Samsung SPH-M520 Review

Performance:

The M520 held its own in terms of signal and reception. Even in fringe areas we had no issues with signal quality or dropped calls. Callers on the other end reported that we sounded “very good” and on our end they were loud and clear. The speakerphone, however, did not perform as well. On our end it was soft though clear, but callers said we sounded distant even when we were next to the phone. It might be fine to use on a desk in a quiet office, but beyond that it was pretty much useless. The M520 quickly found and paired with the Samsung WEP500 Bluetooth headset, and users said we sounded fine but a bit crackly. The M520 is rated at 4 hours of talk time, but in our testing we fell short and were only able to achieve 3 hours and 34 minutes.


Conclusion:

We really like the M520; it has a good form factor and we are excited to see a slider return to Sprint. For a mid-range phone it has a full feature set, and the build quality is top notch despite its plastic housing. It will appeal to average and advanced users alike, thanks to its classic good looks and powerful software. In fact, we would really like to see Samsung beef up the phone with a better camera, display and materials for a premium version. All in all, we think Samsung and Sprint have a real winner on their hands.