Samsung Contour SCH-R250

Samsung Contour SCH-R250

Plenty of people still want simple cell phones that just make calls. If the phones don't require contracts and have inexpensive, monthly plans, so much the better. So goes the Samsung Contour SCH-R250 ($49), a new flip phone on MetroPCS that offers the basics for a very low price. The thing is, the carrier already has several better choices for about the same price as the Contour. The Samsung Contour looks a lot like any number of flip phones from the past several years. It measures 3.8 by 1.9 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.8 ounces. The candy apple red and black finish looks rich, although the phone itself is made entirely of somewhat flimsy-feeling plastic. The left side houses a volume rocker switch, while the right holds a shortcut button for the camera, a covered microUSB charger port, and a covered, non-standard 2.5-mm headphone jack. The 1-inch, external, passive-matrix display looks dim and washed out. The LED-style clock and numerous status icons are welcome, though. Inside, the 2-inch, 128-by-160-pixel LCD is brighter, although it's also somewhat washed out when compared with the competition. Either way, the low screen resolution means you won't be using this phone for much aside from voice calls.