Sanyo Katana II
Average Ratings
Best phone ever
I have had this phone for over four years. The battery still holds a charge like a new one. It texts very good and over all the best phone i have ever had. My family goes through a lot of phones and this one has lasted the longest. I have dropped it off the top of fire trucks and picked it up off the blacktop without a scratch on it.
After four years the only this that has gone bad is the ear piece for calling. Everything else still functions like new. I would definitely tell anyone to buy this phone.
Absolutely satisfied with this awesome phone
I like this phone
I love, love, love this phone. This is my second one in three years, because I washed my first one. The reception is great, screen is a good size. It takes great pictures and the size of the phone is perfect, fits into my pocket great, that is why I washed it. I guess there is nothing left to say, except I love, love, love this phone. So, I am getting another one.
Solid, reliable
My Katana II provided me with two and a half years of good voice and text service.
I tried using the web browser for 1 month, but that was painful.
Pros:
Voice quality.
Battery. Held a charge well and never needed to be replaced.
Construction. Felt solid with a good sized hinge.
Cons:
Lag in text input.
If I didn't need Internet, I would anticipate sticking with my Katana II for the foreseeable future.
friends say
My friends have been telling me to stay away from this phone as it is not accessible with straight talk from Verizon. My boys tell me that straight talk is the best deal as it is not only cheap(45$ a month) but it gets great service(verizon network). Seems like everyone loves this straight talk plan.
No, No, NO! Never Again! Don't buy this phone.
I've been back to Sprint at least 7 times, I've lost count, to wait in their long line for help with this phone. At times left it there and been assured that they solved the problem or that there was no problem. I've had no reception and calls dropped from the beginning and Sprint assured me the phone was working properly and that there were 4 towers within 2 miles of my home. (Rockford, IL. area) I went on good faith and was ill the week of the end of the 30 day trial. They would not let me exchange for a different phone.
As time went on, the bad or no reception got worse and it was unpredictable where that might happen, except for my home. I moved and hoped for good reception in an area where I had not had any problems only to have calls dropped inside my new home. I was fooling around with the phone and finally discovered that if I kept it on roaming only, calls usually weren't dropped. Then new problems appeared. The phone wouldn't ring with incoming calls. I couldn't hear people if they answered my call. Finally, after 1 1/2 years they replaced the phone. After 5 months the phone has progressively acquired the same problems. Dropped calls. No ring with incoming calls, same with outgoing calls, can't hear someone answering my calls. I've taken it in once and they did something with the phone and it worked well for about 6 weeks. Now all of the problems have re-appeared.
I'm not impressed with Sprint and their Katana II and will not use either again.
Gave this phone 2 chances - Failed miserably
CONS
My first Katana lasted only 5 months before the ear piece stopped working. I had to listen to my conversations on speaker phone.
My second Katana has lasted 16 months. The phone now drops all calls and "blacks out." It goes black and doesn't respond to any buttons. I can't get any calls or texts without it blacking out.
Reception on the Katana is so-so. I have Sprint and use it throughout Wisconsin. Both in the Eau Claire area and Milwaukee, Sprint/Katana frequently drop calls.
I have been very careful with these phones and have taken good care of them (its not abuse!).
PROS
It is thin and takes fairly good pictures.
Not so good
I have had this phone for 8 months and I do NOT like it so well. The buttons are not the best to text with, they crack and fall of all the time. The camera is pretty good. But after a while, calls and texts can not be sent to it for no reason what-so-ever. And I am having much trouble making calls.....it does NOT work. It has voice recorder, but a phone usually does, it doesn't let you make what you recorded into a ring tone.
I HATE this phone
The phone has done fine for about 6 months then the speaker for incoming voice died so I have to use the speaker phone an this isn't easy. It is very hard to hear or for me to talk you have to flip the phone back an forth. Just a week ago the phone died completely. It will not power on at all an it has never been dropped or abused in any way. It is keep in a case at all times. I would not suggest this phone an when I went to sprint for help on the speaker they didn't even want to speak to me on the issue.
Good Luck to you if you have this phone your gonna need it!
I hate this phone!
I recently "traded up" from an LG PM-225, and I plan to go back to the older handset.
The speaker phone quality is very bad, due mostly to the speaker being on the back. If the phone is sitting on a desk top, the speaker is muffled. In spite of the features listed here on Phonescoop, it does not have ringer ID. You can customize for caller id or not, but not for individual callers. The unit itself just feels flimsy. It is not ergonomic at all; thin, yes (that is why I gave it 1.5 instead of a 0 rating), but it is square and clunky. I know, flimsy and clunky seem mutually exclusive, but there it is. The standby charge lasts OK, but it takes forever to recharge. The buttons just seem wrong, as does the lens for the camera. I have accidentally muted callers, and keeping my finger out of the picture when using the camera causes cramps. You are not supposed to obstruct the lower part of the unit as that interferes with the functioning of the internal antenna. It all makes me wonder if the designer has ever actually seen a human using a cell phone.
I don't expect much from a cell phone; I don't need it to make coffee or shine my shoes. But this handset falls far short of even my low expectations.
Very good phone
After having my Original Katana for a few years, she decided that the main screen needed to be put to rest. So, in replacement, I got the Katana 2.
Very strong phone I must say. It stood up to the whole wash cycle of my clothes washer and still powered up and was usable (Not recommending that you do this after reading my review, lol). So I took it back to my Sprint store and they replaced it with another one but, a few months later, the vibrate motor went down on it. Back to Sprint I went for another replacement and they put me into the lackluster, joke of a cellphone, Katana LX (Read my other review on that before purchasing it).
I was very happy with my 2 and wish that Sprint didn't take it away. Great phone upgrade to the Original.
