this fone is gr8 and vodafone have been even better giving me a rly good contract to suit my needs and helping me with any problems i may have. for any one looking to buy this fone i strongly reccomend it cos its the best fone i have ever had and its well worth the small problems and the high price (unless you go on contract) gr8 fone!
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Reviewed by Jo from Cardiff on 3rd Oct 2005
The main problem I would like to highlight is the alarm. It hardly ever goes off, it will skip the time the alarm was due to go off and forward the time a few minutes. The snooze function has faults too, it claims to snooze every 5 minutes for 30 minutes - this has yet to happen! I've been late for work countless times because of these faults! (I've complained and my handset is being replaced so hopefully these problems will be no more!!) The battery life isn't a major problem, even if it does need charging every day theres no problem doing this over night. The camera and video facilities are excellent, the only down side is when sending a video message there is a limit of 4 seconds. The handset is small and compact for a 3G phone, looks great although does resemble the E720 and the E700. Over all - a smart little phone.
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Reviewed by Lee from UK on 3rd Oct 2005
After reading all the reviews on here i was abit nervouse about my phone comming,ive had it for a week now(on 02) and im very happy with it indeed. The build quality is exellent and it looks the dogs nads too!Alot of features for such a small phone its got a really clear and sharp main screen and the 2nd screen is good also for its size.As for battery use (which i was worried about after reading these reviews)i charged mine up until the arrow on the charger wire went green and it lasted me from 10am till 3pm the next day,not too good i hear you say but bearing in mind i was constantly playing with it LOL downloading mp3s,taking photos, filling in the phone book,sending texts to let everyone no my new number,transferring videos and playing them back so very heavy use for the 1st charge!With normal use its lasting me 3 days,so i dont know what all these peeps are doing with it to only make it last 1 day all the time????Oh and it is set on the 3G setting although its mainly on 2G because of coverage in the UK.The only thing i can find a bit annoying is every other day i see a black photo in my folder,which im guessing is th e camera going off in my pocket!!LOL maybe i need looser jeans?LOL Anyway anyone thinking of getting one of these dont be put off by the negative reviews on here as i said earlier i was worried about it comming but im glad i got this wicked phone/mp3 player/camera/video player/video phone what else is on this thing?!!LOL GO GET ONE!!!!
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Reviewed by smudge from UK on 1st Oct 2005
Have had my z500 now for a few days and i must admit that contrary to most of the other reviews i think it is a fantastic phone which if you FIRST change the 3G to 2G will get brilliant coverage and excellant battery life and THEN follow the advice about the clock as stated before in this forum. Quite simply it is light, well equipped, cheap (on the current vodafone online) and whats best is that the call quality is brilliant and you can download mp3s and all ur pics that you have onto the phone via the supplied USB cable. All in all i can seriously reccommend this to any people looking to upgrade to 3G.
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Reviewed by daz from uk on 1st Oct 2005
This phone is excellent i have had it for a month now on o2 and it has been working perfectly. It has plenty of space for mp3's if 256mb isn't enough you can buy as many 256mb cars as you like and take them around with you to use since the phone has a hot swap memory card slot and the microcards are so tiny. I have 4x 256MB cards for this phone. Phone has perfect video that allows you to record upto 1 hour for every 60MB's of memory used i have fitted 2 films on 1 of my 256mb memory cards with over 25mb space remaining the rest have all my mp3's on. Camera is crisp and vivid much better quality than D500 as the D500's picture quality looked washed out. Phone call quality is perfect on this phone unlike the e720 which suffered from voice clarity. i have noticed alot of people have problems with this phone on vodafone i personally wouldn't buy a phone from vodafone as they re edit the phones menu changing the whole look and feel of the phone for the worse. It has become standard practice for vodafone uk to change the menu on all their handsets they sell so they only show the vodafone colours in the phones menu which are red and grey which not only makes the menu look ugly but the phone also becomes unstable. This is why so many people have been having problems with the z500 on vodafone. Vodafone also take features out all their phones such as not allowing you the choice to have mp3 ringtones as they want you to buy ringtones from their vodafone live wap site, disgusting.
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Reviewed by Scott from UK on 29th Sep 2005
If you look up information on Lithium Ion/Polymer batteries you will find that you should keep the phone charged up as much as possible. Letting the phone discharge to a low level before recharging will shorten your battery's life. This is the opposite to old Ni-Cad/NiMH batteries which had "memory effect". Check it out at: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm This, hopefully, should address the battery life issues some people are having. I can attest to the comments below about switching off 3G network access with respect to signal strength. Turning 3G off increased my signal strength considerably. One issue I am having is that the phone's schedule function doesn't want to sound the alarm. Does anyone else have this problem? I've set a schedule, put in a start time and set the reminder to go off one minute beforehand. No alarm sounds. :( Any help?
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Reviewed by Harold from UK on 28th Sep 2005
I have been reading all the reviews for the Z500 and here is the thing. Up to now 3G phones have been big and bulky and only tech heads have bought them. Tech heads tend to understand issues like bad network coverage on new networks and battery usage in these circumstances. The z500 is the first mobile/cell that actually seems like a normal phone. So alot of 'normal' people buy it. FACT: 3G networks are not that good. Particularly Voda, O2, tmobile and Orange. They are new and the mobile operators need ADDITIONAL planning permission to supplement cell stations with 2100mhz (3g) masts - thats why progress is slow. The z500 is an awesome phone. I suggest switching off 2100 band (in the network settings) and only switching on when you want to make or expect a video call, or do a download. That will remain the case for a year or two to come. rgds
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Reviewed by icklep from UK on 27th Sep 2005
If having problems with the time on your phone turn off the automatic update - go into Menu and select the following; SETTINGS - TIME & DATE - then scroll down to AUTOMATIC UPDATE and turn it off (UNTICK). Again this is for vodafone users...
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Reviewed by Gemma from England on 27th Sep 2005
Well was up late again this mornign! i have called vodaphone and because I am within 14 days i am entitled to another handset. Needless to say i have chosen the Samsung e530!
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Reviewed by Gemma from England on 26th Sep 2005
I am also having problems with this phone. I am on Vodaphone to. My clock will be ok, then it will just go behind. Ive been up late many a times because of this! it can sometimes be an hour behind. My battery life is poor to. It only lasts a day if that and thats when I am not using it, the Samsung D500 lasted me about 3 days! reception with vodaphone is very poor, One minute I will have a full signal, and the next i will have none! I wasnt even interested in a 3G phone, to be honest i didnt know what it meant!! it was the phone deal that got me!
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Reviewed by Jungle from UK on 25th Sep 2005
Disappointed with the coverage - lose coverage where I wouldn't normally with my previous Nokia (I'm with Vodafone) and the clock, how does it keep changing time so dramatically? I've been late on several occasions because of it..very annoying. Also disappointed with the video recording time...only managed 7 seconds so far...am I doing something wrong? Still sussing out the other features. Like the design however! If I thought I could exchange it I would.
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Reviewed by icklep from UK on 23rd Sep 2005
Samsung Z500 is a great phone, but has a poor battery life if using 3G - To all those who don't know how to turn off 3G on you Samsung Z500 and are with Vodaphone do the following; goto SETTINGS - CONNECTIVITY - NETWORK SETTINGS - NETWORK MODE and change from AUTOMATIC to GSM 900/1800. This will turn off 3G and prolong the life of your battery.
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Reviewed by Pippa from England on 22nd Sep 2005
I got this phone 3 weeks ago. I have always had Samsung due to the execptional functionality, design, flip genre and easy navigation. I like the looked and specs of this phone so much I even changed providers to get it. I did my research, part of which included the plethora of spiels below. In all honestly, it is a fantabulous phone; it has everything. I did as stipulated below, charge my phone fully 4-5 times intially. But still the battery life is not as great as my last Samsung. I note that someone below stated that if you turn you 3G setting off this elongates the battery life. I am no techno-phobe in the slightest but i cannot find the setting to turn this off- can anyone help! My only other qualm is that in order to set photos etc as caller ID you have to save all contacts to your phone book. Not an issue you may think, but when you click on your contacts, it means you have two entries for every name. Rather annoying. But then maybe I am just being too Virgo. Tried to google batteries for this phone (previous makes of Samsung have always had a bigger battery you can buy as an extra) But alas my search has been to no avail so far. Does anyone know of being able to purchase a bigger battery on this phone i would like to know! Otherwise all in all a rather fab, sexy, does everything mobile:)
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Reviewed by David R from UK on 22nd Sep 2005
Just got the Z500 a few days ago monday 19th sept I am on vodafone and I must say that I have been very pleased with it. The only thing I can't work out is how to use the e-mail but I have found this tricky on most phones I have had . If any one could tell me how to set the e-mail up that would be great. Many Thanks David (UK)
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Reviewed by Rach from Singapore on 21st Sep 2005
Just got this fone in Singapore. Battery life good. Get close to 4 days of juice with maybe about 40 mins calls a day + 10 SMSes. Front photo caller ID display is a bit disappointing though the LED is supberb. The cam quality is great too and is fairly comparable to the 2mp Sony Ericsson for day shots. Night shots still pose a little snowy. Checking of emails seem a bit slow and pose no difference whether its 3G or 2.5G GPRS. Rest of menus are like most other samsungs and are quite friendly and easy to adopt.
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Reviewed by Devi from UK on 20th Sep 2005
I am with Vodafone. Battery life is worse than rubbish and also reception is terrible.
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Reviewed by Mac from UK on 19th Sep 2005
I have recently taken delivery of the Z500 on O2, and have to say its the best phone I have ever owned!. Excellent features, easy to use.. all in all, a great phone. I have read some of the reviews regarding poor battery life and clock problems, which I have yet to experience. Battery (after a good 10 hour first charge) has lasted 2-3 days will meduim to heavy usage, which is excellent compared to other phones on the market on 3G. Its simple, TURN YOUR 3G SETTING OFF!!. Until the UK has good coverage, all your phone is doing is continuosly roaming for 3G signal, which is why your batteries are draining. Would recommend this phone to anyone who seeks an easy to use flip phone with heaps of features!
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Reviewed by Tim from UK on 18th Sep 2005
What is everyone's problem with charging up a phone every couple of days?! I've had this for about a month on Orange and have had no issues with it whatsoever. Video capture/playback is excellent, except for some of the downloads from Orangeworld but thats their problem and not the phone's. Photos are excellent quality too, and the MP3 is astounding. With the memory card expansion it's almost up to iPod shuffle standards!! All in all brilliant little phone, definately the best 3G phone available. And it just looks the business.
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Reviewed by Craig from Scotland on 17th Sep 2005
This really is a good phone, despite what people say. Battery life - i have to admit my first thoughts were doubtful. After draining the battery completely and re-charging is completely, i have not had any real problems. Reception, again at first i was a bit doubtful - which isnt right because im on the same network as i used to be and the reception was less (i stress WAS)... all i did was turn off 3g when im not using it (not that i use it anyway)... since doing this, my reception has gone from 2-3 bars to 5-6 bars - which is a dramatic change. Also, this poor little battery has a lot to cope with, mp3's, videos, 3g, photos (even just the viewfinder), lights etc etc... give it a break! Obviously if u use these features a fair amount its gonna only last a couple of days without charge - do you really expect anything else? All in all its a great phone and with a few tweaks here and there it could become everything you wan... if you're on the fence about it, buy it.
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Reviewed by Tai from scotland on 16th Sep 2005
The z500 is a real let down, which i expected to be excellent since it was a new samsung product. Based in my experience, - the phone battery has too be charged everyday and using the phone for 3 hours waste the battery complety. --The network is very bad as i only get 1/2 signals. This is not the network fault as i tried my sim card on another phone and the recipetion had extra bars. ---the alarm doesnt work or it goes off at random times. ----hard to get a 3g reciption. -----the phone mp3 audio is not loud enough. good points -nice design (black and sleek) --easy texting ---good function with the sd card (transfer files to and from pc) I had owned many other phone inc. Nokia, nec, motorola and siemen. Therefore, do not take this review lighty as you will regret having the z500. I myself regret owning one but I had it for 2/3 months and wont be able to swap it for another one due to the 14 days trail. ps. am not one of those ppl who cant use mobile phones. i hate reviews when ppl complain this and this whereas its just them who doesnt know how to work it and complains abt the phone.
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Reviewed by Andy from UK on 15th Sep 2005
Was sceptical about this phone at first due to some reviews, but have found none of the problems described. It is a great phone, does everything my 6230 did but with better screen, camera and in a flip which is what i wanted. I have it on Orange who are without a doubt the best network in the UK. I've never had a samsung before and I am impressed also really glad its got a normal 'ring ring' ringtone as i hate these silly ringtones. What else can i say other than it does everything i need and want without any trouble and it looks great.
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Reviewed by Ian Devenport from UK on 15th Sep 2005
I got this phone for my wife in July and was pleased with the size and the look of it. Within the first few days my wife started commenting about having no service. We are on Vodafone Contract and usually have no problem with service, so I put this down to the fact that she was not used to the phone. Over the next month I noticed that the service on the phone was terrible while my phone (Nokia 6230) would have 4/5 bars The Samsung would have none! I decided to use the phone for a few weeks to see how it worked in certain areas and I am afraid it did not improve. The end result is that I am going to return the phone in exchange for a boring but very reliable Nokia.
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Reviewed by Gary Hides from UK on 15th Sep 2005
I've had this phone for about a month now. It is ok, mainly due to having decent features, but the battery life isn't brilliant. I normally have to charge the phone every night. I didn't really want to go back with nokia as everyone has them, but it's easy to see why. I've never had a bad one, they do all the basics very reliably, plus everyone has a nokia charger. Ths Z500 charger connection is totally different to even its predecessor the E720. The clock on my Z500 keeps changing time, I can reset it back to the actual time, but it could be back to a random time within minutes. This is obviously v.annoying! The phone has only just started doing this though. Now my phone has a slight scratch now, so I don't know if I'll be able to take it back - gutted! :o(
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Reviewed by Casey from UK on 14th Sep 2005
I'm exceptionally pleased with this phone! I don't know what people are whining about with battery life or reception, I haven't had any problems, but you rarely do on vodafone.......... perfect size and weight (not too light or too clunky) and I got a steal on the deal too, so I'm well chuffed x
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Reviewed by Marc from UK on 12th Sep 2005
Haven't had any problems with this phone apart from it apparently not being compatible with O2's video service!! Has anyone managed to view any video clips with this phone on O2 Active?? Whenever I try it says "Your phone is not compatible with O2's video service".
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Reviewed by Ann Marie from Scotland UK on 12th Sep 2005
I have now had 2 Z500 and have switched of 3G I am still having problems with poor reception, battery life I keep getting emergancy calls only signal comes and goes I love the phone and its style but in lots of ways wish I had stuck with my D500 never had the problems I am having orange have said they will onece again swap the phone but I think this is something for samsung so deal with, I know we have bad coverage on 3G in the uk but it works when you get a good signal so come on samsung sort the rest of it out.
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Reviewed by Nuno Mendonça from Portugal on 11th Sep 2005
The phone has all those good points all of you said, but i've made some heavy testing and i cant seem to find the drawbacks you've mentioned. The alarm works perfectly(although i think it lacks a good monotone alarm), and the reception signal is great, although what most people will say. The battery works fine if u turn of the 3g(UMTS), wich was the 1st thing i did after buying the piece. Anyways, i think those reception problems are only in the UK, coz im from portugal (TMN) and havent found anything wrong with the phone except for it's price. Cheers
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Reviewed by Jonathan from South Africa on 11th Sep 2005
Ok so I read basically all of the reviews bout the z500 on this site and....Get a life! i dont know wat the problem is with Englands 3G network but it needs attention. I boutght the fone bout 2 months ago here in South Africa and it is perfect! i have it set on 3G all the time and the battery works for at least 4 days with hectic use. The network im on ( Vodacom ) is affiliated to vodafone. clearly the third world country networks are better. the mp3 is perfect and so is everything else. Maybe you should move here if you seriously want good 3G coverage!
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Reviewed by Tom from England on 10th Sep 2005
To sort out the clock problem, turn off the automatic updates in the time and date menu.
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Reviewed by Tom Daly from United Kingdom on 9th Sep 2005
This is an excellent phone. I have had no problems with my phone whatsoever, the battery holds its charge and the time is always correct. I got my phone from Orange and I believe their phones to be unaffected by these problems that many people are reporting. The phone is very well built and is definately more attractive than the V3. It has all the features you could possibly need and has good picture quality. And its 3G yet look at the size!!! Well done Samsung!
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Reviewed by Peter from UK on 9th Sep 2005
I checked with Vodafone dealers. They said it is not possible to switch off 3G and use only 2G.
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Reviewed by paul from ni on 9th Sep 2005
re- clock/ time problems. turn the auto update off. this seemed to fix the problems i was having with alarms etc.
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Reviewed by james doobley from england on 7th Sep 2005
the best phone ever got everything you want couldnt be better recommened you get it
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Reviewed by mike from uk on 5th Sep 2005
To those idiots that dont know how to read a manual or buy a 3G phone without knowing what it is - YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR BATTERY'S LIFE BY SWITCHING OFF 3G FROM THE MENU. All you have to do is go to your menu, select settings, select connectivity, select network and then network mode. Choose 900/1800 to operate only in 2.5G. To use 3G again change back to automatic or UMTS. Now that wasnt too difficult was it.
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Reviewed by Upaul from U.S.A on 5th Sep 2005
Its a great phone , but i see many users not happy about battery life and i tell u its a problem and weakness in samsung . The phone is one of the best . Great camera . I have felt that it ti better then d500 , i can tell that because i have used d500 before .
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Reviewed by Geoff Hemingway from England on 3rd Sep 2005
I've read a lot of negative reviews about this phone from people who have it on Vodafone. All I can say is 'switch to Orange!' I charged the phone up for 10hrs on the 1st day, and each time afterwards for 4 or 5 charges. My phone lasts about 3 days with fairly heavy use before I need to recharge it. As for features, the only real faults I can complain about are:- 1) Limited memory due to Transflash card - another memory type like mini MMC or Memory Stick would be better. 2) No voice dialling! It seems strange to include BlueTooth, but omit this feature... 3) Would be nice to be able to plug in any headphones rather than the ones supplied. This is due to the proprietary socket (a bit like a mini USB). It would also have been nice to have had a car charger and a memory card included with the phone, but that's more a complaint about the supplier than the phone itself. Otherwise I am more than happy with my Z500 - it's the best phone I've owned yet, and I've owned quite a few!
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Reviewed by Douglas from Scotland on 2nd Sep 2005
This is an excellent phone but the main ISSUE is the battery life. On full Charge with no phone calls / sms maybe last 2 days. With phone calls and texts you'll be lucky to get a day out of it. Samsung needs to address this. I think it has been mentioned before but due top poor 3g coverage in most areas the phone is constantly searching and changing between 2g and 3g this dramatically reduces the battery im sure of it. You just need to have spare batterys and chargers everywhere for the phone to be of any practical / reliable use. My old E700 lasted about 5 days with full charge any thats using it everyday for work. Only 2g phone so the 3g / 2g swapping is definately an issue samsung needs to FIX.
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Reviewed by Angie from England on 1st Sep 2005
After giving my review on 19th August I thought I'd let you know I will be getting my 3rd yes 3rd Z500 today. The clock has a mind of its own and you cannot rely on it. As I use the calender part quite a lot I need a reliable clock. It's amazing that they can do lots with technology except get a clock to keep time. The battery life is still rubbish I'm having to charge my phone everyday and I hardly use it. If my 3rd Z500 is just as bad then it will go back and I will have to change. Anyone got any recmmendations???????
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Reviewed by andy from uk on 31st Aug 2005
a good little phone has everything you could want on a phone but the battery suffers because of it. the one big fault is the alarm, it only works when it feels like it, i am on my third handset now & they have all had this problem so unfortunately will be sending this one back as well.
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Reviewed by JRoss from UK on 31st Aug 2005
I wrote a review before where I knocked the phone down a star primarily because apparently the USB connection did not work. However, after altering the settings in the provided file transfer program I managed to get it to work, and it functions excellently, making file transfer quick and easy (can put a 4 minute mp3 from computer to phone in about 20 seconds). Therefore, this handset is now definitely worth 4 stars.
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Reviewed by Matthew from Ireland on 31st Aug 2005
Great things come in small packages and believe me this is great. Had alot of phones as i roughly upgrade every couple of months. I got this on vodafone so it has the vodafone menu on it,but when software comes out i will get it flashed to remove it. Call quality is great,camera is great,mp3 is great,and menu easy to use. Lots of bad reviews on here about battery life but once battery properly primed its great.Most peope charge a phone every night anyway so cant see the problem really.Battery has to power 3g and 2 colour displays so it goes without sayin. Its better than the Nokia 8800 which i,ve just got rid off.So if anyone is after a phone which looks the part,with loads of features,and more then look no further.An absolute diamond.
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Reviewed by JRoss from UK on 30th Aug 2005
Firstly, this phone looks excellent, and in my opinion is far friendlier to the eye than the Razr V3. The features deserve atleast 4 stars too, with mp3 player, 1.3 mp camera and 3G technology just to name a few. The functionality is complimented by an excellent menu layout too, with all the features easy to grasp and access. I have the phone on Vodafone and it is designated the 'Z500V', now I'm not sure if this means it is an updated model to previous Z500's, but my handset certainly doesn't seem to suffer so badly from the forementioned problems. I can say the battery would probably last me over 4 days with moderate use (I've had it going for 2 days with the battery still 2/3 full) and the sound quality when talking, from what I can tell, is fairly good and certainly no worse than my previous SE T610. My main gripes would be the fact that the USB linkage to the computer apparently doesn't work so I'm going to have to buy a Bluetooth dongle and the 3G coverage is fairly minimal. If it weren't for this the handset would certainly be worth 4 stars.
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Reviewed by june from uk on 28th Aug 2005
this phone is great
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Reviewed by Aymeric from France on 27th Aug 2005
Hey, i own a samsung z500 too, and i read most of the comments here, just to see what people in other countries were thinking about that phone. I noticed many people have issues with batteries, well here in france, I can standardly use my phone and only charge it once every 4-5 days, though, one day there were networks issues, and the battery went down in 12 hours or so. My guess is your 3G network in england is having some problems, and that's why the battery is going down that fast. Everything else is really fine on that phone, except the missing flash for taking photos when its dark (though you can increase luminosity, which is a really nice feature)
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Reviewed by rob from London England on 26th Aug 2005
Baterry life poor - to the extreme - It has one more day in my pocket if no improvements I might think about taking it back. BUT for all those with mp3 ringtone issues. There are software packages out there to edit mp3s (volume wise)- A good package to look for is GOLDWAVE - I spent a couple of hours yesterday editing 15 mp3 ringtones and now it sounds the BIZ!! Loudspeaker for video play back???? Turn your voume up through player options and then you should have no problems. Big thanks to tip about dishcharging battery will give it a go but as I say it has one more day.......
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Reviewed by Ove from Sweden on 25th Aug 2005
Best design on the market ! Batteies are like the Ericsson phones in the early days..... Very sad. The clock has it's own life and are not relieble. Have not been able to set the alarm to set off with the phone turned off. Nokia/SonyEricsson has had the feture looong time.
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Reviewed by Ian from UK on 25th Aug 2005
Nice phone, battery life is horrendous. I am on my second phone after taking the first back and this one is a little better, but not much. I charged it originally for 16 hours (like I was told to do in the shop), it didn't make the battery any better on the first phone, but it seems to be a little better on the second one. I will be watching it all day today and if it looses another bar I will be taking it back and going back to good old faithful Nokia, which is a shame as the Z500 is a nice looker (except for the Vodafone branding) and has got great features.
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Reviewed by Eric from sweden on 24th Aug 2005
it won't surprise me if all the complaints the z500 got in these reader reviews are all from the same person. If not i start to wonder if the 3g network isn't working in England at all? The phone is really good in almost every aspect. There is no problems with the battery in a well working 3g network. mine lasts 3 days in heavy use. The best part with it is that this phone actually fits in my pocket, and doesn't remind me of a big mac which all the other 3g phones does.
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Reviewed by Dave M from Eng on 24th Aug 2005
Expected big things from this phone as it replaced the E720 I got only a week before(that was faulty aswell...software issues)The z500 looks the biz & does have MP3 video record etc etc but the basics dont really work the battery never lasts very long & the clock alarm is faulty aswell...seems to me samsung have not mastered the basics yet as the E720 has dodgy software on which wont allow you to send mms or go on the wap facility...my advice get a V3 Razor they're the biz.
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Reviewed by Olivia from England on 23rd Aug 2005
Hiya everyone, I've had my phone for about 6 weeks, and overall, it's a brilliant phone. Not many phones have a memory card, this phone does - 32MB - that's quite a lot! There's an MP3 player, and a video camera, as well as the usual camera. This phone also has 3G which means that you can ring people and, if they also have 3G, you can see them on your screen! MP3 PLAYER: The MP3 player on this phone is really good, the music is so clear! Also, you can set visual displays so you can see each beat of the music (like you can see on winamp). When you close the phone, the music carries on playing, which is good :) A negative though, is that the sound volume doesn't go as loud as the D500 or the E530 - so on drunken friday nights on the bus home - you can't really make a big impression! The same problem with volume is also applicable to the videos that you take/download - if you try playing them back to show a big group of friends - your mates are likely to moan that they can't hear it very well. VIDEO/CAMERA: The video and camera is so clear - if you've had the Motorola V500 like I did, then you'll be really grateful for such a good camera! The only down point I can say about the video and camera is that there's no torch, so taking pictures/videos at night-time aren't very good. However, you can up the brightness of the picture to max, but there's still a lot of grain. I'm fortunate because two of my friends have the D500, which has a flash - so I just bluetooth their pictures over to my phone! What Network? I'm on Vodafone, and I have no complaints whatsoever. If you're stuck for which network to go on, go on Vodafone. I was torn between Vodafone and Orange, but Orange didn't have such a good tariff - despite enabling you to use tariffs of other networks, but remain under the Orange name. On Vodafone, I'm on contract and I get 200 free, anytime minutes and 250 text messages. The unused minutes overlap to the next month so that's good! As for texts, I'm a real textaholic, and I was a bit worried whether 250 was going to be enough, but it is! On Vodafone, you also get 'Stop the Clock', which basically means that when all your free minutes run out, and you make a call - you pay for the 1st 3 minutes ONLY, then the rest of the hour is free. To other Vodafone users, or landlines, it's 10p/min. To other networks, it's 40p, which means that on Stop the Clock, you would pay a max of 120p for an hour of chat! So overall, a brilliant phone, I would definately recommend it. If you're torn between the D500 and this phone - what swayed me is this: When I went to buy a phone, I picked up the D500 - the guy who worked there told me that the phone is already old - in a few months, EVERYONE is going to have 3G! (Psst...you can also watch the tele on this phone, and Vodafone Live (basically the net) is free, as is the helpline!) By the way, if you're a girly girl like me, you've probably looked at the E530 - but I recommend you don't get it, my mate has it and it's not that great - bit of a let down. Also, the D500 gets SO dusty, and easily stratched because the screen is on top, rather than in a classy clamshell! Hope I helped! Luv Liv xxx
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Reviewed by Andy from England on 23rd Aug 2005
Re. Vodaphone network problems.Had this phone for 2 months now & although the battery life is disappointing,the rest of the functions work superbly.Call quality is great,manage to make loads of long calls without eating into the battery.All i can suggest to people who are having battery problems is to charge overnight & you should manage 2-3 days use. One Bugbear is the alarm,which will only work when the phone is switched on.All in all a superb phone.
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Reviewed by Karlos from England on 22nd Aug 2005
Great phone, after 3-4 charges the battery now lasts around 2 days, which is good for the functions it has to power! As for the 3g i find it still to be a novelty as only 5-15% of mobile users use 3g, and even nokia models (and maybe other models of phone)dont operate 3g still, due to the network providers mainly. The only problem i find is that the clock does randomly change. Still glad to own it tho!
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Reviewed by Robin from Sweden on 22nd Aug 2005
If you want lots of mobile for little money this is the one! In Sweden it's about 2000 SEK for the smallest 3G phone yet. The battery time is not like an ordinary GSM but that is no news. I like the phone through most aspects but I have found some things to be quite annoying: 1. The sounds and ring tones, I do not need a phone that sounds like a toy. 2. Speech quality, like other Samsung mobiles, the phone seems to have some kind of noice filter that affect the clarity of your voice. 3. No keylock on the camera button!!! So sometimes your phone takes pictures on the inside of your pocket... 4. I can not connect the **** thing to my computer via the the data cable. Is it me or is it the software?
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Reviewed by Monkey from UK on 22nd Aug 2005
I get the impression that some people here don't actually read any previous reviews before they put their own in! I have had this phone on the Orange network for a week now. The first thing I do with any new phone is put it on charge and leave it for at least 12 hours. This is what I did with the Z500. When I first came to use it I just left the settings as they were out of the box, so the phone was jumping between 3G and 2G networks as required. I still managed to get 2.5 days out of it, even after the new phone treats of playing with the features, taking pictures/ videos, making calls, sending texts, and travelling with it (so it constantly looks at the available ntworks). After the battery had run totally flat, I put it on a long overnight charge again. Probably something in the order of 8 or 9 hours. I then locked the phone to Orange's 2G network and have had just over 4 days out of it. Once again, with people playing with the features a lot, games, sending copious texts, MMS, calls etc. From what I have read, the battery life is not too dissimilar to it's E7xx siblings. And it's probably not properly conditioned yet either. Before I got the phone my main concern was the quality of the voice, as I have heard a lot about the E720 being poor in this regard. But this is not the case. I can hear clearly, and people say that I can be heard clearly too. In terms of a rating, I would not go as far to say that the phone was outstanding. I don't actually need the 3G features, but I get the impression they happen to compromise the phone slightly, certainly in terms of battery life. But saying that, I have not seen anything too bad at the moment! The phone is fairly easy to use, the display and menus are clear and the keypad nicely spaced.
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Reviewed by Peter R from Wales on 22nd Aug 2005
Best - and by far most expensive phone I've had. 3G coverage is patchy (as I knew it would be) and very, very few have compatible video phones, but excellent overall. Picture quality, sound ringtones etc brill. No complaints - but nothing or no-one apart from Jesus deseerves 5 stars! Highly recommended - at least on my Orange package.
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Reviewed by Daniel from Uk-Gloucester on 22nd Aug 2005
I dont know what everyone is on about, my phone battery lasted me 3 day, and i sent like 50 texts, this phone is pure class and is a must have for a "Mobile Phone Addict", 20/10, this phone has everything, made into 1 i had the samsung d500 before this, and after upgrading to this model, i am more than happy, it is like a samsung d500, but with a memory card slot, and a clearer, and more user frendley interface so if you are thinking of upgrading your phone, go for this model, It's one of the best. as for the 3G, yes, the coverage in the uk is still not as good as 2G, but it was the same when 2G 1st came out, so in time, 3G will be a normal thing on phones, and the coverage will be as good Thanks for reading me review, and i hope it hepled my fellow Samsung Z500 users, or potential Samsung Z500 Users Thanks, Daniel-Uk-GLoucester
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Reviewed by Annoyed with Samsung from UK on 19th Aug 2005
This phone is very functional but has the battery power of a gnat. I am sure that there is an inherent problem with the actual phone or battery which means that the phone cannot be fully charged. According to the manual the coloured power indicator on the end of the charger should read red when the phone is being charged. When the phone is fully charged the indicator goes dark green. There is another colour, which the book says should be orange, but is more yellowy, which occurs when the battery is not installed properly or is operating at a too high or low temperature. I am now on my second phone and battery and the same problem persists. I plug in the charger and the indicator goes red, showing it charging. Within two hours max the indicator goes the yellowy orange colour and will not charge any further. I have yet to charge the phone to the point where the green indicator occurs!! As a result the longest my phone is active using it minimally is 8 hours, but what do you expect of a 2hour max charge? I have also been told by the vodaphone shop I purchased the phone from that in some areas the 3G signal that the phone is designed to pick up is still weak and not upto the 2G network strength. Therefore the phone works extremely hard to pick up the network and therefore the battery usage is low. I have tried to change the network (Menu 9.6.3) but the phone still loses it charge extremely quickly. I love the phone from its looks to its functionality but I shall be exchanging it for another model, probably not samsung. A great disappointment really.
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Reviewed by Naomi from England on 19th Aug 2005
At first this appears to be a brilliant phone but you are soon let down by a few important factors. Firstly, the clock has a mind of it's own and skips backwards and forwards as it pleases. This has become a real problem for me as i often rely on my phone for the time and it has fooled me on more than one occasion. Secondly, the battery life is very poor. I charge it every day and even with little usuage it seems to go down considerably even within 12 hours. This isn't very good news when you're left stranded in London because your phone suddenly cutsout without warning when it was 'supposedly' on two out of three battery bars. The last complaint i have for this phone is the sound quality. It may just be my network, vodafone, but nearly everyone i have used this phone to call has said it sounds like i'm speaking through a sock. I find myself repeating a lot of sentences at least 3 times before the other person can understand what i'm saying. However, the memory, pictures, and videos are pretty faultless so i guess it depends what you're looking for. If you wan't a reliable phone though.. i wouldn't buy this.
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Reviewed by Angie from England on 19th Aug 2005
Just to let Dell know you make a call then go into options and choose loudspeaker from there. Got my Z500 3 days ago. I initially charged it for 24hrs without even turning it on and I can't believe how quick the battery goes down just using it to call and text. Imade 1 call lasting approx 15mins and have sent 3 texts and I'm down to 1battery bar and it's only 5 hrs since I turned it on
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Reviewed by seaniboy from uk on 19th Aug 2005
ringtone volume solution :) menu ...settings....profile.....outdoor
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Reviewed by j.w. from england on 18th Aug 2005
To everyone who is having problems with the battery: you need to DISCHARGE your battery FULLY the first 3-4 times before charging it again and the first charge should be at least 10 hours. This will prolong the battery's life. Mine lasts for 3 days on regular use and 1 day when i make use of the multimedia functions. This phone is underpriced anyway for the features it offers so i dont think it's too much to expect for people to buy a second battery if they're not happy with it.
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Reviewed by M Poynter from UK on 18th Aug 2005
Had this for 3 weeks now. Poor phone, battery life is very poor. It takes me back to 10 years ago in fact. Mine has to stay on charge all day at work for limited usage in the evenings. On Vodafone and the signal is no where near as good as my old E710. Great phone that was. After allot of hype I'm very disapointed. Can not make viseo call even though both phones are in a reception area, can not send MMS messages and can not download anything we need to pay for off Vodaphone Live. I set myself tasks in the schedule with alarms that do not go off - so I forget which has left me in a couple of situ's. Overall very very disappointed after all the hype. I have it for 18 months as well. Looks good, although things that do look good have a habit of giving you a nasty sting!!!.
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Reviewed by littlep from UK on 18th Aug 2005
This is by far the best looking phone I’ve ever owned, its sleek elegant looks and fantastic features makes this a must have in my opinion. BUT the biggest let down is the terrible battery life! When I got the phone I charged it for over 16hrs, I got just over 2 days use out of it, and that wasn't bad going considering I played with it loads in those two days. However I now charge mine nearly every day and thats with very little usage which is very disappointing. It looks good, and does pretty much everything I want from a phone, and I can just about live with charging it every day.
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Reviewed by Carol from UK on 16th Aug 2005
Nice to look at but battery life is poor. I exchanged the battery and the new one is a bit better. I have 2 days to decide if I will keep the phone or return it under Vodaphone 14 day return policy. If the battery is flat in the morning the phone will be returned.
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Reviewed by LeWiZ from England on 17th Aug 2005
Now i thort dis fone was gd! i had a look @ it in da shop and wot i saw was an amazing phone! the screen is crystal clear! and it looks soooooo gd! but every1 is sayin its rubbish?!? :S yeh maybe the battery life is but the actual fone is class! so wot r u ppl tlkin bout?
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Reviewed by Andy from UK on 15th Aug 2005
The battery life on this phone is crazy! I charged my phone up for 3 days, unplugged and sent a text message - and my battery died! I've now resorted to a realy long extension cable when I leave the house! Unbelievable!
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Reviewed by Steve from UK on 12th Aug 2005
This would be a great phone if it weren't for the extremely poor battery life. The phone was given an initial charge, according to the instructions, and then used for a couple of short calls and some text messages. This took the battery indicator from 3 bars down to 1. The phone needed another charge within the first 24 hours. I can't image that the battery could withstand any sort of usage from the camera or MP3 player without being drained in a matter of minutes. The phone has now been sent back to O2 and will be replaced by another handset. A real shame because this phone could have been so good.
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Reviewed by Ed from England on 10th Aug 2005
What a brilliant little phone. After 3 years owning Sony Ericsson handsets, I thought it was a risk changing from a manufacturer I'd come to really like but it wasn't a mistake. The Z500 is without any shadow of a doubt the first 3G phone that looks like the 2.5G phones we've all come to know. Even if it didn't have 3G capabilities it would be a great phone. People complain about the battery life, but I'd found it to be no better and no worse than the SE K700i, and the SE T610 which were my 2 previous phones. Given than the time I spend away from a power socket is rarely more than 24 hours (going by some of the people on this site, they only have access to mains electricity once a week and expect a phone with 2 colour screens to last this long also) so long as my phone can comfortably last a day I'm happy and my Z500 has always had at least 1 out of 3 battery bars left by the time I've gone to bed. The menu system is intuitive with some nice touches. The buttons have a nice feel to them. Sound quality is on a par with my previous handsets. All in all, an absolutely brilliant little phone.
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Reviewed by marc from sweden on 9th Aug 2005
Amazing!!!!!!! This phone is everything u could wish for in 3G. It has megapixel camera, expandable memory, high resolution screen, mp3 player, second camera for videocalling, bluetooth, infrared but above all is very small and stylish. My battery lasts from 2-3days when i use for normal conditions. When i use alot it lasts for 1day but i woudnt change this phone for any other becuase it has all the latest technology and is very easy to use (its easier than my old sonyericsson).
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Reviewed by Pamela from England on 9th Aug 2005
I had this phone a month and then lost it yesterday, which came as something of a relief, as I can get something more user friendly. The battery life is terrible, and I am quite a light user and don't use the camera or any of the fancy features, just voice and data calls. It must be nearly 10 years since I last had a phone you had to charge almost every day. It improved a bit after I had let it run down twice, but that is a risky process if it goes dead on you when you are awaiting a business call when out and about. The ringer volume is too quiet on the basic ringer let alone on ringtones. You can't see the screen outdoors, even on the outdoor setting. I bought it for the bluetooth, clamshell shape and GPRS, but it is not as good as the Motorola V525 it replaced, only lighter in weight.
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Reviewed by James from UK on 9th Aug 2005
the phone is astonishing. Not sure what people are talking about in relation to the battery life because mine lasts 2 days after heavy use. A MUST HAVE.
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Reviewed by ste from england on 9th Aug 2005
after deciding to get "the smallest 3g phone in the world" samsung z500 on vodaphone all i can say is its an appalling piece of junk! 3g is a total waste of time as i'm yet to complete more than a few seconds of video calling without losing signal.again,even making std phone calls i've lost signal so many times that i keep a spare payg siemens on me at all times. the battery life is a disgrace for a phone with an rrp of nearly 300 quid and after an initial 24hr charge i'm yet to see more than 30 hours usage from the phone without having to recharge the damn thing!average time i'm getting from the phone is around 18 hours!!! ring tones are naff and very 2002 compared to other manufacturers tones.very complicated for such a basic phone if you disregard the 3g as its never in full reception anywhere i've tried it,from busy city centres to out in the countryside. if you're thinking of buying one of these phones then think very hard before choosing.the nokia range knocks spots off this phone and as soon as i have the opportunity i'll be changing it for something that works properly! granted it is a very stylish good looking phone,but theres no point having a ferrari parked on your drive if its got no engine! i bought it for function not for looks,and its performance is next to useless i regret to say. 2/10 rating for me i'm afraid.
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Reviewed by roger from uk on 7th Aug 2005
it is wiked. gr8 style. likin it alot.
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Reviewed by younis from uk on 4th Aug 2005
Had this phone for about a month now. Its a good size for a 3G phone! One of the reasons i bought in the first place. However its main bad points are battery time - only lasts over a day after heavy phone use, alarm fuction - doesnt work wen phone is off, no flash light, speaker sound - missed calls even wen on the outdoor profile n listin to mp3 on headphones. Samsung need to improve on these faults mainly battery time, SE & NK 3G phoned last longer, and if they do ill buy the nx Z??? if they meet these faults. Not expriced loss of signal on vodafone in manchester area, only some between bolton n manc on train. Content wise is good but could be better, and cheaper - £1.50 to watch 1 music video for whole day!!! But V Live! offer 3 music trax for £2 - excellent promo. Overall happy with both, Recommend 2 ne 1.
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Reviewed by Nat from United Kingdom on 4th Aug 2005
The Samsung z500 is a small stylish sexy phone, but has everyone noticed the bundle of problems it comes with. Firsty, my mp3 ringtones are set to the loudest you can have but you can hardly hear them, Secondly, the battery life is absolutely apalling, I literally have to charge my phone every day whereas with my other nokia i had to about once a week! Lastly, the signal on this phone is awful, i don't know if its the places im in, but i never have a single bar of signal showing at all, How am I supposed to make phone calls? I got told by a worker from Vodafone that this phone is aparently much better than the Samsung E720's which was the one I was going to get before the z500 but when i was about to order a E720, he immediately recommended the z500 and said they were discontinuing the e720s because they were all faulty. Has anyone purchased a faulty E720 off Vodafone? Anyhow If this really was the case how come the E720s are still for sale on the Vodafone site?, However, the phone does have some good points, its small, stylish and has nearly everything on it.
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Reviewed by Sharpy from UK on 3rd Aug 2005
A cool phone with some good features and excellent camera. Battery life is an issue though. I've had to buy a car charger as it doesn't last more than 24 hours if used a lot. Another annoying feature is that the alarm is set to one volume, so although it wakes you up, it is very annoying first thing in the morning! Other than that Vodafone 3G is cool, especially Live! and I would recommend it to a friend. If you can find a better 3G phone at the moment I'd be very impressed.
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Reviewed by Deep from UK on 1st Aug 2005
This fone has useless battery life, and on Vodafone 3G gets a very poor signal... would not recomend it.
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Reviewed by Dave from UK on 31st Jul 2005
This phone has problems on vodafone so it's best to get it on o2 like i did. Battery life isnt a problem if u charge it properly the first time. I let mine charge for 24hours when i got it before using it and now i dont have problems like everyone else is complaining about. Mine lasts for 2 days if i make a few calls and listen to about an hour of mp3s. Cant expect more than that on a phone this small and with so many features and two cameras. Even has a memory slot for T-flash cards though o2 dont provide one with the phone. I bought a 256mb card and that's plenty for mp3s and photos. This is definitely a better phone than the E720 cos it's 3G and memory isnt limited to 90mb (did i mention that internal memory is already 50mb in addition to the memory card!!!)
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Reviewed by Richard from UK on 27th Jul 2005
This phone is ok - nothing more, nothing less. The ringtones are quite poor, but by far the biggest downside to this phone is the appalling battery life - it really can't be overstated! Texting is fine, just takes a bit of getting used to after having had a few Nokias before now.
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Reviewed by Rob from UK on 27th Jul 2005
Ive had this phone for 3 days and aswell as the initial 16 hour charge up ive already had to fully re-charge it twice, and ive barely even used it. yes, granted it looks good and has some awesome functions, but whats the point in having a mobile phone if it constantly needs to be connected to a charger in order to work. Much prefer the larger 3G phones on offer from 3, you may need a holdall to carry some of them but at least theyll work :)
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Reviewed by Bubsters from United Kingdom on 27th Jul 2005
This phone is fairly impressive especially for the size of it. The thing that really bugs me though is the battery life, it's absolutely rubbish to say the very least! Even if I put it on charge over night, 12 hours later the battery needs recharging and that's without using it!! Also even on the loudest volume setting I miss most of my calls because I can never hear it ringing. If I had the choice again I probably wouldn't have gone for this model.
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Reviewed by Jonny from UK - Manchester on 23rd Jul 2005
Only had this phone a day but WOW! does soooooooooo much - battery life is OK, lots of options to personalise the handset, good camera and a memory card slot - finally! overall is a good phone unless bought with vodaphone firmware! ok it looks a bit better (in pure black) but you cannot do half the things you can on normal firmware (bought from o2) great phone - get it!
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Reviewed by Emily from Wales on 23rd Jul 2005
amazin phone! jus got it yesturday! it has a sexy design and all the lastest features! got no complaints about this phone!
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Reviewed by Rampant Rabbiter from United Kingdom on 21st Jul 2005
My friend has this phone and although I like the look of it, it is such a poor phone. He can't make ANY video calls, just gets stuck on 'connecting', the SMS tones are awful - I have the E720 and the tones are much better, the MP3's are too quiet, er where's the flash??? A much hyped-about phone that is really not worth any of it. If you want a decent 3G phone, go for the SE V800.
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Reviewed by Marty from England on 21st Jul 2005
I have had the phone a few days now and think its great. Its my first 3G phone and its easy to use and understand. The menu systems are easy to use and its so small and lightweight for a 3G phone. My only problem would be Battery life, after its first charge it did not even last one day. However, overall a great phone with lots of cool features. My first Samsung phone and im impressed so far! Shame about the battery life though.
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Reviewed by Pedro77 from UK on 21st Jul 2005
I recently bought the z500 on vodafone 3g and i am not impressed with it at all. Firstly the battery life is shocking I've never had to charge a phone after using it for 10 minutes (after it had already been on charge all night). If I have my phone in my pocket the camera will switch on taking photo after photo of the inside of my pocket!!! Also my friends can video call me but for some reason I cannot video call them, vodafone have investigated and said there isn't a problem I have had my settings reset still not able to video call. This is the second one I have had too, the first one the clock on the sub lcd went backwards can you believe!!! I loked at my phone it said 12.10 ten minutes later it said 11.52 then half an hour later it said 12.02. I called vodafone who told me i must have the clock settings set to auto update which I did not. Sometimes I can connect to GPRS other times it just says connecting for ages. The SMS tones are a pile of pants and also Can anyone else hear theirs when it rings??? I have transferred all of my MP3 ringtones from my K700i and if I use one of those then I cannot hear it at all!!! I am so disappointed with this phone I am going to buy a sim free sony ericsson, I def won't be buying another Samsung!!
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Reviewed by liam chuter from england on 20th Jul 2005
it is the best phone that i have ever set my eyes in simply the best and it has everything on it to coulor to going on the internet and a mp3 the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by leo from england on 19th Jul 2005
this phone is really small and its has alot of aplcation
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Reviewed by Jake from - on 18th Jul 2005
Great phone. Loads of facilities with tremendous 3G performance in a package that's as small as a GSM model. Expandable memory is a great benefit and the camera is pretty clear, certainly good enough for serious snapping. Supplied headphone/mic is good quality and its easy to navigate through the menus. File transfer is a breeze and in normal use the battery life seems to last a whole day on one charge. If you want 3G without the known drawbacks this could be the 1st handset that delivers. There will be lots oof happy Z500 customers who won't even know they have a high speed 3G terminal in their pocket!
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Reviewed by jessica from uk on 14th Jul 2005
i think this phone is brilliant it has all the things you can want on a phone the best thing about this wonderful phone is that it as a camera and you can take snap shots when you want and how you want so i would recommend this phone to any one it is great
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Reviewed by bob from united kingdom on 14th Jul 2005
Just got my z500 yesterday and all the people that say it isn't good are just stupid. It has a few minor faults but it's got the sleek sexy flip design and 3g! The only really annoying thing is that when you are texting and you try to type in a number it goes through all these stupid foreign symbols before it actually gets to the number. All in all it's a great phone with everything that i could want from a phone
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Reviewed by Teresa Holgate from United Kingdom on 13th Jul 2005
Nice phone, I had a samsung E720 and the sound quality was not up to much, changed to the Z500 a week ago, only one real complaint the battery life sucks.............
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Reviewed by Dell from England on 13th Jul 2005
I have recently purchased the Z500. All is good with this phone, I like it as it is small and compact. I like everything about this phone, except, Faults are, When i set the alarm, the next time I come to set it, it won't set, I have to switch the phone off and on again for it to work. Also why can't i get any email settings for this phone so i can read my emails that go to my pc? One more thing in the manual it says Loudspeaker, I haven't figured that one out yet, or does it not work only if you are using 3G? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Reviewed by Warrior from Scotland on 12th Jul 2005
Had the Z500 a few days now, (prev E710). Mobile has a bit of everything. MP3 player cool (I will need to expand mem card though, only 32MB) Thomas - to copy all nos from sim to phone and vice versa select contacts - copy all - to phone or sim (dont know how you missed it) Admittedly you need to copy contacts to phone for full caller id functionality but its so easy to copy them back to sim. Why would you want your contacts on both sim and phone anyway??? This phone has so much functionality. Video streaming is quick and data transfer is quick enough. The phone looks sexy, its the smallest 3G on the planet and it has raised the bar for this technology. Only gripe is small phone + big functionality = battery trade off
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Reviewed by Killhippie from Uk on 11th Jul 2005
Tried the Z500 out on o2 contract,its a nightmare to message with,far to man button presses and the camera poor for its resolution producing dull pictures,phonebook well thats just plain awful its shows sim contacts and phone contacts so if you want picture id to work you end up with multiple entries showing,nasty sms tones and you cant use mp3's to make them better,the mp3 ringtones are quiet and get lost when out and about.Its ability to handle some pictures are a disaster compared with say the k750i the pics look jagged distorted and well just plain lousy really,and the battery life sucks if you actually use the handset,ok if its in your pocket hiding though.Yes the smallest 3g phone to date if you dont mind all of the above.
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Reviewed by Tony from england on 9th Jul 2005
great size phone considering 3g. All the usual functions but lack of flash is wierd, saying that, the picture quality is good..You can copy all contacts from sim to phone and visa versa but you cant differentiate when looking up contacts, so you end up with two identical entries when you look up numers.. A couple of other minor issues are that there is no shortcut into the internet and my signal seems weaker than normal.. All said and done a 3g phone this small should get 4 stars
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Reviewed by bob from england on 8th Jul 2005
had the e720 but found sound poor, exchanged it for the z500, good move . nice neat fonewith good sound and features and its 3g. only 4 stars because no flash , design going backward from the e720.
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Reviewed by Thomas from UK on 8th Jul 2005
Firstly, this has to be the sexiest phone out there - you may like the slidy ones, but when you're in the street, flipping this small sleek phone to answer does feel very cool.Adding words on predictive text, MMS capabilites and a very cool 65k colour front screen this time too. This makes the caller ID pictures brilliant. And using EasyGPRS to download all the pics to my computer, the quality isn't that bad for the well lit photos - pretty reasonable 640x480 resolution. Grumbles include: as somebody mentioned earlier, inability to copy numbers all at once from sim to phone and vice versa (makes backing up numbers v. tedious), short videos (30 secs), no loud-speaker so tricky watching and listening to videos at once, These are all relatively small because this is a wicked phone, stylish, and well designed software-wise too!
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Samsung Z500 Links