Samsung Reclaim (Sprint) Cell Phone

07.08.2009
The compact Samsung Reclaim is an smartphone that successfully balances style, functionality, and usability. Priced at $130 (as of August 7, 2009, with a two-year Sprint contract), the Reclaim is a sharp-looking, affordable alternative to larger units for consumers and professionals alike.

In part composed of corn-based bio-plastics, the Reclaim is . Samsung configures it for quick access to popular social media sites and to environment-related Web content. And the company donates $2 from each sale to the . The Reclaim's AC adapter indicates when the phone is fully charged, so that you can unplug the charger and conserve energy.

When closed, the 3.9-by-2.3-inch unit has a simple, clean interface. A circular rocker button for navigation and a large 'OK' button are surrounded by two soft keys, a voicemail key, a back key, and standard call-start and call-end keys.

The 3.5-ounce phone felt solid and balanced in my hand, even when open. And at just over 0.5 inch thick, it doesn't create too much of a bulge in a shirt pocket. The 2.4-inch, 320-by-pixel display is bright and easy to read, aside from some thin and tiny fonts that a few of the menus use.

You can scroll side-to-side through the function icons at the bottom of the home screen, using the navigation button. As this carousel of icons scrolls past, the menus and information boxes above it change as needed. The carousel permits quick access to most features. You can add your most-used features to a one-touch shortcut menu.

The backlit QWERTY keypad's mostly blue-on-silver lettering is sometimes hard to see in weak lighting. The keys are somewhat cramped and narrow, but even my fat thumbs cranked out e-mail messages and instant messages on it. It even has a dedicated key for a smiley face.