 |
 Corporate accounts can save up to 25%!
You are here: Cell Phone Reviews > Sanyo Cell Phone Review > Sanyo Katana Phone Review
Sanyo Katana Phone Review
Sanyo Katana Phone Review:
SANYO KATANA – Review and Tips and Tricks:
The Sanyo Katana is a mobile phone which is loaded with features like VGA camera, Speakerphone, Bluetooth technology, a wireless web browser and a voice recorder all encompassed in a really slim clamshell design. The name Katana comes from a particular type of sword that the Samurai warriors of Japan use. The phone is pitted against the slim design of the Samsung MM-A900 and the MOTORAZR and this means the phone’s form is its biggest strength. At a thickness of 0.6 inches and a weight of 3.4 ounces it does give a fight to its counterparts. This Sprint PCS Cell Phone seen from many angles, looks like a brother of the motorazr but it is distinguishable because of its beveled edges which are unlike the straight cuts of the Motorazr.
 
The keypads are arranged in a classic grid layout which is quite retro in style but may not appeal to some of the new age customers. The blue backlit keys are are definitely a bonus while working with the phone in a dark environment.
The multimedia hardware of the phone is quite basic in its nature though pales in comparison to the advanced features of the Samsung and Motorola rivals. The Katana has polyphonic ring tones, messaging and email features and also Bluetooth capabilities that include wireless web features. The VGA camera has five picture mode options and a variety of adjustable settings. Packed with features users look for, the phone even comes with three games; The World Poker tour, Midnight Pool and trial versions of Pac-man and Tetris. You can download additional games from the Sprint website.
The phone has a dual-mode tri-band capability which is supported by excellent call quality, signal strength and a talk time of around 4 hours.
 What are the in-call options available in a Sanyo Katana?
It is useful for any user to understand the in-call options available to him/her so that it is comfortable to navigate and look for information even while a call is in progress. In a Sanyo Katana, the in-call options are displayed when the OPTIONS soft key is pressed in the middle of a call.
The options available are:
FLASH allows a user to take another incoming call while one call is in progress. This can also be used to connect to a third party in a three way conference call. This facility, though, does not appear while the user is in a roaming location.
MUTE / UNMUTE allows a user to toggle between switching the microphone on and off
TRANSFER AUDIO lets a user redirect the audio of the call to another compatible device. This option helps redirect the call to a hands-free device while in the middle of a call.
SPEAKER ON / OFF allows a user to toggle between keeping the speaker phone option on or off. (It is important to note that using the speaker phone close to the ear may result in damage to the user’s hearing)
THREE-WAY CALL lets the user initiate the call to a third party
MISSED ALERTS allows a user to check on any alerts that he/she would have missed.
CALL HISTORY can be used to access the log of all the calls from / to the mobile phone
MESSAGING lets a user access the messaging screen during a call
TOOLS allows access to the menu containing tools in the phone
SETTINGS takes the user to the settings menu from where the user can control the settings of the phone
How to set the sound settings in a Sanyo Katana
The different sound settings available to a user are:
1. Ringer types:
The ringer type helps a user have different formats of ringers which can be programmed so that specific numbers in contacts can have individual ringers by which the incoming call can be identified.
There are three types of ringers:
Preprogrammed ringers - which include the set of familiar and default ringers available on the phone as a part of its factory settings
Vibrating ringers – which allows users to identify incoming calls without having to disturb the people around them
Downloaded ringers – which are ringers which can be downloaded and added to the existing ringer content on the phone.
The procedure to set the ringer type for any voice call:
- Choose VOICE CALLS from the RINGER TYPE menu in SOUNDS under SETTINGS
- Identify whether the ringer is selected WITH CALLER ID or without in which case the NO CALLER ID option can be chosen
- Now the ringer can be chosen from all the ringers available on the phone
- Once selected the ‘MENU OK’ key is chosen and the ringer is set
To select the ringer type while the user is in a roaming location, you access the VOICE CALLS menu in RINGER TYPE and then in this menu ROAMING is chosen. If the roaming ringer has to be activated, DISTINCTIVE can be selected, else NORMAL is used to deactivate this feature.
A user can have specific ringer type for calendar/alarm, voicemail and even for messages. To choose a vibrating pattern, the process is similar and can be set-up by accessing the VIBRATING PATTERNS sub-menu in the SOUNDS menu of the phone.
2. TONE LENGTH:
The user can choose to have either a SHORT or LONG length of tone which can be heard while pressing the keys on the phone. This is especially useful while pressing automated systems like voicemail and it is important to identify what keys are pressed. This feature can be set from the TONE LENGTH sub-menu in the SOUNDS menu.
3. VOICE PROMPT:
This feature allows a user to set voice prompts while having a voice memo or screen call settings. In the default setting of the mobile phone, the voice prompt is switched off and it can be activated as per requirement.
4. SILENCE ALL:
The user can use this option silence all the sounds in the phone at one go in case the user is in an environment which requires silence like an important meeting or while watching a movie. The method to put the phone in SILENCE ALL mode is quiet easy as it can be done by pressing the volume keys on the side down repeatedly till the display screen shows “SILENCE ALL”
5. KEY PRESS ECHO:
This is a feature available on the Sanyo Katana phone where a voice mentions the number on the key pad is it is being pressed by the user. This is usually available to a user while the phone is in a stand-by mode. This feature can be activated or deactivated by choosing ON or OFF in the KEY PRESS ECHO sub-menu in the SOUNDS menu and under the OTHERS option.
How to wirelessly back up contacts data on the Sanyo Katana mobile phone
This advanced feature on the Sanyo Katana Sprint PCS Phone helps a user store all data from the contacts list to be stored on the Sprint Web site and makes it possible to access the same information in case the phone is damaged, stolen or lost.
To begin to use this wireless back-up service, it is important that users get this service activated on their particular handset. To activate this service, a user would buy this service from any of the Sprint vending machine which can be accessed from the cell phone's WAP browser. The license for this service requires to be updated regularly as it will expire after a pre-set amount of time.
As a first time set up protocol of the subscription process, a password which is generated randomly is sent across to the user as a text message to the handset of the user. The word SUBSCRIBE would launch the process of subscription on a handset of a subscribed user, the word UNSUBSCRIBE will be displayed.
Wireless back-up service activation:
1. WIRELESS BACKUP is a selected as a sub-menu under the CONTACTS menu from the main menu button.
2. Under this sub-menu, the SUBSCRIBE option is selected where the user is prompted to confirm the status of the license.
3. Press the left soft key displaying YES and the process of purchasing the license is indicated in the form of a set of instructions on the screen.
4. Once successfully registered, a confirmation screen is displayed.
5. WIRELESS BACKUP can also be accessed from the SETTINGS menu and a similar procedure can be followed.
6. Once the back up account is set up and the password is available to the user, he/she can access all the contacts back up data from the Sprint PCS backup website.
7. The sprint website contains information regarding the contacts list on the mobile phone and is updated regularly every time the information is edited on the phone
Wireless back-up service deactivations:
1. The WIRELESS BACKUP menu can be accessed through either the CONTACT menu or SETTINGS menu and the UNSUBSCRIBE option is chosen.
2. Then the user will be led through a series of on-screen instruction to unsubscribe from the service.
The WIRELESS BACK-UP ALERT is a pop-up feature that can be turned on/off on the display screen to show when the back-up is in process. This feature can be set to ON or OFF by entering the WIRELESS BACKUP menu and selecting the ALERT option.
|
|
| |
| |
