Digital Trends

Samsung Propel (SGH-a767) December 1st, 2008 | by Stewart Wolpin

Features and Design

Nearly every feature in the Propel feels as cutting edge as its ergonomics. A push with your thumb easily slides up the screen to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Inside the Propel are a fine music player and XM radio, full text, IM and email options, a surprisingly high quality 1.3 MP camera, AT&T Navigation with turn-by-turn directions, a speedy HTML Web browser that uses AT&T Wireless' 3G network, which also provides access to AT&T Wireless' music and video offerings. The only fly in this assortment of cell goodies is a poor LCD screen that provides virtually no off-angle viewing, and bleaches nearly completely blank in direct sunlight.

Form Factor

At 2.33 inches wide, 3.85 inches tall and just .58 inches deep, the Propel fits quite comfortably in the hand for any and all apps, including conversations.

Its 2.2-inch screen isn't really wide – 220 x 176 pixels, 1.75 x 1.5 inches, but feels wide enough.

The Propel’s QWERTY keyboard is nearly identical to a BlackBerry's, and imitation is flattery. Keys are slight humped, so even though it’s tightly packed, its eminently thumbable as long as you're careful.

The right spine has a handy menu access button that displays a horizontal line of the most common functions. 

Ports & Connectors

All the ports and jacks you need are easily accessible on the outside: Samsung's proprietary headphone/power jack on the lower right side, and a microSD slot on the lower left side.

Accessories

The phone comes with a travel charger, period. The phone doesn’t even include a mono earpiece, much less stereo ear buds, which is a shame since you now have to buy Samsung's awful earbuds with their proprietary jack. AT&T's doesn’t even list any compatible headsets on their Web site. Great. 

Can a phone serve as a workable PMP?

The Propel's biggest problems stem from its lousy screen. It's bright enough and big enough, but videos streamed from AT&T Wireless' CV selection look as if there's a screen door over them, and images look polarized and/or solarized off-angle.

Its music player is far superior. Tracks load easily via drag-and-drop, or using Windows Media Player. My biggest complaint: You can't put tracks into shuffle mode until a track is playing, which means you have to choose a track first.

The music player stays active as you shift out of the player to other applications. The active track stays displays on the bottom of the home screen, and the nav array stays active for music controls.

The Propel also provides access to subscription-based XM radio. Signals are received through the cellular network, though, not the actual XM satellites, and you are warned the service eats a lot of data minutes.

The only bad news: the lack of an ordinary 3.5mm headphone jack. 

Sound Quality

For calls, voices come out clean, but a bit hollow. There's no real external speaker, just the earpiece, which doubles as one. Voices sound equally clean with plenty of volume, but tinny, as does music.