Samsung Spex SCH-R210

The Samsung Spex SCH-R210 is a very basic candy-bar cell phone -- no camera, no music player -- with a small 1.5-inch screen and no voice dialing. It does offer the advantage of no contract through either Cricket Wireless or MetroPCS. Owner reviews, while few in number, generally express satisfaction with the Samsung Spex SCH-R210 as long as you don't need bells and whistles. Professional reviewers don't trash the Samsung Spex SCH-R210 but recommend other low-end options -- the Kyocera K312P for MetroPCS and the Motorola VE240 for Cricket users.

CNET tested the Samsung Spex SCH-R210 with MetroPCS service in San Francisco and got "decent" reception, although voices sounded "hollow" and it took "too many" clicks to engage the speakerphone. There's a basic WAP browser, and several owner reviews say it's good "for its type," meaning on par with other cheap cell phones' browsers. But with a tiny screen, you may not want to spend a lot of time surfing the Web. Owner reviews also indicate satisfaction with the "tactile" keys, but CNET reviewer Kent German says you probably won't want to be texting or dialing by feel. CNET did test the battery and got nearly five hours of talk time, more than the manufacturer promises.

We found the only full professional review at CNET, although the Samsung Spex SCH-R210 is evaluated in passing in a review of another cell phone by PCMag.com. Consumer Reports does not cover the Samsung Spex SCH-R210. Owner reviews are in short supply -- none at Amazon.com and CNET and about a half-dozen at PhoneScoop.com.