Manage updates with the Download AppSamsung Transform (Sprint)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: SPHM920BKS
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With midrange features, the Samsung Transform is a solid choice for an Android smartphone. Clear call quality is a bonus, but the Sprint ID profile service isn't for everyone.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Transform (Sprint) price range: $49.99 - $129.00
- Reviewed by: Jessica Dolcourt
- Reviewed on: 10/08/2010
- Released on: 10/10/2010
The good: The Samsung Transform has an attractive design with a front-facing camera. The phone is comfortable to hold and has excellent call quality.
The bad: The Samsung Transform's battery life is short, and Sprint IDs take minutes to load. Our model lacked a music store.
The bottom line: With midrange features, the Samsung Transform is a solid choice for an Android smartphone. Clear call quality is a bonus, but the Sprint ID profile service isn't for everyone.
User reviews
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Samsung Transform
by ErnestOnline on April 24, 2011
Pros: The phone is decently fast
It's a high quality product
Phone can open full non-mobile web pages
2 GB memoryCons: It's hard to answer a call
Phone doesn't have an "End" buttonSummary: For me, this was my first smart phone. So at first it was a little frustrating and confusing to operate. But after exploring the phone and messing with it thoroughly, ...
Summary: For me, this was my first smart phone. So at first it was a little frustrating and confusing to operate. But after exploring the phone and messing with it thoroughly, I really started to love it. The Sprint ID feature doesn't seem to be all that cool, but it's nice to have some apps already pre-loaded based on things you like. It bothered me that the screen would not switch orientation on the main home screen when I first had the phone, but that changed when Android upgraded to 2.2.
I found that this phone has quite a few pluses. Here are a few that I especially liked:
-The phone is decently fast for having so many applications running. I got the Advanced Task Killer app on the Android Market to kill applications that aren't being used, and that especially keeps the phone moving fast.
-It has five home screens that can hold shortcuts to all of your favorite applications. It's really great to have one page be like games, one be all different phone settings and such, another be websites you often visit, etc.
-This phone isn't cheaply made, it's a high quality product, and it shows. It feels stable and durable. I've have the phone for six months now and it barely has a scratch. The screen resolution is really clear and looks great. Also, rather than being slower than when I first bought it, it's actually faster. Mainly because of the Android upgrade, but that still is a huge plus.
-A HUGE plus for me is that the phone can open full non-mobile web pages. It does it relatively quick too. On mobile web pages the phone is super quick in loading them up.
-The 2 GB memory enables you to hold your own little music library, tons of pictures, and a huge amount of texts. The camera quality is excellent. I have to say, I haven't used my new Nikon Coolpix more than like twice because my phone is so much easier and always with me with. A great substitute.
I have two main issues with this phone that made me rate the phone at 4 stars. One is that it's hard to answer a call. If the phone has a couple apps open, it can sometimes take eerily too long for the phone to switch to incoming call mode on the screen--the phone is ringing, yet you cant answer the call because the screen hasn't changed. The other is that the phone doesn't have an "End" button, so when you do the classic 'send a text to the wrong person' there is no way to cancel, you just have to watch the thing send (Bah). These two things are very frustrating, yet still probably not common enough to make one too fed up with the phone. Another small negative is that the phone can take a little long to switch orientation when you slide the phone open on the home screen (mainly when the phone has one or two apps running). But the function is still pretty decent if you don't slide the phone open too fast.
That's my take on the phone. Overall, love it. Hope you all do too.
*** P.S. If you will buy this Smartphone I suggest at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00466HMXC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=***************&********=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&************=B00466HMXC20 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone for a mid-priced Android!
by sethanator on December 17, 2010
Pros: I love the chat style messaging, front facing camera, and integrated google search bar. Call quality is great and I have had almost no problems with it.
Cons: At first, a bunch of default shortcuts were made, so whenever I pushed certain letters it would redirect me to YouTube, email, or texting. I fixed it by going to settings>applications>quickstart/launch, then I held my finger down to clear it.
7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Bad Phone in almost every way
by mitcheyster on December 4, 2010
Pros: size of phone, battery life, call quality, slider keyboard
Cons: Almost everything. Answering calls is difficult and only works some of the time. Phone is always sluggish/slow. Facebook only worked half the time. Button placement bad resulting in pre-mature message sending, or calls.
Summary: My background: 34 yrs old, with a good bit of technical knowledge of cell phones and computers. I've owned several types of smartphones (Blackberry Curve, BB Bold, HTC EVO, ...
Summary: My background: 34 yrs old, with a good bit of technical knowledge of cell phones and computers. I've owned several types of smartphones (Blackberry Curve, BB Bold, HTC EVO, Samsung Transform, MOTO Q,etc) and used many others. I used this device a lot over three weeks, personal use and corporate use (emails, calendar function, etc)
Phone design: The phone feels good to hold (size), but button placement (touch screen buttons, and physical buttons) is not good. I'm constantly hitting multiple buttons that I don't want to hit. This results in pre-maturely sent emails, txt messages, and calls. This also leads to illumination of the screen when I did not want it.
Overall Performance: This phone is sluggish in the store, sluggish out of the box, and after some tweaking, still slow. The touch screen is slow to respond in just about every application, and even on the home screen, with no apps running. The "pinch to zoom" feature, used within the internet browser is near unusable. It's either fully zoomed in, or fully zoomed out. I tried other browsers (opera mini) and had the same issue. There is also an issue with a couple keys on the keyboard. You'll be typing an email or text message and the phone will suddenly open another email, or open some other application. It's almost like some of the keys are acting as shortcut keys for apps, or the messaging function. This often times makes the phone unusable for messaging of any kind. We were told by sprint that it's a known issue that their working on. We had to restart the phone to get it to work properly.
Calling Function: This is the biggest let-down. Several times a week I've had problems making and receiving calls. Because the screen is so slow to respond to commands, answering an incoming call can be tricky and I only had a 70% success rate at accepting calls.
Facebook and other Apps: I know this is a third party app and can't really be supported by sprint, but this is a necessary application for any smartphone/facebook user. Facebook rarely worked over the 3 week period I had this phone. There were constant errors, etc. I tried uninstalling/reinstalling the application, with no success. Facebook really only worked about 50% of the time. Other apps had problems opening(like weather channel and others). Apps would attempt to load and then close immediately.
Conclusion:
After all the issues with this device a master reset was done, hoping to fix the issues by taking the phone back to factory settings. This did not work. I think this phone has some serious design/software issue, is extremely unpolished, and is not really a device I would recommend to anyone.8 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good Android, great keyboard for large fingers
by achillesgunit on January 5, 2011
Pros: -Forward & backward facing cameras
-Great sliding keyboard
-Good call quality
-Awesome Android software of course
-Large screen
-Sprint TV service works reasonably wellCons: -Not bleeding edge technology as far as native keyboard swiping etc
-Slow native camera app
-Lacks HTC apps
-Speaker on backside
-Some apps or operations are slow (Camera)Summary: I am a large 6'4" Marine who hates using tiny keys or touchscreen keyboard. The slide-out keyboard on this is the clincher for me. The software is typical Android, ...
Summary: I am a large 6'4" Marine who hates using tiny keys or touchscreen keyboard. The slide-out keyboard on this is the clincher for me. The software is typical Android, which is great. Call quality is good, the speaker is very loud. Not much to say because it's not all that different from other Androids that I've used.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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practical meets functional
by phyrflyy5 on December 27, 2010
Pros: load favorite android apps and personalize screen
skype capabilities
large keyboard
easy to access contacts
locks automaticallyCons: had trouble connecting to computer to download songs
took forever to figure out how to get rid of the directions on swiping and tag and dragSummary: read the basics guide and this phone is definitely worth the money
my facebook contacts, skype contacts, and email contacts ...
great, simple, and functional smartphone
Updated on Dec 27, 2010Summary: read the basics guide and this phone is definitely worth the money
my facebook contacts, skype contacts, and email contacts all synced with my original phone contacts transferred from my previous phone...battery life can be suspect, but it depends on how many apps you have running! The wall charger cord is a USB cord and pretty easily connects to your computer if you read the directions in the basics guide. I hope this helps and makes your Transform experience a better one, I know I'm happy :)
great, simple, and functional smartphone
Updated on Dec 27, 20103 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Magnificint Midrange Dissapointment
by Rev_Dr_Thump on October 15, 2010
Pros: Good size, good build quality, good user interface, Good response.
Cons: Cannot sync with computer, cannot sync regular and facebook contacts, video function not yet supported. Battery life suspect.
Summary: I purchased this phone after owning a Moto Q and an HTC Hero. I wanted a functional phone that had a solid build and useful functions without costing me a ...
Summary: I purchased this phone after owning a Moto Q and an HTC Hero. I wanted a functional phone that had a solid build and useful functions without costing me a fortune. This phone out performs my other phones when surfing the web and texting. The screen resolution is better than the Q but less than the Hero in my opinion. Video streaming smokes both of my former phones by a long shot. I have put it in heavy use for almost a week now with not problems other than the following: There are no USB drivers to allow synchronizing with your computer. You can take your SD card out and insert it manually, but that is a hassle. Samsung doesn't even have it listed on their site, or have any fixes for the issue. You cannot make changes to contacts that are imported from Facebook, nor can you sync those contacts with non facebook contacts (this means 2 or more phonebooks). That front facing camera is not currently supported by any applications at this time. If you're a hardcore android user your gonna be dissappointed that the phone doesn't live up to the advertised expectations. If your tired of glitchy videos, touchy screens with super fancy widgets that are glitchy, and phones that freeze or reset themselves in the middle of your experience then you will be satisfied with this phone. Hopefully the issues that hurt the experience will be solved by Christmas or Samsug will be added to the list of phones I'll never buy again along with the two above.
3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great value for a mid-range android phone.
by placetobe22 on October 12, 2010
Pros: Screen size is good, not too big and not too small. I haven't even had to use the QWERTY keyboard yet. The front facing camera will be better when more apps catch up to the technology.
Cons: I get the sprint id thing but I cant really imagine a time where I would use it. I still don't understand why it didn't ship with 2.2. Hopefully we'll get it this year.
Summary: I switched to this phone after a awful week and a half with the Transform's "little brother" the intercept, that phone is garbage. I really like the screen size ...
Summary: I switched to this phone after a awful week and a half with the Transform's "little brother" the intercept, that phone is garbage. I really like the screen size I can't imagine having the epic or the evo (I'm sure that they are great but they are huge). The slide out keyboard is nice but like I say I haven't really used it cause the on screen keyboard is big enough for me.
I'm sure the sprint id will get more themes soon but the stock ones haven't wowed me. They do take a bit to load and switch, I have the sprint one on right now, and it's ok I guess. the battery life is to be expected with a android phone, task killer helps. For some reason I cant edit my facebook contacts info or sync them with existing contacts, maybe I'm not doing it right.
Over all think it's a great value, and if froyo does come out before the end of the year it will be even better. Please go easy on me this is my first review of anything.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Makes a Good Paperweight
by sky183 on September 15, 2011
Pros: Qwerty Keyboard, Large enough Touchtone Screen.
Cons: Software buggy, Samsung support unhelpful, it crashed one computer, then "not recognized as USB Device" on both a Windows XP laptop & Windows 7 PC, one HP the other Dell. The carrier replaced one phone. The replacement had a faulty volume button rig
Summary: Carrier replaced this phone with a different make & model free of charge.
Summary: Carrier replaced this phone with a different make & model free of charge.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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If i could give lower than o.5 i would!!!!!!.....
by joshakaflow on May 19, 2011
Pros: style is cool,,, and when you first get it, its ok
Cons: battery life, freeze all of the time, touch screen stops working at times, camera freezes, most of the andriod apps dont work, drops calls
Summary: This phone is horrible! dont get it if you are just starting with smartphone or if your a verteran with them....Sprint trys to persuae you with "its the 3G ...
Summary: This phone is horrible! dont get it if you are just starting with smartphone or if your a verteran with them....Sprint trys to persuae you with "its the 3G version of the Epic" Dont believe it! If i had to choose again i would have never got this phone!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Samsung Transform Pretty good mid range cell phone
by objectivereviewer on May 16, 2011
Pros: Two cameras (front facing & rear facing)
Flash (extermely bright)
Adequate screen size
Slide keyboard feature (useful)
Various screens for placement off apps, widgets & shortcutsCons: Short battery life
Slide keyboard feels slightly loose (purchased new)
Phone shuts down periodicallySummary: I am a Samsung cellphone fan. I have had previous models and appreciate their compatibility to my computer and features. I recently transitioned from a Samsung Solstice which offered great ...
Summary: I am a Samsung cellphone fan. I have had previous models and appreciate their compatibility to my computer and features. I recently transitioned from a Samsung Solstice which offered great features when first introduced. Samsung Solstice is understandably primitive compared to the Samsung Transform.
The Samsung Transform is a mid range android cell phone. It is not an Evo or Iphone. It's impossible to compare this phone with those mentioned. The phone, however, is quite impressive given it's vast array of features. Front and rear facing camera, message threading, wifi capability and good call quality. There are a number of features on the phone that need to be researched in order to use properly. Example:Making a phone call and wanting to use the internet simaltaneously, one must first enable WIFI then place the call and then search the internet. Another example:When attempting to create or compose a new text, in order to enter the persons name and have the number show up, one must make sure the person's number is listed in the contacts list as a Mobile number. Two odd features that required much trial and error.
The front facing and rear cameras are uniquely different. The rear facing camera has an awesome flash to produce highly visable pictures. The front facing camera with no flash offers average quality. Taking pictures holding the phone requires one to completely hold both units. The slightly loose screen unit moves slightly with the pressure applied by the thumb. This applies to a problem I noticed, another person's phone may not have this problem. The purpose of purchasing a phone with two cameras is to make a video chat call. Works with Tango.
The phone does not come preloaded with an enormous amount of apps due to size of the internal storage memory. Downloading desired apps requires one to keep track of internal memory storage space and add apps accordingly. One thing to highlight with that said, if you no longer want or use a downloaded app, minus mandatory sprint based apps, you can simply remove it(free or paid-for). Bluetooth and WIFI are easy to turn on. Seeking easier access to Bluetooth, GPS and WIFI off/on feature one must have Sprint ID pack. As mentioned the package may drain a percentage of your battery life. I simply use one ID for the added feature mentioned.
Something else noted by another reviewer is the onscreen access to End call and Speaker phone. The onscreen swipe tabs appear when placing a call and during a call. For someone who had a non android phone it takes getting used to. Once familiar with using an android, one wil also notice how to manuveur through the phone while on a phone call(main menu, dial pad, etc.) The phone has a sensor that activates during a phone call. If it senses an object like your face or hand the screen will automatically go dark. I was confused during my first few calls as I pulled the phone away from my face but neglected to move my fingers from the upper sides. Sounds pointless until you experience the same situation.
Using the security pattern feature for unlocking the phone screen is unique on this phone as well as other phones. One can use a series of letters and numbers(pin) or use a security pattern(nine dots connect anyway use choose). The security pattern is a great feature just make sure you wipe your screen completely. I was informed that dust on the screen or smudges will show your security pattern. Applies to all phones with this feature.
The life span of the battery is substandard. It's amazing that a phone such as this one, similiar to a mini computer, drains the life out of the battery with minimal use or no use at all. In order to lengthen battery life, one must browse Running Applications and stop the process from running apps (settings)not currently being used. Also turn off GPS, bluetooth and WIFI when not in use as these will drain battery. I also purchased one backup battery and a car charger component. It helps greatly to have constant access to the phone. Rebooting or simply turning off and then on the phone is necessary as it replicates a mini computer. If you choose not to, the phone will automatically shut off, requiring you to turn it on. I missed a number of calls and messages prior to having this little bit of information.
This review is lengthy as this phone requires the most information available to someone researching this product. I love the phone and understand it's short comings. I a first time android user who's very satisfied thus far with the abilities and have accepted it's limitations. The price paid with a new contract was $100.00 with a new 2 year service agreement. It was an instore deal. If purchasing this phone, make sure to read capabilities listed on various postings and ask the Sales Associate to show you all the features. You want to save money and have an adequate android phone from Sprint then this is a pretty good phone to consider. If you want to impress your friends with this phone, it depends on how familiar they are with the current available phones. One of my friends still uses a flip phone, so my Samsung Transform is pretty impressive to them. Another friend has the Samsung Galaxy S and they appreciate my phone for the onscreen querty keyboard and the slide querty keyboard on the Samsung Transform.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: SPHM920BKS
- Description: Marketing description is not available.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Smartphone
- Form Factor Slider - Full keyboard,
Touch screen - Phone Design PDA
- Integrated Components GPS receiver,
2nd camera,
Digital camera,
Digital player,
Voice recorder - Width 2.42 in
- Depth 0.61 in
- Height 4.6 in
- Weight 5.4 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900/800
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider Sprint Nextel
- Operating System Google Android 2.1
- Input Device(s) QWERTY keyboard,
Touch sensitive screen Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services MMS,
SMS - Instant Messaging Services Yahoo! Messenger,
AOL Instant Messenger Service (AIM),
Google Talk,
Skype,
ICQ,
Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) - Supported Email Protocols SMTP,
POP3,
IMAP4 - Supported Social Networks and Blogs Twitter,
Flickr,
Facebook - Messaging & Data Features RSS feeds
- Mobile Services Sprint Music Store,
YouTube,
Picasa,
Gmail,
Google Search,
NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM,
Sprint Football Live,
Sprint TV,
Sprint ID,
Google Play Communications
- Data Transmission EV-DO
- Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b/g,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Bluetooth Profiles Object Push Profile (OPP),
Hands Free Profile (HFP),
Headset Profile (HSP),
Phonebook Access Profile (PBAP),
Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP),
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP),
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP),
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP),
Audio/Video Distribution Transport Protocol (AVDTP),
General Audio/Video Distribution Profile (GAVDP) - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Voice control,
Call timer,
Conference call,
Flight mode,
Speakerphone,
Voice dialing,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Ring Tone Formats AAC,
MP3,
MIDI - Sensors Proximity sensor,
Accelerometer,
Ambient light sensor - Additional Features Text-to-Speech (text recognition),
E-911 compliant,
TTY compatible,
Multitasking,
Widgets support Organizer
- Personal Information Management Synchronization with PC,
Calendar,
Calculator,
Reminder,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3
Processor
- Type QUALCOMM QSC6085
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC - up to 32 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 3.2 megapixels
- Special Effects Normal,
Monochrome,
Whiteboard,
Aqua,
Negative,
Sepia - White Balance Automatic,
Presets - Camera Light Source LED light
- Video Recorder Resolutions 176 x 144 (QCIF),
352 x 288 (CIF) - Features Video recording
Navigation System
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
- Navigation Software & Services Google Maps
Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 4.3 in
- Display Resolution 320 x 480 pixels
- Color Depth 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Features Wallpaper
Connections
- Connector Type Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm,
Micro-USB Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Capacity 1500 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk ( CDMA ) - up to 360 min,
Standby ( CDMA ) Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards HAC(Hearing Aid Compatible)
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter,
USB cable
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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