Samsung SCH-a790

Verizon's CDMA network offers the best coverage in the United States, but CDMA coverage overseas is virtually nonexistent. Customers of American GSM carriers have been able to roam on Europe's GSM networks for some time, but Samsung's SCH-a790 is the first phone to unite the ability to access CDMA and GSM networks in a single handset to keep overseas travelers connected.

The SCH-a790 parks in a pocket with ease, but it's neither particularly small, nor, at 4.2 ounces, all that light. The mirror-gloss finish on the phone's front is stylish but collects smudges and seems like it could scratch easily. A small exterior color LCD displays the time and incoming call information, but it's difficult to read with the backlight off in dim light.

Open the flip and prepare to be impressed by the spacious and vivid 176 x 220 screen. The keypad is also visually striking, but it trades fashion for functionality. Consisting of flat, narrow bars, the keys provide little tactile feedback for dialing by touch. Also, it's tough for big thumbs to hit the OK in the center of the four-way key without also bumping a directional arrow.

The animated user interface displays beautifully on the bright screen and is fairly intuitive. One flaw will irritate heavy SMS users: every time you write a message, you must go to a menu to switch the input method from basic multitap to T9 predictive input.

The SCH-a790 software includes the basics like a contact manager and a calendaring application. In the U.S., you can access news, weather, and Web-based e-mail (AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo are supported) through Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 portal, but even with the relatively speedy 1xRTT data connection this requires some patience. Inexplicably, given the SCH-a790's business orientation, there's no built-in support for POP e-mail. You can download an e-mail application via Verizon's Get It Now service, which offers a number of programs and games, some for free. The SCH-a790 is also missing a speakerphone.

The SCH-a790 does have a VGA camera that takes decent pictures for a phoneNi.e., somewhat fuzzy, with the usual crop of chromatic aberrations. The flash, an LED by the lens, actually does manage to illuminate faces. You can send your pictures to other compatible phones in a picture message or to e-mail addresses.

No data link cable is available, which means the only way to move anything onto or off of the phone is over the network. Given the 1xRTT connectivity, it's a shame you can't plug the phone into a laptop as a wireless modem.

The call quality was good in the U.S., but the SCH-a790's whole reason for being is international travel, so we took it for a spin in France. Getting off the plane in Paris, we were easily able to switch the phone to GSM mode and make a call in a flashNconsidering we had just spent 12 mind-numbing hours in coach class, that speaks well for the SCH-a790's usability.

The sound quality was also good on the GSM network. We were able call local and international numbers (the per-minute cost is $1.25 in most countries, plus any long-distance charges).

Unfortunately, it proved impossible to send text messages, though we could receive them. Two calls to Verizon's global customer service (free from the phone) led to polite but unproductive conversations. Beyond that glitch, we had no difficulties with the phone abroad. Be aware that picture messaging, Mobile Web, Get It Now, and Verizon's Voice Gear voice-dialing service don't work overseas. Before you ship out, consider picking up the travel power adapter ($19) and leaving the included cradle at home.

The SCH-a790 is a unique value for frequent overseas travelers that want to use Verizon's network at home and keep the same cell number on the road. If you don't fall into this somewhat rarefied group, though, it's difficult to justify the phone's cost.