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Midrange music phone with interchangeable faceplates
- Interchangeable faceplates
- 2-megapixel camera
- Music player with dedicated controls
- Easy-to-access microSD slot
- Support for GPS, XM radio
- Can shoot video
- Some complaints about static
- Poor LCD resolution
- Some complaints about battery life
Experts say the Samsung Hue II SCH-R600 is so different from the original Hue that their only real commonality is that they are both midrange clamshell cell phones. Otherwise it's a thorough revamping and essentially an entirely new phone. There is a plethora of features, but the unique gimmick (the Hue part) is that there are changeable faceplates. Included in the box are blue and gray, and you can buy white, green and purple faceplates if you want to color-coordinate further with your clothing or mood. CNET describes call quality as "quite good," but we saw a few complaints about static in owner reviews at PhoneDog.com.
The Samsung Hue II R600 is a step up from cheaper basic phones -- it has a music player with dedicated external controls. The camera is 2.0 megapixels and can shoot video, there's support for GPS and XM radio, and the Hue II offers stereo Bluetooth capability. The phone has 56 MB of built-in memory and an external microSD slot that will handle up to 8 GB more; you can play music only when a microSD card is inserted. There are two display screens, a 1-incher outside and a 2.2-inch LCD inside with decent resolution (220 pixels by 176 pixels) for the price. As with most cell phones, the Hue II offers text and instant messaging, email and a WAP 2.0 web browser. CNET rates the top five Alltel cell phones, with the Samsung Hue II SCH-R600 coming in fifth and the now-discontinued LG Glimmer taking the top spot. However, in a standalone review at CNET, the Hue II gets a "very good" rating. User opinions are all over the place; there are some grumbles about the phone's battery life.
We found the only professional review of the Samsung Hue II SCH-R600 at CNET. While CNET usually is thorough enough to do a battery test, for this review it merely repeats the manufacturer's stated claim. At this writing there are no owner reviews posted on CNET -- none at Amazon.com, either -- but we found a few at PhoneScoop.com and PhoneDog.com, although not enough combined to represent a fair sampling.
Our Sources
1. CNET
CNET gives the Samsung Hue II a "very good" rating, saying call quality for this midrange phone is admirable and there is an impressive array of features, including support for GPS and XM radio. The sharpest criticism is for the "rather loose" hinge.
Review: Samsung Hue II SCH-R600 (Alltel), Kent German, Mar. 5, 2009
2. CNET
The Samsung Hue II SCH-R600 ranks fifth in this top five, with the LG Glimmer taking the top spot and the LG Rhythm also rating an "excellent."
Review: Best Alltel Phones, Nicole Lee, April 6, 2009
At this writing there are just a couple owner reviews, hardly a fair sampling. One is positive and one is negative, but they are both long and detailed, listing pros and cons. Both praise the camera, but they differ on the quality of the Bluetooth connection and the speaker.
Review: Samsung Hue II R600, Contributors to PhoneScoop.com
4. Phonedog.com
Just a few owner reviews are posted here, none rating the Samsung Hue II very highly and all complaining about battery life. Two also say there's a problem with static.
Review: Samsung Hue II SCH R600 Blue Cell Phone User Reviews, Contributors to PhoneDog.com
