Features:
- Thinnest phone on the market
- Voice-activated dialing (20-entry storage)
- Equipped for ringer and image downloads
- Up to 2.25 hours' digital talk time, 160 hours' digital standby time
- Includes lithium-ion battery and AC adapter
Description:
The SCP-6200, Sanyo's own twist on the recent smaller-is-better trend in cell phones, is the thinnest cell phone on the U.S. market. With a width of less than half an inch and a weight of only 2.65 ounces, the phone is ideal for slipping into a shirt pocket or purse, while still hosting a slew of features that belie its slim construction. Out of the box, the SCP-6200 is very similar in design to the SCP-6000 before it, with one welcome advantage over its predecessor--dual-band operation, which allows customers to roam on analog networks when out of a Sprint service area. The single-band construction of the SCP-6000 was somewhat off-putting, so we were very pleased to see that deficiency corrected here. The phone casing is a sleek silver-magnesium alloy, making the phone both stylish and sturdy all, and it held up very well during our testing. The keypad buttons are almost completely flush with the face of the phone, helping maintain the phone's streamlined look. The keys, while nicely spaced and easy to read with their backlight, felt a bit clumsy during dialing, mostly because of the low-profile design. We found ourselves taking a bit more care than usual when dialing, which was fine once we got used to it. The Talk and End buttons are above the numeric keys, and flank a directional key in the top center. The directional key adjusts ringer volume with the Up and Down arrows, the address book with the Right arrow, and messages with the Left arrow. Navigating the phone’s menu of options was less intuitive than we expected, as the button to access the menu is located on the bottom left-hand side of the keypad, and took us a few moments to find. While the placement of the menu button won’t bother everyone, it is in a very awkward spot for anyone who dials with his or her thumb. Helpful tip: setting the phone down on the desk made using the menu key much easier. The phone powered-on in about 12 seconds, revealing richly defined images on the phone’s four-step grayscale LCD screen. We loved the clarity of the seven-line screen (extra clear when backlit in either orange or green), especially as we surfed the Web and searched through menu options. With Sprint’s Ringers & More service you can download images to use as wallpaper or to associate with callers (sort of like picture caller-id). Just below the screen, two additional buttons caught our eyes. The left button provides one-touch access to the wireless Web via the OpenWave 4.1 browser. The right button lets you record 18-second memos to yourself, which we found particularly handy for capturing ideas that popped into our head. Another of the phone’s handy features is voice-activated dialing, which lets you call a preprogrammed number by simply saying the name of the person you associated with the number. The phone provided several distinctive ringer options to choose from, including the sound of a cat meowing, a noise which truly puzzled our cats at home. Like the downloadable images mentioned above, the SCP-6200 can also use Sprint’s Ringers & More to download up to 15 new ringtones, letting you customize the ring to your mood. We were also intrigued by the phone’s call-screening feature, which let us listen in as someone left a message, sort of like a home answering machine. And, like screening at home (or so we’ve heard) you can pick up the call while the caller is leaving a message. Besides the phone’s calling features, it also includes an extensive address book that can hold up to 300 names, with up to 500 phone numbers, 300 e-mail addresses, and 300 URL links. The phone is also designed for two-way messaging, with enough memory to save 200 text messages. Also included is a personal organizer, with a calendar and scheduling feature that reminds you of upcoming appointments. It’s a very basic scheduler, and we couldn’t help but wish the phone had the ability to connect with a PC or handheld to synchronize information schedules. The fax feature is definitely a benefit, as is the wireless data capability. If you’re looking for distraction or entertainment, the phone does include one game, called Crab Catcher, but it does seem to eat the battery up very quickly for such a simple game. Our test of the SCP-6200’s battery life did not quite match the phone’s published times, as we only got about 140 hours of digital standby time, and 2 hours of digital talk time, compared to the manufacturer’s guidelines of 160 hours of digital standby time and 2.25 hours of digital talk time. While networks and locations do vary, this slight shortfall in battery power is a concern to us, as it echoes the same shortened battery life of the older SCP-6000. Overall, we find this a posh, sturdy phone, with all the basic functions, and a few fun extras, to make it a solid companion on your travels across the country, or just down the block. --Heather Campbell Pros: - Slim, lightweight design
- Clear 7-line LCD screen
- Voice-activated dialing
- Downloadable ring tones and images
- Sturdy magnesium-alloy faceplate construction
Cons: - Uncomfortable placement of menu key
- Cannot synch with PC for PIM updates
- Lower than average battery life
How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time When reading our reviews, you should view the test results of mobile-phone battery talk time and standby time as relative information only. Many variables, including carrier signal strength at your location, signal consistency (including incoming and outgoing calls), display and ringer settings, and battery charging methods and history, will affect performance. When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Some quote expected battery life ranges, and in this case you're probably safe to assume you'll experience at least the minimum rated range. Note that manufacturers of dual-mode digital and analog handsets publish battery-life rates for both digital and analog modes, as analog mode consumes much more power than digital mode. Our Tests: We tested digital-mode talk and standby times with each phone. Prior to each test, we fully charged the phone's battery according to the manufacturer's directions. To test digital-phone talk time, we turned the phone on, established a digital carrier signal, dialed a number in our test lab, and, when the call rang through, took the receiving phone's handset off the hook. When all went well, we didn't do anything else except record the time when the phone died. In a couple of cases, the phones lost the signal and dropped the calls. If we were right there and could redial, we did so immediately and continued running the test. Otherwise, we halted the test, recharged the battery, and started the test over. Assuming consistent carrier-signal strength, this test should represent best-case talk time. And it's worth noting that several phones' talk-time performance significantly exceeded the manufacturers' ratings. To test digital-phone standby time, we turned the phone on, established a carrier signal, and left the phone in standby mode. We checked the phone every few hours (for what was often days on end) until the phone finally cut out. Since no outgoing or incoming calls occurred during testing and because the phone was not moved, this method should represent best-case standby time, again assuming consistent carrier signal strength.
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