Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560

Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 largely resembles other square texting phones such as the Samsung Propel. We didn't love the odd slider shape when we first saw it, but we admit that's it's grown on us. It may not be pretty, but it certainly is functional as it accommodates the full QWERTY keyboard. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 measures 3.9 inches by 2.37 inches by 0.59 inch and weighs 3.5 ounces. It's also portable, it has a comfortable feel in the hand, and the slider mechanism feels sturdy.

In fact, if you hadn't told us, we'd never guess that it's made from recycled materials. And we have to admit that we like the green color. Not only is it appropriate for the eco friendly image, it's also attractive and unique. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560's 2.6 inch display supports 262.000 colors and has a 320x240 pixel resolution. It's not particularly eye popping, but it's bright and it shows colors and graphics well. You can adjust the brightness, and the backlighting time.

The icon based menu interface is simple and intuitive and we like that the Reclaim supports Sprint's One Click interface (see our Samsung Highlight review for a full description). The navigation array is quite nice. You'll find a large circular toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, Talk and End and power buttons, a speaker phone shortcut, and a back control. Though most of the controls are flush, the spacious design makes them easy to use and accessible. The alphabetic keyboard lies below the sliding face.

The top of the keys isn't set too close to the slider so you should have enough room to tap away. As on many cell phones, the alphabetic keys share space with numbers and symbols, but the arrangement doesn't feel too crowded. The number and Function keys are conveniently marked in green. You'll also find a shift and symbol keys, shortcuts for the e-mail and texting apps, back and enter buttons, and a control for emoticons.

On the left spine you'll find a 3.5 millimeter headset jack (nice!) and a large volume rocker. On the right spine is a camera shutter, the microSD card slot, and the charger port. The latter uses a standard Micro-USB connection, which we welcome. The camera lens and self portrait mirror are on the rear of the sliding face. You must have the phone in the open position to snap a photo. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560's single speaker sits on its back side.