Samsung SCH-u370 vs. Kin TWOm ; Which would be better for the texter?

knguyen95

So my plan is going to end in about two months so I decided to research some new feature phones online.

Since I text often, I wanted a phone with a full keyboard, having a touch screen would be nice as well.

 

The Samsung SCH-u370 isn't offered on at VZW anymore, but Bestbuy online still has a stock of it.

 

The Kin TWOm looks like a very good phone (8MP camera, slide-out keyboard, etc.) but it didn't have good reviews for some reason.

 

I mainly use my phone for texting, but will call for roughly 1-2 hours every other night during the week.

Shelling out 50$ isn't a big deal for me, but free is always better.

 

For the users that have experience with either phone or even both, which would you reccomend and why?

 

P.S.

- If they're any other keyboard feature phones coming out in the next two months, I would love to take them into consideration.

 

Thank you so much!

 

startiger

I have both.

 

The u370 UI is much more polished, font sizes are great, you can adjust them. You can doodle/notate on pics. It's 3" resistive touchscreen. You can use finger nail or some dull pointer if touch is slightly off. I have not tested the e-mail/web browser as the phone doesn't have wi-fi and i don't have data plan. Music player is very basic, haven't tested video. No microSD card is included. The camera is 3MP, no flash, but there is night mode (more sensitive to light, but noisy images). You can doodle/notate over pics, great for making quick notes/directions. Because it relies on microSD for storage, you don't really need to use it with any specific software.

 

Twom, some parts of the UI can frustrate some people. Font sizes are not adjustable, and there are many areas where the font is thin and small. The built in email client is text only, and it displays some html code rather than stripping them clean. But it does work over both 3g or wifi. The e-mail client's UI is simple, nice to use. You can do full webmail through the browser. You can type notes/comments on pics taken, no sketch pad. 3.4" capacitive touchscreen. That means you can't use fingernail or pointers. There is a Zune player with tegra1 hardware, which means audio and HD video playback. 8GB overall storage with about 6+ GB usable for storage. And you have to use the Zune desktop software to get data on/off the phone. 8MP camera with auto focus, image stabilization, and led flash. But no extras like b&w/sepia modes, etc, etc. The browser is good for mobile sites and small websites, but large websites takes a while to load. Overall it works well enough for basic html & css over wi-fi. Also keep in mind it's unlikely to get an update.

 

I can't comment on texting as i don't have a text plan. The Twom keyboard is very tactile, you can hear it click, not mushy. If you really need a good browser on your phone, then you will need a smartphone. Between these two though, the Twom have the advantage in media, the u370 have the advantage as the easier to use phone. And it depends on how much you like/dislike the UI of either phone. The u370 have the more 'normal' UI. Whereas the Twom is more experimental looking, but cuts down the fluff.

 

With either phone, make sure you disable 3g data.

 

*Actually both keyboards are very good. The difference is the Twom have clicky plastic keys, and u370 have the noiseless rubbery keys. Both keyboards are top of their class. Each key is firm and it's not easy to accidentally click an adjacent key. Depends on which you prefer.