Samsung Evergreen Review

Introduction:

Sprint might host the healthiest amount of eco-friendly devices in the market right now, but it appears that AT&T will soon be stepping up to the plate with an offering that's sure to impress. Constructed out of 70 percent recycled plastic, the Samsung Evergreen SGH-A667 is your typical looking messaging phone that consciously takes into consideration Mother Earth. Even the retail packaging is made out of 80 percent recycled paper and comes with an Energy Star 2.0 efficient charger. Priced at $29.99 with a contract, this handset will easily attract individuals who are concerned with the environment – while still satisfying their messaging requirements.

The package contains:

Design:

In all honesty, there's nothing too fancy or pretty to say about the Samsung Evergreen since its your typical looking messaging phone from the manufacturer. It doesn't necessarily scream premium quality or construction. The glossy black plastic shell does feel slick and attracts the occasional smudge, but it doesn't feel as cheap as one would think it to be. Although it's a little bit more bulky (0.59” thick) than other similar offerings, it does make the handset feel somewhat average in weight (4.50 oz) when holding it. Pushing its eco-friendly nature aside, there isn't anything thrilling to say about this boring looking handset.



You can compare the Samsung Evergreen with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

If you're able to somehow overlook the poor viewing angles exhibited by the handset, you just might find its 2.4” QVGA (240 x 320) display agreeable in usage. When setting it to its maximum brightness option, it's able to radiate some distinctive and deep looking colors. However, we struggled in making out fine text due to the fact that it lacks any sharpness to it – plus, it doesn't help either when you're trying to combat its viewing angle problems. Taking it for a stroll outdoors in direct sunlight also proves to be challenging since you lose focus and a good majority of visibility. Without much question, it's clearly not the highest quality display employed on a handset that we've seen.


The 4-way directional pad underneath the display is decent in size and prominent enough to make out with our fingers. Offering a good response without much fault, it makes navigating fairly hassle free while its selection key provides a natural tactile response when pressed. The keypad itself is spacious in size and will accommodate even the largest of fingers since buttons can be easily pressed without that much effort.

Access to the microSD card slot can be found on the left edge of the phone along with the adequate sized and responsive volume rocker. While on the right side, you simply will find the dedicated shutter key, task menu button, and microUSB port. Placing our attention to the rear, you'll find its 2-megapixel camera, outlined with a chrome trim, next to the speakerphone grill. Lastly, yanking off the plastic cover will provide you access to its battery and SIM card slot.


Even though it doesn't utilize the most durable materials, there is a snappy feel to the handset when you're opening it to expose its 4-row QWERTY keyboard. Some will find the layout to be quite familiar since it borrows some design cues from other Samsung handsets. The hard plastic buttons are actually accompanied with a distinct tactile feel when pressed – which makes it rather easy to type away long messages without much fatigue. Moreover, it manages to even include a dedicated messaging button and another 4-way directional pad. After breaking it in, we soon found ourselves typing away with ease.