Rating: 
Summary: I gave it 5 stars because Amazon won't let me give it 6!
Review: I'm hard on my phones, so I thought the sturdy construction and rubberized edges would be beneficial....
I was right! My phone has held up well to my throwing in my pocket and far-too frequent-yet-inadvertant drops to the pavement. But last weekend I apparently left the phone atop my car as I loaded my trunk. As I later learned, the phone held onto the roof of the car for about a mile, where it lay to rest alongside the highway. Five days later, after cold weather and rain all weekend, I got a call from a gentleman who found the phone in along the highway. Sprint customer service (I had called to suspend service when I lost the phone) told me when I called to re-establish service that most phones don't work after they've been wet, let alone the slam to the pavement from a car driving 60mph. Guess what? I dusted the phone off and the Sanyo 7300 works like a charm!
I also must say that my antennae works better on my Sanyo than the Samsung I owned previously. I've yet to drop a call in six months of ownership, and get service in my office where most others' phones do not work. I have no issue with the speakerphone, either.
The phone is a bit larger than other flip-phones, but not overly bulky. And that it is so substantially constructed makes any concerns about size practically moot.
Rating:
Summary: The best I've ever had
Review: One caveat before you read further: I've only had the phone a day and a half, so if you insist on more seasoned use from a reviewer, go to the next review. But I do think I can offer some value in at least 2 areas: 1)Sprint PCS service and 2)ease of use of the phone, and its basic PCS features. I have not acquired the readylink service or used the phone for that so again, if you need specific feedback on that, look at the other reviews (or I'll update soon). However, I can safely say right now that I've never been as excited about a phone as I have about this phone.I probably don't rank up there with heavy duty phone buyers and users. This Sanyo phone is my 6th phone (my wife has had an additional 2 during that time period) and my second Sanyo. Some reviewers here go through that many in a good year! I don't have to have the latest and greatest, but I'm more than willing to pay a premium for good stuff. Though I got this phone as a replacement for another one (long story), it is well worth the price. About the only thing I don't like (and its sort of a real bummer) is the front display. Its the size of a postage stamp, which isn't a problem. But when the phone's LED has cut off, the digital time and signal strength readout is dark and unreadable unless you get some light on it. Its black on medium grey, not exactly a great contrast. I guess in the bright outdoors it might be OK, but indoors you have to twist it to get a beam of light going to see it clearly. You CAN leave the LED on if you must, but that will drain the battery. I can't truthfully say this is a minor irritation; to the contrary, it is somewhat aggrivating. However, I'm not going to return the phone just due to this. The rest of the phone is great. While, as stated, I haven't used the ReadyLink feature, I have used the speakerphone feature without opening the phone. You can set it to make calls (or answer them) without flipping the phone open. As far as I can tell, the speaker phone broadcasts your voice very clearly. I left a message this morning on my home answering machine and even my deep voice came through great. I've made a dozen or so calls, all mostly clear with no drops (truthfully, a Sanyo staple). Finally, this thing is a breeze to set up -- both for contacts and voice dial. MUCH easier than the Samsung A500 I had for only a few months. Menu navigation is now easier even than the Sanyo 5150 I had for a year and a half and liked very much. As far as battery life, I've gone a day and a half and three out of three bars are still indicated. Truthfully, this will vary and its never as good as you would like. The absolute best feature, to me, of this phone is its plastic, almost rubberized, exterior. I can firmly hold it, it doesn't slide around in my pocket, and I'm not worried about other things in my pockets scratching it. It is a little bigger than I would like, but it is very light. I would also recommend Sprint. Now, I haven't used other services, so I can't compare, but I am about as happy with SprintPCS as I've been with almost any other service of anything technical (cable, phone, sat., internet, etc.). I can't say I've had no issues come up, but they've been taken care of reasonably. I can't wait to try the Ready Link service and features. If I can only find someone to talk to!
Rating: 
Summary: Sanyo 8100 is better than Sanyo 7300; I miss the 8100 menus
Review: Reception - 2 bars low
The reception of the Sanyo 7300 is about half of the Sanyo 8100. The number of bars on the 7300 is always about two less than the 8100. When in a call, it's hard to understand the other party because they are always dropping out.
Speakerphone - can't interrupt speaker
When using the speaker phone, you can not talk (interrupt) until the other stops talking.
Returning Missed Calls is much more complicated
If you like how the 8100 menu works, you'll miss the ability to quickly call back missed calls. Here are the key strokes for both to call back from the point where you first see the Missed Call:
8100 = View, View, OK, OK
7200 = View, Exit, Menu, OK (Call History), 3 (Missed Calls), Options, OK (Call)
That's 3 extra keystrokes and 3 extra moves. Note: "View" and "Exit" is the same button. "Menu" and "OK" is the same button. "Options" is the button above the "Back" button. "Extra Moves" are defined as having to use a different key.
Calling Alternate Numbers is much more complicated using Outgoing History
8100 = Menu, OK (Call History), OK (Outgoing calls), OK (for last outgoing), Down (Alternate), pick alternate phone number
7300 = Menu, OK (Call History), OK (Outgoing calls), Options, Down, Down, Down, OK (Go to phone book), pick alternate phone number
That's 3 extra key strokes and 2 extra moves. The 8100 uses the same key for the first 4 key strokes. That's value. Whoever made this so complicated should have their head examined. I used the alternate feature of the 8100 all the time. After the primary phone number fails using voice dial, 70% of the time I want to try the alternate. The 7300 is such a pain.
Summary - Software investment saved
The only reason I will keep the 7300 is that my employer doesn't want pic phone on their premise. Also, the software I bought for the 8100 (FutureDial) works on the 7300 once I downloaded the update.
Rating: 
Summary: All the glory and not the glam......
Review: This is my 2nd favorite Sprint phone of all time. I've been with the company for 5+ years, finally got over the camera-phone craze and settled for the RL7300. It's rugged, so it can withstand the daily grind and it's a Sanyo, which makes it dependable. Some great features include the 18 sec. recorded memo feature, great for catching an all-important phone number or mid-conversation directions , ReadyLink capabilities for quick interactions with up to 5 ReadyLinkers, actual 4 digit dialing to quickly connect with anyone in the phonebook, speakerphone, downloadable games, ringers and applications to make your phone all your own, SMS 2-way messaging and Wireless Web (ofcourse).....The battery life is about what is expected for all the extras that are included but, much longer with an extended battery pack. Overall, a good phone that serves the intended purpose. If you're not into the photo sessions or video capabilities and are looking to go "back to basics", the RL7300 is right up your alley.
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