 [Larger view] | PCS Vision Picture Phone Sanyo PM-8200 Silver (Sprint)
| ||||||
Average user rating:  | |
 The best PCS phone got even better | |
| The last PCS cell phone I owned was the venerable SCP-8100 from Sanyo. It was a cute little phone that was the second cell phone from any U.S. carrier that could take pictures. (The first-ever model was the SCP-5300 also from Sanyo, released in July 2002.) The PM-8200 addressed two shortcoming of the 8100: 1) camera quality, and 2) speakerphone. The 8200 sports a higher-resolution built-in camera. Picture quality is also improved. The old 8100's pictures often had streaks and distorted colors. The 8200's pictures look much better. The speakerphone is definitely a great addition for those of us who like to multi-task yet dislike headsets. The volume and clarity could be a little better, but given the compact size of this phone, it's not bad. Reception on the 8200 is great, thanks to its external antenna. Battery life is good, unless you save a lot of things in memory, which depletes battery faster the more stuff it holds. The phone is attractive and can be customized in many ways, not to mention it comes in three colors. To Sanyo, I suggest you use the iPod Mini color scheme, because not many people like big red! In summary, the 8200 delivers lots of improvements over the already-excellent 8100. If you have Sprint or plan to get Sprint, this is the phone. If you want video recording, check out the Toshiba phone for Sprint. | |
| All this and its a cell phone too... | |
| the Sanyo PM-8200 is a powerful business tool. You can surf the web for map quest directions, collect your email, view your IP cameras and basically just about anything else you would do with your laptop. The camera on this phone is excellent, it has three resolution settings and even a digital zoom feature. I am an electrical contractor in Atlanta, Georgia. All of our electricains in the field have these phones, should one of them have a question they simply take a photo and either email it to me at our office or send it to my phone. We also use the camera feature for estimating. The "Ready Link"(Radio)feature, much like that of Nextel's "Direct Connect", is outstanding, however, unlike Nextel, you will be hard pressed to find yourself without signal. Sprint's coverage in Atlanta is excellent. I rarely drop a call. The Sanyo PM-8200 is by far the best cell phone/tool our company has ever provided for its employees and Sprint is a very customer service minded company. I would reccomend this phone and Sprint to anyone considering changing cell providers and/or upgrading equipment. | |
 Very well done phone | |
| I have had Sprint PCS service for just under 3 years, and in that time have switched phones 3 times. My previous two were Samsung phones -- the first was good, the second so bad that I had to consider getting another one just to get reception in my home. With the performance of that phone, I decided this time to try a Sanyo product. I had heard good things about the 8100, which this phone replaces, and was hoping the 8200 built on that reputation. After using this phone for almost 2 months, I have to say that I am very pleased. This phone has all of the features you can ask for, and yet with rebates and other offers is very affordable. Both color screens are very clear, and they display easy to use menus and a camera that takes pretty good pictures, considering the phone is not a stand-alone digital camera. The phone has a solid feel, and talk time is more than adequate, too (compared to my last phone, which may not be saying much). The nicest addition is the speakerphone, although the speaker could use a little clarity. Oftentimes, at low volume you cannot hear it, and when you put it higher, the sound is distored and reverberates. Since you can read about the remaining features above, I will point out a couple of disappointments, other than speakerphone quality. The first is the lack of screensavers, ring tones, and games. I know that since this phone is advanced, most people will end up downloading these things, but for someone that has little interest in PCS Vision or such services, this is a setback. Next, I am not sure why Sanyo only included 9 speed dial numbers -- my Samsungs allowed over 100, and it is limiting to have just those that are dialed by one touch of the keypad. My third complaint is not necessarily with this phone, but with the fact that even as good as it is, it does not mask the sometimes poor service Sprint PCS provides. It is either crystal clear or not there at all, and despite being told that this phone would give me much better reception (and it does compared to my last phone) it is still not near where some of the other carriers are. In summary, for the cost, you won't find a better Sprint PCS phone out there which includes all of the features you would expect from an advanced phone. And, when Sprint gets the service to where it should be, this will be a great phone to complement it. |
