Samsung Replenish Report
There are many ways to go green these days, and the Samsung Replenish for Sprint is yet another. The Android 2.2 phone is constructed from more than 80 percent recyclable materials, housed in partially recycled plastics, energy efficient and built with fewer environmentally sensitive materials. Sprint also lowered the monthly rate for the Replenish to $10 for new or existing customers, so the phone pays for itself in theory within 5 months. It not only gained our environmentally conscious respect, but the phone managed to perform quite well with its less advanced and smaller screen. With a full QWERTY keyboard and Google services, it was as useful as any mid-level Android phone. However, its battery life and camera made us think twice in the end. Let's delve into the full analysis of the Samsung Replenish
Design
As we stated in the intro, the Replenish is constructed from more than 80 percent recyclable materials, housed in partially recycled plastics, energy efficient and built with fewer environmentally sensitive materials. The nifty thing is that we couldn't even tell the difference between a phone as green as the Replenish and a typical environmentally deficient Android device. So, we think all phones should be constructed with green on the mind, especially with the turn-around rate with new "bigger and better" smartphones being released every two weeks.
We like the Replenish because it reminded us of our favorite BlackBerry Bolds and Curves, thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard. The keys were actually elongated to suit larger fingers, so typing was a bit easier as well. The nifty thing about this phone is that it has a touchscreen in addition to the QWERTY. Though the screen is a piddlydink 2.8-inch with an entry-level QVGA resolution. The screen definitely lacked on this phone, though sensitivity and navigation were uninhibited.
Parting the keyboard and screen are a set of classic Android Menu, Home, Back, and Search buttons (it's so strange to see an Android candybar phone with so many physical buttons!). In the back is a 2-megapixel camera lens devoid of a flash, so you can pretty much foresee what our image quality section is going to look like. Other than the Camera button and Voice Command button, the Replenish skimped on memory with a 2GB card in the phone's 32GB slot.
Software and Interface
Android 2.2 is the main steering wheel on the Replenish, though it's the phone's Sprint IDs that really set it apart. Before we get to Sprint IDs, let's look at the guts of this phone. It's got 256MB of RAM, 3G EV-DO network connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. But the good news is that the phone has an accelerometer for 3D gaming, which you'll find out about in the next section. Overall, it was actually a quick phone and exhibited minimal lag. We got the standard Android drop-down menu, Applications menu, 5 customizable Home screens, and a standard set of Android and Samsung widgets.
But then, the phone offered Sprint IDs, just like we saw on the LG Optimus S and Samsung Transform. While HTC Sense has Personalize with interchangeable profiles, the Replenish offers a slew of profiles in its Sprint ID catalog, which could be reached right from within the Launch menu. Here, we could browse a gaggle of profiles like Big Apple (New York profile), Socially Connected (for the Social Networker), and Green ID Pack (all environmentally-conscious themes).
We could then download the IDs, or profiles, we wanted over Sprint's EV-DO network (Wi-Fi was unable to complete this), and install them for future use. While HTC's profiles were more useful for the user looking to transition from Work to Play to Theater, etc., Sprint IDs were more about putting specific content on the phone that pertained to a very specific category. For instance, there was even a Latino ID for content in Spanish. The Green ID pack included applications like iRecycle, Treehugger, Lightbulb Finder, TH TV, and a shopping widget for organic clothing.
Internet and Multimedia
Much to our surprise, the phone handled 3D games very well. Actually, the phone could do everything a typical Android phone could, except play Flash content from within the browser. But when it came to playing Speedx 3D, Duck Hunt, Angry Birds, you name it, it was more than capable (check out our video review for demos). We also liked having the keyboard handy for web browsing, though most games relied on the screen controls. With such a small screen, the Replenish naturally took a hit when it came to multimedia and gaming compared to QWERTY sliders like the Samsung Epic 4G and HTC EVO Shift 4G, so that was one of our main concerns.
Call Quality/Battery Life
Even while roaming, call quality on our Samsung Replenish review unit was crisp and clear, though the phone's battery life was terrible. This was baffling because it really didn't have any hardcore hardware or an advanced screen. Its 1600mAh battery just couldn't hack it, and needed a charge at least once a day. When we analyzed what was sucking up the battery life, it appeared to be cell standby. So, if you're using data over the 3G network and making lots of calls, this phone will need to be replenished quite often.
Camera
Sadly, the Replenish has a 2-megapixel camera with no flash and no front-facing camera. Images were…well…images. Very pixilated, poorly focused images. Videos were…well…videos. At 352x288 resolution with a whole handful of noise, videos were really only suited for sending via text. Without auto focus or a flash, it was even weaker (see photo and video samples). To put it this way, the phone took us back about 5 or 6 years when it came to the camera, and in Sprint's QWERTY phone portfolio, we found the BlackBerry Style to perform far better.
Samsung Replenish – infoSync Diagnosis
The price for going green is cheap if you're a Sprint user, but is it worth it? Yes, the Replenish is made of recycled plastic and it comes with a Green Sprint ID. It's also 10 bucks a month before you add in all of the other fine print rubbish. We liked the fact that the Replenish acted like a typical Android phone and gave us the added benefit of the QWERTY. Also, we're green at heart, so that gave it some brownie points. But the lack of a decent camera, poor battery life, and amateur screen left the phone behind, in the land of mediocre features. The bottom line is that if you're a hardcore Greenie and want a cell phone, the Replenish is one of your only options. Otherwise, the BlackBerry still rules the candybar QWERTY phone category.
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