Samsung SGH-A137
Average Ratings
Punishment
My parents replaced my old phone for this phone as punishment.
PROS:
1. You can call people
2. You can text
3. Sturdy, survived the bayou trips
CONS:
1. There is no caller ID on the outside, you have to have your phone already opened when somebody calls or else you won't know who your talking to
2. Extreemely tiny screen
3. Buttons are hard to push, after 4 months, I still wasn't use to it
4. No camera
5. Sometimes you just want to throw it at the wall and leave
Impossibly small and light, slow operation
I got this from Radio Shack who were running a promotion on AT&T GoPhone. There it's also called the "Samsung Checker" which is a name I do not understand, but for less than fifteen dollars, I figured that I'd give this prepaid a try, and maybe get a better phone number while I'm at it.
Pros:
Impossibly small and light--almost like Zoolander's phone.
Very durable outer case.
Feels very solidly built, even though it's so light.
Great sound, and speakerphone is unheard of at this low price.
Real web browser (OpenWave).
Cons:
Menus and other functions suffer from very slow operation.
STUPID proprietary charging port is behind an even more stupid hard plastic cover which is on the side of the unit, making charging extremely awkward.
Screen is shadowy and has rather uneven backlighting.
It doesn't seem to have a general "settings" menu area. Settings are scattered all over the menus.
This is a great spare phone or a phone for a kid.
unimpressive
This is the most disappointing phone that Samsung has come out with since the Sync a couple of years ago. I've had many Samsung phones and although this one isn't the worst (that dubious distinction belongs to the A117 Jayhawk), it's quite pathetic when you consider how much cell phones have evolved in the last 4-5 years.
Lets start off with the good points:
1. It has average reception, but does hold a signal pretty well
2. Ringtone volume is loud enough, and the earpiece is pretty clear with good volume
3. Adequate speakerphone
4. From the outside, it is a rather nice looking phone
Now for the shortcomings:
1. This thing has the smallest screen i've ever seen on a phone! I have 20/20 vision and it's a struggle sometimes to see whats on the screen clearly. There is a lot of wasted space that could be used for a larger screen
2. No external display. Three or four years ago for a basic phone, this would not be a problem. But come on, it's 2009.
3. Absolutely no variety of ringtones or wallpapers. When you can't bluetooth or multimedia what you want onto the phone, this gets annoying quickly.
4. Roaming doesn't seem to work on this phone either
5. The menu is awkward in spots, which is hurt even more by that terrible little screen
If your looking for an AT&T prepaid phone that holds a signal and makes call, i'd suggest the Samsung A127 or the Nokia 2610. Those two are much better best to leave you feeling like you made a solid investment. From a performance standpoint this phone isn't the worst, but the 2003 style features will drive you insane.
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This thing is horrible
I got it in a phone lot in October of 2022. I didn't think too much of the phone at first glance, I liked the design. Once when I got to use the phone a bit more, I got to see how god awful it really was. I know it was supposed to be a low end at&t go-phone but I don't care, they could've added more interesting features. There was only four uninteresting wallpapers, bland ringtones, and that's pretty much it. Other than the very few tools you have, you could do NOTHING with this phone. It's pure garbage, stay away from this mess
Indestructible
Ok I see a lot of complaining about this phone not having enough features, for those of you saying this IT'S A CHEAP THROWAWAY PHONE. Seriously, did you think you'd be getting a smartphone for 20 bucks (that's what mine cost 3 years ago when I bought it)
Mine has been swimming, three times no less, I swear the last time when my kid dropped it outside in the rain I would not have been surprised to see a carp swimming in the battery compartment, I mean this thing was soaked all the way through, while it was on. Another time it went in a cup of coffee. The thing still works perfectly. This thing has been dropped many times on hard surfaces, once off a ladder 20 feet up onto concrete sidewalk. STILL WORKING.
I WISH they built high tech phones the way they built this one. If you want a phone to give your teenager that can take serious abuse, this is the one for you. For the PRICE? Absolutely 5 star rating, usually you're lucky to get what you pay for, I consider this one worth at LEAST twice the price.
I for one may actually shed a tear when this one finally stops working (no tech lasts forever after all) but until then, you can keep your 400 dollar RAZR that will become a paperweight the second you get a few drops of water on it or drop it the wrong way.
I don't need a handheld computer, I have a laptop, what I need is a phone that works and can handle its user being an active outdoor type. And so I have it with this model
Not a bad phone, for the price
Bought this phone today at an AT&T store in San Bruno, Ca. (near S.F., Ca.) I got it after switching from Metro PCS.
I signed up on their Go Phone $60 unlimited talk and text plan.
As far as the phone: 1) Solidly built
2) exellent reception
3) good battery life
4) works with my existing car charger. A plus in my book.
Now for the service:
1) Great reception compared to their legacy TDMA network days.(I was a customer then)
2) Decent plan for the money. ($60 unlimited talk & text) especially for Go Phone prepaid.
3) Customer service at the store and over the phone is much better than Metro PCS can ever be.
4) Better coverage area in the S.F.Bay Area (California)
Overall, I would recommend this phone and the service to anyone if asked.
samsung a137
This is a crappy phone.I would not recommend this phone to anyone.Its doesn't have blue-tooth the ring-tones sound crappy through the speaker and its always dropping calls.this is the cheapest phone.DO NOT BUY IT!
Basic but works great
Why buy this phone if you need all that bells and whistles? Of course to someone who need a camera phone, etc...this isnt the phone for you. I am a phone geek so i need a basic phone to have "just in case".
pros: only $30
feels very sturdy w/no crackle sounds
battery life is great
ringers are loud
call volume is perfect
has web browser for ring tones
cons: no external caller id (i dont need it)
cant give messages personal tone
for simple people and kids i give it
2 thumbs up!!!
It's basic
This phone is VERY basic, but if that is what you want, a basic clam shell phone, you've come to the right place.
Now, the phone's best functions are its call quality, signal, and battery life. Absolutely stellar performance there.
Now, the internal display is small, only 128 by 128, but the font on the time and when you dial a number is large enough, so no complaints.
I wish there was an external display, but that's ok, it makes the phone very durable not having one.
The phone has nice little office tools, but it does not have any games. But like I said, if you are looking for features, look elsewhere, this phone is not a features phone, it is a cellular phone that does phone very well.
