Mobile Phone Reviews
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Samsung Tocco Ultra - this fabulous slider mobile phone from Samsung (aka the Samsung S8300)is set to be one of the biggest sellers in 2009 as their new top of the range model. Using Samsung’s TouchWIZ interface, huge 2.8 inch AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) WQVGA touch-screen (screen resolution 240 x 400 pixels), because of this new OLED screen technology no backlight is required which extends battery life.
With the huge range of features packed into the Samsung Tocco Ultra you may think you have been given the wrong phone when you take this handset out of the box, it’s tiny, just 12mm thick with technologies and features such as GPS with Google maps, Bluetooth with A2DP, 7.2Mbps HSDPA support, 8 mega-pixel camera, video recording at up to 30 frames per second with DivX, WMV, MPEG and Xvid codec support for playback, FM radio with RDS, music player (MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA) with 5.1 Virtual Surround Sound, 75MB internal memory, PDF, excel and word document viewer and quad band GSM reception.
The 8 megapixel camera is simply amazing, featuring auto-focus, face-detection, and geo-tagging for photographs. it gets even better with moving video - recording at up to 30fps and a full video editing suite. Sharing pictures or videos has never been easier with the photo blogging feature.
Pros
Slim 12.7mm body.
Anti-scratch metal frame.
Scratch resistant screen.
Music player
FM radio with RDS.
MicroSD HC memory card slot supporting up to 16GB.
75MB internal memory.
1GB microSD memory card in-box.
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps.
Bluetooth v2.1
Cons
No Wi-Fi
No 3.5mm headphone jack
The Tocco was one of Samsung’s top selling mobile phones in 2008, and by taking the decision to upgrade to this latest model, the Samsung Tocco Ultra Edition, Samsung are obviously looking to build on their success. There really is little negative to say about this handset. It does everything well, some things brilliantly, nothing badly, and really the lack of standard 3.5mm jack is the only bad point worthy of mention. Lack of Wi-Fi LAN is not the big problem it can be on other phones, with the Samsung Tocco Ultra Edition offering high speed data access at up to 7.2 Mbps (HSDPA). Watch out for this one!
The Samsung S3500 Marcel is a great mid-range phone that is stylish and fashionable. A compact slide handset with with measurements of 99.9mm x 48mm x 14.3mm, the S3500 is neat and compact fitting comfortably in the palm of the hand. The front of the phone is largely taken up with the 2.2 inch TFT screen (displaying up to 16 million colours) with a screen resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
The 2 mega-pixel camera featured on the Samsung S3500 Marcel isn’t one of the best cameras on the market, however this is a mid-range phone and the camera would be adequate for most peoples needs, including basic features like a picture album and video recorder/playback.
A built-in music player system enables the user can to listen to all their favourite tunes in several formats including MP3, AAC and WMA files. If you run out of pre recorded music there is also an FM Radio. The Samsung S3500 can be personalised by adding a selection of Polyphonic or MP3 tones. Further entertainment is provided with pre-loaded Java games.
Access to the internet is provided with WAP 2.0, HTML and XHTML web browsing, with EDGE and GPRS technology providing high speed data transfer rates. Connectivity with other devices is simple using Bluetooth wireless connection or USB cable. The Samsung S3500 Marcel is a Quad-band GSM network phone which allows user to use their phone services abroad. However, as always, Network reach varies depending on service provider, so please check prior to travelling.
With the Samsung Marcel S3500 keeping in touch with friends, family or work is well catered for with a range of messaging services such as SMS, MMS (multi-media messaging) and Email. Predictive text input technology is standard allowing super fast text message creation.
The Samsung Marcel S3500 ships with a full range of applications and tools such as a document viewer compatible with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. The range of useful applications includes - Voice dialling, calculator, calendar, organiser and of course an alarm clock.
Pros
Music player with MP3, AAC and WMA functionality
16 million colour TFT screen
EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution)
Bluetooth with A2DP technology
Predictive text input
Integrated hands-free speaker support
Voice recognition technology/voice dialling
Cons
No Wi-Fi
Not 3G
Basic camera functions and specification
The Samsung Marcel S3500 mobile phone is a stylish looking phone with some great features wrapped up in a compact handset. A mid range phone in terms of price and capabilities, making this a less complicated and more user friendly device.
This is the latest “ruggedised” type of mobile to hit the market place following in the footsteps of the amazing Sonim XP3 Enduro. The Samsung B2700 Bound is offered as a toughened handset specifically for those with outdoors or active lifestyles. With toughened plastic bodywork that is water and dust resistant to the ICE IP54 standard (IP stands for Ingress Protection, the 5 corresponds to “Limited protection against dust ingress” and the 4 corresponds to “Protected against water sprayed from any direction. Limited ingress permitted” according to the International Electrotechnical Commission).
As you can see from number ratings above, this rating doesn’t mean protection from heavy duty damage or total submersion, but it does offer much more protection against the elements than a conventional handset. In addition to the “beefed up” protection features the Samsung B2700 Bound also offers some useful gadgets for outdoor types such as a compass, an altimeter, a pedometer and a torch. it should be noted that this handset is water resistant and shock resistant as opposed to being waterproof and smash proof (this is not an industrial strength phone in the way a Sonim JCB phone is).
In terms of looks the phone certainly looks durable and the protective sealing and moulded rubber-feel casing gives a rugged and substantial look. Measuring 115 x 52 x 18mm and weighing 115g this is not a super slim lightweight handset, but then it’s not supposed to be. Big no nonsense buttons complete the picture enabling user to make calls with heavy gloves on. Available in black with grey edging, black with blue edging or blue with black trim are available.
Battery life and call performance are good with clear reliable reception and over 10 hours talktime (or 480 hours standby) from a single charge - perfect for long camping trips!
The Samsung B2700 Bound features a fairly basic 2-megapixel camera on the back panel dedicated side camera button but no no autofocus or flash. The camera does have video capabilities shooting 176×144 pixels resolution at 15 frames per second, so the quality is not great. Especially when viewed on the rather modest 1.9 inch, 262k colour screen with 176×220 pixels resolution. A second front-facing camera is provided for video calling.
The Samsung B2700 Bound does have a great music player however, supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA formats and Bluetooth wireless transfer is also supported as is FM radio reception. With 26Mb of memory on board the storage is limited but this can be expanded with a MicroSD memory card up to 8Gb (because the Samsung B2700 Bound is water sealed the MicroSD is fitted under battery inside water sealed cover).
The optimised “3″ version of the Samsung B2700 Bound features Google Maps as well as the usual Google search and mail applications and an RSS reader.
Pros
Rugged and well protected
Long battery life
Good music player
Cons
No standard 3.5mm headphone socket
No Wi-Fi
Basic camera
Low screen resolution
Another stylish and classy phone design from Samsung, the S7330 Black is a slide mobile phone ( Samsung seem to be market leaders in slide design) which looks very attractive with a 2.2 inch, 240 x 320 pixels, 16 million colours display. Sunlight legibility is particularly good even on the brightest of days. A cool feature on Samsung phones is the “active standby screen” (used to be called uGo), basically the screen displays an image of a local landmark where ever you happen to be in the world - Ok not exactly useful but cool never the less! Under the clear and bright display you find a smooth touch navigation panel allowing you to move easily through the menus and features. The Samsung S7330 measures a svelte 104.8mm x 49.4mm x 14mm and weighs just 110g. With a huge seven hours of talk time and 350 hours of standby the battery performance is class leading.
A built in 3 mega-pixel camera function with advanced imaging features including flash, auto focus and face Detection means the S7330 Black offers clear and striking photography. A video recording feature is also available with playback in MPEG, WMV and H.263 modes. A smaller second camera enables video calling.
Internet surfing with the S7330 Black is straightforward with WAP 2.0 XHTML and HTML web browsing and high speed transfer rates are available with 3G HSDPA, GPRS and the EDGE technologies. Quad-band network capability also allows international roaming whilst abroad. Connecting to other devices locally is easy with the included Bluetooth (with A2DP) and USB technology services.
A full range of music and entertainment can be enjoyed on the S7330 Black handset with built-
in music player playing AAC, eAAC+, MP3 and WMA files. With an FM Radio (with RDS) if you get bored or run out of tracks. There is 35Mb of internal memory on board expandable with microSD memory card slot. With SMS, MMS, email and predictive text there is no reason to be out of touch with your friends or family.
The standard pack of Samsung applications and pre-loaded games are included, with useful utilities such as alarm, clock, calculator and calendar.
Pros
3G with HSDPA
Quad-band
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support
FM radio with RDS
Smart dialling feature
Cons
No Wi-Fi LAN support
No HCSCD
No Infrared port
LED flash gives poor performance in low light conditions
Expensive
When operating slide you cant help getting thumbprint smudge on the screen
The S7330 Black is yet another smart and stylish mobile phone from Samsung. A decent camera and a host of standard features make the Samsung S7330 Black a good choice but not a great one, with the lack of Wi-Fi being a particular disappointment.
The Samsung U600 mobile is the replacement for the hugely successful Samsung D900 slide phone. As is the norm with mobile technology advancements, the U600 is thinner, lighter and more powerful than the D900! With a 3.2 megapixel camera, featuring autofocus, LED flash and digital zoom. Not top of the class but more than acceptable with good quality photographs. The video camera is also above average and the high resolution 2.22 inch, 34 x 44mm, 262,144 colours, screen means viewing is a real pleasure. In addition the screen has a sunlight feature which alters colour scheme making it readable even in direct sunlight. For such a slim phone up to 4 hours of talk time and 270 hours of standby are exceptional.
The music player is definitely worthy of mention, supporting ACC, ACC+, e-ACC+ and MP3 files and with a cracking Bang & Olufsen power amplifier allowing you to listen to quality music without using a headset. For those moments when you want to keep the sounds to yourself, the retail bundle includes a stereo or wireless Bluetooth headset. Other music features included are playlists, flight mode, background play and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). Internal memory as standard is quite poor when compared to similar phones on the market, only allowing around 40 tracks to be stored, so a memory upgrade will be essential for most users. A 2Gb upgrade microSD card will allow storage of around 300 songs and can be bought for under £20. The bundle also includes a PC-link cable so transferring music from your PC is easy. 64 voice polyphonic and MP3 ring tones are included which is a nice touch.
The Samsung U600 is a quad-band GSM/EDGE mobile phone that will support the 850/900/1800/1900MHz frequency bands giving worldwide reception and in terms of wireless connectivity, the Samsung U600 supports GPRS, EDGE, and Bluetooth. All the main message formats are also covered (SMS, MMS, and Email).
An unusual feature which may prove handy for some is the Samsung name card recognition. This allows you to take a photograph of a business card and the phone will recognise the details and input them into your contacts folder automatically - brilliant!
Pros
Ultra thin design
Good camera
Camera lens protected when not in use
Document Viewer supporting Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF
Cons
Slow to take photos (up to 2 seconds delay)
Low memory capacity without buying microSd card
Fiddly keys can take some getting used to
No 3.5mm headphone jack
No xenon flash
No Internet HTML Browser
No Wi-Fi
The U600 is a sleek, ultra slim and cool slider phone. With a good 3 megapixel camera and decent music player.
The Samsung J700 is a compact slide opening phone in a cool black casing weighing just 92 grams. Easy to operate single handed with measurements of just 99.5mm by 48mm wide by 14.8mm it’s dimensions are small for a slide phone. The display can be viewed whether the handset is in the open or closed position and is a good size (2 inches) with 128 x 160 pixels resolution and up to 65k displayed colours. The keypad underneath the slide is easy to use with raised keys meaning less mistakes when texting. The rechargeable battery provides 2.5 hours talk time and up to 250 hours on standby.
A 1.3 megapixel digital camera on the J700 allows the capture of both still and moving footage. The
video function supports MPEG4 & H263 formats for both recording and playback. The camera’s lens is hidden under the slide mechanism when not in use to protect it from scratches and features 12x digital zoom and a self-portrait setting. An FM radio is included along with Java games and a music player making the J700 a useful mobile entertainment centre. 10Mb of memory is included and you can increase the storage capacity using a microSD card. As an added bonus Samsung ship the J700 with 64 Polyphonic Ringtones and some embedded JAVA games pre-loaded.
Messaging services are fully supported with text, pictures and sound files using MMS, SMS and email. The predictive text function is handy as this allows the user to input a text message much quicker than normal as the technology predicts the word the user is typing and saves them having to type complete word. A built in Web browser gives full web access using built-in WAP browser. The use of EDGE technology & GPRS allows fast speed data transfer rates.
A tri-band phone, the J700 works on the GSM 900, 1800 & 1900 networks, which gives full European coverage and partial coverage in the U.S.A and Canada. Connecting to other devices is by Bluetooth or USB cable. A range of useful applications are included with the J700 such as a calendar, to do list, scheduler, clock, unit converter, alarm, calendar, worldtime, voice recorder, memo, calculator, stopwatch and timer.
Pros
Looks
Voice Memo
Predictive Text Input
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
Phonebook with 1000 entries
WAP 2.0 xHTML, HTML
Decent quality MP3/AAC/AAC+/MIDI player
Cons
Some features are basic
No Wi-Fi
No 3G
No RDS support on FM radio
Basic camera
No 3.5mm headphone jack only Samsung proprietary universal port
A lower to mid-range model from Samsung in both price and specification. Does the job though, and the camera does take some remarkably decent photos considering it’s only 1.3 megapixels. A decent if uninspiring mobile phone.
The Samsung i200 mobile phone is taller than other smartphones ( which gives space for a decent user friendly, large number pad), but with a thickness of just 11.8mm fits into the palm of your hand nicely. The 2.3-inch screen is clear and sharp and the phone buttons are well defined for those who like texting. Unusually for a smart phone nowadays the i200 does not use touchscreen technology. Using the Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard operating system ( which is unusual for a smartphone lacking a Qwerty keyboard) this functionality is not available. However there are some who prefer good old fashioned keys and feel touch screens are a gimmick of little use. On the plus side, using Windows 6.1 means you get latest versions of Office mobile and Internet Explorer. Battery performance for such a slim phone is well above average with seven hours of talk time and up to 300 hours on standby from a single full battery charge.
Microsoft Office mobile includes Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint and allows viewing, creating and editing of documents on the move. A PDF viewer is also included giving a full suite of office/business document capabilities. The retail bundle includes phone, AC charger, USB sync, stereo headset, quick start guide with CD and Outlook 2007 trial software.
Internet browsing is a relatively painless affair with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) connections up to 3.6Mbps and Internet Explorer, however the Windows interface can be a little “clunky” when transitioning between web pages or applications. There is a secondary front camera for video calling in addition to the 2 megapixel main camera unit which takes acceptable but not outstanding pictures. This is not a mobile to replace your digital camera!
Unfortunately no Wi-Fi capability is built into this mobile which means you will have to rely on your network operator for getting online. This is a major blow for a modern smartphone as you cannot take advantage of smartzones or free wireless areas in hotels and airports.
You can extend the 20Mb internal memory using microSd cards up to 8GB in size to give plenty of storage. The Samsung i200 is a Tri-Band phone covering the 900/1800/1900 frequency bands. This means it can be used throughout Europe and with some networks in the USA, Canada, Caribbean and South America.
Pros
Big clear screen
Latest versions of Windows Office Mobile and Internet Explorer included
Tactile buttons are large and responsive (great for texting)
RSS reader
PDF viewer
Cons
No Wi-Fi
No GPS
No touchscreen
no FM radio tuner
No flash or autofocus on camera
Tri-band GSM only
In summary, the Samsung i200 mobile phone is a middling performer, with some solid applications included (particularly document viewing and processing), but the lack of Wi-Fi and GPS chip limit the functionality.