Samsung SGH-P777

Samsung may be discontinuing the SGH-P777 because of owner complaints about the software, lack of PIM Sync ability, and no way to import or input ringtones directly into the phone from a computer, or by key-press.

I ordered and received my SGH-P777 from Cingular. It wasn't offered on their site in early August, but the support tech said that was because the online fulfillment center was out of them. They were in-stock at the other fulfillment center.

After weeks of trying to get all the features to work I've found that Samsung messed-up bigtime on the P777. My phone has PIM Sync in the Applications menu. The anemic software that comes with that phone offers only Easy Studio File Manager, which is only for transferring photos, video and mp3's to and from the phone.

The P777 software lacked any Address Book, Calendar or To Do list capabilities. Even though many reviews I read said that the phone had those capabilities.

It's obvious that Samsung is cranking out new models faster than their firmware and software designers, and their tech writers can keep up with them.

I then ordered from Samsung the expensive Data Kit offered as a P777 accessory, thinking (and being told by a Samsung rep) that was the full version of the Easy Studio software for that phone. It turns out that $80 Data Kit was only a slightly newer version of the same anemic Easy Studio File Manager that came with the phone. And the software included a USB-to-phone cable, just like the one that came with the phone -- not a data cable.

I managed to find Easy Studio software downloads for other Samsung models and got Address Book recognition of the phone in the software but without real cross-sync'ing ability. But changes made to the address list in Easy Studio on the computer instantly registered in the phone. I could not save the Address Book list to a file on the computer and import it back into the phone. And still no Calendar and To Do list recognition was there.

I haven't found a way to transfer ringtones from the computer directly into the phone. Though, I did email them to the email account I set-up on my domain just for the phone, and then downloaded them into the phone. I even managed to send myself ringtones from the phone using that email account, but only the ones I had added into the phone. Of course, data transfer costs extra in addition to the normal phone bill.

The phone is great in theory and partly in design. But it lacks Bluetooth, a speakerphone and isn't worth much as a PIM because it can't truly sync with a computer. Still, for someone who isn't depending on a PIM professionally... the phone is nice despite its shortcomings.

Samsung.... get real and recall the p777 and offer full refund to every registered purchaser. And... make another model for Cingular that's as nice, but with Bluetooth, speakerphone and the PIM capabilities that we need.