Samsung Intensity III – what do I think about this phone

[edis54]

There is nothing good in the basic phones. If I don’t like touch screen and I have passed the flip phone era, then there are in fact only two (2) phones offered by the Verizon: LG Cosmos 2 and Samsung Intensity III.

Are these phones any good? I don’t think so. The quality of these phones is not even close to the quality of basic phones that we had in the past.

I am the owner of Samsung Intensity III. I “upgraded” my old Samsung Sway (4 years without any problems) to Samsung Intensity III, and I was experiencing any kind of issues – issues, which I never had with my four (4) previous phones (diff models). The time that I spent with VZW tech support and the store employees in three weeks was much greater than the time spent during the last 10 years. Yah!

Since this is the third Samsung Intensity III in three weeks, I think that I could give honest opinion based on facts.

I had to replace the phone twice for different reasons.

With the first phone, I was experiencing very poor signal, drop calls and terrible sound.

With the second phone, after first night in standby mode, the battery was almost discharged. The battery and the charger have been replaced. On the same day, I spent hours with VZW tech support to fix cracking voice and windy noise in the background. At the end I was told that it might be a problem with the phone and I should go to the store and replace the phone.

The phone was replaced. The cracking voice and windy noise is gone but I still have a weak signal and I hear from the callers that sometimes my voice sound like I was distant from the phone.

I had no problem with:

1. Setting the alarm

2. Setting the bluetooth

3. Transferring the pictures and contacts from the phone to my PC

This phone is very poorly designed with the following issues:

1. The keys (on the front panel) are so small that is very difficult to touch one key without touching another.

2. The orange color of the symbols on the keyboard made the symbols hard to read.

3. VERY small pictures. According to the phone specification: “Display 2.4 inches”. I wonder how it was measured, when the actual width is less than 2" and height approx 2”. But to see the picture in this size, you must set the picture as wallpaper. Otherwise the size of the picture, in the ‘full view’ is only 1 1/2” x 11/8”.

4. The back cover is made so cheap that I am afraid that I can break after a few openings.

5. Poor signal (in comparison to my 4 previous phones that I used in the same location)

Why ALL the basic phone models must be slim? I don’t might to have a phone 1” wider.

There is no variety of choices on the design front. I think that most of the basic phone users could prefer to have a phone in the size of the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, just to have a bigger numbers and a bigger screen size.

So far, it look like the Samsung Intensity III could be the worst cell phone I have owned.

I just don’t understand the phone manufacturers. Why do they cease production of a good quality phone, only to replace by piece of crap?

[AutomotiveTestDriver]

Junk.

I picked up an Intensity III a couple weeks ago to replace a perfectly good LG Venus that Verizon doesn't want to support any longer. The Samsung appeared to successfully pair with all the Bluetooth devices I tried (3 different headsets (two from LG and one from Samsung) and one vehicle (2011 Hyundai Sonata)), but would not successfully connect with any of them. Samsung's technical support people said I should refer the problem to the Bluetooth device manufacturers, because it wasn't Samsung's responsibility to make their device work with any particular other device. I thought there were "standards" for things such as Bluetooth, to try and insure these types of problems don't happen. I thought it was likely there was something wrong with the particular handset I had and Verizon's technical support people tended to agree with me. But I didn't like Samsung's "blame someone else" attitude and so I exchanged the Intensity III for a somewhat identical feature-wise LG Cosmos 2 last week. So far, except for hanging each night when Backup Assistant runs, the Cosmos 2 is working well and according to those I've talked to and asked, sounding better.

[commonsense101]

well to be fair none of the basic phones samsung makes have been very good (rogue,alias, brightside) might want to look at casio or get a smartphone (it is 2012)

[tikibar1]

Actually, I never had any problems at all with the Alias that I had.  And yes, this is 2012 and technology changes, and it seems that Verizon is pushing everyone toward smartphones, but believe it or not, not everyone wants/needs a smartphone or maybe someone does want one but they can't afford the data plan. 

There's several other threads on this forum about the lack of decent basic phones.  I think what it boils down to is that ever since the 'middle category' of feature phones/multimedia phones went away, the choices for basic phones aren't that great in comparison any more, unfortunately.  Ebay may be the way to go ... you can find several of those older feature phones that way, new in the box.

[AutomotiveTestDriver · Accepted solution]

You may be surprised to learn I was aware of the year, despite not having a smartphone. Seriously, I've looked at smartphones and find they don't offer me anything beyond what a basic phone will do, that I need and don't already have via other devices. I want and expect a mobile telephone to make and receive calls, to do so via a Bluetooth device when I need hands-free communications, keep my personal telephone book and calendar, wake me up at a certain time once in a while, and occasionally take a photo or two. I don't do texting or mobile web, and even if I could think of a reason I'd want to do either of those things, my basic phone will do them. I consider all those smartphone additions to basically be silly stuff I don't need. Maybe you've allowed your life to become too complex for your own good.

[edis54]

It’s 2012. So what? There is no reason to stop making good quality basic phones. 

I agree, not everybody can afford the data plan or does need data, even though is 2012.

Maybe I could afford…but I do NOT need it…so… why pay for a data plan.

AutomotiveTestDriver wrote: “I want and expect a mobile telephone to make and receive calls, to do so via a Bluetooth device when I need hands-free communications, keep my personal telephone book and calendar, wake me up at a certain time once in a while, and occasionally take a photo or two”

I need a cell phone for the same reasons.

[edis54]

Thank you!!! I can’t agree more.

I need a good quality basic phone for the same reasons as you do. If someone needs to have the devices  ‘ALL-in-one’ – fine. Their choice. But the rest of the people, who doesn’t need this or can’t afford a data plan should have choice too – even though is 2012.

[mrsbossman48]

I HATE this phone! I have had it for about three months give or take. It is by far the worst phone and I wish I could get rid of it, trade it, or just throw it in a drawer and never look at it ever again! It will not read my sd card! I have talked to a verizon person on live chat tried every single thing they said and still it wont read it. They finally told me the SD card reader in these phones have an "issue" that they are working on. How does that help me?? It doesn't. I sent it off and they said they would let me know if they came up with a solution and if so they would contact me and I would have to send it to them again! All of my songs, pictures, contacts, voice texts, calendar information, everything I need is on my sd card and I cannot use it in this phone. I tried putting the info on three other cards and it would not read any of them. I hate this phone!!! I have always been able to put my sd card into whatever new phone I bought and it always worked with no problems...til now.

[MarkyMarkMark]

Smartphones do all of that as well. Having a basic phone is basically you refusing to move on with technology. Let me ask do you still buy VHS tapes, what about cassette tapes or how about this do you have a rotary phone or a black and white tv, i mean why update technology if the previous outdated versions can do the same thing?

The fact is its 2012 almost 2013, you should be mad with yourself for refusing to move on with the times. Smartphones do EVERYTHING basic phones can do plus so much more and are more affordable these days so there's no reason not to own one. Do i NEED to be on the internet, need to get email, need to use facebook of course not nobody does but i get all this plus the ability to call and text so its nice to have.