Samsung Rogue SCH-U960 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)

Overall a good phone October 7, 2009

Reviewer:  Kyle Soule  (Pontiac, IL USA) -

I'll just start right in with my pros and cons:

+ Full QWERTY keyboard is great
+ Texting is perfect, threading each person is convenient
+ Web browsing (to mobile supported sites) is fantastic
+ RSS feed implementation is flawless, love browsing headlines first
+ My gmail account works nicely in the browser
+ Notes app is quite useful
+ Intuitive
+ Pictures are great
+ Facebook is nice, more so if I didn't have to sign in each time
+ Display is beautiful

- Shaky javascript support...no online banking with my banks site
- Texting has its own memory set aside; I often get a memory full error
- Text messages during phone conversations are annoying; it beeps in your ear repeatedly
- The screen shuts off during phone use
- Default ringtones are lame and I can't use my own MP3s
- Video support...YouTube works, that's about it
- [...] doesn't show up...along with other sites that are heavy in JS
- Too few ways to customize notifications
- Aside from music, getting things on to the phone is frustrating
- Bluetooth is close to useless
- Screen scratches easily
- It's hard to pin-point what you are clicking with your finger...even after calibration
- No app store
- Viewing photos is quirky; sometimes they will scroll on their own or exit the photo viewer
- Deleting large amounts of text and multimedia texts can freeze the phone
- No video support (outside Vcast, which Verizon is phasing out?)
- Battery life is brutal; I use all of it in 10 hours while at work (browsing and texting)
- Conversations kind of sound like the other person is in a tin can

Overall, this device is good for texting. Things as standard as using a custom ringtone are missing. The beautiful display is wasted without uploaded video support.

Maybe some of this stuff will be fixed in a software patch...although it kind of feels like Samsung released the phone and then forgot about it. I don't expect updates soon, if at all.

Bottom line: texting, YouTube, and RSS feeds are the big draws while the lack of customization and multimedia support are the big drawbacks.

Amazing phone! Get one TODAY - you'll be glad you did! September 19, 2009

Reviewer:  John M. Sullivan 

First let me say I've had about a half-dozen cell phones (both personal and work, talk-only to PDAs), so I've had and tried many phones. The Samsung Rogue simply blew the rest of them all away!

We put off moving the family from T-Mobile to Verizon, and put off getting the LG Touch when we heard online that the Samsung Rogue was going to come out soon (Thanks Boy Genius Report!) We are SO glad we waited.

A STUNNING screen (AMOLED), touch screen, and an INCREDIBLE 3.0MP camera with an amazing number of features that all JUST WORK! I went to try the camera phone, turned it horizontal and thought, "gee, in this position the rocker buttons normally on the right are now on top and I wonder if they work now like a zoom feature on a regular camera?" And they DID. When listening to video and vertical the volume rocker on the left is up for louder and down for lower like you'd expect. What surprised me (in a GOOD way) is that when the phone is horizontal the top volume rocker (that is now pointing left) is actually for lowering the volume - just like you'd expect in that configuration. Amazing.

I tell you, I'd buy Samsung ANY DAY over most if not all other brands. They just plain know how to make solid, feature packed items! (Anyone else tired of cheap Chinese junk! Buy Samsung - they're Korean and know what they are doing!) I wish they made cars! (Samsung that is.)

The only thing so far that I've found I wish was a little better is when searching apps on Verizon's site with the phone - when you slide your finger on the screen to roll up to see more folders (in the games for example), I tried to scroll up twice in quick succession and it took my movements to be two clicks instead of 2 slides and I nearly ended up purchasing something! Yikes. Glad they ask you one more time if you are sure. I'm just more careful now in that area.

My last comment is about Verizon's app store, not the phone - I wish you could download a demo so you could see if you liked something rather than only having either a monthly fee OR flat out purchase. I'd like to "TRY before Buying", not "Rent and maybe then buy anyway."

In Summary, I've only just started using this phone over the last 2 days and I can't wait to keep finding out more about it. This should be a very easy phone to love for the 2 years of my contract with Verizon. Make yourself happy and GET A SAMSUNG ROGUE today!!!

Fantastic for a non-smartphone October 16, 2009

Reviewer:  T. J. Green "meateebon"  (Hendersonville, TN USA) -

I recently decided it was time to ditch AT&T and switch to Verizon (most of my contacts are on Verizon anyway, so it only made sense). So, a couple days ago I switched and decided to get the Samsung Rogue.

The phone I had on AT&T was a Blackberry Curve, and this phone impressed me so much that I was more than happy to give up the Blackberry. While the ability to use some more advanced Blackberry functions isn't available (notably the calendar is less robust, but still usable), practically everything I used my Blackberry for on a normal basis can be done on this phone. The web browser works pretty well, and the text messaging is just as good as what I had on the Blackberry. The option to have Visual Voicemail and Mobile Email (at a small extra cost) is all I needed to complete my escape from the Blackberry.

The touch screen is accurate and responsive, and the menu layout is very intuitive. Compared to the smartphone touch-screens I've seen (like the Blackberry Storm and Windows Mobile 6.1 phones like the Samsung Omnia) this is much much easier to use and much less frustrating.

The keyboard is going to take some getting used to after having a Blackberry, but it shouldn't take long to get used to and the buttons have good action to them.

In my opinion, this phone is the closest you can come to having a smartphone without actually having a smartphone. This is just fine by me, since I get the majority of the functionality of a smartphone without paying extra for a Blackberry data plan. Note: you will be required to sign up for unlimited data, but it is the cheaper standard data and not the more expensive smartphone data.

As for being on Verizon now, the small gripes I may have about how they lock you out of installing 3rd-party applications is minimal, since I now have a cheaper bill and better area coverage, and this phone does everything I need really anyway.

Exactly what I had hoped for. October 23, 2009

Reviewer:  rowancv 

After getting my phone run over by a car, I did some research and concluded that I wanted to get the Samsung Rogue. I considered the positive and negative comments, but the positive far outweighed the negative, so I went with it. After only one day of use, I must say that this phone has met all of my expectations. As far as the phone itself, I have been able to put my OWN pictures AND videos (I bought Download Helper's Video Converter from Mozilla Firefox and it works like a charm for converting videos into ".3g2" files- once converted, the video quality is AMAZING on the Rogue). This by far, was the most important thing for me. So I have my own videos from my laptop on my phone, and I have all the pictures I want on there too (hurray for custom wallpapers! lol). MUSIC- works great (you can make MULTIPLE playlists! but unfortunately you can't multi-task and keep the music playing in the background while you do other things like browse the internet), and as with the video, the speakers are honestly very good quality. The screen qualities- sharpness, brightness, and richness in color- are absolutely AMAZING. It's got a beautiful and STUNNING AMOLED screen that you will fall in love with INSTANTLY. I'll let others review the internet, as I haven't been able to mess around too much with it (due to a limited data plan for the month), but from playing around with it for 10 minutes at the Verizon store, I really liked what I saw. Totally like a laptop browser. Other random things- I like the drawing and note-taking apps (I should look into getting a stylus), it is VERY easy to figure out how to use the phone, even without the manual, there's a customizable banner you can add to the home screen, the phone has "position sense" and the screen will adjust accordingly (horizontally or vertically), I just watched about 30 minutes of video and the battery life was still full (mentioning this for what it's worth; but also note that playing a game (as with using the internet I hear) will drain the battery much quicker), the touch screen really isn't bad at all once you get used to it (I find that it's better to keep your finger down as you scroll because it gives you A LOT of control (and when you stop, the scrolling stops too without pressing anything by accident- very nice), as opposed to flicking your finger to scroll (if you DO like to flick, make sure you begin the flick with a lot of pressure to ensure the scroll does happen- it will scroll every time without a problem)), I LOVE setting my phone to different, more laid-back fonts, video works great (put it in "save" mode), the picture camera has a flash and TONS of fun settings (there is a lag time though between pressing down for the picture and having the picture actually taken), I am able to put my own ring tones by sending 25 second mp3 clippings to my phone and saving it as a ring tone, the file viewer is an AWESOME feature that allows you to view things like Microsoft Word and Excel files, the call quality is EXCELLENT (my voice and the voice on the other end) as is reception, there's a sensor that shuts the screen off when you're on a call (so that you don't accidentally press anything) and once you move away from the phone the screen will turn back on, the QWERTY keyboard is AMAZING and very easy to get used to, there are some pretty cool Voice Command features and Voice to Text capabilities (useful for example, when driving), threaded texts are very cool and look great, and the overall look is just incredibly elegant. Widgets and Apps are not really my thing, so it's not a big deal to me that it doesn't offer as much stuff in that area as the iPhone does. The phone basically does everything I need it to (and with STYLE!), and I'm totally sold on it. I have absolutely no regrets about purchasing the Samsung Rogue and making it my next phone. LOVE IT and it is EXACTLY what I had hoped for!! Don't forget to buy screen protectors!! As well as at least a 2GB MicroSD card to get the MOST out of your new phone :-). God bless.

Couldn't be any better. October 5, 2009

Reviewer:  Imapethobo "Vinh"  (California, USA) -

I just purchased the Samsung Rogue yesterday because my contract for my old phone (LG Chocolate 2) had just expired. I was having some trouble picking either the Impression or this phone, and my gut was pretty much screaming "GET THE ROGUE" and I did so and felt I made a good choice. I've been with Verizon for a while now, and I love their service, I wasn't so sure about AT&T, because I've never used them, but I hear bad opinions and good opinions about them, so I was a bit iffy and decided to play it safe and stick with Verizon. Now lets go through a rundown of the phones features.

-This phone is, I think, the 2nd phone here in the US to use an AMOLED screen, and the display is freaking gorgeous. The wallpapers they have in the pone with you look great, and aren't those cheesy ones you find in other phones.

-The interface is pretty straight-forward and user-friendly, so I had no problems learning how to use the phone.

-There are side-buttons which contain the camera button, sound rocker, mute/speaker and lock. These buttons are easy to access, so no worry there. There is also a call, return, and hang-up key on the bottom

-This phone uses a Samsung Proprietary jack, so no Mini-USB which is a bit disappointing, but eh nothing to bring me down. Also the headphone jack is 3.5mm, which is great because now its more compatible with other headphones.

-I was a bit disappointed with the keyboard, but its not too bad. The keys are pretty small, and I have big hands, but its all good. There is also a dedicated text messaging key for easier access, and the thing that kinda ticked me off the most was that the keyboard was located in between the v and b. I was hoping it could be on the row where the non-letter keys are. But its all good.

-The camera is alright to use. It has a self-portrait mirror and flash which is a good bonus. Its camera is 3.0 MP, which is the standard quality for phones these days.

So thats all I'm going to review, you can find more in-depth reviews about the phones software features etc. somewhere else. Overall I'm very satisfied with this phone.

btw, there is a 10 dollar data plan fee you must pay every month, but in return you won't have to pay for internet :D

great pictures January 9, 2010

Reviewer:  M. Crawford 

I am very happy with this product. I am still learning all the features. I did a lot of research online before purchasing this product. It has great quality for being able to hear on your calls. This is important for those of us who have a spouse who has trouble hearing and the picture quality is great. Also, the battery time is good. It holds a charge for a long time. I also love the qwerty board. It is very easy and fast to text. I like it so much, I am sending text that is much longer. It is a little bulkier than some of the other phones, but I carry it in my purse, so I really do not care. The other qualities outweigh(excuse the expression) the fact of the size.

Like it very much. December 31, 2009

Reviewer:  A. cernoch "Truth"  (FL) -

I do not work for Samsung or Verizon.
I like this phone very much. yes, the touch display misunderstands my fingers every so often, but all sensors do that. the sound is clear, i like the display and graphics alot. i was hinging between this Rogue and touch EnV, and because of the slide keyboard and interface layout..I chose the Rogue.

The phone has a good weight to it & the battery is good. if you use it alot it runs out of juice quicker.
If you are considering this phone, swing by best buy and hold the phone in your hand to get a feel for the physical properties of it. and trust me, the interface is used correctly on it. that was my biggest complaint for the EnV. if you have a touch display you should have a slide bar not just a bunch of stamps to click on...((weird look))

Amazon was very fast on shipping.

I had some issues with Verizon, but due to my dumb mistake when i opened the phone. I activated it, thinking i could transfer my old # to it...NO, they can't do it. so i had to give up my old # to keep this phone and plan. if you are already with Verizon, go to a store and have them activate it under your old # or go into your verizon acct online. there is an option to activate a new phone. (I was new to this and didn't realize it)

A Few Quirks May Drive Me to Distraction December 9, 2009

Reviewer:  T. Chmil 

Great screen, decent web browsing, but WHY is it easier to unlock the phone than to turn off the alarm? Seriously!? Unlocking requires a single tap on an on-screen button or A BUTTON STICKING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE PHONE! This makes it rather easy for your pocket, hip, or rear-end to dial numbers, take pictures, or purchase apps. Turning off the alarm actually has a slider to either Snooze or Dismiss so it was certainly possible for Samsung, Verizon, or whomever was responsible for the UI to make a better lock/unlock control.

I refuse to buy a phone holster and my wife would likely divorce me if I did so I'll have to live in peril for the next 2 years. At least I can check my e-mail easily during that time.

Gorgeous!! October 23, 2009

Reviewer:  ellafan  (MI) -

I just got this phone yesterday. It is loaded with everything a gadget-maven such as I could want.
The 3mp camera takes great shots,indoors and out.I shot some orange leaves today.Came out rich and deep.
The touch-screen took 39 seconds to get used to...it's my first.But not my last!!
The call quality is superb.According to the people who have called me and vice-versa.
I immediately downloaded some cool ringtones and assigned them individually to my contact list.So far,Ella Fitzgerald and Chaka Kahn.
The 3G network works like a dream. My previous provider's coverage area was terrible,even though I was using a beautiful new BlackBerry Curve. I half-expected the Rogue to somehow be adversely effected by the location..on the shoreline of one of the Big Lakes. It wasn't.The first call I placed got rave reviews.BlueTooth headset set-up was quick and it works perfectly.
The phone is a marvel of high-tech,for the time-being.I know how quickly technology changes and advances.But for now,I can't see me using any other phone for a few years.

One more thing:Since we consumers change cell phones/providers so often,think about donating your unused cell phones to an organization that could use them.Just Google "Donate your cell phone," and you will find a ton of places that would appreciate your donation.Like our soldiers.Women's shelters.Animal rescue organizations.They are all there.Check it out.

Lousy voice quality on phone calls February 13, 2010

Reviewer:  No need to thank me  (Washington, DC United States) -

Like to annoy your friends? Call them using this phone.

Yes, the Samsung Rogue has a sturdy keyboard and a lovely screen. If only it weren't a telephone. Literally everyone I talk to on this phone has complained about the sound quality. It does a truly abysmal job of reproducing a natural-sounding human voice. I wish I'd swallowed the restocking fee and returned it (not Amazon's fault; I bought the phone directly from Verizon). Instead, I've added a Bluetooth headset.