Samsung SCH-U520
| Manufacturer | Samsung Electronics |
|---|---|
| Compatible networks | CDMA Dual-band (850/1900 MHz) |
| Availability by country | December 7, 2006 |
| Form factor | Clamshell |
| Dimensions | 3.7 X 1.9 X 0.7 in(94 x 49 x 17 mm) |
| Weight | 2.9 oz (84 g) |
| Memory | 64 MB |
| Removable storage | microSD |
| Display | 176 x 220 px TFT LCD, 262,144 colors |
| External display | OLED |
| Rear camera | 1.3 megapixel |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, GPRS, USB, WAP |
The Samsung SCH-u520 is a phone available since December 7, 2006. The phone was the first phone to support Alltel's Axcess Mobile Guide service. The service allows customers to hear voice turn-by-turn navigation, view maps, find locations, plan trips and more.
The Samsung SCH-u520 allows users to watch TV, listen to the radio, and access podcasts. The phone has a 1.3-megapixel camera, video capture and playback, and a high resolution display. It is the first Alltel phone to support A2DP Bluetooth profile, which allows customers to connect to a stereo Bluetooth headset and stream their .mp3 music through a stereo headset.
This phone is also the first Alltel phone to offer Celltop, a widget oriented service that allows users to customize their phone via the use of "gadgets" similar to Apple's Dashboard or Yahoo Widgets.
Technical specifications
- Date Released: December 7, 2006
- Form Factor: Clamshell
- Battery Life: 230 minutes talk time, 250 hours stand by time
- External Display: Color OLED
- Speakers: 2 externally facing stereo speakers
Features
- Games: Yes
- Polyphonic Ringtones: Yes
- Vibrating Alert: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes (Mono/Stereo Headset Only)
- E-Mail client: Yes
- GPRS: Ye
- Instant Messaging: Yes (Via Axcess IM)
- Infrared (IR): No
- BREW Apps: Yes
- Java ME Apps: Unknown
- MMS: Yes
- Synchronization: Yes
- SMS: Yes
- USB: Yes
- WAP: Yes
- Internet Browser: Yes (xHTML)
- Picture ID: Yes
- Voice Memo: Yes
- Camera: Yes (1.3 megapixels)
- Flash: Yes
- FM Radio: No
- GPS Capable: Yes
- MP3 Player: Yes (External Buttons Included)
- Streaming Multimedia: Yes
Other information
This phone was delayed multiple times over the months leading up to its release due to software issues. It does not currently have Bluetooth OBEX File Transfer capabilities. It is yet unknown as to if and when this will be made available via a software upgrade or a hack.
This model also doesn't allow for MP3 files on the MicroSD card to be used as ringtones. MP3 files can be played from the MicroSD card, but you can't copy the songs from the microSD card to the phone and must have the card in to play the songs.
The phone does not have customizable ringer profiles. To silence the phone fully (not just the ringer) you must hold down the # key. If you only hold down the outer volume key will only silence the ringer.
Users have had limited success with transferring images and files to the phone via the use of BitPim, which requires the use of a data cable. Although it is unclear whether any great progress has been made, it is known that you are able to write to the phone's internal memory but not immediately use the files written. After writing MP3 files to the 18067 folder (BREW->MOD->18067) and rebooting the phone, the files can be used as ringtones if the Msinfo.db file is manually re-written, changing the file entry generated in the Msinfo.db from "/ff/brew/mod/sample file.mp3|0|0" to "/ff/brew/mod/sample file.mp3|0|5" using a program such as Wordpad, then re-written to the phone.
See jmaxxz.com for more information on using bitpim and the sch-u520. In addition to the .jpg format used as image files on the u520, the phone also recognizes .gif images (including animated .gif) and these images (added through BitPim or to a microSD card) can be used as wallpapers with the same procedure detailed on this page.