Manage updates with the Download AppSamsung Stratosphere (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: Stratosphere
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Samsung Stratosphere's blazing 4G LTE speeds, QWERTY keyboard, and business tools lend it credence as a handset for corporate minds, but its last-season specs may fail to lure those looking for the ultimate smartphone.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LetsTalk.com |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/22/2013 |
CNET editors' review
Samsung Stratosphere (Verizon Wireless) price range: $49.99
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Reviewed on: 11/01/2011
- Released on: 10/16/2011
The good: The Samsung Stratosphere has Verizon's ultrafast 4G LTE speeds and is the first LTE phone in its arsenal to have a QWERTY keyboard. Plus, it has Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, and VPN support. Its 5-megapixel camera takes good photos.
The bad: A sibling of the original Galaxy S line, the Stratosphere at times feels a little rehashed. Call quality was also hit or miss.
The bottom line: The Samsung Stratosphere's blazing 4G LTE speeds, QWERTY keyboard, and business tools lend it credence as a handset for corporate minds, but its last-season specs may fail to lure those looking for the ultimate smartphone.
User reviews
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Can't be beat for the price!
by ToddByrd on January 2, 2012
Pros: + Fantastic screen
+ Very fast and responsive
+ It syncs up easily with all of your email, facebook and gmail contactsCons: - Can not set different ring tones
Summary: This phone is amazing. I have it for 2 weeks now. I'll admit it is my first android, but I've had the iphone and palm pre plus, so ...
Summary: This phone is amazing. I have it for 2 weeks now. I'll admit it is my first android, but I've had the iphone and palm pre plus, so I'm not new to smart phones. Palm was my all time favorite OS, but there is just no support for it. I switched to android and it is amazing. It does a lot of the things that Siri on the new iphone does. You can speak commands like "text Dave" or "navigate to Pizza Hut". This is nothing new, but I had no idea that the Stratosphere could do it. It's super quick and really user friendly. It syncs up easily with all of your email, facebook and gmail contacts.
The phone has been called a "mid-tier" device, but the specs are the same as most of the phones that came out the first half of 2011. Just because there are a few crazy fast and powerful devices with 1GB of ram and 1.5 dual core processors, does not mean that this phone is a lesser device. I promise that if you are not a developer, and are not coming from the Galaxy Nexus or Droid Razr, you will not notice any difference in the less than year old specs of this thing. There is no lag. The only problems I've had were when Verizons 4g network had problems, but that is not the phones' fault.
This is an amazing phone for the price. My wife was going to get the Droid Razr, but liked the Stratosphere way more. She has no idea what the difference in processor or RAM is so that is saying something about the Strat. If you are considering this device, there is no reason to pass it up. But before you will buy this android phone, suggest check for best deal at this -> Androidcheaper.blogspot.com/2012/01/samsung-stratosphere.html
Hope this helps.14 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A lot of phone for the price.
by Willie Snyder on October 21, 2011
Pros: Fantastic Screen
Good camera
4G
Really nice keyboard
Android 2.3Cons: A bit on the chunky side
Battery life could be better
No 1080P video recordingSummary: My wife and I recently ditched our OG Droids. She got a Droid Charge, and I got the Stratosphere.
As far as:
Speed, mine is as fast as hers.
Software, ...Summary: My wife and I recently ditched our OG Droids. She got a Droid Charge, and I got the Stratosphere.
OK, just a quick update. I've been using this phone pretty hard for about a week, and the battery life has proven to be pretty good. I stream audio all day, and it's been lasting from around 7 am to 11 pm with hard use and downloads.
As far as:
Speed, mine is as fast as hers.
Software, mine has the advantage of Android 2.3.
Screen, you can't tell a difference in image quality, but her screen is a little bigger (although hers is almost too big to manage with one hand).
I'm really liking this phone so far. They keyboard is really nice (much nicer than on my Droid). Build quality is very good (although a little more plasticy than my Droid).
The camera actually is pretty good. You're not going to get DSLR pictures out of it, but it's very servicable.
The battery on the Stratosphere is bigger than on the Charge, but it doesn't seem to last much longer. Still long enough to get through a work day with pretty heavy use (I stream podcasts and books to my bluetooth headset all day). I sure miss the pre-smartphone days of recharging twice a week though.
I haven't hit any performance snags yet, everything seems to be pretty buttery smooth.
I would highly recommend the Stratosphere to anyone wanting to upgrade to a new keyboard-packing smartphone.
Updated on Oct 24, 2011
Still very pleased with everything else.
Updated on Nov 7, 2011Ordered the extended battery from Verizon, and it's turned my phone into a ginormous, streaming machine. Yes, it's about 3/4 of an inch thick now... but...
1) the battery can't be killed in a day (I've tried)
2) it actually stands up better (propped up) to watch netflix
3) it still fits fine in my jeans pocket
Updated on Dec 1, 2011Update:
This thing doesn't have Gorilla Glass! Why in the world, with glass like that available, would you put cheap, scratchable panels on a new mid-tier phone like this?
Screen protector on, but that's cheap, cheap, cheap Samsung.
Updated on May 4, 2012OK, one more update. After 7 months of use, I'm adding a few more comments.
The antennas on this guy just don't hold as strong of a signal as they should. I often drop from 3G to 1x (or no data connection at all) in places where my OG Droid was solid 3G.
And while my ginormous extended battery can last a very long time in standby, this thing is a power hog. Streaming audio books or music from the SD card really seems to drain it fast (I can drain the 3300 MAH battery in about 6 hours of heavy use).
The Stratosphere seems to be holding up well though, even after several pretty good drops.
Probably won't buy another Samsung though, build quality and data signal strength will bring me back to Motorola for my next purchase.10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Worst phone ever!!!!!
by skwizzle87 on February 8, 2012
Pros: 4G LTE when it decides to work.
Cons: Battery
Freezing
Data disappears in areas where previous 4G service was availableSummary: My work bought all its employees as a replacement for our previous company issued cell phone. 90% of us are having the same issues as listed below.
I have to ...Summary: My work bought all its employees as a replacement for our previous company issued cell phone. 90% of us are having the same issues as listed below.
I have to pull battery 4+ per day due to the OS completely freezes out to where the power button won't even respond. 2-4 times per day I have to reboot phone because it will completely lose 3G/4G and resetting to data doesn't fix issue. Battery won't last 10 hours if you use data on the phone. Browser crashes at least once a day.
I would not recommend this phone to anyone, even if you get the phone for free. I wish I could give this phone zero stars.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great phone for the price
by akita747 on November 7, 2011
Pros: battery life, screen, 4gLTE, keyboard, gingerbread
Cons: only 512 memory
Summary: i had a hard time deciding on which phone to upgrade to and was swayed by the keyboard, 4g, the super amoled, and the price.. i love this phone. i ...
Summary: i had a hard time deciding on which phone to upgrade to and was swayed by the keyboard, 4g, the super amoled, and the price.. i love this phone. i was skeptical with only having 512mb of memory but have not seen any lag even with multiple apps running. the camera takes excellent pictures. coming from the incredible 2 i thought i would have trouble with samsungs UI but i found it very easy to get used to. my only complaint with the phone was no light when its charging or when u have missed calls or messages. there is an app i was told of, noled, that has solved this issue. the battery lasts the entire day with moderate use.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great QWERTY slide out phone. I love it so far.
by chelsiefarrington on December 14, 2011
Pros: QWERTY keyboard slide out with upraised letters; excellent picture quality ( I even use this as my main camera); much faster than previous phones I have had (Samsung Fascinate, Motorola Droid (Original model), and LG Ally).
Cons: Battery Life; 4GB memory card (but can be expanded upon); thicker than phones without a slider.
Summary: So far I love this phone. The battery life is a little short, but what can we expect when we keep adding to the phones features. I will definitely be ...
Summary: So far I love this phone. The battery life is a little short, but what can we expect when we keep adding to the phones features. I will definitely be buying the extended battery. .While the phone is thicker than other phones it still slides easily into my pants pockets (and I wear fitted clothing).
The best advice I would give someone wanting this phone is about the accessories. If you want a docking station then I would stay away from covers for the phone as you have to remove the cover to plug into the docking station. When removing the back cover the phone can seem a little fragile, but then you are pulling against the back.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No deal for the money
by Valk2000 on November 24, 2012
Pros: Very bright screen. Slide out keboard if the is what you like. Very good camera w/ both front and rear.
Cons: Slower than a 3G HTC Incredible or 4S Iphone doing internet searches that I tested side by side.
Summary: Next to an HTC incredible or IPhone 4S, both 3G it is the slowest. Sitting beside my two friends who own IPhone 4S phones and doing internet seaches for the ...
Summary: Next to an HTC incredible or IPhone 4S, both 3G it is the slowest. Sitting beside my two friends who own IPhone 4S phones and doing internet seaches for the same subject with the Samsung indicating 4G it took 10 to 45 seconds longer to retrieve the same info. And at times could not even get the info after 1 minute. Pages partially loaded.
I have re activated my 3G HTC Incredible, 2010 technoligy and when doing searches along side the Samsung the Incredible blows it out of the water.
You can find better for less. Don't believe all the hype!!!!
The new LG 4G phone in my opinion is a much better deal. It can be had from Costco for $.99 w/ two year contract. The HTC for $1.991 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Steer clear of the worst phone EVER!
by kerriglover on August 6, 2012
Pros: The screen has a nice appearance, period. Motorola Droids may not be as pretty, but they're far superior in every other way.
Cons: The 4G network is rarely available and it often has no signal, drops calls and reduces the signal to 1X. There's no battery life -- literally runs out in 2 hours on a regular basis even without use.
Summary: HATE.THIS.PHONE.Most apps require "force close" on a regular basis. I had one for 3 months that "burned out", and it was clear when I called Verizon that ...
Summary: HATE.THIS.PHONE.Most apps require "force close" on a regular basis. I had one for 3 months that "burned out", and it was clear when I called Verizon that the tech reps had been dealing with this issue frequently. They sent me another with no questions asked -- and they seemed to have plenty of "refurbished" phones for one that had been introduced less than 6 months earlier. You also can't find cases or accessories for it and the in-store price has been reduced to $99, which tells you it's being phased out. Don't get sucked in by the pretty screen.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Absolutely great phone for $0.01!
by psychuser85 on July 6, 2012
Pros: sensitive screen. good camera. super fast. great syncing with google (obviously).
Cons: Screen fragility
Summary: BUY THIS PHONE! it is, for the lay user, comparable to an iphone (minus SIRI) the only drawback is that the screen is sensitive to pressure and rather expensive to ...
Summary: BUY THIS PHONE! it is, for the lay user, comparable to an iphone (minus SIRI) the only drawback is that the screen is sensitive to pressure and rather expensive to replace. Unlike other awesome smartphones the screen is more expensive to replace because it slides out for the qwerty. so buy the phone, but also buy the insurance!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Some good, some bad, overall poor experience.
by zygatus21 on May 7, 2012
Pros: slide out keyboard.
battery saving features.
does not require proprietary charger, uses micro usb.Cons: bulky.
poor voice dialing feature, "memory fault" errors, or misdialed often.
screen timeout seemed always to be 10 seconds regardless of the setting.Summary: My overall experience is a poor one with the Samsung Stratosphere. I received the phone on January 3rd, 2012. I tried the voice calling feature, and the first few times, ...
Summary: My overall experience is a poor one with the Samsung Stratosphere. I received the phone on January 3rd, 2012. I tried the voice calling feature, and the first few times, the phone would respond with "memory fault, try again". On April 27th, 2012, I visited a Verizon store and recieve a certified replacement a few days later. Voice recognition still has a tendency to misdialed from my contacts list. I'm stuck with this phone for another 19 months, under my current plan.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Horrible screen durability for price
by jcmurphy09 on August 7, 2012
Pros: Qwerty keyboard if anything
Cons: Screen cracked on two stratospheres in two months even with phone protection & screen guard. Very disappointing. Had no choice but to send in to trade for credit program
Summary: Buy a phone with guerilla glass screen for same price
Summary: Buy a phone with guerilla glass screen for same price
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: Stratosphere
- Bottom Line: The Samsung Stratosphere's blazing 4G LTE speeds, QWERTY keyboard, and business tools lend it credence as a handset for corporate minds, but its last-season specs may fail to lure those looking for the ultimate smartphone.
General
- Product Type Smartphone
- Phone Design PDA
- Width 2.54 in
- Depth 0.55 in
- Height 4.96 in
- Weight 5.8 oz
Cellular
- Technology CDMA / LTE
- Band CDMA 800/1900 (Dual Band) / LTE 700
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
- Operating System Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS
Messaging & Internet
- Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
Picture messages,
E-Mail,
Voice mail,
HTML Browser - Mobile Services VCAST
Communications
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth 3.0,
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
Phone Features
- Additional Features TTY compatible,
Touch screen,
Speakerphone,
GPS,
microSD card slot Display
- Diagonal Size 4 in
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Wall/USB charger
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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