Conclusion
Editor Rating: 
4.3
Samsung and Sprint took a chance with UpStage, hoping to push the envelope when it comes to designing the ultimate convergence device. Part phone, part music and media player, UpStage is certainly an eye-catching device with some great attributes. It's overall look and feel is excellent, it's lightweight and thin and yet loaded with features. Unfortunately, the dual-sided design wound up being better in theory than in practice. While the idea of devoting an entire side of UpStage - complete with a big widescreen display and touch-sensitive controls - to media, and the entire other side - complete with a dedicated display and roomy buttons - to phone functions might sound great, it just doesn't work that well. 4.35
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If you don't send text messages and don't mind scrolling through your contacts on a display limited to three lines, UpStage might just satisfy your need for an ultra-thin, ultra-chic phone that can (sorta) do it all. Pair UpStage with a 2GB memory card and stereo Bluetooth headphones, and you've got yourself an iPod-nano sized music player with a phone built in. Just don't plan to use all of those extra features - messaging, Internet, calendar, SprintTV, and so on - very often unless you really, really like flipping your phone over and over. And over and over.
Cons: User interface is awful. Front display menu is VERY limited. Touch pad is poor quality. Power supply and headset both go into the same jack so you can't change phone while listening to music. Can't use your own music as ring tones. The micro SD card cannot be read my the card reader on my PC, laptop, or my work laptop - must be the way the phone formats the card.
Pros: Very thin and small.