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Samsung Rugby III
This Samsung Rugby III is no longer available.
Reviews
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5 starsstars
19
19 reviews with 5 stars.
4 starsstars
9
9 reviews with 4 stars.
3 starsstars
5
5 reviews with 3 stars.
2 starsstars
3
3 reviews with 2 stars.
1 starstars
7
7 reviews with 1 star.
Overall Rating
3.7
30 out of 43 (70%) reviewers recommend this product
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Summary of Reviews
AI-generated from customer ratings & reviews, and may include incentivized reviews.
- The phone appears to have a mixed reception, with positive feedback on its durability and long battery life, but negative comments on poor text messaging functionality, buggy Push-to-Talk feature, and quality issues such as breakage and poor sound quality.
- It seems suitable for those who prioritize a rugged, simple phone, but may not meet the needs of users with more advanced requirements.
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Average customer ratings
Design
Design, 3.3 out of 53.3
Features
Features, 3.8 out of 53.8
Most helpful favorable review
5 out of 5 stars.
Great durable phone!
13 years ago
I purchased this phone today and I absolutely love it. I love how durable it is and all of the physical buttons. The call quality sounds great, the ringer volume is loud, the battery life is excellent. The phone's size is a little big, but that will take some getting accustomed to. The phone is really easy to use and since this phone has the same operating system as my Samsung Evergreen, it was really easy to set up. I definitely recommend this phone to those looking for a phone to make and receive calls and they want something that is durable.
17 people found this helpful
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Most helpful critical review
1 out of 5 stars.
Phone OS has tons of frustrating bugs. DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE
13 years ago
Phone OS is really bad and no sign of any fixes coming from Samsung or AT&T. Here is the list:
1) Text messaging T9 mode has a dictionary. You can add words but you cannot delete words. T9 gets confused at some point and makes "you" default to "968". You cannot go into the dictionary and delete the "968" word. How stupid! There is a workaround by making the phone learn what you want "968" to be. You must go into the message screen and type "968" and tell it to switch to "you". Do this about 15 times and the phone finally decides "968" should automatically default to "you". Ok. Now for the really really stupid part. At some point a few days later, the phone once again defaults to "968" so you have to do the above steps all over again. Oh, and the same thing happens with other words. "did" defaults to "dgd". You have to do the same teaching thing above. Do this for a month and you are ready to throw the phone in the garbage.
2) There is a PTT button on the left of the phone that when hit attempts to start the AT&T PPT service. Ok, so I don't have PPT service, let me just disable the button. Not possible. Web searches will show many people having the same issue - how to disable to PPT. There are a few youtube videos showing people prying off the button and cutting off the tab to it can't press the internal switch. Another recommendation is to use superglue to lock the button. Insane right?
3) On the right side of the phone is button to enable the speaker so you can talk hands free. But when the phone is not on a call and is closed, holding down this button for a few seconds can start the cell phone camera. When you first push the button, the front screen on the cell phone prompts you if you want to default to turning on the camera. DO NOT SAY YES because if you do, there is no way to change it back. I, unfortunately, said yes and so the cell phone camera starts if the phone is closed and the button is pressed for a few seconds. Since I keep the phone in my pocket, this happens frequently. Now even worse is once the camera is started, each additional click of the button takes a photo. Yep, so while the phone is in my pocket its taking photos until the memory fills up. This would not be such a big deal if I were able to configure this setting. No such luck from Samsung or AT&T.
4) The center button of the phone navigation pad automatically starts the web browser. There is no way to configure this (notice the pattern?). I don't have a data plan so starting the browser is of no value to me. But since its in the center and not configurable, i hit it frequently. I found a work around by creation a new network profile with bogus server URL. I then configured the browser to use this network profile. So when I accidentally hit the browser, it does start but fails to connect. Still a huge pain.
5) Text messages that are sent are supposed to be saved to the outbox (this is configurable). But there is a bug somewhere because some messages don't actually get saved there. Happened to me today, in fact.
17 people found this helpful
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1 to 4 of 43 reviews .
1 – 4 of 43 reviews
5 out of 5 stars.
Shame they don't sell this phone or phones for Senior citizens in India
11 years ago
Shame they don't sell this phone or phones for Senior citizens in India
I have nothing but respect for all their products not just quality but design and making them so user friendly but the only obstacle here is buying such a good product in India for my Folks who are over 65+ and smartphones are definitely not something they want, last 2 Smartphones I bought are used as digital photo frames
So if you guys at Samsung read this post please let me know how I can buy your
Samsung Rugby® III (AT&T) Flip Phone (SGH-A997DAAATT) in India hopefully in the year 2014 itself
ProsBuilt-in speakers, Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight
Yes, I recommend this product.
Originally posted on Samsung US
2 out of 5 stars.
This product has little features
11 years ago
I was not able to down load pictures from this phone to my computer.
ProsInexpensive, Durable
ConsDid not meet expectations
No, I do not recommend this product.
Originally posted on Samsung US
5 out of 5 stars.
2 years
11 years ago
I am a newspaper pressman and carry this phone on me all day at work. This phone has been dropped on cement floors, dropped in a parking lot-bouncing twice and landing in a puddle of slush(battery has never popped out), and has been exposed to ink, paper dust, and harsh solvents. The phone still looks good and works like the day I got it two years ago. Still has original battery. I never needed or used PTT, wish it did not have that feature.
Prosbattery life, Durable, Ease of Use, Good For Texting
Yes, I recommend this product.
Originally posted on ATT.com
1 out of 5 stars.
Don't get it wet
11 years ago
Phone got wet from rain and quick working. Warranty is worthless along with phone. No more Samsung products for me.
ConsPoor quality, Did not meet expectations
No, I do not recommend this product.
Originally posted on Samsung US
1 – 4 of 43 reviews
Questions
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1 - 6 of 6 questions
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Q: What's the difference between Gray and Black Samsung Rugby 3 Flip Phones?
8 years ago0 Answers
Q: Is the hearing quality as poor as it was on the first one I bought about 8 years ago and then dumped? Can't explain much more than the question. People called and what they were saying was almost inaudible. I am NOT hearing impaired. One of your employees said that was "a problem with the phone" when I asked about the issue.
12 years ago2 Answers
- A: Turn the speaker on it works for me and I have occupational hearing loss over 4 decades of exposure.7 years agoHelpful?
Q: Can this phone be activated without internet?
12 years ago1 Answer
- A: This device does not require a data package. Thanks, -Pedro, AT&T Social Media Manager12 years agoHelpful?
Q: Does the phone has texting capabilities
12 years ago1 Answer
- A: Yes, this phone has text capabilities.12 years agoHelpful?
Q: do the phone ring on incoming calls or play music ?
12 years ago1 Answer
- A: Hi richey decatur al, The Samsung Rugby III can be set to different ringtones by going into the menu under settings and choosing from the ringtones available. The Rugby III can also be set to have ringback tones and you can set them to tones, music, or phrases. They will ring back to the person you set them for, when they call you.12 years agoHelpful?
Q: can i get a better book on how to use the samsung rugby lll? The one they send with it does have a lot of information on how to use the phone.
13 years ago1 Answer
- A: Hi! Great question. Check the following link for information on this device: http://soc.att.com/11rhNxB. Specifically, on the "details" tab, under "key features", you will be able to link directly to the device manual and tutorials provided by the manufacturer. If you have any further questions regarding the device, please email us directly at [email protected] and reference this post in the subject line. Thanks. Catherine, AT&T Social Media Manager13 years agoHelpful?