Samsung Transform Ultra Review

I've been wanting to upgrade to a smart phone.  My current phone, the Tracfone Samsung t404g , worked great and was good for texting, but I wanted to be able to have "emergency" internet access when I was out,  be able to move my calendar from the wall to google calendars, have GPS access, and be able to be a mobile hotspot for my tablet if needed.  I really liked having a keyboard, so I wanted one on my smart phone as well.  I didn't need a top of the line phone because I'd rather do most of my web browsing and email on my tablet.  I also wanted a phone that could fit in my pocket and had OK battery life.  I decided on the Samsung Transform Ultra with Ting as the provider.  I really like this phone.

Pros:

• fits in my pocket
• battery life is acceptable (have to charge every other day with my light use)
• keyboard comes in handy when my fingers refuse to type properly on the onscreen keyboard
• alarms and calendar come in handy
• camera does OK
• works as a hot spot
• netflix and angry birds run fine

Cons:

• original one I got had a broken settings button and was a little unstable, but the one I got as a replacement seems stable and works just fine (I got a refurb)
• not the fastest processor in the world, but it gets the job done
• screen is not high-def, I don't care, but others might
• current version of Kindle app doesn't work well on it (hangs and hard-locks the phone), had to downgrade to an older version
• When roaming the sms messages don't ring

Other thoughts:

• not worth paying $200.  It's worth about $70 (the refurb price)

Don't let the long con's list give you the wrong impression.  This is a great phone for someone who doesn't need a top of the line phone. It does exactly what I need it to.

About Ting

Ting is cellular provider I'm using.  It runs on Sprint's network, but will roam for voice onto verizon.  I thought the rates were reasonable, especially since I won't use much data. I'll pay $25 a month for 500 minutes, 1000 texts, and 100mb of data.  An advantage is I can add another phone for $6 a month and it can share in the pool of minutes, texts, and data.  Because it is a pay-as-you-go plan, I had to buy my phone (Lucked out and got a refurb for $30).  If you like the idea of Ting, you can go here and get $25 off your phone.

update (1/16/2013):
I've had this phone about two months.  I still really like it for what it is: a quick way to check email, an ebook reader, a gps, and a phone.