Manage updates with the Download AppSamsung Brightside (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: Brightside
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Samsung Brightside isn't my all-time favorite feature phone, thanks to its exposed touch-screen menu, low-res screen, and laggy processor, but it is one option for Verizon customers.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Brightside (Verizon Wireless) price range: $219.99
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Reviewed on: 03/09/2012
- Released on: 03/01/2012
The good: The Samsung Brightside has a comfortable slide-out QWERTY keyboard, decent call quality, and a design that takes advantage of voice commands.
The bad: If you can't stomach an iffy screen resolution, a mediocre camera, and a laggy processor, then don't buy the Samsung Brightside.
The bottom line: The Samsung Brightside isn't my all-time favorite feature phone, thanks to its exposed touch-screen menu, low-res screen, and laggy processor, but it is one option for Verizon customers.
User reviews
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Look on the BRIGHTSIDE of not having a data plan
by CGPoston on November 3, 2012
Pros: + Amazing slide-out full size QWERTY keyboard
+ USB interface is easy to use
+ Setup was a breeze
+ Very affordable
+ Intuitive Menu systemCons: - Apps and apps-store are pretty much useless
- Very limited customizable optionsSummary: What's Real Good:
-Uber responsive crystal-clear touchscreen, surprisingly quicker than my LG Dare. Near iPhone, Droid response but not quite the processing power obviously. Tackles the touch-screen job and ...Summary: What's Real Good:
-Uber responsive crystal-clear touchscreen, surprisingly quicker than my LG Dare. Near iPhone, Droid response but not quite the processing power obviously. Tackles the touch-screen job and does it well.
-Probably best in class for a feature phone on the Verizon plan.
-Intuitive Menu system with simple yet useful shortcuts that is well laid out allowing quick, unobtrusive access without any hiccups.
-Very affordable if you are willing to depart ways from 2 gnarly cents.
-Amazing slide-out full size QWERTY keyboard makes for a speedy "quick triggers" texter. Slide-outs are usually dinky and conducive to fat-fingering. No worries here as the keyboard is a decent size compared to ideal flip-phone "texter" QWERTY's without being overly large and clunky. I came off the LG Dare with exclusive touch-screen QWERTY and was anticipating the transition to come with somewhat of a daunting learning curve. Pleasantly surprised this is not the case. I am one happy texting machine.
What's good:
-Closest you can come to a smart phone without signing away on a 2 year ($30+ a month data-plan)
-Great supplement if you already have an iOS device (such as a iTouch) or you sit in front an office computer all day for apps, internet etc.
-USB interface is easy to use making for nearly seamless media downloads/uploads.
-Setup was a breeze, both with activating the line and initial customization.
-Comes equipped with Verizon's Backup Assistant for initial setup of backing up your contacts or transferring from your previous phone. This is a great utility that connects seamlessly to the Verizon hub for ensuring contacts/phone backup protection. Setup was a cakewalk. Great feature on the phone and from Verizon!
-Packed with Blue-tooth that offers decent functionality and be synced with most devices
What's not-so-good:
-Apps and apps-store are pretty much useless. Basic games do the trick but do not remotely compare to the Apple or DROID app store. If this what you are after, look elsewhere.
-Smart Phone-esque WITHOUT Wireless capability. Sad really because it seems like such a simple feature these days. It would have made a nice added touch however browsing on this phone wouldn't be the most ideal despite it coming with a decent browser anyway.
-Very limited customizable options. Little to none customization display options make the phone lack personalization ie go nuts with the 2 colors to choose from for the Menu (to flash my spunky personality, I went with Orange instead of Green, if only I had the same options for my Prom suit) and a whopping 5 maniacal fonts each sporting Normal or Large size variety (Grande or Venti?).
Furthermore, the Full or Short-cut Menu are always on the fore-front rendering the Wallpaper pointless except when on the locked time-display screen.
-Turning the phone sideways without the slide-out doesn't offer a touch-screen QWERTY. Somewhat disappointed with this as it would have been easy to accomplish and made for on-the-fly texting. My LG Dare had this and I miss it. The suave slide-out, full-size QWERTY somewhat makes up for it though.
If you will buy the Samsung Brightside, you can see more useful information at: Androidphonesverizon.wordpress.com/samsung-brightside/
I hope this review is helpful.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Buggy phone with incomplete features
by Vikilla on May 2, 2013
Pros: Decent Call Quality
Good Keyboard
Decent InterfaceCons: Flimsy outer phone casing
Below average battery life (even when not in full use)
Terrible app selection
Virtually no customization
Bad picture/video
Opens things without you pressing them -
Terrible phone! Very disappointed
by kt1112 on March 18, 2013
Pros: The touch screen/QWERTY keyboard option is cool and useful
Cons: Image quality is TERRIBLE, phone opens and closes out of apps/calls/texts without warning OR being prompted to do so
Summary: I wouldn't recommend this phone to anybody... three of my family members got this phone and we all cannot stand it. On the outside, it looks like a decent ...
Summary: I wouldn't recommend this phone to anybody... three of my family members got this phone and we all cannot stand it. On the outside, it looks like a decent touch screen phone if you're looking for something that isn't a smart phone, but other than that, it's a waste of money. Forget about taking/receiving pictures - the quality is TERRIBLE. Every time someone sends me a picture message, it's so small I can't even decipher what it is of and there is no way to make it bigger. Second, the touch screen is ULTRA sensitive. The phone will open random apps on its own (ex. the internet, GPS app, etc.) or it will close out of things WHILE you're using them (phone calls, texts messages). I'm counting down the days until I can upgrade!
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BRIGHTSIDE isn't the word I would use to describe this
by BOYCOTTAPPLE12 on November 28, 2012
Pros: Easy-to-use design and interface
Great QWERTY keyboard
Decent camera
InexpensiveCons: Way too easy to accidentally open an icon, take a picture, or call/text someone
TERRIBLE video quality
Many useless features
Not enough customizable featuresSummary: I am a middle-school student who only got this phone because I needed one (I won't go into the long details). All I needed was a phone that I ...
Summary: I am a middle-school student who only got this phone because I needed one (I won't go into the long details). All I needed was a phone that I could easily call, text, and maybe take decent pictures with. I got that with this phone, but I also got much more. TOO much more, infact. I don't keep this phone in my pocket, because I don't want the screen to get dirty or accidentally crack. So, I just keep it in my backpack. While this seemed like the perfect solution, I really wasn't. The buttons are WAY to easy to get unintentionally pressed. It was being turned on, having its volume adjusted, and even having it's voice recognition activated, just by me moving my backpack. I am actually getting this taken away from me repeatedly because it keeps turning on and making loud noises during class. I think Samsung just went overboard with this. It's too easy to mess something up with this phone. While I DO recommend it, I warn you: BE CAREFUL!!
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This Phone Gives Me A Headache
by slimybakertv on November 14, 2012
Pros: Calls are crystal clear and you can plug in plain headphones.
Lock screen is pretty nice.Cons: Laggy Inbox load times
Turns off in your pocket
Pocket Dials
randomly texts people in your pocket
Battery is bad
Less than 4 hours of talk time
5 hours worth of texting.
3G isn't necessary because it can't actually do aything -
nice phone
by Jstain666 on July 9, 2012
Pros: it works, takes pics, can call on it
Cons: battery life is substandard
Summary: if you leave it plugge din all the time your good. If you take out for a days outing.. it'll be dead before your get home.
Summary: if you leave it plugge din all the time your good. If you take out for a days outing.. it'll be dead before your get home.
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I love most of this phone!
by Chrissybear12 on July 5, 2012
Pros: good keyboard, nice big screen, good picture taking, not easy to lose because its big, loud ringtones, battery life
Cons: needs more menu color options, you cant zoom in on your pictures, bad video options(im a photographer so i need my videos to be good so i can freeze capture), little glitches
Summary: I love this phone. I got it a little while after it came out and it still works the same minus some little glitches that all phones get. It's ...
Summary: I love this phone. I got it a little while after it came out and it still works the same minus some little glitches that all phones get. It's so easy to type on and the screen is a great size. The battery life goes on until I charge it at night. It has good loud ringtones so it's easy to hear which is great. It's deff. not easy to lose since it's so big, which I love. I love the quality of the pictures and as a photographer that helps a lot. It really needs better video, a zoom option that actually lets you zoom in, and some better menu color options, though. Other than that this phone is awesome.
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Thought I was getting a great phone for the money.
by MissMack62 on June 28, 2012
Pros: Love the touch screen. No problems. Love the keyboard -- no problems texting. Picture quality is fine with me. Audio on vid feature could be better but I seldom use so no complaints there. Phone features easy to use.
Cons: DEFECTIVE! Calendar & Alarm EPIC FAILURES! have NOT worked since purchased 3/11/12. Firmware? Old Samsung OS? Software BUG never removed? No answers from Verizon OR Samsung. Brushed off like bothersome fly.
Summary: I bought this phone because of ease of use, touchscreen feature and an upgrade from my Samsung Intensity II. I used the Calendar & Alarm daily on my old phone. ...
Summary: I bought this phone because of ease of use, touchscreen feature and an upgrade from my Samsung Intensity II. I used the Calendar & Alarm daily on my old phone. On the Samsung Brightside: Calendar & Alarm functions EPIC fail - both features! Verizon denied any problems with phone but apparently hundreds if not thousands of consumers have purchased this phone and have found out and are still finding out that the Calendar & Alarm features DO NOT WORK. No software updates for problem! No recourse for consumer. If you take it back within 14 days, you can get a refund. If you don't, and you can convince Verizon you have a defective phone, it will offer you a "certified like new" Samsung Brightside but given the hundreds and hundreds of emails I received from consumers, the 'certified like new' phone may be defective, too. Did Samsung use an old OS on this phone? Was there a "mistake" in the writing of the software program that powers the Calendar & Alarm features and no one will accept responsibility for same? Is this a firmware issue? The owner of the retail store at which I purchased the phone tested 22 Samsung Brightsides - he replicated the Calendar & Alarm epic fails on FOUR of the phones. That's nearly ONE FIFTH of the phones just in his store. Now do the math: if 5 million of these phones were manufactured, that's ONE MILLION DEFECTIVE PHONES. At approximately $150-$250 a phone -- that's a heckuva lot of zeros consumers have spent -- and continue to spend -- on this cell phone, and I will make an educated guess that there are MANY MANY consumers in varying age groups who own this phone and DO NOT KNOW that the Calendar & Alarm features may be epic fails! This is not rocket science: Consumers,including myself, simply want the cell phone for which we paid. Note: A common thread amongst consumers with whom i have corresponded who also bought this phone and are dealing with epic fails of Calendar & Alarm features are stating that BOTH features either (a) never worked; or (b) stopped functioning from one to three weeks after purchase. This phone was released March 1, 2012. It's been nearly four full months since it's release and there is NO fix in sight. check your Calendar feature. Create a month's worth of events and use the varying alerts, reminders, sounds, etc. for each event. Ditto for the Alarm. I am interested in hearing how many more people own this phone and whose Calendar and Alarm features fail to work.
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Was decent until it started glitching terribly.
by lolitadollie on June 7, 2012
Pros: -Large screen
-Nice qwerty keyboardCons: -Laggy
-Color scheme options... so bad.
-DesignSummary: When I first got this phone, I thought it was decent enough. I didn't really use phones in the first place anyway. I got this phone near the end ...
Summary: When I first got this phone, I thought it was decent enough. I didn't really use phones in the first place anyway. I got this phone near the end of March, and it's only seven days into June which means the terrible glitching started only within two months I had this phone.
It starts "charging" on its own, even when it's not plugged in, and randomly turns itself off and on constantly. After this started, battery life ran out over night and by now, I'm getting frustrated.
I didn't quite like this phone in the beginning, mainly because of its design and menu settings, but that may only be me (and also the fact that design is about the most important factor for me). But I know that's not what makes up a phone, so I decided to give it a shot.
I eventually enjoyed its "smartphone" like features, such as the messaging view point that is oh so similar to the iPhone's.... and that was about it for me. Decent camera, if you care though.
I guess I couldn't really be bothered enough to change the phone or do anything like it because it was overall just decent, but then it started to lag very badly and do that weird charging junk.
*I can go on about how bad the color scheme is, but I won't*
tl;dr-- It was okay until it got terrible. I would give it one star, but gotta give Samsung some points for trying, right? -
Loved it till i hated it! Glitches after a short time.
by AundreaC on April 11, 2012
Pros: Batterylife, good keybored, great camera, large screen
Cons: Boring main menu, button placement, and after 14 days of having it the whole touchscreen front glitches, freezes to the point i have to remove the battery, restarts randomly. I can't stand it! Top heavy, slides out of hand easily. Poor video quality.
Summary: My brother and I got the phones less than 14 days ago, and he dropped his so it started glitching. I thought that's understandable, until MY phone started glitching ...
Summary: My brother and I got the phones less than 14 days ago, and he dropped his so it started glitching. I thought that's understandable, until MY phone started glitching and I've never dropped it. I used the front toutch screen text system more than the keybored and it's just as fast until my phone started glitching now i can't use the front at all for texting.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: Brightside
- Bottom Line: The Samsung Brightside isn't my all-time favorite feature phone, thanks to its exposed touch-screen menu, low-res screen, and laggy processor, but it is one option for Verizon customers.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Phone Design PDA
- Width 2.37 in
- Depth 0.56 in
- Height 4.37 in
- Weight 4.3 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA
- Band CDMA 800
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
Messaging & Internet
- Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
E-Mail,
Picture messages - Mobile Services VCAST
Communications
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth 2.1
Phone Features
- Additional Features Intelligent typing (T9),
TTY,
Speakerphone,
microSD card slot,
Touch screen,
Voice command Display
- Diagonal Size 3.1 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Samsung
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
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