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Siemens SX56 Phone - Next Generation (AT&T)

Siemens SX56 Phone - Next Generation (AT&T)

List Price: $549.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Beware - no GSM850 coverage!
Review: AT&T uses two frequencies for GSM service. Originally they only used GSM1900 but as the old analog and TDA 850 MHz networks are made obsolete they are being converted to GSM850. The SX56 supports GSM1900 (and GSM900 for roaming in Europe) but not the newer GSM850 service. As time goes on AT&T will enhance their GSM850 coverage but there are reports that they've done all they're going to do to improve GSM1900 coverage. So if you're lucky your service will be OK but if you have any signal issues with this phone it won't get any better

I have the TMobile version of this phone and it works well on the TMobile network since TMobile only uses GSM1900 across North America. But this SX56 version of the phone is sold "locked" to only operate on AT&T's network.

This is a problem with many AT&T GSM phones but it's particularly an issue with the SX56 because there aren't any suitable replacements (yet) with comparable functionality that support GSM850.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Beware - no GSM850 coverage!
Review: AT&T uses two frequencies for GSM service. Originally they only used GSM1900 but as the old analog and TDA 850 MHz networks are made obsolete they are being converted to GSM850. The SX56 supports GSM1900 (and GSM900 for roaming in Europe) but not the newer GSM850 service. As time goes on AT&T will enhance their GSM850 coverage but there are reports that they've done all they're going to do to improve GSM1900 coverage. So if you're lucky your service will be OK but if you have any signal issues with this phone it won't get any better

I have the TMobile version of this phone and it works well on the TMobile network since TMobile only uses GSM1900 across North America. But this SX56 version of the phone is sold "locked" to only operate on AT&T's network.

This is a problem with many AT&T GSM phones but it's particularly an issue with the SX56 because there aren't any suitable replacements (yet) with comparable functionality that support GSM850.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Batteries are not available except thru Siemens at $216 each
Review: Don't bother buying this phone unless you get it cheap! battery replacement is $216 thru Siemens repair depot only. This phone is a real orphan. Talk about a short life cycle!!!
I bought mine 2+ years ago and gave up on the phone portion (GSM coverage was lousy). With all the hype about good coverage I switched from TDMA phone back to GSM. Coverage is still bad. What is worse the battery doesn't hold much of a charge now and can't handle PDA and celular functions. As per the above, Siemens wants $216 to replace it plus a nominal 10 day turn around. AT&T / Cingular wants to know nothing!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty Good for the price I paid
Review: I bought this phone directly from AT&T for 99.00 USD. And I love it, recently Siemens posted free upgrade to WM 2003. The best feature which I like during my limited use (less than week) is to take notes while talking to someone. I dont think this is possible in any other phone (unless you have PDA phone). Reception of AT&T in my area is pretty good so no issue with coverage. The only reason for giving 4 star is less memory and little bit big size than normal phone (but yes this is not a normal phone).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty Good for the price I paid
Review: I bought this phone directly from AT&T for 99.00 USD. And I love it, recently Siemens posted free upgrade to WM 2003. The best feature which I like during my limited use (less than week) is to take notes while talking to someone. I dont think this is possible in any other phone (unless you have PDA phone). Reception of AT&T in my area is pretty good so no issue with coverage. The only reason for giving 4 star is less memory and little bit big size than normal phone (but yes this is not a normal phone).

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: large, heavy, fragile
Review: I bought two of these, one for my wife and one for me. It was so large, heavy, and difficult to use the numbers to dial the phone, my wife didn't like hers. Therefore, when the VERY FRAGILE glass on the screen broke on mine after 5 months, I took hers. The glass broke on the seconed one after 3 months. I was just using it for normal calendar checking and phone calls - nothing rough. Stay away from this phone. BTW, it cost me $100 to purchase and they quoted $300 to repair. ATT doesn't sell them anymore.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent Phone PDA Combo
Review: I love my sx56, I have taken it everywhere, snowboarding, skydiving, beach, everywhere. Mine has never broken, in fact it is the sturdiest cell phone I've ever owned. Once I upgraded it to the Windows Mobile 2003 OS it was even better. All the cool standard software was great. Plus I added the Microsoft Voice Command software and can make calls to all my outlook contacts by pushing one button and saying "Call so and so home", you don't even have to train or record the voice commands, it does it all by voice recognition!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great PDA, horrible phone
Review: I've owned this phone for about 18 months and if I hadn't paid so much for it I would have taken a hammer to it long ago. Even in the center of a large town I get lousy signal strength; people can't hear me and I can't hear them. The PDA works well and I bought it so I could carry my calendar and contacts with me and dial them directly with one tap...nice features, well worth the $700+ I paid...IF I could get a signal. Now I have learned this is because this phone doesn't work on the "third" GSM band.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: very useful, but EXTREMELY unstable
Review: Like one of the other reviewers, I also used to carry around my cell phone, my PDA, and my pager. This extremely useful device consolidated all three items into one. I love that part.

The PDA functionality is truly great, and I'm finding it more and more useful every day.

The only downside is that it's more UN-stable than the "crazy" girl I dated in college! :-) This thing reboots itself (generally at very inopportune times) at least once a day.

Many times it stops sync'ing with the PC, and I have to shut the PC off, manually reboot the PDA, switch the USB cableto a different port, and then boot everything back up. It's a major pain.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great phone - Miss the phone pad
Review: Terrific phone for business folks on the go. All the connectivity and apps you need in one hand. let me take that back. you actually do need 2 hands for perfect performance. That is the only thing I do miss. But am willing to sacrifice due to the great display.

Was lost in Jersey last week, connected to internet, found directions and phone to the location, made the call and then was able to jot down notes.

Hopefully with Cingular trying to acquire ATT it will speed up the improvement of the GSM service coverage. As you all know ATT is spotty, when the coverage is good it is good when it ain't it is horrible.

Would recommend this phone to anyone who wants to eliminate their PDA, synch with outlook, and access email/internet while on the go.

Would have been 5 stars if ATT service was better. But let's admit it, they all stink.


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