Review of the rugged Samsung SGH-a657 candybar from AT&T

Samsung SGH-a657

Samsung SGH-a657

Samsung SGH-a657

The Samsung SGH-a657 is a rugged candybar cell phone that is designed for those who abuse their phones. With 3G support, built-in GPS, and Push-To-Talk (PTT), the a657 offers quite a robust feature set. In our review, we check to see how well the phone stands up to abuse, but also how well the actual phone functions work.

Physical Aspects

The Samsung SGH-a657 is cased in thick plastic, most of which is rubberized for a firm grip. The phone sports a rather drab black and grey color scheme, though that will likely appeal to its target consumer better than bright colors might. The phone feels solid in your hand, as expected, and does not creak or make any other noises when in use. Weighing in at 122g (4.3 ounces), the a657 is slightly hefty, but not so heavy that it is uncomfortable to carry in your pocket. The small 114mm x 51mm x 20mm (4.5in x 2.0in x .8in) body should fit in most any pocket, though it is a bit thick.

The front of the Samsung SGH-a657 features the small, bright 2.2-inch 176x220 pixel resolution display on the top half, and a standard numeric keypad below. The entire key mat is a solid piece of rubber, which contributes to the phone's ruggedized build. Between the numeric keypad and the display is the navigational cluster, with left and right softkeys, dedicated end and send keys, and two additional keys between the others. One of those extra keys is for AT&T Navigator, which offers voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, while the other is a back/delete key. The end key pulls double-duty as the power button. The d-pad is a raised chrome square, with nicely defined clicks for each direction. From the standby screen, the center d-pad button takes you directly to the web browser. Below the navigational cluster, the numeric keypad features large, easily-read labels, and the keypad backlight is extremely bright, evenly illuminating each key. These buttons are raised slightly in the middle, and each offers a very satisfying tactile click when pressed.

Along the right edge of the Samsung SGH-a657 are two buttons. The top button activates the built-in flashlight, which is located at the top of the phone. You can press and hold this button for a few seconds to turn the flashlight on, and there is a 10-minute timeout, so that you don't accidentally leave it on and drain your battery. Below this is the multitasking button, which allows for crude multitasking. Pressing this button brings up a banner across the bottom of the screen, so that you can quickly switch to the messaging menu, web browser, music player, or games. Below these buttons is the proprietary Samsung port, covered by a protective door. This port is used for charging as well as for data connections and, presumably, music headphones.

On the left edge of the Samsung SGH-a657, you'll find the volume rocker and Push-To-Talk (PTT) button, the latter of which is colored bright orange. As previously mentioned, the flashlight is found on the top edge of the phone, and the microphone is the only thing you'll find on the bottom edge of the a657. There is a large loop at the top of the phone that can be used to easily attach the phone to a belt loop, if you wanted. The back battery cover on the Samsung a657 is rubberized, and fastened securely with a large silver screw. The inside of the battery cover has a rubber gasket, to protect the battery and internals from being damaged by the elements. Unfortunately, we found this battery cover difficult to securely fasten, with an odd fit that did not inspire confidence in its ability to protect the phone. Beneath this cover, you'll find the heavy-duty 1420mAh battery, as well as the SIM card slot and a well-hidden microSD card slot, both beneath the battery.

The Samsung SGH-a657 is certified to Military Standard MIL-STD-810F against dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude, and temperature extremes. In our tests, we dropped the phone onto concrete from 7 feet, played fetch with it and our chocolate Labrador Retriever Abilene, and set it in a river. The phone passed the drop and game of fetch with no issues, but did not handle water well. After only a few minutes in less than 4 inches of water, the phone began behaving erratically, with the right column of keys ceasing to work. After a few days of drying out, the phone worked fine, fortunately.