Samsung SPH-M300

Professional reviews say the Samsung SPH-M300 is what it is, a cheap clamshell cell phone that makes phone calls just fine but has only a few features, including a low-end VGA camera and low-res display screens (128 pixels by 160 pixels on the 2-inch main screen). The Samsung M300 is available on Sprint as well as kid-friendly carrier Kajeet, which offers prepaid plans. Owner reviews are about what you'd expect for an inexpensive product -- the more savvy reviewers say they weren't expecting an Apple iPhone at this price, others maintain that no cell phone ought to be this cheaply made. The consensus of professional reviews is that the Samsung SPH-M300 is a wise choice only for the casual user; a couple of them mention the Samsung SPH-M500 or M510 as better options (it has a better camera, for one thing). User reviews frequently complain about battery life, but independent professional battery tests get close to the promised 3.2 hours of talk time (which is not great), give or take a few minutes.

While missing some features like a music player, camcorder or microSD memory card slot and boasting a contacts list with just 299 entries, the Samsung SPH-M300 offers some standards and a couple of unusual functions. It has Bluetooth and support for instant messaging and email, and a web browser that reviews describe as slow and prone to freeze-ups. But it also has a function that will send voice messages to people without making a traditional phone call -- for instance, if you know they can't talk at the moment -- and those messages are charged as text messages, not as phone calls. You can also use the Samsung SPH-M300 as a wireless modem for your laptop, though CNET's Bonnie Cha points out that's going to be about as fast as a dial-up connection. The VGA camera gets the usual complaints for that type of device, but the 8 MB of non-expandable memory also severely limits how many "blurry… brownish" photos you can store. Some reviews say the keypad is not so bad, but Australia's GoodGearGuide.com.au calls it "spongy."

Not every major review source rates every cheap phone, although CNET comes closest to complete coverage of the low-end market and does review the Samsung SPH-M300. MobileBurn.com, Australia's GoodGearGuide.com.au and PhoneScoop.com also publish professional analysis. Just be aware that the Australian review refers to a couple of features that aren't included in the U.S. model, such as an FM radio and expandable memory. We found helpful owner reviews at CNET, GSMArena.com, Amazon.com and PhoneScoop.com. ConsumerReports.org doesn't rate the Samsung SPH-M300.