The first images of the forthcoming Samsung dual-mode LTE/CDMA R900 Craft have surfaced. The Craft features a hardware QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, a touch display of unknown resolution and a SIM slot for authentication on the LTE network. Pricing has been confirmed by the tester who leaked the pictures in the above link to be set at $299.99 with no release date set at this time. The phone will be released alongside the launch of LTE service in Dallas Ft. Worth and Las Vegas this Fall.
Humberto Saabedra
Humberto Saabedra is the Editor-in-Chief of AnimeNews.biz, PhoneNews.com and an occasional columnist for Ani.me. He can also be found musing on things at @AnimeNewsdotbiz
this phone can rock some peoples world. as far as features of the phone go, lets compare it to the EVO or the Epic. I think this phones internet can be somewhat faster but when the internet is fast and the phone is slow theres not much going on there. although the phone looks nice but the resolution of the screen looks like crap and the camera is only 3.2 MP. For being the first LTE phone i think MetroPCS could have done a lot better.
does not look to be android. thats to bad everything seems to be going the way of android
[…] has talked about it, but hasn’t given us a full visual treatment. Thankfully, the folks at PhoneNews.com have brought them to the public (via Howard Forums. That’s the basic view up top, Make sure […]
No android ;-( no tether ;-( breakable keyboard ;-( I like the the old
picture touchscreen one earlier I guess I’m going to buy the Mytouch HD from T-mobile. Also I read metro band wide is sooo small your going to get 3g speed not 4g lte and Metro admitted it true. There still a 10% chance I might get it but it’s not look good.
I hate predictive texting sometimes.
I hate predictive texting sometimes lol.
has anyone got a clue when will b in florida
I’m kinda confued cuz when u search for this phone on google images under samsung sch-r900 it shows a differen phone???
It does not look like a Smartphone, it looks like another darn Feature phone.
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[…] of the Samsung Craft r900 will run $300 and should be available by the end of this year. via: First Images of MetroPCS Samsung Craft Surface, America’s First LTE Phone? | PhoneNews.com Attached Thumbnails […]
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If it is a android where is the little green people
[…] announcement follows the leak of the first live images of the device last week, which will be powered by Samsung’s generic CDMA […]
[…] will be releasing a new phone, the Samsung Craft, which will be the first LTE handset in the U.S. The phone has a nice, […]
[…] follows the leak of the first live photos of the Craft feature phone which will be the first LTE phone available in […]
I haven’t seen or heard a lot of great things about this phone. First, its not a smart phone, its a message phone and the touch screen isn’t as responsive as it could be either. Also, it’s not an Android phone. For what they are asking for this phone it isn’t worth it. Most people are better off just getting the LG Optimus which is an android phone and it will be coming out in Nov/Dec. They only drawback I see with the LG Optimus is it will run on Metro’s current network, which we all know is slow when it comes to the internet, but the upside is its wifi enabled, so that could help with speed in regards to the internet…
@Jones, you are absolutely correct the Samsung Craft is a terrible phone. The only thing going for it is that it is 4G LTE enabled. It is not a smartphone sadly :(. Where did you hear about the LG Optimus coming out for Metro? It’s a shame that Metro has no 3G networks setup (well at least in most areas).
Well, I’ve seen quite a bit of reviews on the Metro 4G LTE network and its not that hot either…I currently own the Samsung Caliber which has been a great phone thus far, but I’ll be going with the LG Optimus when it comes out. I have a friend that owns a MetroPCS Store, they told me about the LG Optimus. They had a dummy LG Optimus in a drawer which they let me check out. Its a pretty cool looking phone, but since it was a dummy phone I wasn’t able to do much except check out the buttons and size of the screen. It will be coming with the latest version of android on the phone, which is the main reason Metro scrapped the Zio because it was going to ship with the old version of android (version 1.6) with no way to upgrade it.
@Jones, I had the Samsung Caliber but I got fed up with it because to me it seemed like a basic touchscreen phone and traded it on Craigslist for a Samsung Code (which is miles better because it is an actual smartphone running on Windows Mobile 6.5). The only thing I dislike about the Code is its lack of Wi-fi integration. The Samsung Craft to me is no different from a Caliber except the Slide Out keyboard, wi-fi and 4G. I saw some reviews of the 4G network too, but I think it just seems slow due to the fact that the Craft is such a terrible phone. I’m curious how the 4G network would be on an Android or Windows Phone 7 LTE 4G capable phone. Right now, they say that the 4G network is much like a 3G network.
I guess it depends on the person using a particular model phone. For me, I only use the Caliber to pick up email off of my server and use it only to make certain calls (I know it sounds like cloak and dagger stuff). I have owned an on line business for the better part of 7 years and it allows me to respond to people and check my sales while away from home (sales are emailed to my server). I have Internet on my work computer so viewing the net is not a problem for me. I don’t need my phone for that purpose. I sure don’t need my phone for the Internet at home, I have a large network which consists of 3 desktops and 4 laptops, not including my netbook which are all running on the latest greatest wireless router technology (my router costs more than most people’s expensive phones). My work provides me with a free cell phone and most everyone I know, has that phone #, I’ve been at this particular job for 6 years and have had the same # for as long as I’ve been at my job so no need to give everyone my personal phone #. Also, don’t care for those little bitty keyboards which I assume the Code has, I have very large hands and fingers so the Calibers QWERTY on screen keyboard works better for me when responding to emails…This is another reason I’m staying away from the Craft, its a slider with a keyboard which will probably break at some point from use and of course the keys are small. I must say that the Caliber has never given me a problem, but again, it really depends on what a person plans on using a particular model phone for. I will be selling my Caliber once I get the LG Optimus, The Caliber is in new condition and I have several cool Ed Hardy covers for it, (hate to see them go). I’m middle aged and work in an office environment so my phone is in Pristine condition. In fact, if I boxed it back up, people would think its brand new…LOL.
The good thing about the LG Optimus is it will be wifi enabled besides being an android. I plan on retiring from my job this coming year and running my business full time out of my home so my work phone will be going by the wayside when that happens.
@Jones, I see what you are saying. I too have very large hands but it took me a few days to get used to the Codes’ keyboard. I enjoy the phone because you can setup as mainly email accounts as possible. Not only that but it displays the email messages in HTML format, meaning that when you view an email on a Windows Phone, it will look the same as if you were to view it on a computer. I respect your opinion on the Caliber though.
The LG Optimus looks very promising. What’s holding me back from buying it is the fact that it won’t be compatible with Metros 4G network. I’d much rather wait a year when they claim they will bring out a REAL smartphone that is compatible with the 4G network. I’m looking forward to it.
I wish you the best with your home business. I pray in sincerity that it is a success.
I believe the LG Optimus is a real smart phone but it not being 4G compatible is something I have thought about, however, since it is an android phone (for me anyways) it seems like a fair trade off in lieu of the 4G. I think I’ll be able to get more use out of the phone. Again, I’ll just need it to do basic things, but there are some android apps that look quite fun and useful…My home voip service has just come out with an app for smart phones with an android OS as well as several other smart phones, with the app you’re supposed to be able to use voip through your smart phone saving you minutes, I know it doesn’t matter with Metro about minutes, but hey you never know how things are going to go in the future, things change. I have my doubts about Metro coming out with a 4G android phone anytime soon, heck, I don’t know if they’ll be coming out with any 4G phone anytime soon. Metro tends to build up a lot of hype and then the whole thing kinda deflates itself when the phone either never launches or if it does, it launches several months later and then you don’t really care anymore about it, or the phone isn’t really as good as they make it out to be…
Thanks for the best wishes on my business, to be honest, I could have left work two years ago, but I chose to hang in there and save up some money. Its time for me to devote my efforts towards my business now though, I can make do a hundred fold more if I could devote the time to it…
@Jones, you are correct in stating that the LG Optimus is a real smart phone (since it runs a legit OS (Android)). I would have loved 4G compatibility because from time to time I love to tether my connections. For example, on some of the more modern Android phones like the HTC Droid Incredible, the Motorola Droid 2, and the Samsung Galaxy S series phones, you can tether your 3G connections wirelessly (basically using your cell phone as a router). I always found that very convenient if I’m in an area that does not have wi-fi capability. Though, living in the Bay Area of CA, just about everywhere you go these days has wi-fi. Also, I can cancel my home AT&T DSL service if I tether a 4G phones connection to my computer. 4G is roughly the speed of mid-range Cable modem and high-end DSL (roughly 6 mbps or so around that range)
I’m thinking about opening a business of my own soon perhaps with a friend. So many people are getting laid off these days that you can really only rely on yourself. I am still relatively young (26) so I can afford to take risks. I just hope that the business I do manage to open up is as successful as yours.
Well, I know this is off topic, my only regret about my business is that I didn’t start when I was younger, but the web was not even around in those days…LOL…I graduated HS in 79′, long before anybody knew who Bill Gates was, let alone windows which didn’t come out until 85′, I enlisted in the armed forces during my Jr year of HS, after I graduated I served 4 years…The secret to owning a successful business is to put everything you’ve got into it (not monetarily) but most of all, believe that you can do it (positive attitude). You need a lot of determination, dedication and will power. What pushed me over the edge was one day, I became angry with work, I looked at my wife and said “I need to get out of work and the only way that is going to happen is if we open up our own business and work for ourselves” and that is what set the wheels in motion, from that day forward I worked tirelessly, in the day time I worked at my job and at night I worked on my business till 3am most days. I read a lot of e books on how to market on the web etc. To make a long story short, our company just became bigger and bigger every year and made more and more every year, the more I made, the harder I worked at it, its like a snowball rolling down the side of a mountain, it becomes a boulder as it rolling down, the “boulder” is still rolling down the mountain side…
My only other piece of advice to you is to be careful about opening up a business with a friend, a lot of times the friendship sours (for one reason or another) and you wind up losing your business and your friend…Its best to give it a good long thought before you jump into a business with a friend…As for me, I’m the sole owner of my company…
Last but not least, remember this final thought…Whether your business is successful or if it fails, there is only one person that is responsible for the outcome…
@Jones, thank you for the kind advice sir. I will keep it in mind. I really have to push myself with the right thought process and believe in what I do. You are absolutely right about opening a business with a friend can be risky. I love the analogy you made between having your own business and a snowball rolling down a hill side and becoming a large boulder.
I too am fed up with working for other people. I know that I may be too young to be complaining about that, but there are so many things I want to do in my lifetime that I don’t think I will be able to achieve working for other people. Thank you once again for your kind words and advice. I won’t ever forget them.