Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read countless reviews for hours on Amazon before deciding on this radio. I have had it for about a month and so far it has worked great! The hand crank seems sturdy but don't expect much out of it as far as actually charging a dead phone for more than just one short call. Fully charged, the MMR-88 charged my dead iPhone6 to 6% before it wouldn't charge it any more. The radio and flashlight would still work at that point- it just didn't have enough juice to continue charging. I tested the built in solar panel and it does charge it just fine although it does take some time. I have a Suntactics usb solar charger which is much faster and is most likely much more reliable than the built in solar panel.The sound is VERY GOOD for this type of radio and I have actually used it while working in the garage, but it's not a boom box so don't expect a lot of volume. The auto off is a nice feature although a little annoying if you are actually using it to listen to music for an extended period of time. I could also do without the other gadgets except for maybe the flashlight, which might come in handy, although I usually keep several charged flashlights around. A HUGE selling point for me for this radio was the fact that the rechargeable battery can be replaced. The cheap rechargeable battery that comes with this radio is going to be the source of most, if not all, negative reviews. And the battery is usually going to be the first thing that fails on radios like this. When that happens to a radio with an inaccessible internal battery, you're out of luck. The battery is the only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5. Toss it aside as a backup and then search for and order an authentic (there are a bunch of fakes) AW brand IMR 18350 800 mah lithium ion rechargeable battery. This will eliminate any charging issues and will last the life of the radio if you are just using if for emergencies. The radio itself charges fairly quickly via usb and the cable is included. I use the plug for my iPhone instead of the computer. All in all this seems to be a quality, well made radio. Seeing that I couldn't find a single radio for less than $150 that was made in the USA, this is definitely a step above the typical cheap Chinese crap out there.