Samsung SGH-T239 Refurbished

This basic GSM phone puts the features of the T229 into a slider body and bumps up the display resolution. Key features include Bluetooth, camera, mobile web browser, and Java for downloadable gamesDesign
As we mentioned, the T239 has a retro design. You'll recognize its slider shape, midrange display, and navigation array from previous Samsung models. At 3.78 inches by 1.87 inches by 0.68 inch and 3.34 ounces, it's slim and lightweight, but it has a relatively solid feel in the hand. The plastic battery cover is flimsy, but the slider mechanism is solid. The T239 is available in red and gray; we reviewed the red model, but the features are the same on both models.

The T239's display measures 2.8 inches and supports 262,000 colors (220x176 pixels). Colors are bright and graphics and photos look relatively sharp. Also, the menu interface is easy to use in either the list or grid style. You can change the dialing font size and color, and the backlighting time. The display is difficult to see in direct light, but we're used to that.

The navigation array features a large toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, and the Talk and End/power buttons. The toggle and soft keys are raised, but the remaining controls have a spacious layout. You can set the toggle to cycle through your MyFaves contacts or as a shortcut to four features.

The keypad buttons behind the toggle are nicer than on many slider phones. They're slightly raised and they have a comfortable, almost rubbery, feel. We could dial and text quickly without making many mistakes. What's more, the numbers on the keys are large with bright backlighting. The top row of keys includes shortcuts for the browser and messaging app and a Clear key. Fortunately, the top row of keys isn't crammed up against the slider. Our only complaint is that we'd prefer not to have to open the phone to see the Clear key.

The left spine of the T239 has a camera shutter and a headset/charger port. The connection is proprietary and the combined jack means that you can use only one peripheral at a time. The volume rocker is the sole control on the right spine; you can find it by feel when you're on a call. On the rear side of the phone is the camera lens.

Features
The T239 has a relatively small phone book with room for 300 contacts (the SIM card holds an additional 250 names). Each entry holds five phone number types, an e-mail address, notes, and a photo for caller ID. You can organize contacts into groups and pair them with one of 15 40-chord polyphonic ringtones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a task list, a calculator, a world clock, a tip calculator, a unit and currency converter, a timer, and a stopwatch