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Samsung SCH-A650

 

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Tri-mode? All-Digital? Something fishy is going on here

al5432

Jul 29, 2004, 10:01 AM
I just purchased the Samsung SCH-a650 from a local Verizon store as it seemed to have the best price/features ratio of anything they had for sale... All the in-store placards and info about phone stated it was a tri-mode (2 types of CDMA plus analog AMPS service)... Being able to access the old analog networks is important to me as I often go camping in places like West Virginia or upsate New Hampshire where analog AMPS is the only option... I realize that the celluar companies are eventually planning to convert all the analog networks to digital... But for the next couple of years I'm sure analog AMPS will still be the only way to connect if you're in the boonies...

Anyway, I get home and the first thing I notice is that the outside of t...
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Waldstein

Jul 29, 2004, 1:44 PM
Allen,

I have been going down the same path that you described after purchasing my SCH-a650 from Verizon Wireless nearly two weeks ago, and I was planning to write to this forum about it, so thank you for your eloquent message.

I too noted the printing on the box and the discrepancy between the words on the title page of my manual ("All Digital") and the PDF of the manual on the SamsungUSA Web site ("Tri-Mode"). I took note of the fact that the instruction manual is entitled "SCH-a650 SERIES," implying that there are (or will be) multiple versions of this model. I too called Samsung technical service and got a rep who checked her script and read to me that it is a tri-mode phone. (I also emailed SamsungUSA customer service and got ab...
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al5432

Jul 29, 2004, 5:51 PM
Steven,

Thanks for your response... I'm always amazed when I find myself in situations like this and I ask myself, "Can I be the only one in the whole world that this is happening to? Don't other people notice or understand or care about or question this kind of thing?"... I'm glad to hear there are at least two of us (actually there was one other guy in this forum who posted a brief question a couple of weeks ago)...

I posted this same question in the "Verizon" forum and have received several responses from people that basically "don't understand what I'm asking" and they just say something like analog will only be used if there is no digital... I know that... The real question (for someone from Verizon to answer) is "Why do the box a...
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SuperDad

Jul 29, 2004, 7:37 PM
I just got a pair of SCH-a650's today. I, too, was dismayed at the "All Digital", and I don't trust that I or my wife will remember the magic keystrokes to make an analog call when we are stuck in a snowstorm in Montana. Reminds me of the lady who died because she didn't know how to enable roaming.

I doubt I'm keeping these phones. It seems like misleading advertising at best. Downright fraud at worst.
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Waldstein

Jul 29, 2004, 9:08 PM
Allen,

I tried again to force an outgoing analog call on my SCH-a650 and succeeded. This time I pulled out the flexible antenna to improve reception. So I confirm what you and others have succeeded in doing.

I compared again my printed manual for this model with the online User Guide at www.samsungtelecom.com/pdf/A650.pdf . This manual is apparently produced by Samsung without being specifically for Verizon customers. The printed manual (which says "All Digital" on the inside title page) on page 2 states that it was "Revised February 26, 2004." The online version, which on the inside title page says "Tri-Mode" instead of "All Digital," has a totally blank page 2 but at the top has a header on each page that says "Verizon A-650 boo...
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al5432

Jul 29, 2004, 9:38 PM
Waldstein said:
Allen,

I tried again to force an outgoing analog call on my SCH-a650 and succeeded. This time I pulled out the flexible antenna to improve reception. So I confirm what you and others have succeeded in doing.

I compared again my printed manual for this model with the online User Guide at www.samsungtelecom.com/pdf/A650.pdf . This manual is apparently produced by Samsung without being specifically for Verizon customers. The printed manual (which says "All Digital" on the inside title page) on page 2 states that it was "Revised February 26, 2004." The online version, which on the inside title page says "Tri-Mode" instead of "All Digital," has a totally blank page 2 but at the top has a header on ea
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Waldstein

Aug 5, 2004, 4:31 PM
I sent two emails to Samsung USA customer/technical support asking about why the printed manual and the box say that the SCH-a650 phone is all-digital, in contrast to all other information and cursory testing indicating that it is tri-mode. Although my second email was more urgent and said "you owe purchasers an explanation," the Samsung robot sent me the same reply for both of my messages and said nothing about the basic discrepancy I was asking about. Here is their reply:

"Thank you for your inquiry on your SCH-a650 model phone. This phone is a tri-mode phone, the specifications state:
Tri-mode:
CDMA 1900 MHz
CDMA 800 MHz
AMPS 800 MHz
This phone is a Tri-Mode phone and will operate on analog signal. Should you require assistan...
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dudleydog

Aug 7, 2004, 4:53 PM
Yes, do check with verizon. I know I will next time I'm in the store.

I was in the Northboro, Ma store a couple of weeks ago and almost picked up the 650 but decided not to since I was leaving on vacation in 2 days. I was headed over to southern Ontario which is still analog. I knew if I made a change, Mr. Murphy would probably stick his head up.

The 650 did have the Tri-Mode tag on it on the store display. multiple times...

I too live in sNH and find analog important up north and in VT and ME.
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al5432

Aug 10, 2004, 10:39 AM
My 15 days are up so I guess I'm keeping the phone as well... I didn't have time to do anymore "research" so I'll just hope at this point the box and manual are "typos"... It's amazing not a single person from Verizon or Samsung could confirm this or explain it... And that so few other people even noticed it (I assume Verizon is selling boatloads of these phones right now)... Thanks for your input Waldstein! ... and if anyone else out there has anything to add in the future please do...

Allen
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cjh518

Aug 7, 2004, 1:54 PM
gentlemen,
i hesitate to over-simplify, but is it not entirely possible there is a discrepancy due to a typo, and not some plot dreamed up by verizon or samsung to "de-analog" the world? also, if you are in a situation where an analog call is all you would be able to make, you won't need to "turn anything on" or force the call, the only signal your phone will receive will be analog, therefore and ergo, it will make an analog call....

hth...
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