Review: Panasonic's Rugged SA7

Panasonic SA7

Panasonic SA7

Panasonic SA7

Like the MX6 we tested, the SA7 also boasts very good battery life. With exactly 30 minutes of calls each day and frequent SMS messaging, surfing via GPRS, and taking pictures, I had to recharge the SA7 after 5 days. With intensive use of Bluetooth, that duration went down to 3.5 days. This is not a bad figure at all for a phone with a 2.5" screen. So if good battery life with a huge screen is what you want, go for the SA7.

The SA7 does not have voice dialing, but makes up for it with speed dialing functions. The speakerphone function, like the earpiece, also suffers from low volume and lacks in bass, making it rather worthless.

The Panasonic SA7 was easy to set up for browsing via GPRS. There is a list of service providers in the browser application, and all you have to do is select yours. Surfing was smooth, and the high-resolution screen made text and graphics appear great.

The built-in Infrared port and Bluetooth capabilities enable users to transfer pictures, MP3 files, ringtones, and videos to and from the handset. Pairing the SA7 with my Motorola HS850 was easy, though calls took ages to be transferred to the headset. However, range was fair, achieving about five meters between the headset and phone before distortions were heard. Other than that, the Bluetooth system worked as expected, and users also have the choice of using a USB cable to transfer their files. The cable is an optional accessory, and together with the Handset Manager software (included on the CD-ROM), users can easily manage their phone information on a PC. You can easily synchronize contacts, messages, and multimedia files.

The SMS and MMS system worked well. It was also fast enough to keep up with my typing, and new words can be added to the built-in T9 dictionary. However, the poor keypad does cause some problems when inputting text. Punctuation is handled with the 1 key, case and input modes with the * key, word alternatives (which pop up in a list) with the d-pad, and spaces inputted using the 0 key. Disappointingly, the only way to check for email is by logging on to a web-based email client.

The SA7's calendar application is good. Events and appointments can be set for any time or date, and can have multi-day durations. You can also assign a location and a reminder to the event. The reminders can be set to go off at a wide variety of times before the event takes place, or exactly for when the event is scheduled.

Besides the usual voice recorder and calculator, there are two pre-installed games on the SA7, and you can always download more Java based games in the future. One of the games is a rather challenging 3D soccer game and the other is Sonic the Hedgehog, one of Sega's all-time most popular games. This excellent port of the original game will definitely bring back fond childhood memories for those who once owned the Sega MegaDrive console. The game runs smoothly, with no noticeable lags, and will certainly entertain during boring commutes.

With excellent battery life, a huge 16 million color screen, capable camera, and Bluetooth capabilities, the SA7 has a lot going for it. However, with my huge thumbs, I just cannot live with its lousy keypad. That is the deal breaker for me.

I will give the SA7 a Recommended rating, as despite all its shortcomings, it is still a capable phone. With that said, if you need good battery life, Bluetooth capabilities, and you don't mind the bulk and a hard to use keypad, you can't go wrong with the Panasonic SA7.

Sample pictures taken with the Panasonic SA7 are available on the following page