Samsung Trance - black (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: Trance in Piano Black
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Samsung Trance is a great MP3 phone that combines excellent audio quality in a slim and attractive package.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Trance - black (Verizon Wireless) price range: $39.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 04/28/2009
The good: The Samsung Trance has a beautiful and sophisticated design, plus it has stereo Bluetooth and a 3.5 millimeter headset jack. The audio quality is fantastic, especially with 3D surround sound.
The bad: We weren't pleased with the flat touch-sensitive navigation array, and the photo quality isn't great. The Samsung Trance also doesn't have EV-DO, which means it can't download songs over-the-air.
The bottom line: The Samsung Trance is a great MP3 phone that combines excellent audio quality in a slim and attractive package.
While a lot of phones have integrated music players, few handsets qualify as bonafide MP3 phones. Not only do they have much better audio quality than most, but also they usually boast a few features that focus specifically on enhancing the music experience. The latest Samsung Trance, for example, had its sound technology developed by Bang & Olufsen, a high-end audio equipment brand, which results in an array of equalizer modes and 3D sound effects. The result is simply fantastic audio quality; definitely one of the better MP3 phones we've tried. We're not too pleased with the lack of EV-DO and that you can't download music over-the-air from Verizon Wireless' V Cast. Still, the Trance is a very stylish handset with great performance, and for that we think the $49.99 price, with a two-year service agreement, is very reasonable.
Design
The Samsung Trance is an undeniably stylish handset, with an elegant design that any fashionista would love. Measuring 4 inches long by 1.97 inches wide by 0.55 inch thick, the Trance has a slim profile, rounded corners, and a beautiful glossy finish. The front of the Trance is ever so slightly curved in the shape of a violin, which adds to the visual appeal. The front surface is also very reflective, which makes it fingerprint prone and a little hard to read the display under bright sunlight. The Trance is lightweight at only 3.53 ounces.
On the front of the Trance is the 2.1-inch screen with support for 262,000 TFT color and 176x229-pixel resolution. The display is gorgeous, with bold colors and a resolution that show off the drop-shadow effect on the icons. You can adjust the backlight time for the screen and the keypad, the display themes, the style and size of the dial and menu fonts, the clock format on the standby page, and the menu layout. You can even replace and reposition menu items.
Underneath the display is the touch-sensitive navigation array. When idle, the entire array appears black and empty. When the phone is active, the array lights up with the two soft keys, the four-way toggle with middle OK key, a dedicated music player key, and the Cancel key. The music player key activates the music player of course, but when the music player is already active, it brings up the song playlist. The four-way toggle corresponds to three user-defined shortcuts for the up, left, and down directions, and the right direction leads to a My Shortcuts dialog box. The My Shortcuts box can also be customized with up to four of your favorite shortcuts.
The navigation array is completely flat with the surface, and you have to rely on the keys vibration feedback to get a feel for them. You can adjust the touch vibration settings and the sensitivity level. When the phone is closed, you won't be able to use the array until you unlock it with the hold/keypad lock key on the side. While we understand this touchpad provides a very sleek look to the Trance, we still would prefer physical keys for easier navigation.
Slide the phone up and you'll reveal the number keypad with the Send, camera key, and Talk/End power keys on the top row. The overall keypad is quite flat to the surface, but there are little row dividers that help provide some texture when dialing and texting. But we would prefer a more tactile keypad.
On the left side of the Trance are the volume rocker, the hold/keypad lock key, and the microSD card slot, and the charger jack, the speakerphone key, and a 3.5 millimeter headset jack. We're definitely happy to see a 3.5 millimeter headset jack here, especially since the Trance touts itself as a music phone. The camera is only revealed when you slide the phone up--it's on the back, next to a self-portrait mirror.
Features
The Samsung Trance has a 1,000-entry phone book with room in each entry for five numbers, two e-mail addresses, an IM screen name, a street address, and notes. You can save callers to groups, pair them with a photo for caller ID, or with one of 17 polyphonic ringtones for added customization. Basic features include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, an alarm clock, a calendar, a stop watch, a world clock, and a notepad. You also get voice command support, a wireless Web browser, mobile Web e-mail, USB mass storage mode, and location-based support for VZ Navigator and Verizon's Chaperone service. Since it's a music phone, we're also pleased to see the Trance has stereo Bluetooth, plus a Music Sharing capability that lets you connect up to two stereo Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
As we said, the primary feature of the Trance is definitely the music player. The interface is simple and easy to use, with the album art in the center and the player controls underneath. You can view the music library, create and edit playlists, and set the songs on shuffle or repeat. Not only are there 11 preset equalizer settings, but there's also a manual equalizer. The music player also has 3D sound, which you can only experience when a headset is plugged in. From there, you can choose Wide, Dynamic, or Surround sound. If you're in an airplane, you can opt for Music Only mode, which shuts off the phone's wireless signal and still lets you listen to your tunes.
Perhaps the most disappointing part of the music player is that the Trance does not have EV-DO. This means it doesn't have access to Verizon's broadband services like V Cast Music, so you can't download songs over-the-air. You can get music on to the phone via the V Cast Music with Rhapsody application, but only by attaching a USB cable to your PC. Thankfully, the Trance has a whopping 1GB of internal memory, plus you can get up to a 16GB microSD card for more storage.
The Trance also comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, but it's nothing much to write home about. Photo quality is mediocre at best, with a lot of blurry images and muted colors. You can take pictures in six resolutions (1,280x960, 1,024x768, 640x480, 320x240, 160x120, 128x96), three quality settings, six color effects, and five white-balance presets. Other camera settings include spot or center metering, a night shot mode, a self-timer, a multishot mode, sound effects like the "ready sound" and the shutter sound (with silent options), brightness, and zoom.
You can personalize the Trance with a variety of wallpaper and sounds plus you can get more graphics and tones from the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. The Trance doesn't come with any games but you can download BREW-enabled titles from Verizon as well.
Performance
We tested the Samsung Trance in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless. We were very impressed with the call quality. Callers said we sounded loud and clear with very little hiss in the background. The voice quality was a tad machine-like but it was still very listenable. On our end, we heard them very clearly as well, with hardly any static at all. Call quality was similarly good on speakerphone mode, though callers sounded a bit hollower on the speakers.
But the real star of the show here is the audio quality. Thanks to the Bang & Olufsen ICEPower technology, we were very impressed with the strong melody and bass in the songs. This was especially apparent when we turned on the Surround Sound mode. Overall, the audio sounded nice and full, and compares well with most dedicated MP3 players.
The Samsung Trace has a rated battery life life of 4.5 hours of talk time and 12.5 days in standby time. It has a tested talk time of 3 hours and 55 minutes. According to the FCC, it has a SAR rating of 1.34 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Great phone, great music player, great battery life!!!
by scoobitronic on May 18, 2009
Pros: Great reception, Great Music player, Sleek look, long battery life, Easy to use
Very customizable (ringers, displays, menu layouts)Cons: Non-Standard USB connection on the phone itself (can't use a standard USB cable), Fingerprint magnet, No EV-DO (this didn't bother me, as it mainly is used to download music straight to phone), No case or holster comes with the phone
Summary: I just got this phone, and have had it for 3 days. I haven't been able to test the battery life, as I have only charged it one time, ...
Summary: I just got this phone, and have had it for 3 days. I haven't been able to test the battery life, as I have only charged it one time, and it's still going! This is a great looking phone, and does not feel cheap like other reviews have said. It does show finger-prints, so if you can't stand that, do not get this phone!
As for the features/ease of use, I was able to add songs onto the phone using Windows Media Player (you do not have to use Rhapsody), and the internal memory will hold approx. 100 songs. You can add a 16Gb Micro-SD card. I have 64-bit Vista on my laptop, and it recongized the Trance immediately, and loaded all drivers for it. All I had to do was drag the songs I wanted onto the phone, then click sync. It added approx. 65 songs in about 4 minutes. Could not have been easier.
The charger is a really nice feature, as it combines the charger and USB cable all into one. I wish it had a standard USB connection on the phone, but it is proprietary. You have to use the cable that comes with it. However, you can charge your phone using your PC with this cable, and avoid the wall outlet, if needed.
The sound from this phone is truly outstanding. It sounds better than my IPOD for music, and the voice quality is great. Everything is customizable on this phone. The display, ringers, menus, menu layout, soft keys, and touch controls are all adjustable/customizable. When you first activate the phone, it takes you through a simple "Setup Wizard" that walks you through all of this to "personalize" your phone. I thought this feature was very convenient, allowing you to change all of your setting at one time.
Other than the fingerprints, the proprietary USB connection on the phone, and the fact that it did not come with a case or holster, I am completely satisfied with my purchase. Definitely worth the 2 year upgrade!!!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A few flaws but overall I am pleased.
by lisalisa52271 on June 6, 2009
Pros: I love the color and the slim sleek design. It works well for text messaging. Music sounds good. The key pad has a good feel.
Cons: I gave this 4.5 stars for 3 reasons. 1) It's a fingerprint magnet 2) The picture quality isn't great & it has no flash. I've used the night mode & it's ok but still not what you get with a flash 3) I sometimes "cheek" the touch screen when on a ca
Summary: It works well for me personally. I am pleased with it. I mainly use it for texting and calling. I do not have Mobile Web (etc) so I apologize that ...
Summary: It works well for me personally. I am pleased with it. I mainly use it for texting and calling. I do not have Mobile Web (etc) so I apologize that I can't comment on that aspect. I love the up and down slide phones. I suppose the battery life could be better, & I get fingerprints and makeup on the screen when on a call. You may also want to invest in a protective case &/or screen protector to avoid scratching. I do wish it had a flash but outdoor pics are good, & there's no video either. The camera does have a lot of fun frames & things to accent your photos. It has the T9 Word feature for texting, which is my personal preference. Music sounds good & it uses standard headphones which is a plus. Basically, for the most part, it does what I want it to. I have it in red, & find it to be aesthetically pleasing. Hope this helps.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This phone is wicked.
by whodeyx84 on June 3, 2009
Pros: -Slider.
-Cool looking.
-Touch Pad.
-Layout.
-SamsungCons: -Battery life.
-Finger prints.
-Touch pad.Summary: I just got this phone for my birthday a couple days ago, and so far, I love it.
I'll just explain the Cons.
well, the battery life sucks. The ...Summary: I just got this phone for my birthday a couple days ago, and so far, I love it.
I'll just explain the Cons.
well, the battery life sucks. The last bar takes a longer to use up than the others. and I only used it for about a couple hours and I was already down one bar. But that's probably because I've been using it a lot.
If you hate finger prints, then this phone wouldn't be for you. Becuase of the shininess, it get them easily.
I put touch pad for both a pro and a con. It sometimes doesn't respond. but I think I really like it and it has a great look.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great phone!
by cr85kidd on May 23, 2009
Pros: good design, decent pics, good for music, good for texting
Cons: no video..
Summary: Best phone i have owned.
Summary: Best phone i have owned.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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**I LOVE this phone!**
Pros: GREAT sound quality, very customizable, user-friendly interface, loaded with features
Cons: picture quality is acceptable, but not great, touch screen buttons are smaller and close together (can be difficult when in a hurry or if you have big fingers) Surface is also very smooth and sleek so shows fingerprints and smudges easily
Summary: I have had this phone for 2 days, have really put it through its paces, and so far am very impressed with it. Battery life has been good, sound quality ...
Summary: I have had this phone for 2 days, have really put it through its paces, and so far am very impressed with it. Battery life has been good, sound quality is fantastic, lots of internal memory (1GB) and upgradable to 16GB. Menus, fonts, wallpapers, picture ID, ringtones, etc are completely customizable. Contacts menu has room for 1000 with multiple entries and notes for each. In the past year I have had the RAZR V3, Glyde and the Alias and didn't like any of them for various reasons. However, I LOVE this phone! It is very user friendly and the interface is easy to learn. Voice activated features are a bonus and I can't wait to try the Bluetooth Stereo feature.
I download all my music from my PC and never over the air (yes, I am cheap!) so the lack of EVDO is fine with me.
If you are looking for a fabulous phone with MP3 stereo music capabilities, and aren't too worried about exquisite picture quality? This is the phone for you2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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fantastic battery life, but beware the Mute
by froliclavish on July 6, 2009
Pros: Battery life, size, 3.5 jack, fast music upload, size, loud speakerphone
Cons: Poor Mute placement, call reception weaker than my LG phone, volume adjustment not fine enough, ringtones generally too quiet if purchased separately
Summary: I like my Trance, don't get me wrong. I bought it for the music and it loads from the SD and plays music great. But there is one major ...
Summary: I like my Trance, don't get me wrong. I bought it for the music and it loads from the SD and plays music great. But there is one major flaw, and one minor. The major flaw is that when I answer a call and place the phone next to my ear, my cheekbone touches the touchscreen at the "MUTE" spot, so callers can't hear me. Very frustrating. The second flaw is that the music volume button isn't fine-tunable enough. On some songs, I have to have the volume all the way to the top, and it's barely enough. And between two proximate volume "notches" the difference can be huge--from very loud to just audible. More in-between volume settings are needed.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great phone
by anonymous99 on June 27, 2009
Pros: great sound both in-call and music, easy and simple functionality, works great. touch pad is accurate and easy. it slides well and is durable. very stylish aswell.
Cons: i have no cons
Summary: overall a great phone with good looks and great features that wont let you down. i would recomend it to anybody.
it is very durable ...
Updated on Jun 27, 2009Summary: overall a great phone with good looks and great features that wont let you down. i would recomend it to anybody.
it is very durable it survived a ten foot fall onto pavment with no damage still works great after four and a half months ive had it
Updated on Jun 27, 20091 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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pretty good phone
by 1701user on May 28, 2009
Pros: decent battery life, if no data/surfing or bluetooth- despite what others say- lasts 4 days. see below. good call quality. slick looks. clear screen in dim viewing.
Cons: screen washed out in sun. small buttons. sometimes when using phone, touch sensitive keys will activate by your face or errant finger, causing a 'mute'. no great place to put thumb on the slide open.
Summary: ok-- i've had phone for 8 days and so far it's lasted 4 days (twice) by turning off vibrate + ring, i don't use bluetooth, keep the backlight ...
Summary: ok-- i've had phone for 8 days and so far it's lasted 4 days (twice) by turning off vibrate + ring, i don't use bluetooth, keep the backlight at 15s, and i don't use web/ data. i'm sure life would be much worse if i did. but for basic phone use and talking about 20 min/day, it lasts 4 days and even then, there was 1 bar, so it didn't die.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Beautiful Design and Familiar Music player Layout
by faloutboi on May 1, 2009
Pros: Design, Size, Music quality, Expandable storage,
Cons: 1.Speakerphone it not loud enough (which is odd because when playing Music, it is much louder)
2. Camera blows, Shutter lag makes it unusable for shooting candids.
3. Sliding open can be tricky at time because of the small size.Summary: I'm a fan of this phone. It looks great and I like the slider design which feels solid in hand. It's dedicated Music button makes swapping between phone ...
Summary: I'm a fan of this phone. It looks great and I like the slider design which feels solid in hand. It's dedicated Music button makes swapping between phone and music easy.
The touch button(not screen) was very easy to operate and responsive.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good Music Phone, Lots of Little Custom Features
by nobodeuno on November 7, 2009
Pros: Excellent audio & call quality. Well built, great slide,nice size. Music player has numerous tone settings, regardless of what anyone says the B&O amplification is excellent. I have an iPhone 3GS...the Trance sounds better through my Shure M310 bu
Cons: Shows finger prints but a good screen protector will solve that. Screen could have better resolution, but it suffices and is quite viewable in the sun. Some lag compared to iPhone 3GS...but overall pretty tight.
Summary: I like the fact that this is just a good phone with a killer music player, the two main functions "I" use with a cellphone. The other thing is that ...
Summary: I like the fact that this is just a good phone with a killer music player, the two main functions "I" use with a cellphone. The other thing is that this phone has one of the best voice control systems I've ever used. It simply makes no mistakes and you can practically run the entire phone by speaking to it...it even reads emails and messages to you...great features when you are driving. (hint hint)
The size and form factor of the phone is very cool, the weight is perfect, something smart phones can't compete with. I so dislike carrying a 1/4 lb brick around all day. Call quality is superb and while folks dismiss the speaker, my example is very good with superb color and richness. Of course it's not for serious music listening! Overall I am very satisfied with the Trance...I think it does what it needs to do with style and does it well. The battery life is insane! I can listen to music twice as long as my iPhone 3GS...I am not use to going days on a charge (IE: iPhone 3GS)
I would say if you want a superb pocket computer, look elsewhere! If you want a great phone with a serious music player...can't really go wrong with the TRANCE. Forget it if you are a power player...but it will get by if you need it to. It doesn't bother me I can't download songs over the airway...I never buy them anyway...I let my friends do that :-) So bottom line...this phone suits me and that's my deal. The Samsung Trance rocks me just fine...and with two Bluetooth stereo headsets running simultaneously it rocks me lady too...Cheers
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: Trance in Piano Black
- Description: There are a lot of music phones. The Samsung Trance, on the other hand, is a phone that has turned its music functionality into an art form. It supports MP3, plus about a half-dozen other file formats. It has dedicated touch controls. And it has a Bang & Olufsen amplifier and digital processing system that brings your music to life like never before. But this is not just a music player. You also get a slick and stylish sliding phone, a 1.3-megapixel camera and media center - all of which should be music to your ears.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone With digital camera / digital player
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
- Width 2 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4 in
- Weight 3.5 oz
- Body Color Piano black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band)
- Phone Design Slider
- Antenna Internal
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Call Timer Yes
- Conference Call Capability Yes
- Voice Recorder Yes
- Caller ID Yes
- Speakerphone Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Additional Features TTY compatible
Communicator Features
- User Memory 1 GB
Phone Memory
- Phone Book Capacity 1000 names & numbers
- Missed Calls Memory 90
- Dialed Calls Memory 90
- Received Calls Memory 90
Messaging & Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Mobile Email Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- Included Services VCAST, VZ Navigator
- JAVA applications Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages, Picture messages, E-Mail, Voice messages
Ring Tones
- Polyphonic Ring Tone Voice Qty 72
Multimedia Features
- Downloadable Content Games, Ring tones, Wallpapers, Audio files, Video files, Screensavers
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 1.3 megapixels
Organizer
- Alarm Clock Yes
- Calendar Yes
- Reminder Yes
- Calculator Basic
- Additional Timer Functions Stopwatch, Countdown timer
Display
- Type LCD display
- Display Resolution 176 x 220 pixels
- Diagonal Size 2.1 in
- Color Support Color
- Color Depth 18-bit (262000 Colors)
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, MP3, WMA, WMAPro
Memory
- Internal Shared Memory Yes
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Battery, USB/Wall charger
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium ion
- Talk Time Up to 270 min
- Standby Time Up to 250 h
Product series
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Samsung Trance - black (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung
Specs: CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band), Up to 270 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.5 oz
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Samsung Trance - red (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung
Specs: CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band), Up to 270 min, With digital camera / digital player, 3.5 oz
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Samsung
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.samsungusa.com/
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
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