Samsung D840 Overview
Expected UK Release Date: AvailableKey Features
2.12 Inch QVGA 262k Colour Screen
2 Megapixel Camera with Digital Zoom
Bluetooth® & EDGE Technology
250 Hours Standby
Music Player (MP3, AAC, ACC+ & WMA)
The above ratings are average figures, which have been generated from submitted mobile phone reviews.
Samsung D840 Review
The phone comes with a large & colourful screen which can be viewed when the D840 is in its slide open & slide closed position. The screen provides a clear & bright 2.12 Inch display for the user to view their menu, photos, messages, video, music information, Internet & games. The user can use the external keys & navigation which is situated under the large screen & can be used when the phone is closed. The phone comes with a stylish keypad which can be used when the handset is in its slide open position & the keys are etched into the metal surface which is easy to use & looks highly attractive.
The phone is neat & compact which is only 11.9mm in thickness & ideal for single handed operation. The D840 is 99mm tall & 51mm wide which makes it perfect for carrying with the user at all times. The handset weighs 100 grams including the fitted battery & no extra memory card which is lightweight but still provides a solid & sturdy feel to the mobile handset. The battery will provide up to two & a half hours talk time & approximately two hundred & fifty hours of standby battery time.



The D840 is full of fun & entertaining features which allows the user to do so much more than simply communicate with others. The phone comes with an integrated 2 megapixel digital camera which comes with a digital zoom & flash. The user can snap away & store all their fun moments in their day as a still photo. The user can share their photos with others via the MMS multimedia messaging service which can be sent to any MMS multimedia messaging compatible mobile phone user. The user can record video clips & playback video which has been sent to them from other users. The Samsung D840 will ensure the user has all the imaging features that could be desired on a mobile handset.
The fun doesn't stop their as the user can download music in all popular music file formats & play them on the integrated music player. The user can connect their handset to their laptop or PC & download music using either a USB cable connection or Bluetooth® wireless connectivity. The Bluetooth® Technology allows the user to connect their Samsung D840 to any Bluetooth® compatible device & enjoy a wireless connection between devices. The phone comes with EDGE technology which allows the user to enjoy fast music & video transfers on their mobile phone.
The user can access a selection of messaging services from the phones main menu which include SMS text messages, MMS multimedia messages & an email service. The user can create, send & receive messaging on their Samsung D840. The user can send any type of message to their contacts as long as the contact has a compatible message service. The MMS service allows the user to share their photos & video with work colleagues, friends & family who have a MMS compatible mobile phone.
The super stylish Samsung D840 comes with a TV output facility & allows the user to view Microsoft documents including Word, PowerPoint, Excel & PDF files. The handset comes with preloaded games which offer the user a lively & colourful gaming experience. The user can surf the Web using the built in WAP browser which allows the user to have a mobile Web experience on their D840.
Samsung D840 Specifications & Features
Screen
2.12 Inch QVGA 262k Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
2 Megapixel Camera
Flash
Digital Zoom
Photo Effects
Camera Settings
Video Recorder
Video Player
Wallpaper
Screensaver
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
EMS (Enhanced Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Email
Predictive Text T9
Sound
Music Player (MP3, AAC, ACC+ & WMA)
Polyphonic Ringtones (64 Voices)
MP3 Ringtones
Voice Memo
Handsfree Speaker
Entertainment
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
Java™ Games
2.12 Inch QVGA 262k Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
2 Megapixel Camera
Flash
Digital Zoom
Photo Effects
Camera Settings
Video Recorder
Video Player
Wallpaper
Screensaver
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
EMS (Enhanced Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Predictive Text T9
Sound
Music Player (MP3, AAC, ACC+ & WMA)
Polyphonic Ringtones (64 Voices)
MP3 Ringtones
Voice Memo
Handsfree Speaker
Entertainment
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
Java™ Games
Organiser
Phonebook
Clock
Alarm
Currency Converter
Calculator
Calendar
To Do List
Stop Watch
Timer
TV Output
Document Viewer (Word, Excel, Powerpoint & PDF)
Connectivity
Bluetooth®
USB
EDGE
Network
Tri Band (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
Internet
WAP
XHTML
Memory & Talk Time
70 Mbytes Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Card
2.5 Hours Talk Time
250 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
100 g
99 x 51 x 11.9 mm
Phonebook
Clock
Alarm
Currency Converter
Calculator
Calendar
To Do List
Stop Watch
Timer
TV Output
Document Viewer (Word, Excel, Powerpoint & PDF)
Connectivity
Bluetooth®
USB
EDGE
Network
Tri Band (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
Internet
WAP
XHTML
Memory & Talk Time
70 Mbytes Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Card
2.5 Hours Talk Time
250 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
100 g
99 x 51 x 11.9 mm
Best Buys - Samsung D840
Your Samsung D840 Reviews
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Reviewer: John Devlin - Fife, UK
Date: 30th Apr 2008
Could someone please tell me if this phone has a radio?
Reviewer: John Devlin - Fife, UK
Date: 28th Apr 2008
Could somebody please tell me if this has a radio?
Reviewer: Natalie - Carmarthen Shire, UK
Date: 25th Apr 2008
I've had this phone for 12 months now & this is my third one.
The battery only lasts a day & if you on the net it won't even last that long as I have read in many other reviews the camera is good as long as the subject is perfectly still, when you are trying to take a pick of a 4yr old there is no hope!
My first phone was brilliant until the buttons stopped working & the slide wouldn't work as it should so that got sent back. The second one the speakers stopped working the ring would work if someone was phoning me but then I couldn't hear them. So that went back to.
Apart from the fact that they don't seem to have a long life span I do actually really like my phone just wish it wouldn't have so many problems.
The worst thing about it is that we are being penalised for having the phone & it breaking down. There is obviously something wrong with them so why should we pay £15 every time it breaks & get sent a new one.
Reviewer: Andrew Foster - UK
Date: 19th Apr 2008
As reliable as a dead hamster in & out of the repair shop more than the staff, I wouldn't get one of these unless you want a stylish door wedge!
Reviewer: Riffz - London, UK
Date: 17th Apr 2008
Most rubbish phone you can ever buy! I was mad just about the looks, but within 2 weeks it started losing colour & scratched easily to anything that touched it! Trust me people never get it.
Reviewer: Victoria - Antrim, UK
Date: 2nd Apr 2008
Nice looking phone, good size screen, nice weight. Had this phone for about 15 months now on a 18 month contract with Orange. I have had problems with the battery life. Sometimes it is fine & I can go a few days without charging it & other days I don't use it at all & the phone dies. It doesn't seem to be in correlation with the usage but with the mood the phone is in! Camera is good IF the thing you are taking the picture of stays PERFECTLY still. If not it comes out completely blurred due to the delay on the shutter. This is my second handset though due to the first being sent back when the speaker stopped working, I could receive calls but no one could hear me speaking. The sub menus can be a little annoying sometimes but overall it is a pretty good phone. I just wish it was a little more reliable.
Reviewer: Debbie - Huntingdon, UK
Date: 28th Mar 2008
It's been really reassuring reading the other reviews about this phone.
I too find the battery life terrible. I have had the phone 4 months now & already got through 3 batteries, every night having to charge it up & it's been known to be on charge through the day as its drained itself when not even in use & the Bluetooth has been turned off too.
Also I can only get Java games & that's to a minimum! Always comes up with, unknown user!
I would certainly NOT recommend this phone!
Reviewer: Kev - UK
Date: 23rd Mar 2008
Just finished my 12th month contract. Phone broke in the 6th month, was returned to me in 2 weeks & had no problems since (the slider broke). I find the picture quality very poor, if you're taking a picture of a moving image or move slightly when taking a photo it becomes blurry, however I found the video quality to be amazing (don't quite understand this to be honest). Anyhow, if you want a phone for design & not for a camera, this is a good phone. Only other negative is that it doesn't automatically save texts (a bit of a problem if you go out, get drunk & forget who & what you've texted that night.
Reviewer: Mad Mark - Bury St Edmunds, UK
Date: 10th Mar 2008
Used it now for 3 months & have had no problems. Bought a spare battery, just in case, but still get 2 to 3 days no problem. I bought an iPod sleeve to protect the brilliant screen when in pocket, so no scratches or breakages. Phone looks the business. Always appears to be in range so no problem there. Internet, emails & texts no problem. I really feel that if you are lucky & don't get a lemon, & take some simple precautions, this phone will give you good service.
Reviewer: Lily - Aberdeen, UK
Date: 9th Mar 2008
I HATE THIS PHONE. The battery life is not good at all! I can't put pictures on the computer with it. It's been sent away twice because of the screen.
This is not a good phone at all do not buy it. It turns its self off sometimes & then tells me to please wait. I TRULY HATE THIS PHONE!
Reviewer: Dainora - London, UK
Date: 9th Mar 2008
I have had this phone for more than a year now & have NEVER had any problems. I absolutely love it & even refused to upgrade to a new phone. The design is amazing, it is very slim, but still has a weight on it & that's why it is so pleasant to hand!
I am very surprised by the amount of bad reviews about it. It was probably factory fault at some point, but probably I got a good one!
The battery life is true though, I talk quite a lot, so I have to charge my phone each second day for about two hours, but I will probably buy a new battery & I hope this will sort it out.
Reviewer: Jackie - Portsmouth, UK
Date: 24th Feb 2008
I HATE THIS PHONE.
I wish this phone would just disappear off of the surface of the earth & never ever return ever again. I have had endless problems with it, & for around 14 months of my 18 month contract, have had to use a phone which I had to buy in order to be able to use my sim. It would switch itself on & off ALL the time. Then it would just have a white light on the screen & you wouldn't be able to do anything.
Then the buttons would stop working. & the whole phone would unexpectedly freeze. NOT TO MENTION the fact that on the first day of having my phone I dropped it & cracked the screen! Just to clarify, it had been repaired & replaced, so it wasn't just that phone in particular. A COMPLETE RIDICULE OF A PHONE!
DO NOT BUY!
Reviewer: Denis - Tirana, Albania
Date: 22nd Feb 2008
I really think that is a comfort phone, I love it but I suggest FM radio for D840 because it doesn't have.
Reviewer: Colleen - Hants, UK
Date: 13th Feb 2008
I love this phone, very usable. I have had the same common problem with the battery but just get yourself a new battery & the problem is solved. It just makes it look more unique because you never see anyone with one!
Reviewer: Margaret Glen - Kilsyth, UK
Date: 9th Feb 2008
I purchased this phone over two weeks ago. After reading the reviews on this site I was really worried about it & thought I had wasted my money, Pay As You Go. However, I have found the phone to be excellent. There were many complaints about the battery life. I have found this to be quite acceptable for my use, telephoning & texting. It is also very easy to use with a large screen & clear menus.
Reviewer: Ziodberg - Wood Green, UK
Date: 30th Jan 2008
Worst Phone ever! Nice design. Looks great. Feels like paper. Little choice. Might as well have sold it with no Battery as the 13 hours I got out of it were worthless. Back to the old reliable D500.
Reviewer: Yuki Young - London, UK
Date: 20th Jan 2008
Well, I got this phone from CPW on t mobile around May last year. For around 5 months was excellent. Great phone, looks great, another point is & it isn't exactly well advertised so a minority have it! Therefore you look very original! Also very easy to use!
However, when I got the phone I noticed how quiet it is but nothing major until the stuff happened below! Since September the battery needs a charge all night EVERY night! It goes dead around 6pm even if it has been on charge since 7pm to 7am, just on standby!
The screen freezes then reboots its self! Bluetooth freezes all the time! Generally disappointed. Has been sent off to T mobile this afternoon, for checks & such! But, I don't WANT IT BACK!
Choose the G600! What a great phone that is, my boyfriend has it, & the camera is awesome! Serious take my advice! Don't pay any money for this waste of space! CALL IT A PHONE SAMSUNG!?
Reviewer: Sam - Peterborough, UK
Date: 18th Jan 2008
I am pleased to know that I am not the only one having problems with this phone. Mine has been sent for repair twice since last August, because it doesn't stay charged long enough. Only just got it back this time it hasn't lasted a day so I will be returning once again. I've had enough now!
Reviewer: Kath - UK
Date: 18th Jan 2008
Very attractive looking phone, however the menu & contacts button has been sticking practically since I've had it, now they've given up completely. It is now due to go in for repair AGAIN! I know a few others with this phone & the same thing has happened to them. If I was you, I'd steer clear of this phone!
Reviewer: Shenen - Jakarta, Indonesia
Date: 15th Jan 2008
I like this phone, it's slim & light but the one that I disappointed most was when I want to install a game in it, the java must be activated first then I can install it, but as a common user & first time of using Samsung it's really difficult to find the step to do it. Well just at last I figured it how to install a java application.
Reviewer: Kelly Anderson - Liverpool, UK
Date: 14th Jan 2008
If this had a negative score for battery life, then it would be minus 100%. I had the first one with which the screen went all funny, then I had it replaced by Vodafone, but the battery life is ridiculous, I can have 2 bars left & it won't make it through a phone call. Vodafone won't replace it now even though one of their representatives said they have discontinued it because of all the complaints about the battery.
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!
Reviewer: Anita - UK
Date: 11th Jan 2008
I got my phone 12 months ago (or the original one 12 months ago! ) on contract. After 3 months I had to take my phone back to Carphone Warehouse as it suddenly stopped charging, it was sent away for repair & a new charger port put in (first 100 miles to take it in & pick it up as that was the only way CPW would do it! ) 3 months later the same thing happened & this time I said I didn't want it repaired so got a new handset but had to wait ages for the new handset & do another 100 miles to take it in & pick it up. I had taken out CPW insurance on it yet I still had to do the miles to get it sorted. This 1 seems fine. I have no problems with battery life or any of the other problems I've been reading here. My gripe is more with Carphone Warehouse really, I like the phone & have had Samsung for years.
Reviewer: Gayle Pipe - Southampton, UK
Date: 7th Jan 2008
I have had this phone since the beginning of April 07 & have not had any problems. Very pleased with the overall performance, great battery life (5 days +). I have had Motorola's for three years running, this one is by far the best.
Reviewer: Ahmed Malik - Abbottabad, Pakistan
Date: 1st Jan 2008
This is my dream phone. Everyone gives bad comments for this phone, but this phone is very stylish with metal body & 9 Months, I have not had a problem on this set. BUY THIS IF you CAN.
Reviewer: Samuel - UK
Date: 1st Jan 2008
I have had this phone for nearly a year now. Admittedly I am on the second one but this was due to a software fault & my Service Provider replaced it without a quibble.
This phone is easy to use as well as being good looking. It's slim & lightweight. The functionality is excellent & the menus are pretty easy to navigate & use.
All in all a good phone, definitely one of the better ones I have had.
Reviewer: Kong Law - Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
Date: 1st Jan 2008
Carry your mobile phone charger at all times. Great design though.
Reviewer: Jessica - UK
Date: 24th Dec 2007
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!
Seriously, I have had mine since May now.
The first one I sent back a few days after I got it because the battery lasted 3 hours.
Second one I sent back about a month ago, because the keys stopped working & then the screen just stopped working.
Now on my third one, which I am going to be sending back because of poor battery life. Again. & the camera is taking green pictures.
So yep, overall, a really BAD phone! Worst I have had & I have had Motorola's!
I hope Vodafone will realise how bad this phone is & send me out a Nokia 6300 instead!
Reviewer: Tony - Warwick, UK
Date: 22nd Dec 2007
I chose this model, after having had Nokia's for ages. I had a bad run with two replacement Nokia's so decided to change. I am on an Orange Contract & you have to suffer 3 phones of the same model before you can change to another.
At first it took a while to get used to how things worked, & then it seemed to be a very useable, attractive & good phone.
However.
1: Battery life (as mentioned most other places) is very poor, having to charge it every night.
2: First D840 worked for a few months without issue, then suddenly the screen went crazy one day, it went all blue & green, then refused to work properly. I couldn't see who was calling or read any texts.
(Full marks to Orange Customer Care, they had a replacement phone to me in the wilds of Scotland the next day).
3: D840 number 2 is now being replaced tomorrow (yes, you've guessed it) with D840 number 3! Number 2 suddenly stopped wanting to make ANY sounds at all, no ring tones, no incoming calls could be heard, no alarm. Etc. It also stopped vibrating for a while, then started again when it felt like it. People could hear me at the other end of the phone, but I couldn't hear a thing. (Again, full marks to Orange Customer Care, there's another one arriving within 24hrs of reporting it).
SO, in summary, I haven't had a good time with this model of phone. I'll not be having another one, I shall be seeing what Nokia are doing when I come to renew my phone handset. Sadly, mobiles are very well relied upon in our daily lives now (generally) & in my case, it is essential for my work. I can't risk using something with inferior build quality.
Sorry Samsung, you're losing a customer.
Reviewer: N Jones - UK
Date: 17th Dec 2007
I've had this phone for say six months maybe a year & I have never had any problems with at all. It looks fab & it's indestructible for me anyway as I am not the most careful person with mobiles. I have dropped it countless number of times & still no probs. Few scratches, but I'd say that's the only problem it marks easily but that gives it character.
Reviewer: G - UK
Date: 16th Dec 2007
Good phone.
Reviewer: Cat - Belarus
Date: 25th Nov 2007
This phone is my dream phone, but everyone's saying its poor. Which makes me very upset.
Reviewer: B Smith - UK
Date: 24th Nov 2007
Well where do I start a picture of me & my fiancée went blue. We now look like the smurfs! Screen has what looks like dust inside & the screen has fuzzy lines across. They told me in Carphone Warehouse that they have had a few problems with this model.
Off to repair for two weeks without a phone as in Cambridge they haven't any loan phones to give out, too many repairs going on! Battery had a problem initially charging but appears to have cleared up. Watch this space.
Reviewer: Anjana - Delhi, India
Date: 23rd Nov 2007
Never buy this phone.
Reviewer: S Hall - Darlington, UK
Date: 22nd Nov 2007
Had mine for 6 months now (just outside of guarantee!) & the screen started to break up into lines & grey until eventually it packed up all together & was a bright white light. I'm not very happy with it as I'm on an 18 month contract. Also have had problems Bluetoothing pictures from phone to computer, most of them appear with 70% grey block covering the picture. Anyone help? I'm not very happy with it as seems to have problems with the slider. I haven't really got a problem with the battery life, think if you have Bluetooth enabled all the time, this must drain it more, depends how much you use it. Will definitely not go for Samsung again neither probably a contract phone. Think you are better off getting one for £50 & using it for a year then getting another one as these things are just not meant to last!
Reviewer: Mark - Glos, UK
Date: 20th Nov 2007
This is by far the worst phone ever on the market. The battery life lasts a day if you're lucky & so far since May it's been back for repair three times as the screen & sound stops working! Seriously never buy this phone or if all Samsungs are this bad never buy a Samsung I won't!
Reviewer: Anthony - UK
Date: 17th Nov 2007
I love the phone & all that the battery is poor & what Cherry said about the ribbon my phone screen went blank & all that just the screen & the buttons on top but the keypad still worked strange. I had it fixed & I had that 6 months so will mine defiantly go? Or not?
Reviewer: Dorris - Liverpool, UK
Date: 10th Nov 2007
It's just the perfect phone you could ever have!
Reviewer: Cherry - Jamaica
Date: 21st Oct 2007
I've had my phone for a year. I was warned by a friend who has the older version of this phone not to use the slide motion more than necessary because the ribbon that allows it to slide is very sensitive. I tried not to but it didn't help at all. The screen just went blank one day. I had it repaired. The ribbon had to be replaced but, within three months the sound went. The ribbon got busted again. Apparently, this is a fault with the Samsung slide phones. The phone is designed to slide so I find it very silly that sliding it is causing a problem. Samsung needs to fix this. I am very disappointed with this phone & I have decided that I am not going to bother to repair it again.
Reviewer: Hoai An - Viet Nam
Date: 19th Oct 2007
Love this phone.
Reviewer: Asils - Peterlee, UK
Date: 12th Oct 2007
Absolutely shocking battery life! Mine has been replaced once by Vodafone & the 'new' one sent away to be repaired (? ) twice so far. I can charge this up all night & by 3pm the next day, it has switched off! Loosing the will to live now, just want a phone I can use.
My advice. Stay away!
Reviewer: Elaine - Dunfermline, UK
Date: 5th Oct 2007
I bought Samsung D840 on contract in March, from Vodafone, absolutely fabulous phone. Until about 1 week ago picture on front went black & white & within a week cannot receive in or out going calls & have a white light screen. I am really annoyed I need a phone that works properly! Let's see what Vodafone customer service is like?
Reviewer: Louise - Halsowen, UK
Date: 1st Oct 2007
I have read the comments & I am really surprised. No problem with battery it only lasts for few days. Really easy to use I have downloaded ringtones & message tones so as not to use the default tones. Find it to be as good as all the other Samsung phones.
Reviewer: Kylie - Norwich, UK
Date: 26th Sep 2007
This phone is the worst phone I have ever had. My previous phones have been Nokia's, Motorola's & the one before this a Samsung, which is still going even though my D840, is not. I have had this phone since April, & it has been sent to be repaired twice.
The first was the beginning of July, the sound went completely on all the ringtones, music players & anything that makes sound. Phones4u sent it off to be fixed & it came back within a week with a new charger & box.
The second time was the beginning of September this time with two faults. One being that if I have it on silent mode & open a text message it randomly vibrates & won't stop till it is switched off the second being that every time the slide goes down the screen either goes blurry or cuts out completely, so the battery has to be removed & the phone has to be turned back on.
Every time I get the phone out people say how nice looking it is but it is the worst phone I have ever had. My poor beaten up old E700 is so reliable - a quality phone, the battery also lasts longer on the older phone. The battery life on my D840 is a couple of day's maximum, depending on usage!
So overall a stylish looking yet rubbish phone!
Reviewer: Kareem Bassam - Cairo, Egypt
Date: 18th Sep 2007
OK. Had this phone for about 2 weeks now, don't have as much complains as I have for the things that I like about it. I had a Nokia 6630 before it. Here goes.
Things that I like:
First of all it's great looking, love the design, very stylish. Lightweight, can fit almost in any pocket comfortably. The screen is 2.12 inch which I really find to my liking, it's great when you watch video clips on it. The music player is amazing, great sound quality too, especially through the earphones. I also have a lot of fun with the camera frames. This phone is simply awesome when it comes to entertainment. No complains when it comes to communication either.
Defects:
Oh well, nothing's perfect. The phone has some minor flaws (which make no big deal for me, but maybe for others). You can't change your message tone, or your alarm tone, you're stuck with the default tones. The back light, you can't customize it. For the Dim light, it's either 5 or 30 seconds, also the normal light, either 10 or 30 seconds.
When it comes to the battery, which the only flaw I found with it is this: after the first low battery warning, you have almost 35 min before the battery's dead. Unlike my Nokia which lasted for about 4 hours before I recharged it.
Other than that the battery stays almost 3 days with me, & yes I use the music player, Bluetooth, making calls & all that, not excessively though. When I first got it, it lasted 4 hours of nonstop Bluetooth usage, uploading, music listening. Etc, before the battery went low.
That's about it. Hope this helps.
Reviewer: Sarah - Lancashire, UK
Date: 4th Sep 2007
DO NOT BUY! I have had this phone for 2 months, 2 new batteries & 1 new charger later, it is RUBBISH, battery lasts approx 6 hours if I am lucky & do not speak at all on this, 4 hours if I speak for 4 minutes. Swapping for a Sony Ericsson.
Reviewer: Ian Hay - Cambridge, UK
Date: 29th Aug 2007
I love the phone design & features but have experienced similar battery problems to most other reviewers - making usability useless. Now the phone won't charge at all. Phones 4U sent it away for repair but say it's not covered under warranty (even though it's less than 6 months old) since they claim it must have been damaged - which is absolute rubbish! You can't damage the contacts through normal use - unless the parts are not 'fit for purpose'.
I must now pay - even to get it back without repair for a second opinion. Has anyone else experienced similar problems?
Reviewer: Carl Leafe - UK
Date: 28th Aug 2007
I recently purchased one of these dreadful phones. To say it is a mobile is a breach of contract. Yesterday my phone lasted 4 hours then shut down. I think it is dreadful that a company this big can get away with this & I think something should be done.
Reviewer: Sims T - Barnstaple, UK
Date: 26th Aug 2007
I purchased the oh so sleek & shiny D840 ultra in chrome just 6 days ago. My phones so far have been Nokia, Sony Ericsson & Motorola.
I wanted to take advantage of Vodaphones new Internet promo & the v3 I had wouldn't load the web as it was configured for O2 networks.
Initially I was drawn like a moth to a flame when I saw the shiny d840 Samsung & at £130 thought it good value for money for the features it has. My wife has a z400 (slimmed down version of the d600 with 3G) & I really liked the GUI on that so thought a streamlined version of that would be great. There are touches about this phone which are fab: assigning a click noise to the slider! Ha what a hoot. Samsung have really done their homework with the menu system, showing submenus when you hover over. I didn't like the default settings for texting when you want to write a message it defaults to Ab & you have to then open up a menu to get your T9 or numbers or symbols, this I find long-winded & when you go back to texting it reverts back to Ab-Pain!
Then there's the music player-mmm! Like the phones got 60 Meg of internal memory & if you've got a 2 gig card with a bunch of tracks on you, you got to copy them first to the phones memory so the player can play them. OK Samsung so what if I want to shuffle 25 tracks, my phones memory is now crammed full, so now I have got to go back to deleting tracks to free up the memory again. Pointless time wasting exercise! You can only play tracks from the memory card one at a time. Doh!
Yes as others have said the slider mechanism is built like a Ford-it works for now but you know it isn't going to last.
Music player, no key to switch it off from stand-by the red button just puts it into sleep mode, ever draining what little Battery you have left, which leaves me to conclude:
Battery Life! 2.5 hrs talktime & 100 hrs standby quoted by Samsung. That's a load of rubbish! Try charging overnight (off) switching on to go to work, sending 1 text message & the phone shutting down with no battery around 1pm, no lie that's what I am getting at the moment. OK there might be a faulty Battery here but the 2nd day I had it I was browsing for 30 mins & it went from 3 bars down to one bar flashing in that time!
I'll now be taking it back & find something that at least holds charge for 36 hrs. You see I've got better things to do in life than to worry about putting my phone on charge to use it for 12 hours at work.
You can't dislike Samsung though-they've done more in 2 years for innovative designs, slimming down slide-phones than Nokia have done in 4, their phones are quirky, modern & above all about a third less to buy. I worry that the race to market desirable phones such as this means we are all supposed to accept form over functionality?
Pros:
- Slim design.
- Ease of use of controls.
- Good GUI.
- Thin for your pocket.
- Good features-camera, music player, Internet, video.
- Easy metal keypad.
Cons:
- On closer inspection non durable build quality, easy to scratch screen, wobbly slider, chrome plastic! (Yep the type that will degrade to white in no time).
- Internet browser lags with limited viewing of non mobile friendly web pages.
- the music player having to copy tracks from memory card to phone to hear a playlist. No easy way of turning player off when on stand-by.
- V. Poor battery life (even without faulty battery).
All in all if you want a flash looker & don't mind carrying a charger with you everywhere then I guess this is the phone for you. If you actually use the phone for work then look elsewhere!
Reviewer: Teresa Green - Viet Nam
Date: 23rd Aug 2007
Stay well clear of this phone you can get a really better one for the price, battery life is appalling & slide mechanism becomes loose & feels unstable from daily wear & tear, had this phone only 2 months & it's a pain, in conclusion this phone is rubbish & I am returning it to purchase a Sony Ericsson as Samsung is rubbish.
Reviewer: Karen - UK
Date: 22nd Aug 2007
Love the design but the Battery Life is beyond horrendous! I am on my FOURTH battery from Samsung (in 4 months!) - they don't believe my battery life, after charging all night, lasts no more than 4 hours & that's just on standby! I am now at a point where I either throw it out of the window or hound Phones4U for an upgrade (fingers crossed).
My advice, DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!
The design is fabulous, features are great but if you want to rely on a mobile that holds its charge for the period of a normal working day, look for something else. I am so disappointed - my first (& last!) Samsung!
Reviewer: Pei - Kuala Lumpur, Malawi
Date: 20th Aug 2007
The battery last me only half day talk time which is very impractical. My previous phones are Samsung, but I find the functions for D840 are not user friendly.
Reviewer: Ashley Taylor - UK
Date: 19th Aug 2007
Just Googled the phone to see if others are having issues with battery life & found this page.
Awful battery life, worse I have seen on a phone& to any that think giving it a good charge when you get it is the issue, you are mistaken as this one got a 14hr charge when I took it out of the box.
I will be sending it back as it is 'not fit for its purpose' due to the poor battery & Samsung's published talk time of 2.8 hours & battery standby time of 295 hours (that is 12 days & 7 hours). I have never seen more than 24 hours.
Reviewer: Paula - Manchester, UK
Date: 14th Aug 2007
I think it looks good but is a little fiddly. But I am used to Nokia's. Nice & light but not much memory storage & the MP3 player on it has much to be desired.
Reviewer: Manal - Bahrain
Date: 6th Aug 2007
Have to charge the battery every day! If not twice a day :(, but still a good phone.
Reviewer: Susan - Cape Town, South Africa
Date: 3rd Aug 2007
I bought this phone in London while I was on holiday in July. I must say I was disappointed with the battery life but it does last about two to three days which is OK. I love the phone & the camera is good I think. This phone has not yet come into South Africa but it will soon. I think it is an amazing looking phone & I am very happy with it.
Reviewer: Katy - Bristol, UK
Date: 23rd Jul 2007
Rubbish with a capital R!
On my second handset. I charge the battery all night & it is dead by lunchtime even with no talk time/messages.
It is completely unreliable & I have been caught out so many times not being able to contact people because my phone is yet again dead.
I have also had the problem where predictive text turns itself off after every message sent.
Reviewer: Darren - London, UK
Date: 21st Jul 2007
Great looking phone really sleek & smart well impressed with the styling. I have had this phone about 4 months now can't really complain I agree the battery life is a bit poor but only when playing the MP3 player for long periods of time. Otherwise I get about 2 days use out of it & that's actually making calls/texting as I use my phone excessively. I will say one thing I have had problems playing music I have downloaded to my phone and moved to my memory some songs were corrupting my memory card & had to keep reformatting it & starting over. But using the Samsung PC studio 3 from my mums Samsung E900 & selecting the manage multimedia files option I downloaded all my songs & they all play perfectly.
P.S to all of you that are moaning about the camera its not that bad if you want photography quality pictures buy a digit camera.
Reviewer: Sarah - Sheringham, UK
Date: 18th Jul 2007
Brought the phone through Vodafone a month ago within two days the battery life would only last 4 hours no warnings & the phone would turn off contacted Vodafone & they gave me another handset two weeks later the same problem only this time they are not offering a new handset & state there is no problems with this model of phone. I am really fed up with having to charge the phone every 4 hours I have had Samsung phones for the last 8 years & I am really put of the brand now My advise don't touch this model of phone & if you do don't buy through Vodafone there customer service is rubbish.
Reviewer: Brian - Durham, UK
Date: 17th Jul 2007
Had the phone 2 weeks now love it to bits no problems yet. Battery life is fine. The only thing I can't get my head round is the music player. I put around 20 songs on my memory card then added them to the phones memory & they play OK I.e. When one song is finished playing it goes to the next song which is how it should be but if I play songs from the memory card when the song finishes it doesn't carry on to the next song any ideas?
Reviewer: Ronald - Hengelo, Netherlands
Date: 17th Jul 2007
Same white screen problems with my daughter's telephone. Resets, then once again white screens. No sound only vibration. In short major design flaw with this telephone! Has anyone found a simple solution? One post refers to a version 2? Is this stable?
Reviewer: Richard - Derby, UK
Date: 14th Jul 2007
Don't listen to people about the battery, as long as you condition it to start with its fine, no problems at all. Very happy with the phone.
Reviewer: Steve - UK
Date: 10th Jul 2007
Just received this phone, can someone tell me if it is possible to set it to auto-answer calls when using a Bluetooth headset?
Reviewer: J Robinson - Manchester, UK
Date: 10th Jul 2007
Awesome style & build. Good as a phone but just average (I.e. OK) for all other features. Battery life is not great but adequate for someone who is not a heavy user.
Reviewer: Ellejay - London, UK
Date: 9th Jul 2007
Great looking phone. Have had it for 3 months. Was very happy with it until a week ago. First it kept on turning on & off by itself, then the sound went so I couldn't hear if I got calls or messages. Then within the day the screen kept on freezing. Now a few hours later I have a white light as a screen! I can't see anything. By using the hands-free I can tell that the phone is on but that's about it! All my phone numbers etc are saved on the phone as that it the only way I could use all the features. So what now folks? Ps the battery life is rubbish. I should have stayed with Nokia- had one for 8 years no probs!
Reviewer: Rach - UK
Date: 9th Jul 2007
This is the best phone ever! I don't know what people are going on about, this phone holds the battery for a couple day & nights without being switched off!
Its stylish & posh, don't believe the bad comments about this phone because they obviously do not know what they are on about!
Reviewer: Tanet - Bangkok, Thailand
Date: 7th Jul 2007
GOOD PHONE, GREAT DESIGN BUT WAS SHOT IN the HEAD BY SHORT BATTERY LIFE. A MORE POWER BATTERY IS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS PHONE A PERFECT DEVICE.
Reviewer: Gavin Boichat - Medway, UK
Date: 4th Jul 2007
Don't believe the false comments, this is a bad phone. Steer well clear of it. After two weeks, this phone (battery) won't hold a charge.
I am furious.
Reviewer: Jackie - Wallasey, UK
Date: 2nd Jul 2007
I have always had Samsung phones in the past & I now have this one & I have not had any of the problems that are stated on this website, the only thing about the phone is it does not come with a USB but the Samsung D900 USB will fit this phone & if you have a micro sd card for this phone you might as well spend £5 & get a USB trans flash dongle for your comp this will save you buying a very expensive USB cable for the phone. All in all a very good phone the battery life is good & you can even download your digital camera pics onto this phone with most other brands of phones you can not do this, the music player is very loud & settings are so easy to use. I think when this phone first came out there where a lot of problems with the first batch, only had mine 2 weeks but not a single problem with it, all in all very sleek looking phone, but then again I only use it for talking & texting I am not one of these people that wants it to do a million & one things & who expects too much, its a basic but brill phone.
Reviewer: Phill Macrackin - Inverness, UK
Date: 30th Jun 2007
Had to upgrade to d840 not happy battery is very poor. Less than 12 hours. Changing it for a third time tomorrow. Keep well away.
Reviewer: Sarah - UK
Date: 25th Jun 2007
Nice phone, battery is exceedingly poor, only lasting 9 hours on standby that's with no talk time & only 1 text message sent. Contacted Vodafone today but they have no new batteries in stock so have to pop along (12 miles) to nearest Vodafone shop to see if they can supply one.
Reviewer: Gemma - Kent, UK
Date: 22nd Jun 2007
I love Samsungs, the last four phones I have had have all been Samsungs. I got this phone on t-mobile contract on the 1st April 2007 from Carphone Warehouse & it worked perfectly for the first two weeks. After exactly 2 weeks of having the phone, I switched it on & it just kept resetting itself, I was unable to do anything with it. I took it back to where I brought it & they exchanged it for a brand new handset.
It worked perfect, until 6 weeks after that when it starting having the same problem. I took it to another branch to where I purchased the phone & they were useless. I kicked up a fuss & they said they have had no problems with this phone & that it was brilliant, just for show for the customers in the shop I think. I went straight home & contacted Carphone Warehouse Customer Care & they were really helpful. The lady that helped me said everyone received an email about the fault with this phone & that it wasn't working properly on the t-mobile network & that a second version was release in May 2007 I think. Anyway went back to the place I brought the phone & they admitted the fault & issued me with the Version 2 handset & touch wood have had no problems with it.
I suggest if you have this phone on the t-mobile contact & it is playing up, take it back & make sure you have the version 2 one.
Reviewer: Steve G - UK
Date: 19th Jun 2007
What a great looking phone. Feels good too! Features fine, camera a little naff though.
Now let's get down to the Achilles' heel. The battery life is absolutely terrible! What adds insult to injury is the battery indicator drops to 2 bars, which makes you think you're OK & 'Bang' within 20 mins (even on standby) your phone's dead!
Come on Samsung, why oh why do you let all of your design & class be slated by so many of your potential consumers?
My 4th Samsung & it's a shame I am having to write such a negative review.
Reviewer: Angela - UK
Date: 16th Jun 2007
Got this handset on a new contract at the end of March & have just ordered my second replacement handset! Problem being intermittent problem when open newly received text message handset vibrates, when not set to vibrate. The only way to stop this is to turn the phone off. Has anyone else had this problem?
Also would like to turn back light off when charging but do not get option previously mentioned. Any ideas? I am on Orange.
Reviewer: Sarah - UK
Date: 9th Jun 2007
I got this phone a few days ago, which wasn't out of choice! I had sent my D600 off for repair & they didn't have 1 in stock so they sent me this! To be honest I think it's a great phone! Battery life isn't bad but don't take long to stick a charger in does it! But could have come with a USB cable!
Reviewer: Phillip - Derby, UK
Date: 7th Jun 2007
Great, easy to use with a good keypad, good messaging stuff & generally everything else that I wanted. Can't find the embedded games though?
Reviewer: David - Bolton-upon-dearne, UK
Date: 4th Jun 2007
I like this phone it's got almost everything I want. But lately I don't know which one but the light keep staying on & it hasn't done tat before. Can someone help me? I've already been into the light settings & search it but it seems like it doesn't do what it says. Can someone tell me if it's meant to shut the light off or just leave it on. Thanks guys.
Reviewer: Beth - Lancashire, UK
Date: 3rd Jun 2007
PLEASE HELP! The other day on a shopping trip I spotted the D840, & I fell in love with it! I have just sent my Sony-Ericsson K750i to be repaired as it kept freezing which was really annoying (I was so close to throwing it against a wall!).
Anyways as I said I spotted the D840, a gorgeous phone! But after reading the reviews it doesn't seem that everybody is happy with it, should I buy it? I would really love to do so, but I do not want another phone that I am going to have problems with, (like my K750i) I've had a D500, which was an ace phone! Bags of memory but to my disappointment the screen went funny & couldn't be fixed.
Please help me! Thanks :-)
Reviewer: Sarah - Lancs, UK
Date: 1st Jun 2007
My previous 3 or 4 phones have been Samsung's& I love them.
I can honestly say, I haven't had any probs with this phone & I've had it about 6 weeks. Battery lasts around 3 days, similar to previous phone's, I use the phone a lot, for both calls & texts.
Fortunately for me, I haven't had any of the issues with the phone cutting off.
I would def recommend this phone. I was reluctant ordering it as I'd read some bad feedback on here, but I am glad I did. Maybe there's been a bad batch!
I do have to say though, my boyfriend also got one & although it is the same as me, he's happy, his slider is somewhat wobbly! But Orange are replacing it so no quibbles.
Reviewer: Flyingcatman - Kent, UK
Date: 26th May 2007
Sleek phone, quality build & feels robust.
No vibrate & tone for messages, poor selection of tones (old & dated).
No data/USB cable would be a nice touch.
Simple to use, easy menu navigation.
Camera average, so if you want to use this feature a lot, not recommended.
As a phone, which is what I got it for, very pleased, no real battery problems, or other 'gremlins' so maybe there are some rogue batches?
Reviewer: Lynda - UK
Date: 24th May 2007
Had Nokia for last 16 yrs & wanted a change. Had planned on the D900 then daughter purchased that one & when I went some 4 wks later, it was discontinued. Wanted the 3MP camera. Only other option that I liked was the D840. I love the slim look of the phone, the keypad for texting is brilliant. I cannot complain about the battery life at all, use Bluetooth earpiece &/or Bluetooth visor when driving. I am not disappointed in this phone at all. I have to agree with others, I would have liked the ringer & vibrate to work as did my Nokia & this has caused me to miss several texts/calls. Also having problems bluetoothing music to my phone, have had to Bluetooth from daughters phone to mine rather than from my laptop. Bought a 1.0GB memory card to put my pics, videos &am
