Like Sanyo's previous cellphone releases, the Sanyo SCP-3810 comes with solid basic features and an easy-to-use design. Beyond that though, there's little to look forward to.
Physically, the clamshell phone sports a stylish, albeit non-remarkable, aesthetic, marked by a boxy profile, lightweight frame and compact dimensions. The external monochrome display, which is partially hidden when turned off, is a little too small to be of any real use. Inside, the larger 2.4-inch display is a little more agreeable, delivering a 320x240 resolution and a very vibrant quality. The navigation array, keypad and menu are all laid out in a sensible way, are comfortable to use and a breeze to manage. Even elder technophobes can probably get into it.
As a phone, the SCP-3810 can manage very good calls (on Sprint's network), with plenty of volume, natural-sounding voices and zero interference. On occasion, a slight metallic quality finds its way into the conversations, though it's rare. The speakerphone, while loud, didn't perform as well, adding a very odd tone to the voices. Battery is rated at close to 6 hours of talk time, which should make for several days of use, given that it doesn't come with plenty of draining extras.
Being an entry-level handset, it doesn't come with a lot of features. All the basics are onboard, however, including a 300-contact address book, a decent messaging suite (MMS, threaded SMS, IM, web-based POP3 and IMAP emails), stereo Bluetooth, a simple music player and the rest of the usual capabilities. There's also a 1.3 megapixel camera (no video), with a few editing options and generally acceptable shot quality.
Available free from Sprint with a contract, the Sanyo SCP-3810 is a decent choice if you've been angling for a budget handset that does the basics well. You can also buy it for around $250 (more or less, depending on where you shop) unlocked, which doesn't sound half as good as getting it with an agreement (you can find better unlocked phones at that price).
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Sanyo SCP-3810. It is a stylish and good looking phone and have very attractive colors.