Helio Mysto Review

Published on: 21 March, 2008 by PhoneArena Team

Keywords:
Samsung
Helio
Budget

Review index:

Performance:

Even though the overall build quality of the Mysto has a flimsy feel to it, we are pleased that Samsung did not lower the bar regarding the reception and call quality. We were able to maintain an average of 4-5 signal bars around most of South FL, with the exception of fringe areas that dropped down to 0-1 bars. There were only a few remote locations that calls actually did get disconnected, but that is to be expected.

The call quality through the earpiece speaker was clear and natural sounding, without any background noise or interference. People that we called on a landline stated that the Mysto produced good sound quality for outgoing calls, with our voice being clear and lacking any interference. The only problem we encountered was when raising the earpiece volume past level 4 to 5. In doing so, the speaker would start to sound distorted due to the higher volume, which is also true when using the Speakerphone. However leaving the volume at level 4 or lower does not cause this problem and eliminates the distortion.

Samsung rates the included 880mAh battery to provide up to 3.5 hours of talk time, or 8 days of standby time on a full charge. Our testing showed the Mysto to get 4 hours of talk time on a full charge.

Conclusion:

The Helio Mysto is for the average consumer that is looking for a slim and stylish mid-range phone, without the added features and weight of the Helio Ocean. Unfortunately, the overall construction feels cheap, and does not seem like it will hold up to a lot of abuse. The d-pad and numeric keypad can be difficult to use at times, and the 2MP camera is not the best currently available. However, the phone does come with large QVGA display, HTML browser, java application support, and good voice quality. Those are the areas where the Mysto truly shines.

Pros

Good Voice Quality and Signal Reception
HTML Browser
Customizable home screen
Comes with USB Cable and Stereo Earbuds

Cons

Device feels cheaply made
Numeric keypad is not designed well
D-Pad is smaller than average
2MP camera has poor quality
Low music quality when played through earpiece
Only one theme installed

PA rating

Design 5.5
Display 7.5
Camera 5.5
Sound Quality 8
Battery 6
Connectivity 8
Multimedia 6
Organizer 7

Good

7.5

out of 10

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User comments

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1.

Darren Dawes @ 23 April, 2008 11:30:14 AM

Helio "service"

Have been trying to get a refund check for my returned device for 5 months. Four calls to their "service" center in the Philippines resulted in "we will send the check" two times (they didn't) and then they told me that they had to charge it back to my credit card. I gave them a virgin debit card, that has never been used for any other transaction, before or since. 2 weeks later, someone in Russia used it to empty my bank account. Nice. Calling back, no one could connect me with someone in the US. I finally found the number for Helio's corporate offices (310 445 7000--save it, you will need it) and spoke to "internal customer service". This person has assured me that I will have a check in 7 to 10 days (I'll believe it when I see it) and said that he could not do anything about the people in the foreign offices giving out personal info. He also stated that they had no internal security that could assist. Given that these guys will have your social security number too, I would NOT sign up with Helio even if they give you the service for $5 a month. This might be hard to believe, but I think their service is WORSE than what you've read on these pages. I believe that they, or their agents, or both, are actively engaged in fraud. Biggest mistake I've made in recent memory! No matter how poorly your current company is treating you, it's not worth having your identity and savings stolen.

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2.

anonymous @ 25 May, 2008 05:54:46 PM

Wow, surprising how it is not mentioned that this phone is an exact twin of the GSM Samsung U600.

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3.

Bailey @ 24 July, 2008 12:53:30 PM

Yes,but the U600 has 3.2Mp camera.

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4.

anonymous @ 16 October, 2008 04:34:06 AM

I had a helio ocean for a good year. its a great phone to have in tell it brake on you.i called helio to see if i can get it fixed.they said no cuz my warrenty has exspired 2 weeks ago. i still one more year on the contract with them. the only way they will fix my phone is if i singed a anouther 2 year contract with them.i think that is some bullshit because there contract last longer then cell phone do. i am telling every to NOT BUY A HELIO PHONE TRUST ME ON THIS.

p.s. thats my story

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5.

Vitamins4022 @ 06 February, 2009 11:05:42 AM

I had helio for 2 weeks before I cancelled. It took helio 6 months to refund my money for the phone and service! Over $500 including the cost of the phone and the deposit took 6 months to get returned to my checking account!

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