Samsung S7330

Someone at Samsung must be really fond of the Soul design and, honestly, we can see why. How we feel about it is not the point though. The Soul looks are spilling down the company portfolio, like it or not. The latest incarnation - Samsung S7330 - packs in stylish exterior, well-rounded feature set and a moderate price tag.



Key features:

-3G with HSDPA support
-Quad-band GSM support, usable worldwide
-Touchpad navigation
-2.2" 262K-color QVGA display
-3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
-35MB of user memory, microSD expansion
-Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
-USB v2.0
-FM radio with RDS
-Smart dialing
-ShoZu integration (direct image and video uploads)




Main disadvantages:

-LED flash is inadequate
-Video recording tops out at QCIF resolution
-Confusing mix of regular and touch-sensitive keys
-More expensive than similar-featured competing models




Final words

That's that on the down-market Soul, which does have the good and the bad of the original. The S7330 is in a lower price bracket than the U900 Soul but packs the same UI goodies, which is an achievement. However the low-key exterior shows its modest roots.

Samsung B2700

Samsung may be flying high on INNOV8 but they sure have at least a toe on the ground. Just recently they spilled the low-to-mid-end bag, so we don't forget a flagship is only as good as the fleet behind it.



Key features:

-Shock, splash and dust resistant (IP54 certified)
-Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone, UMTS 2100 MHz
-Very nice and responsive user interface
-2 MP camera, secondary video call camera
-1.9" 256K-color TFT display, 176 x 220 pixels
-Flashlight, Compass, Altimeter, Pedometer
-Good MP3 player, MPEG4/3gp video player
-FM radio with RDS
-SMS/MMS/E-mail/RSS Reader
-Bluetooth and USB v2.0
-30 MB flash memory, microSD card slot
-Comfortable keypad, strong and even backlight
-Very loud speakerphone
-Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery




Main disadvantages:

-Display could've used a higher resolution
-No autofocus in camera
-Poor video recording


Final Words

To wrap it up, B2700 makes no compromise with durability but the more important thing is Samsung make no compromise with the package. The maker could've easily gotten away with keeping the handset trimmed down on features and staking everything on ruggedness.

Nokia E66

It's been a while since mobile phones became an essential business tool and a huge number of devices are being specially designed for the purpose (not even mentioning the camera-free versions of some handsets). Nokia Eseries is almost a default name that comes to mind. Following a comprehensive review of Nokia E71, we are set to explore the other hot Eseries gadget. It's Nokia E66 with a priority appointment in our office. Refreshments served upon conclusion.



Key features:

-Quad-band GSM support
-3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps
-2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
-Shortcut keys mean business
-Symbian 9.2 OS, S60 UI with FP1 (topped with some FP2 goodies)
-Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotation
-369 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM
-Wi-Fi
-Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS
-3 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash
-110 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card
-Comfortable keypad
-Compact body (62.6cc only)
-Stainless steel casing
-Standard 2.5mm audio jack
-Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
-microUSB v2.0
-FM radio
-Infrared port
-Great battery life
-Good retail package
-Nokia Maps comes with three months free turn-by-turn navigation license




Main disadvantages:

-Average camera performance
-Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps
-No camera geotagging
-Cheap-looking power key
-Office document editing not available
-No RDS in radio




Final words

To begin with the upgrader's point of view, we'd say a jump from E65 to the E66 is totally worth it. The phone has improved in nearly every area compared to its predecessor and addresses most of its issues. The price tag is still slightly on the steep side but we guess it will be a great bargain in no time. And even as it stands now, the Nokia E66 still is a great purchase.

iPhone

It's finally here - the iPhone 3G. No, we mean that literally. It's finally at our office and boy, are we excited! GPS, HSDPA purring under the new iPhone hood with a hefty number of software enhancements.



Key features:

-3.5" 16M-color TFT display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
-Quad-band GSM support
-Tri-band UMTS support with HSDPA
-Built-in GPS receiver
-Wi-Fi
-8 to 16GB of onboard storage
-Accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor
-2 megapixel camera
-Silky smooth user interface with multi-touch user support
-Unsurpassed web surfing experience
-Push email with MS Exchange support
-AppStore access for direct application download and installation
-Redone rear
-TV-out port



Main disadvantages:

-No video calls over the 3G network
-The handset wobbles on hard even surfaces
-There are a number of messaging downers
-Camera has no auto focus, nor video recording… nor any settings at all
-Safari browser doesn't support Flash and Java, doesn't have a download manager
-Bluetooth support limited to headset use only (no A2DP or file transfers)
-No office document editor
-No copy/paste functionality
-You cannot sync Notes and TO-DOs
-No memory card slot (but knowing Apple there will never be one)




Final words

We've had our fair share of the first-gen iPhone but, honestly, we weren't caught in the excitement last year until we saw it live. It was only after it arrived in our office that we really appreciated its sleek design and groundbreaking user interface.

Now a year later, the excitement grew on us weeks before we even had a chance to play with the iPhone 3G. And once it arrived, the enthusiasm gradually fades away. What's the point in your new device looking just like your old device? What's the point of having a GPS receiver when there is no navigation software for it? Yeah, we heard rumors of various companies prepping some real GPS navigation software, but we've been hearing the same rumors for the copy/paste functionality for over a year now.




The Apple iPhone, be it 1G or 3G, still has the most impressive full touch user interface to-date, and with the concept of AppStore, it have just gotten better. The iPhone 3G is evidently more evolution than revolution, but it still packs quite a punch. And there's some unique features that you can hardly get in any other high-end gadgets.

Nokia E71

Following some time off since the E51, the Nokia E-series is back to the shop with a new pet for business-minded users. Nokia E71 seems to have it all to take over and build on the E61 QWERTY messengers' expertise. The suave upgrade is much slimmer now (and thus much more pocket-friendly), more powerful and a whole lot more skilled. The smaller display is actually the only step down. Well, we're back in business too, and we're about to see if that's the step back before a major leap forward



Key features:

-Quad-band GSM support
-3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support
-Landscape 2.36" 16M color display of QVGA resolution
-Comfortable full QWERTY keypad
-Convenient business-minded shortcut keys
-Symbian 9.2 OS, S60 UI with FP1 (topped with some FP2 goodies)
-369 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM
-Wi-Fi
-Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS
-3.15 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash
-110 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card
-Slimmest smartphone to-date, slimmest Wi-Fi and/or GPS handset to-date
-Stainless steel casing
-Standard 2.5mm audio jack
-Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support
-microUSB v2.0
-FM radio
-Remote Wipe
-Provider-independent VoIP support
-Infrared port
-Great battery life
-Office document editor
-User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
-Rich retail package




Main disadvantages:

-Below average camera performance
-Video recording maxes out at QVGA@15fps
-No dedicated camera key
-Smaller display than its predecessor
-Cheap-looking power key
-No RDS for the FM radio



Conclusion

Nokia E71 is a powerful business tool - in fact it is one of the most capable we've ever seen. Plus, it has completed the demanding task of adding style and slick looks to the QWERTY messenger breed. The performance of Nokia E71 is praiseworthy, save for the below-par camera.

Samsung D880 Duos

Armed with solid design and the Samsung quality of build, the Samsung D880 Duos is two phones in one . It offers seamless dual SIM functionality with almost no compromise. Backed by a 3 megapixel autofocus camera and a large 2.3" QVGA TFT display, the Samsung D880 Duos is an intriguing package, truly worth closer examination. So, hop on as we head to explore the dual nature of Samsung Duos.




Key features:

-Seamless dual SIM functionality (both cards are active simultaneously)
-3 megapixel autofocus camera with good image quality
-2.3" 262K-color TFT display (QVGA resolution)
-microSD memory card slot
-FM radio
-Bluetooth with A2DP
-TV out
-MS Office document viewer
-Quick interface response
-Large capacity battery
-Comfortable keyboard and controls



Main disadvantages:

-Secondary SIM can be used for telephony and messaging only
-Secondary SIM has dual-band support only (no 1900 MHz support)
-Large size
-Boring slider design
-Interface options well behind the times
-Poor sunlight legibility
-No 3G support
-Portrait-oriented camera
-Poor web browser
-Awkward file browser
-Poor music player




Final words

Samsung D880 Duos is above all a handset of balance. It doesn't offer cutting edge solutions in external design, form factor, or interface capabilities. Yet it manages to deliver some style in looks (in a subdued and conservative way) and a snappy user interface. And besides it's the only handset produced by some of the major manufacturers to feature dual SIM functionality. The only test the Duos truly fails is web browsing and the lack of 3G.

LG KF510

It is quite obvious that sleek looks and youthful appeal are very high on the LG list of priorities recently. Just as we gave you the flamboyant LG KF600, LG KF510 makes us wonder how much sweeter Chocolate can get. Undoubtedly of the same bloodline, the two handsets take a different approach to full touch navigation with InteractPad and Touch Lighting. The rest of the ammo is basically the same. The really sleek metallic finish and bigger 2.2" display (no InteractPad to shrink the screen) are the LG KF510 major assets. The ultra slim slider has the looks and handling to get us exited, so let's get rolling.




Key features:

-Great design and slim body
-Touchpad navigation
-2.2" 262K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
-3 megapixel camera with autofocus
-microSD card slot with hot-swap
-USB v2.0 and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
-FM radio
-Good web browser



Main disadvantages:

-No 3G support
-Tri-band only
-Poor file management
-Video recording maxes out at QVGA resolution
-Inadequate display legibility in direct sunlight




Final words

Recommending or not the LG KF510 is a tough call. Provided especially that the handset hasn't yet officially hit the shelves and its retail price is still unknown.

What's beyond any doubt though is that LG KF510 is a very sleek and fun to use phone. It does have a few flaws in the user interface, some of which aren't that minor either (read file management). It still is a nice step forward for LG in terms of user-friendliness. Not the least, the build quality is great and the phone does feel great to hold.

Samsung i550/i550w

Fascinating as they are, ultra high-end handsets are not everybody's cup of tea. In fact, the good old mid-range is the bread and butter for every successful mobile phone company, for that's what gets those sales numbers right. As we see it, Samsung i550 might just be the phone to perfectly fit this description. It doesn't yell expensive out loud, but has great all-round functionality and might just become tomorrow's classic.



Key features:

-2.6" 262K-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
-3G with HSDPA
-Trackball navigation
-Built-in GPS receiver
-Symbian OS with S60 user interface
-Wi-Fi (Samsung i550w only)
-3 megapixel camera with auto focus
-MicroSD card slot
-3.5mm stereo audio jack
-FM radio
-Decent battery life
-Bluetooth with A2DP support



Main disadvantages:

-Tri-band GSM support only
-Trackball is somewhat slow
-No two-step shutter key
-No Wi-Fi (Samsung i550)
-A bit too conservative looks
-Video recoding limited to QVGA resolution
-Awkward soft key layout
-No RDS




Final words

Samsung i550 is a very capable device by all means. It blends a great bunch of features with the power of Symbian and the S60 user interface. The combination works out quite well and the result is a phone of great potential.

Samsung F480

To pick up where we left, prepare to meet the next bestseller by Samsung. If you think Samsung F480 is not up to such a challenge you might want to think again. The compact touch-operated handset has every chance of becoming the next best thing since sliced bread. It is extremely pocket-friendly but its own pocket is bulging - so to say - the little fella has it all. Plus, the looks are fantastic, so only one important question remains - is the performance on par with the marvelous specs. Luckily we are just about to answer that question, so sit back and enjoy.




Key features

-Ample 2.8" 262K touchscreen color display of QVGA resolution
-Touch-operated flash UI
-5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
-Camera comes with face detection and wide dynamic range
-3G with HSDPA
-Great design and high quality construction
-228MB of internal memory
-microSD card slot
-Widgets
-Excellent haptics
-FM radio with RDS
-Great camera interface
-EDGE, Bluetooth and USB connectivity
-Great web browser



Main disadvantages

-Tri-band only
-Display legibility suffers under direct sunlight
-No landscape mode and no virtual QWERTY keyboard
-Fingerprint magnet
-Inadequate flash for the camera
-Video recording capabilities max out at QVGA resolution




Final words

It's not too often that we are so impressed with a handset as we are with Samsung F480. The little fella is an extremely capable device carrying a serious feature pack. In addition, it is so suave and compact that it is bound to earn itself quite a lot of fans. User-friendliness is also among its definite strong points. Some users might miss the Armani logo for the frill of it but we for one won't really grieve over it.

Samsung F480 is expected to hit the shelves on May 19th and - take our word - you might just want to wait until then before you fork out the cash on your next handset.

Samsung F110 Adidas

Samsung F110 is not revolutionary. And no, it's not a high-end gadget either. But it's part of a unique workout system developed by Adidas. The Adidas miCoach system makes your phone a full-fledged workout sidekick recording each of your steps and guiding you along your sports endeavors while playing your favorite music to make sweating a bit more pleasant.




Key features:

-Dedicated sports features:
-On-board miCoach application measuring sports progress and giving voice feedback
-Synchronization with miCoach web-based coaching system
-Built-in accelerometer with step counter
-Stride sensor and heart rate sensor in the extended package
-Comes with sports headset, 3.5mm audio jack remote and an armband
-2 megapixel camera
-1GB of onboard storage
-FM radio
-Stereo Bluetooth
-Works without a SIM card inserted




Main disadvantages:

-Boring design
-Camera has no autofocus
-Poor display resolution and poor sunlight legibility
-Built-in step counter is really inaccurate
-No memory card slot
-No 3G
-No office documents viewer



Final words

When compared to the existing digital sports systems such as the Nike+, the Adidas miCoach phone has a number of strong points - the heart-rate monitor, the free choice of running shoes, the mobile phone functionality, the "double-tap-to-get-stats" feature, and the FM radio. However, the iPod nano used by Nike has larger storage space, higher resolution display, better sunlight legibility and it's more compact.

Successful or not, the Samsung F110 Adidas phone will remain a niche phone and you are unlikely to see much of it on phone-shop windows.

Samsung i620

We have seen lots of phones from Samsung with slider form factor but this time it's a full hardware keyboard that is revealed when you slide the Samsung i620 out - the new mid-range smartphone running on the Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition. Packed with some exclusive features - a rotating D-pad wheel and sensor keys all over, you might as well be blown away by the one-off snowy white color too. So, it's compact, it's QWERTY, it's smartphone - yes this is really an offer you can't resist to play with - and neither do we. So grab yourselves something to drink and join us on this Samsung i620 review.




Key Features

-Windows Mobile smartphone
-Novel design and unusual form factor
-Compact dimensions
-2.2" TFT display
-Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSDPA, 1.8 Mbps
-Rotating wheel and sensor front panel keys
-Full hardware QWERTY keyboard with sufficient backlight
-Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
-2 megapixel camera
-microSD card slot




Main disadvantages

-Landscape orientation is not common for applications
-No Wi-Fi
-No autofocus, mediocre camera performance
-TI OMAP 200 MHz processor struggles at times
-QWERTY keyboard has little tactile feedback
-Only 34MB storage memory available to the user




Conclusion

Samsung i620 is a stylish (to some!), neat and relatively compact slider phone, plus it runs on Windows Mobile 6 Standard. The full QWERTY hardware keyboard brings even more functionality to the smartphone. The sensor keys and the useful D-pad wheel help a lot when dealing with the address book, the menus and especially with the gallery images.

In the end - it all boils down to this: the Samsung i620 doesn't offer high-end features but offers excellent implementation of the features that are currently on-board. As such it will have a really hard time coping with Symbian bullies out there.

Sony Ericsson W760

Sony Ericsson W760 made a name for being the first Sony Ericson phone to offer an integrated GPS receiver. With a large QVGA display, stereo speakers, Media Center and the 3 megapixel camera on top, the W760 packs a nice punch. It's an exciting slider that may look no-thrills on the outside, but has all the prospects of becoming a bestseller.



Key features

-Quad-band GSM support
-Tri-band HSDPA
-Built-in GPS receiver
-3 megapixel camera with geotagging
-Walkman player with Shake control and SensMe
-Media center
-Stereo speakers
-FM radio with RDS
-YouTube integration
-2.2" QVGA TFT display
-M2 memory card slot (1GB card included)
-Stereo Bluetooth
-Built-in motion sensor




Main disadvantages

-No video-call camera
-Camera has basic portrait interface and no autofocus
-Poor legibility under direct sunlight
-Integrated stereo speakers are not impressive neither in sound qiality, nor in loudness




Final words

Sony Ericsson W760 is a nice attempt at creating an all-purpose slider. It's got all the goodies many users are waiting for.

Although in dense urban environments our beta unit had a weakish GPS sensitivity, the amount of GPS applications is commendable - especially for a first try from Sony Ericsson.

Samsung G810

The announcement of Samsung G810 must have had many a geek's heart skip a few beats. The handset has all but the kitchen sink and there's Symbian under the hood.



Key features

-5 megapixel camera with auto focus and 3x optical zoom
-Symbian OS with S60 user interface
-2.6" 256K-color TFT LCD display with QVGA resolution
-Wi-Fi
-Built-in GPS receiver
-3G capabilities with HSDPA support
-Xenon flash
-330MHz TI OMAP processor
-130MB of internal memory plus a microSD card slot
-3.5 mm stereo audio jack
-Bluetooth and USB v2.0
-TV-out functionality
-Great metallic design




Main disadvantages

-Large size
-Awkward keypad
-Tri-band only
-Poor sunlight legibility
-Xenon flash is disappointing
-Optical zoom reduces picture quality noticeably




Final words

To begin with, it is quite obvious that Samsung are a bit late releasing the G810.
Samsung G810 has a unique optical zoom feature and is probably the sleekest looking among them all-but-the-kitchen-sink devices out there. It has the performance and snappy user interface, which is probably what's most important in such a phone.