Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150 in Cell Phone Accessories
• Color: Black
• Brand: Samsung
• Model: a887
• Released on: 2007-12-22

Features

• Sleek 3G-enabled touchscreen phone with full QWERTY touch keyboard and one-touch access to Facebook and MySpace
• Compatible with AT&T Video Share, AT&T Mobile Music, and streaming video from Cellular Video service
• 2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth stereo music; MicroSD memory expansion; access to personal email and instant messaging
• Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time
• What's in the Box: handset, battery, charger, quickstart guide, user manual (on CD)

Amazon.com Product Description
Enjoy an instant connection to social networking, messaging and multimedia features with the Samsung Solstice for AT&T, which also features a full-touch QWERTY keypad access via its large, vivid 3-inch touchscreen. This phone can quickly download video, music and more over AT&T's lightning quick HSPDA 3G network. This phone is also compatible with AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send video of yourself to another compatible phone while making a voice call.

The Samsung Solstice features a 3-inch touchscreen with virtual, landscape QWERTY keyboard, and Samsung's unique TouchWiz user interface with one-touch access to social networking sites.

The Solstice features Samsung's unique TouchWiz user interface, which includes one-touch access to frequently used applications and social networks through new widgets for Facebook, MySpace and Yahoo! oneSearch. It also offers multiple messaging options such as Mobile Email, IM and MMS and comes equipped with a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. Other features include Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, microSD memory expansion up to 16 GB, digital audio player, full HTML web browser, and up to 5 hours of talk time.

AT&T Services
This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band 850/1900 MHz 3G network (UMTS/HSDPA), which provides download speeds ranging from 700 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps. This makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.

Key Features Mobile broadband via AT&T's 3G network 3-inch touchscreen with full touch QWERTY keyboard 2 MP camera/camcorder microSD memory expansion Hands-free/stereo Bluetooth Digital audio/video player Personal email & IM Access Facebook & MySpace

With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) While using Video Share with family and friends is a fun way to communicate, it's also very useful for business. For example, a majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day's work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so.

You'll be able to access AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal.

The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Phone Features
The lightweight and sleek Samsung Solstice has a full 3.0-inch touchscreen (240 x 400 pixels; 262K colors) with a virtual, landscape QWERTY keyboard. You'll experience a tactile response with haptic feedback and know when your accurately press a virtual button. The full QWERTY keyboard, with sensitivity adjustment, is easy-to-use with clear letters, numbers and symbols. The phone also has an accelerometer that automatically detects motion and the orientation of the device, allowing for autorotation of the display, motion sensing games and photo scrolling by tilting the device.

Other features include access to personal email and instant messaging, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, and microSD memory expansion.

The Solstice also provides quick and easy access to a your favorite features through Samsung's innovative TouchWiz user interface, which has specially designed widgets to customize and personalize your phone. By simply expanding the tray, you can "drag-and-drop" widgets onto the phone's home screen for one touch access to your favorite features, such as Facebook, MySpace and Yahoo! oneSearch.

The phone has an internal 80 MB user accessible memory, and it's expandable via optional microSD/SDHC memory cards up to 16 GB in size. The internal phonebook can store up to 2000 contact entries, and it offers support for caller groups, multiple numbers per contact, and photo/ringer ID. Other features include 8 one-touch dialing numbers, display of the last 30 outgoing/incoming/missed calls, automatic redial, vibration alert, and compatibility with both MP3 and 72-chord polyphonic ringtones.

The 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Solstice.

Hands-free communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server (additional charges or subscription applicable).

The Solstice offers a full range of email, text, and multimedia messaging options. It includes support for mobile email services such as AOL, Yahoo!, and Windows Live (messaging charges apply). You can also keep up with your instant messaging buddies using the built-in IM application that connects to those same services.

Other features include:

• 2-megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and video capture capabilities
• Organizer tools: calendar, alarm clock, to-do, stopwatch, world clock, and notes
• Audio file formats: MP3, AAC, Real
• Downloadable ringtones, graphics, games, applications and videos
• Headset jack
• Streaming radio capabilities

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Solstice weighs 3.33 ounces and measures 4.3 x 2.1 x 0.5 inches. Its 1000 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's 850/1900 MHz 3G network (UMTS/HSDPA).

Customer Reviews

Pretty smart for not being a smartphone!
The Solstice syncs nicely (using the free PC Studio software downloaded from the Samsung website) with the Calendar, Contacts, and ToDo list on my desktop PC Outlook program, and it does so even though it's not a smartphone, which saved me from having to buy a monthly data plan from AT&T. The basic phone function works well, the battery life seems quite good, and the voice recognition feature is quite handy. I couldn't figure out how to turn on the speakerphone for a while, so I finally broke down and read the owner's manual. Ah, you SLIDE the speakerphone switch which shows up on the touchscreen, not simply depress it! Dumb me. The touchscreen works well, with only an occasional misstep. Very nice display, and I like how it can do a slide show of the pictures I put into it from my PC. The alarm is very easy to set and use, and shuts off by simply turning the phone from face up to face down. The music player even sounds good, once I set the built-in sound equalizer to the "Wide" or the "Dyna" setting (a total of 9 equalizer settings are offered), and has enough volume. No earphone jack though, so sound quality is a bit limited compared to what headphones would offer. I am very pleased with this phone!

Update: someone has just pointed out to me that Amazon lists a headphone jack adapter. I did a quick search, and it's $0.99 from Amazon. It doesn't list the a887 as one of the phones it fits, but it does list the a867 and a877, and I think those Samsung phones use the same data jack as the a887 Solstice.

Another Update: Want to be able to read a Word or Excel document on your Solstice? Just select "Save As" and save it as a Web Page on your PC. Copy it into your Solstice into a folder such as "Other Files", click on My Stuff, then Other Files, and voila! it will open up in the phone's web browser. You won't be able to edit it on the phone, of course, but you will be able to read it! This is very handy for text documents or numerical data that you frequently reference and want to have with you in your phone.

Over all Great Phone!! - Poor Speakerphone - No Gmail
I just got this phone a few days ago and after figuring out all the features, overall I am very happy with it. The one disappointment is that the speaker phone is no good to use; the caller on the other end says it echos and they cannot hear you ( happened to every call I did). Disappointing because I have always used it on my other Samsung phones with not problems. Another downside was that it did not come with a printed user manual, which would have help me, as this is the first touch screen phone that I have bought; 190 pages to print is a little much (located on the CD). Also you cannot use Gmail with this phone's "Mobile Email" App; is seems to have every other email system except mine under the "Applications - Mobile Email" I hope they will update this if that is possible. I did download an app from Gmail, and you can always look it up under the Web Browser too. One cool feature I found is that you can zoom in with the camera. It takes Ok photos. The internet seems to load fairly fast. It was very easy to update, change/add Contacts with the USB connection through Samsung PC Studio on your computer, which you can download from their website (not included on CD). The touch screen is very easy to use, and the full QWERTY touch keyboard is very cool and easy to use. Over all a Great Phone.

Solstice is a solid phone (even the speakerphone)
I searched high and low for a good alternative to touchscreen "smartphones" with all their fancy doo-dads and high monthly costs, and I found it with the Solstice. The longer I have it the more I like it.

I chose this over the Eternity (last year's model) because the touchscreen interface performs better: it is noticeably snappier and faster responding. I chose this over the Impression because of personal tastes: I liked the lighter weight and trimmer form factor of the Solstice; it fits nicely in your hand. I also do not care for slide-out qwerty's (I have big thumbs); I prefer texting with T9, and the Solstice's vibration-feedback touchscreen works great for me. Battery life is not great, but good: I have run the phone for 2-3 days without re-charging if I don't use the Bluetooth, but normally I do, so I recharge every night, but I've yet to run it down in one day. Call quality is not the best I've heard, but still pretty good. Beware that there is a real issue on this model, where SOME phones have a terrible echo on speakerphone (for the person you are calling). My first Solstice had this problem, but I took it back to the AT&T store where they cheerfully exchanged it, now my speakerphone sounds just fine to everyone I call. Web browsing is ok; I can get from the main menu to a nice animated radar loop in about 20 seconds when I'm on 3G. It has GPS, built-in clients for Facebook and MySpace, YahooIM, but not Twitter. That kind of thing was not a priority for me so I can't speak to it more. I wanted a good, easy to use, music player, and the Solstice delivers, making it easy for me to play hundreds of my favorite tunes over Bluetooth to my car stereo. Being able to customize the home screen with your favorite tasks is a very nice touch on the interface.

Cons: Can't think of many. Wish the camera was better than 2MP (Eternity had 3MP), but it takes decent pix and has a zoom. The multi-tasking capability is a little hard to get used to (especially with the music player), but that's just a learning curve.