Samsung Freeform II SCH-r360 (MetroPCS)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: SCH-r360BLKMETRO
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- An improved keyboard plus texting, e-mail, and instant messaging features make the Samsung Freeform II a worthy update to the original messaging phone.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Freeform II SCH-r360 (MetroPCS) price range: $39.99 - $54.79
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Reviewed on: 10/27/2010
- Released on: 10/13/2010
The good: The Samsung Freeform II comes with e-mail and multimedia messaging support and a stylish, updated keyboard. It also has a 3.5-millimeter headset jack, 16GB external memory, and good call quality.
The bad: The Samsung Freeform II's screen and keyboard feel cramped, and the keyboard buttons are stiff. The 1.3-megapixel camera could be better and the memory card slot is behind the back cover.
The bottom line: An improved keyboard plus texting, e-mail, and instant messaging features make the Samsung Freeform II a worthy update to the original messaging phone.
The second coming of the Samsung Freeform, the Freeform II, keeps the e-mail and messaging features we enjoyed in the first iteration and introduces a new keyboard that's much easier to manipulate. The result is a much more polished-looking handset. The keyboard bears such a resemblance to a competitor's that we're fairly convinced the Freeform II has been formulated to attract people seeking a professional-looking phone on a tighter budget. The Freeform II is a very affordable choice at $49.99 with an instant $50 rebate for MetroPCS.
Design
Samsung's original Freeform had a curved candy-bar design; its brightly colored bodies (in teal and red in addition to black) introduced some playfulness. The Freeform II, on the other hand, goes all-business, with a glossy black face and matte black sides. The new, subtle angles in the phone's design and the pointed "chin" at the bottom add polish. At 4.1 inches tall by 2.1 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick, the Freeform II is shorter, wider, and thicker than its predecessor. It's also a tad heavier, at 3.8 ounces. We noticed during our test calls that the Freeform II feels a little blocky on the ear.
We weren't fans of the Freeform's original keyboard design, and Samsung must have taken our grumbles to heart, at least in the looks department. With tall, backlit keys that peak just off-center, the Freeform II's keyboard heavily resembles that of RIM's BlackBerry Bold, which we do like. Unfortunately, the Freeform II's isn't quite as good. Its compact keyboard is borderline cramped, and its slightly stiff keys aren't the easiest to press.
On the right spine are a camera trigger, a Micro-USB charging port, and a 3.5-millimeter headset jack. On the left is the volume rocker. There's a 1.3-megapixel camera on the back, but the Freeform II inexplicably loses the self-portrait mirror found in the original Freeform. Pop off the back cover (with its soft-touch finish) to reveal a MicroSD card slot. It can hold up to 16GB external memory, but as we expected, the phone doesn't come with any right out of the box.
Features
Features in the Freeform II don't stray from those on similar messaging phones. There's a generous 1,000-contact address book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, an e-mail address, a group, one of 21 ringtones (plus silent), and a photo. You'll find plenty of standard organizer tools such as a calendar, a memo pad, an alarm clock, a calculator, a tip calculator, a world clock, a stop watch, and a converter. There are also Bluetooth and voice commands. MetroPCS preloads some of its own branded apps, too, like the @metro online storefront, which gives you access to MetroBackup, alternative wallpaper, and games like Bejeweled.
Since this is a messaging phone, the Freeform II is adept at text and multimedia messaging. There's also a downloadable (but free) instant-messaging app with Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and AOL. A separate e-mail client accepts a wide variety of accounts, including Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo, Comcast, and BellSouth. You can also add POP and IMAP settings, and can use those settings in a workaround to receive your work e-mail via OWA. Internet comes by way of the MetroPCS-branded MetroWeb.
The 1.3-megapixel camera takes so-so pictures, just as expected, but no multimedia messaging phone is without a shooter. Photos in our tests were colorful, but blurry. You can take photos in four resolutions (1280x960, 640x480, 320x240, or 176x144 pixels). Settings include single, series, and mosaic shots, three granularity settings, five white balance presets, night mode, four self-timer settings, six color effects, and three shutter sounds. If you don't have a 16GB or smaller MicroSD card, you'll have 42MB internal memory for photos.
If you do have expandable memory on hand, you can take advantage of the Freeform II's music player. It's very basic by default, with a small onscreen controller. However, you can change the music player interface in the oddly named Visual Supplements submenu; options include a player interface with an equalizer, album art, or a lyrics view (when the latter two are available). You can also create a playlist. Playback sounded fine to us, and sufficiently loud, through above-average earbuds.
Performance
We tested the Samsung Freeform II (CDMA 800/1900; AWS) in San Francisco on the MetroPCS network. Calls sounded good on the whole and were generally clear. Although the audio quality wasn't as crisp or defined as we've heard with some phones, the volume, timbres, and clarity were more than acceptable for both parties. Speakerphone was midrange, which isn't unusual. To our caller's ear, we sounded distorted, like we were speaking into a plastic cup. Voices on our end sounded a tad robotic with a metallic hum.
Samsung Freeform II call quality sample
Listen now:
When it comes to Web surfing and loading e-mail on the Freeform II, the phone's 2.5G speeds were surprisingly zippy on the native browser, mostly because MetroWeb removes all but a sketch of an image, so items render much faster. It took 5 seconds to load Google search results and about the same amount of time to load CNET's mobile page and several subpages. E-mail worked fine with the white-labeled app MetroPCS preloaded, though it took longer to send e-mails through and we're not fans of the program's dated look and feel, or its confusing navigation.
The Samsung Freeform II has a rated battery life of up to 5 hours talk time and 22.9 days standby time. It has a tested talk time of 5 hours and 48 minutes. According to FCC tests, the Freeform II has a digital SAR of 1.07 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Great phone!
by sicklidae on November 30, 2010
Pros: Good call clarity, full clear sound when playing music, 3.5 mm jack, background music function, looks great, decent picture quality, you can use your own ring tones
Cons: No video recorder, keyboard is rather cramped
Summary: I haven't run into many of these issues that people on here are mentioning.
I connect my phone to my computer with no problems. I sync music to my ...Summary: I haven't run into many of these issues that people on here are mentioning.
I connect my phone to my computer with no problems. I sync music to my phone, and I download ringtones and backgrounds from the internet to my computer, and transfer them to my phone and can use them! The phone is very reliable in my experience.
I like that the phone has a 3.5 mm jack, I hook it up to my aux cable in my car, and the clarity and fullness of the music is FANTASTIC! I had an LG Neon before, and whenever I played music from it, it sounded very muffled, and poor quality. The Freeform II is just awesome.
It was annoying that MetroPCS would text me random crap, but whatever, thats the service, not the phone.
Sadly, I have moved out of MetroPCS's service area and had to switch carriers. I LOVED this phone, and was sad to need to switch. It is a GREAT phone, and I highly recommend it.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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NEW BUT NOT BETTER
by phone714 on October 27, 2010
Pros: New look and comes with e-mail and multimedia messaging, updated keyboard. It also has a 3.5 millimeter headset jack, 16GB external memory, and good call quality.
Cons: Don't get all my calls. phone doesn't even ring. i just simply don't get them at all. text messages always fail. im unable to send or receive texts all the time. this phone is terrible.
Summary: im gonna return it and get something else instead. not worth the headache!!
Summary: im gonna return it and get something else instead. not worth the headache!!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great basic messaging phone; gets you on Facebook.
by nrzuriel777 on December 23, 2010
Pros: Full qwerty keypad so I don't have to "slide" a phone every time I use it.
Cons: The "answer" and "end call" keys do not light up. That's a big mistake when they designed this phone.
Summary: You can get on Facebook and do basic things. Don't expect to see YouTube or other videos on this phone. Does have a great MP3 player. The built-in speaker ...
Summary: You can get on Facebook and do basic things. Don't expect to see YouTube or other videos on this phone. Does have a great MP3 player. The built-in speaker sounds good. I can easily transfer music to my SD card. ALWAYS SAVE EVERYTHING ON YOUR SD CARD and do not use the phone memory. I did encounter another boo-boo when it comes to picture messaging. The "phone" has a mind of its own and sends a different picture instead of the one that you choose. I have talked to other users of the phone and the same thing happens to them. The only way I've gotten around this issue is to always check your picture message before sending it. If you see a different picture than the one you chose, then go back and select the correct picture again and preview it one final time. If you see the picture that you selected in preview mode, then it's okay to send. If you don't do this, then you are risking sending out the wrong picture. I've also noticed, that the pictures are not always saved in order so I have to find the one I want even after I just snapped it a few seconds ago. I even changed the names of the pics on the SD card from the computer and it still did not keep them in order. ***RINGTONES: When you download ringtones to your phone they are not saved separately from your music, so when you are selecting a music playlist, your ringtones also show up on the list. Don't select them. ZEDGE.net is a good place to download ringtones for this phone. Quick way is to save them to your computer and then transfer them to the SD card. Might be a good idea to rename the ringtones so you can find them easier as well.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
by david10161997 on April 11, 2012
Pros: gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
Cons: gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
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Can't transfer photos to computer.Only internal memory.
by cherylwade11 on March 12, 2012
Pros: I like the candy-bar design.
Cons: I have had this cell for 1 year. I have 600 photos on it that I don't want to loose. Metro store tells me there is no memory card or Sim card in it, only internal memory. I want to transfer my photos to a flash drive or the pc and can't.No more room!
Summary: Even a usb cord won't transfer the photos to my computer. It tells me that Windows XP does not recognize the device. I can't take any more pictures ...
Summary: Even a usb cord won't transfer the photos to my computer. It tells me that Windows XP does not recognize the device. I can't take any more pictures unless I erase some of the ones I have on it and I don't want to loose them. What can I do? Help!!
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Worst phone ever to exist.
by dee_11 on November 15, 2011
Pros: Occasionally functions properly during voice calls.
Cons: Everything.
Summary: I bought this phone for my girlfriend, and she has since gone through THREE of them, all under warranty. Instead of paying the ten dollars to replace the phone with ...
Summary: I bought this phone for my girlfriend, and she has since gone through THREE of them, all under warranty. Instead of paying the ten dollars to replace the phone with the same model again, she switched to a completely different manufacturer. Within a month or two of having each new phone, she was unable to receive or send photos. Before this, the phone would send photos that had been deleted, instead of what she tried to send. She couldn't access her email, save locations in metro navigator, or use any applications other than the internet. Her memory was forever full, due to 'applications' that had been deleted to make space. The phone also received messages a month after they were sent, lights up for no reason, blocks typing periodically, drops almost every call, and sends callers directly to voicemail, regardless of service. If you want a phone that is likely to make you rip your hair out, by all means, get this one.
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This is the worst phone Ive ever had.
by danniegryl1974 on October 19, 2011
Pros: Good speaker phone.
Cons: Everything. You cant take pics, you cant download, you cant receive after a couple of months.It utterly ridiculous.....
Summary: Nothing.
Summary: Nothing.
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good phone, great for texting
by gypsywoman35 on August 28, 2011
Pros: Love the qwerty keyboard. Great for texting. Love the display and easy to read messages and email's.
Cons: can't set up separate tones for text messages. Also the camera isn't that great.
Summary: Being a former blackberry user I was looking for something compatible to my qwerty keyboard. This phone is pretty damn close with the display, the keyboard and the easy to ...
Summary: Being a former blackberry user I was looking for something compatible to my qwerty keyboard. This phone is pretty damn close with the display, the keyboard and the easy to read fonts. Only drawback is that I can't assign certain tones to text msgs. Other than that it's great.
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Love the phone, HATE the memory problem!
by vtexx on August 27, 2011
Pros: Great for texting but not what sold me. The price was great and calls and messages come through just fine. I really do like everything else about the phone....very happy until I realized I couldn't free up memory for more messages and pics.
Cons: No one seems to know how to fix this problem. Even when I free up memory, the count stays the same and as many texts as you can receive before you have to erase them, I can hardly receive picture messages now. I bought a memory card for nothing because ev
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Great for texting and IM
by vbannks1956 on June 13, 2011
Pros: Cramped keyboard
Cons: Nice screen, great for texting, minii usb connection, 3.5 mm headset jack
Summary: This is my phone of choice for texting, because it is so freakin easy to text with. I also use it as a mp3 player playing thru my radio,,,OOOOOHHH! ...
Summary: This is my phone of choice for texting, because it is so freakin easy to text with. I also use it as a mp3 player playing thru my radio,,,OOOOOHHH! Need I say GPS! I also play the GPS audio thru my radio speakers,,,talk about HANDSFREE
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: SCH-r360BLKMETRO
- Description: The Samsung Freeform II (SCH-r360) comes with a stylish bar design, four-row QWERTY keyboard, 2.2" QVGA TFT display screen and text and picture messaging for a quick and easy way to stay in touch with family and friends. For safe, hands-free calling, the Freeform II has access to stereo Bluetooth technology and comes equipped with a 1.3 MP camera to snap all of your favorite pictures while on-the-go. The Freeform II also has a multitude of MetroPCS services to always stay connected, including access to MetroNavigator GPS navigation while on the road.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Form Factor Full keyboard
- Phone Design Candy Bar
- Integrated Components Voice recorder,
Digital camera,
Digital player - Width 2.12 in
- Depth 0.59 in
- Height 4.13 in
- Weight 3.81 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 / AWS 1700/2100
- Service Provider MetroPCS
- Input Device(s) QWERTY keyboard
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services SMS,
MMS - Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
Picture messages,
E-Mail - Mobile Services Metro411
Communications
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Bluetooth Profiles Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
- Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Additional Features Widgets support
Organizer
- Personal Information Management Calendar,
Calculator,
Reminder,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC - up to 16 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 1.3 megapixels
Navigation System
- Navigation Software & Services MetroNavigator
Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 2.2 in
- Display Resolution 320 x 240 pixels
Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Capacity 1000 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk ( CDMA ) - up to 300 min,
Standby ( CDMA ) - up to 550 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards HAC(Hearing Aid Compatible)
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
Accessories
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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