A number of mobile carriers in the United States have decided to give their subscribers the option of getting a phone with the unique TouchWiz system developed by Samsung. T-Mobile is the latest of these mobile service providers, and their TouchWiz phone is none other than the Samsung Behold, also known as Samsung Roxy and Samsung SGH-T919.

Given that T-Mobile is not the first to feature Samsung TouchWiz phones like Samsung Behold, how does Samsung Behold compare with the other Samsung phone models available in the United States that has the TouchWiz interface?

Small but Heavy

The Samsung Behold is a bit smaller than the usual mobile phone of its kind, measuring 4.12 inches long, 2.10 inches wide and 0.50 inch thick. Despite its size, however, the Samsung Behold feels heavy in the hand. It weighs 113 grams.

One will find only three buttons on the face of the Samsung Behold – the send button, the end button and the back/clear button. The only other button is the dedicated camera phone that is found at the side. The Samsung Behold comes in light rose or black plastic casing.

The touch screen display of the Samsung Behold is also slightly smaller than other phones of its kind. The 3-inch display has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and it recognizes 262K colors. It has a light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the backlight depending on the ambient light of the user. It also serves as a means of extending the phone’s battery life.

Limited Connectivity

The Samsung Behold is a GSM quad-band phone with support for GPRS, UMTS, EDGE, HSCSD and HSDPA. It can also connect using Bluetooth. However, the Samsung Behold is limited by the fact that it does not have a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack or a miniUSB. Instead, it has the proprietary Samsung connector. The Samsung Behold also cannot connect to Wi-Fi networks.

A user who frequently browses the Internet with a mobile phone may not consider the Samsung Behold a good choice. Though the phone is capable of reading WAP 2.0, xHTML and full HTML, it takes a while to connect to the Internet and load a web page. Also, when the web page is zoomed, it does not load some of the content on the page, particularly images.

The Samsung Behold may also turn off business users who need to check their emails frequently. The phone has only 13 email service providers preset into its system. No other email service provider can be set. The Samsung Behold is also incapable of reading Microsoft Office files, or even PDF files.

Essential Multimedia

When it comes to multimedia functions, the Samsung Behold provides what are considered the essential features. The best of them is the 5-megapixel camera. This camera has a flash and Autofocus, and it is also fitted with a mirror for self-portraits. The maximum resolution for shooting pictures is 2595 x 1944 pixels. Pictures taken with the Samsung Behold are bright, sharp and detailed.

Video recording and playback is also possible with the Samsung Behold, although the output is less than satisfactory if the video was recorded indoors. The video recorded would have a QVGA resolution, and the formats recognized for video playback are mpeg4, WMV, H.263 and H.264. It can also stream videos from Youtube.

As for music, the music player is simple, and it can play mp3, AAC and AAC+ music formats. The Samsung Behold also has a built-in FM radio tuner.

The TouchWiz Interface

The biggest selling point of the Samsung Behold is the TouchWiz interface that Samsung had developed for its touch screen phones. The TouchWiz interface makes using a button-less and keyless mobile phone much easier to use through widgets that allow for limited customization.

Customization is, as mentioned above, very limited with the Samsung Behold. It only offers 11 wallpapers and no screensaver. The accelerometer is also wasted on the Samsung Behold because even though the traditional T9 mobile Keypad and the full QWERTY Keyboard layout are available, many of the software installed in the Samsung Behold do not give the user a choice on how he or she will view the keyboard.

Performance

The Samsung Behold tends to do hiccups when used for browsing the Internet, but otherwise it is fine. It has a built-in memory of 180 MB, expandable up to 8 GB with the use of a microSD or microSDHC card. Talk time is five hours long, while the phone’s standby mode can last for 300 hours.

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tagged: 5-megapixel, Youtube, HSDPA, Keyboard, QWERTY, Touch, Keypad, Wi-Fi, Samsung, Autofocus, Behold, Samsung Behold, TouchWiz

If you are looking for a mobile phone that has everything – the capacity to allow you to work, to enjoy music, to watch movies, and even to get your life organized even when you are on the go – you would not go wrong with the Samsung OMNIA. “Omnia” means “everything” in Latin, and the Samsung OMNIA does try to live up to its name. It is probably one of the best all-in-one mobile Smartphones out there in the market today.

What makes the Samsung OMNIA so good? Read on.

Stylish in Your Hand

The Samsung OMNIA will not look bad in the palm of your hand. It is a sleek candy bar phone measuring 4.4 inches long, 2.2 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick, encased in black plastic with a metallic sheen. With a weight of 122 grams, it also feels snug when you hold it.

The face of the Samsung OMNIA phone has a 3.2-inch Touch screen. It has a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and recognizes 256K colors. Below it are the send and end keys as well as an optical mouse button. All the other buttons of the Samsung OMNIA such as the volume rocker and the camera button are on the right side. These buttons also have multiple functions.

The only problem with the Samsung OMNIA display is that it is so bright, it is impossible to use under direct sunlight. There is no way to adjust the screen’s brightness.

Complete Connectivity

The Samsung OMNIA is satisfactory when it comes to connectivity. It is a GSM quad-band phone with support for HSDPA and EDGE. It can connect using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, though it is limited by the proprietary Samsung USB plug. Windows XP and Windows Vista users will not find it hard to synchronize their Samsung OMNIA with their computers.

If you are a business user, you will find the Samsung OMNIA to your liking as well. The phone uses Opera Mobile 9.5 as a web browser, and it also has Pocket Internet Explorer if you prefer that one. The Opera Mobile 9.5 can read WAP 2.0, XHTML and full HTML protocols and render them correctly.

Accessing your web mail will not be hard either, since popular webmail service providers like Gmail, Yahoo and Windows Live are already set up on the phone. What is more is that you can view your HTML-formatted emails without a problem with the Samsung OMNIA. The phone has a mail client that looks like Microsoft Outlook. You can also download attachments and read your Microsoft Office files and PDF files using the built-in readers.

Complete Multimedia

The Samsung OMNIA also tries to be appealing to users who like their multimedia functionalities. This phone model is fitted with a 5-megapixel camera, with a separate one for video calls. The camera controls include settings for Autofocus and image stabilizing. Taking pictures is easy and quick – it only takes two seconds for a snapshot to appear on the display. There are times, however, when the picture output is a bit noisy and low on color details. The flash is also too bright.

Videos can also be recorded using the Samsung OMNIA. Frame rate is at 15 frames per second and the resolution is 640 x 480 pixels. The only flaw here is that recorded videos can be choppy.

Video playback, however, is great. You can download videos from your computer using a microSD card and watch them on your Samsung OMNIA. It also has a TV out connection. The Samsung OMNIA recognizes DivX, XviD, WMV and mp4 formats.

As for music, the Samsung OMNIA is also satisfactory. The music player is very easy to use and can play mp3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, OGG and AMR music formats. The phone also has an FM radio that can memorize the frequencies of six of your favorite stations.

Kinks on the Interface

The Samsung OMNIA makes use of the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system. It is not the best of the mobile operating systems out there, and it shows in how the transition can be rough. But what is pretty much irritating about the Samsung OMNIA is that while it is a touch phone, its icons are too small that you would need a stylus to activate the commands.

The phone has three input modes: handwriting, the traditional T9 Keypad and the full QWERTY Keyboard. Texting is predictive and the phone has an accelerometer sensor that tips the keyboard depending on the orientation of the screen, whether it is landscape or portrait.

Optimum Performance

Despite whatever kinks the Samsung OMNIA may have due to its operating system, it cannot be faulted for having one of the fastest mobile phone CPUs on the market today. It has the 624 Marvell PXA312 processor built into it, with 128 MB RAM and 256 MB RAM. The internal memory is huge, 8 GB in some while 16 GB in others and expandable for 8 GB more with the use of a microSD card. Standby time is 500 hours while talk time is 5 hours and 50 minutes.

As far as Samsung OMNIA goes, it is great, regardless of its flaws and kinks. Indeed, you will never go wrong with a Samsung OMNIA phone.

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tagged: 5-megapixel, HSDPA, Keyboard, QWERTY, Windows Mobile 6, Touch, Keypad, 16 GB, Windows Mobile, Wi-Fi, Samsung, Smartphone, Autofocus, Omina

The Samsung M8800, or the Samsung Pixon as you may know it, has been marketed by its Korean manufacturer as the “slimmest 8-megapixel phone” available in the market today. This phone is definitely not a fatty, but it is nonetheless packed with features that make it a fun phone to use.

Slim But Heavy

As far as size goes, the Samsung Pixon does make good on the Samsung claim that it is one of the slimmest phones out there. It measures 4.3 inches long, 2.2 inches wide and 0.5 inches thick. However, as slim and small it may look to you, you will definitely feel its weight of 121 grams when you hold it in your hand.

The Samsung Pixon is a Touchscreen candy bar phone that comes in a plastic casing. It is not exclusively Touch-operated, however. The phone’s face has a protruding Send and End keys, as well as a volume/digital zoom rocker and a camera button at the side. The display screen of the phone is 3.2 inches, with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels and recognizes 256K colors.

Not a 3G Phone

The connectivity suite of the Samsung Pixon is definitely a major weakness for the phone. For sure, it is a GSM quad-band phone with GPRS and HSDPA support, but it is not a 3G phone. The 3G support for the phone will not be released outside of Europe. The Samsung Pixon is also not capable of global roaming.

The Samsung Pixon recognizes Bluetooth signals but not WiFi. It has a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, but no microUSB plug except for the Samsung proprietary USB one. The phone is capable of browsing the Internet using WAP 2.0, XHTML and full HTML protocols, but it is not installed with automatic settings for the popular webmail sites like Gmail, Yahoo! and Windows Live. Instead, you have to set up the Samsung Pixon to access your email from these sites.

While the Samsung Pixon can open Microsoft Office documents, it cannot be called a Smartphone. The Samsung Pixon is not a smartphone for business use.

Awesome Multimedia

As stated above, the Samsung Pixon works best as an all-around multimedia phone, and it does not fail expectations in this regard. Its most outstanding feature is its camera, which, as already mentioned elsewhere here, is an 8-megapixel beauty.

The Samsung Pixon camera can even rival the power of digital cameras in the market today. It can take pictures with a resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels, and it is fitted with a host of camera control features such as Autofocus, digital zoom, auto-panorama, face detection, smile detection and blink detection, as well as advanced shake. The only weakness of the Samsung Pixon camera is that its flash is rather weak.

This phone model can also record video at 30 frames per second on WVGA and 120 frames per second on QVGA. It has built-in support for DivX, XviD, H.263, H.264, WMV and mp4 video file formats. The Samsung Pixon also has a TV out connection.

As a music player, the Samsung Pixon is exemplary. It has a built-in surround sound system and the quality of the music remains intact even if you play it using only the speakers. It has support for mp3, eAAC+, WMA and AMR. It also has an FM radio.

A Phone for the Young of Heart

One thing that is striking with the Samsung Pixon is its cartoonish user interface. Unfortunately, there is no way of customizing the phone out of that very cartoony look, thus making the Samsung Pixon a cutesy phone for the young and the young at heart.

The Samsung Pixon is not a smartphone, and it runs on the WM 6.1 Professional operating system. It does not lag, but navigation can be slow. The phone also has three onscreen input modes – T9, QWERTY and handwriting recognition. You should be careful not to type too fast, though, because the screen is not that sensitive when it comes to typing speed.

Performance

The Samsung Pixon really does well as a multimedia phone, with sound integrity remaining intact even when put on loudspeaker mode. This makes it only puzzling why phone calls put on speaker mode sounds jarred and unclear.

Putting that aside, the Samsung Pixon does sound clear as long as it is not on speaker phone. Talk time is three hours and 40 minutes while standby time is 290 hours. It has a built-in memory of 200 MB, expandable with a microSD card up to 8 GB.

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tagged: Touchscreen, 3G, HSDPA, QWERTY, Touch, Samsung, Smartphone, Autofocus, Pixon

Before Samsung Eternity, also known as Samsung SGH-A867, came into the scene, mobile phone users in the United States have yet to experience Samsung’s very own TouchWiz interface that created raves in Asia and in Europe. The Samsung TouchWiz interface is said to be one of the freshest takes on mobile phone systems in the world today, and reports go that it is very user-friendly and performs rather well.

Thankfully, AT&T struck a deal with Samsung to bring Samsung Eternity to mobile phone lovers in the United States. What can we say about the Samsung Eternity?

A Trim and Elegant Candy Bar Design

Upon unboxing a Samsung Eternity, you would be greeted with a sleek, candy bar gadget that measures 4.30 inches long, 2.20 inches wide and 0.50 inches thick. It has a shiny black plastic coating with a metallic chrome trim along the sides. Weighing only 110 grams, you will find that the phone fits nice and snug in your hand and it feels solid enough not to give off a cheap vibe.

The Samsung Eternity has only three physical buttons: the green Send button, the red End button, and the volume rocker. The phone also has a 3.2-inch display that has a 240 x 400 pixel resolution and can recognize 256K colors.

Samsung solves the problem regarding the mirror effect that most Touchscreen phones are afflicted with by putting in a light sensor on the phone that adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the amount of ambient light in the user’s surroundings. The light sensor works just as it is expected to do.

Connectivity is Satisfactory, Somewhat

On the connectivity department, the Samsung Eternity is a GSM quad-band phone with a global roaming capacity. It also has support for GPRS, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA.

The Samsung Eternity can also connect using Bluetooth and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. A glaring flaw with the Samsung Eternity, however, is the lack of a miniUSB plug. Instead, the phone has the proprietary Samsung USB.

There is also a problem with the way the phone’s built-in browser renders HTML. Also, while the phone allows access to five set email addresses, the email providers supported only include Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger and AOL. Gmail is not supported. The Samsung Eternity also cannot read Microsoft Office files, or even PDF files.

Multimedia Essentials

The strongest multimedia feature that the Samsung Eternity possesses is its camera. While it is only a 3-megapixel camera, a meager offering compared to the cameras other high-end mobile phones possess, the quality of the photos taken is very good, with great color accuracy and detail. Users of the Samsung Eternity, however, may miss the added functionality of other phones, since this particular phone model only has digital zoom, but without a flash and other picture modes.

The same cannot be said of the video capture feature, however. The video recording function of the Samsung Eternity only allows a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.

The music player of the Samsung Eternity offers some form of flexibility in that it can take up the whole screen of the phone or play in widget form. It supports mp3, AAC, wma, wav and RealAudio music formats, but the sound quality can be scratchy.

Because the Samsung Eternity is an AT&T phone, it is installed with the AT&T video sharing service and the AT&T Mobile TV service.

The TouchWiz Gem

As mentioned above, the Samsung Eternity gives US mobile phone users its first taste of the Samsung TouchWiz interface. The TouchWiz interface is fast and it does not lag. It can also keep you organized with its use of widgets. The menu layering is also simple and scrolling is easy.

Sadly, though, the Samsung Eternity gives little by way of customization. Icons cannot be modified and there are only four wallpaper options available. It also does not have an accelerometer that would have allowed you to view the screen in landscape or portrait mode, however you please.

The Samsung Eternity, being a touchscreen phone, has both the traditional T9 Keyboard and the full QWERTY keyboard on-screen. It also has a handwriting recognition software, but that can be considered a fail, given that the phone is not fitted with a stylus.

Performance

The Samsung Eternity is capable of five hours of talk-time and 250 hours of standby time. It has a built-in 200 MB of memory and is expandable through the use of a microSD or a microSDHC card.

The Samsung Eternity is a pretty sleek phone that has a lot to offer the casual mobile phone user. It does have a few limitations, but the TouchWiz interface is a winner for being user-friendly, quick and responsive.

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tagged: Touchscreen, HSDPA, Keyboard, QWERTY, Touch, Samsung, Eternity

While both the Samsung Armani and the LG Prada represents the merge of two different brands, the two promise an interesting and unique set of features. Here is a comparative summary between the two.

Design elements

Both the Samsung Armani and the LG Prada boast of a slim and petite external appearance. However the Armani seems to edge out the Prada in terms of its stylish appearance and slim design. Both are a perfect antithesis of the regular bulky smartphone that is often overpowered. Instead these two phones promise daintiness combined with over the top prices and an ultra stylish exterior.

Overall performance

The Samsung Armani comes with the unique haptic feedback technology which allows a user to feel the vibration on the phone whenever a key is pressed. However apart from this the interface doesn’t really promise much. As compared to the Armani version the LG Prada has a much better interface. It is very responsive to Touch and also comes with a wider screen size (approximately around 3 inches as compared to the Samsung Armani screen which comes at 2.6 inches). Though not that much of a difference it does play a part in terms of overall size of the icons and screen resolution. Also the inbuilt camera in the LG Prada has a 2 Megapixel capacity as compared to the Samsung Armani which comes at 3 Megapixel. However, surprisingly it is the pictures that come out from the Prada that promise better clarity and quality. The interface of the LG Prada also comes with much more interactivity.

For example, while navigating the screen with your finger little icons like a butterfly and a fish follow your movement. It is these small details that help the LG Prada edge out the Samsung Armani in terms of interface interactivity. However, if you are a music buff then most likely the Samsung Armani will impress you better! It offers options like sorting based on Last played, album as well as artist names. In terms of aesthetics the LG Prada offers a better looking MP3 player. Being smaller in size, the screen in the Samsung Armani can be difficult to navigate if a person has large fingers. This makes textual inputs a little difficult. If you are looking for durability and robustness in the exterior the Samsung Armani is a clear winner because of its metallic casing as opposed to the LG Prada which uses plastic casing.

Rich set of features

The Samsung Armani is a definite advantage when it comes to the inbuilt memory capacity. While the Armani version comes with a 60 MB inbuilt memory the LG Prada comes with just 8 MB. However both phones come with a microSD card slot. The LG Prada supports tri-band GSM connectivity but does not come with a 3G data network facility. It is the same situation with the Samsung Armani which is devoid of 3G capability.

Pros and cons

Overall both the Samsung Armani and the LG Prada are fashion accessories in themselves. However while the Armani edges out the Prada in terms of durability and music playing options the Prada is advantageous in terms of interface interactivity.

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The Samsung F480 might closely resemble the Samsung Armani in terms of design but it has a couple of elements that are distinctly different. Instead of the Armani which came with a 3 megapixel camera, the F480 comes with a 5 megapixel one instead. This in itself gives it an edge when compared to the Armani version.

Rich feature set

The Samsung F480 comes with a Croix operating system as well as a tactile feedback mechanism. The 5 megapixel camera also comes with an autofocus feature with an LED flash mechanism as well. One major drawback of the Samsung F480 is that it is devoid of Wi Fi connectivity. However this is compensated by a 3G, EDGE as well as GPRS connectivity which is a great feature for those of us who love the 3G enabled phones! It supports HSDPA connectivity with download speeds in excess of 7.2 Mbps. The phone also comes with an image and video stabilizer as well as an inbuilt video editor and slow motion functionality. The inbuilt multimedia player supports diverse file formats both video and audio. The FM radio also comes with RDS functionality. The phone also comes with blog support, browsing functionality and email client built in.

Compact and sleek design

The Samsung F480 has a small nice and compact design which can take you by surprise considering the number of features the phone boasts of! Weighing around 91 grams and measuring in dimension around 96mm x 55mm x 12mm the phone is lightweight and small. Battery life is suspect considering that Samsung has not included any information in this segment. The large QVGA Touchscreen display measures 2.8 inches across which makes for pleasurable viewing of all our favorite videos and pictures! Once slided up the Touchscreen reveals the conventional Keypad below. The phone also comes with inbuilt video messaging facility and comes with USB version 2.0 and Bluetooth capability. The sleek and slim black design makes this phone a sure head turner. Definitely a phone to have for all those of us who hate those ‘brick’ style gadgets! Although the phone measures about a millimeter thicker when compared to the Samsung Armani, it sure compensates this increase in size by enhanced features. This makes the Samsung F480 much more of an attractive option as compared to the Armani.

Performance aspects

The video editing and mobile blogging features are a definite plus in the Samsung F480. The combination of the 5 megapixel camera and the LED flash is another winning feature in the phone. The Samsung F480 also supports tri-band connectivity while supporting EDGE/GPRS data connectivity. In addition the support for A2DP stereo makes for an added bonus in this phone. This way sharing and printing data is now possible wirelessly to any device which is compatible with the F480. For those who like to download into their PC or merge the calendar appointments with the phonebook (it supports over 1000 entries!) there is an alternative feature for a USB plug in. Additional enhancements include the presence of browser, email as well as document viewer and organizer. These features are targeted at the discerning businessperson who wants much more from a phone than mere aesthetics.

Final say and outlook

Overall if you think the Samsung F480 is just a pretty phone that will make people sit up and notice you’re wrong. In spite of being sleek and stylish the phone promises superior functionality and high end features that make this phone a long term choice in the market today.

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tagged: Touchscreen, 3G, HSDPA, Touch, Keypad, Samsung, F480, 5 megapixel

The large Touchscreen and uncanny design resemblance can have you confuse the F490 with the Samsung Armani. However the F490 is quite different in actuality. In terms of functionality there are a lot of things that set it apart from the Armani.

Fashionable design elements

One of the most impressive features in terms of design in the F490 is the large Touch screen. The touch screen is replete with many touch controls that facilitate good user friendly experience. The rather lightweight and compact design makes for a good firm grip on the phone. Weighing just around 102 grams and 115 mm across the phone snugly fits into the palm of the hand. Coupled with the slim sized phone is the added bonus of a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus feature. The phone lacks a QWERTY sliding Keyboard but the sheer glossy surface surely compensates for this deficit. In addition the phone also comes with a haptic feedback mechanism which further accelerates the touch screen sensitivity. You will also find the phone devoid of a flip cover which characterizes most of the touch screen phones of today. The TFT display measures around 3.2 inches across and comes with a resolution of around 240×432 pixels. The only two buttons you will see are the end and call keys which are located just beneath the touch screen area.

Feature rich phone

The phone comes with a 5 megapixel fully autofocus camera inbuilt which produces fine quality pictures overall. The phone also has video recording facility as is present on most phones these days. Along with the fact that the phone has 3G capability the phone also supports video formats such as MPEG4, H264 and 263 as well as WMV formats. One of the highlights in terms of textual input is the predictive text input facility which automatically fills out a word when you start typing it in. Saves all of us a lot of time in that department! Music supported file formats include the MP3, AAC+ as well as AAC and WMA formats. In addition the phone also comes with inbuilt 3G HSDPA connectivity which also facilitates high speed downloads that rival even regular broadband connections! In addition the phone has a USB port externally located as well as Bluetooth functionality.

Verdict on performance

In terms of high end features the F490 comes with a fabulous 5 megapixel camera that has autofocus too. With it one can click high quality pictures with clarity and precision. The call quality is relatively good. Unfortunately the phone is devoid of Wi Fi as well as VGA video recording capability. One of the highlights of the F490 is the presence of intuitive controls for the music player. You can skip through track portions and control volume levels via the horizontal and vertical axes respectively. You can play VGA files but don’t expect an aspect ratio of 16:9 as many fans of the F490 anticipate! The touchscreen experience isn’t exactly exhilarating owing to the rather poor scroll functionality. However the Java support the phone offers is truly exceptional.

Outlook: is it here to stay?

The sheer slim and compact design of the Samsung F490 makes it a clear winner in the market. However as compared to other models from manufacturers, the F490 doesn’t deliver as per expectations. For example the video recording capability is rather sluggish and the battery isn’t all that big either. However the fashionable design and fantastic user interface makes this a good choice amongst phones today!

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tagged: Touchscreen, 3G, HSDPA, Keyboard, QWERTY, Touch, Samsung, F490, 5 megapixel

With a stylish exterior and a name that promises a surefire style statement, the Samsung Armani or the Samsung P520 has generated a lot of curiosity for us. From the encasing to even the user guide, everything is classy and stylishly designed!

Small and compact design

The Samsung Armani has been designed to make heads turn. With a uniquely small design which is compact and versatile the phone promises great aesthetics. With a stylish brass colored metallic exterior the phone exudes an air of quiet sophistication. In addition the phone also comes with a large Touchscreen area which is similar to the IPhone from Apple. Doing away with the rather plain-looking ‘calculator’ design of predecessors like the P300 or the P310 the Samsung Armani does away with the hardware Keypad. The only two buttons that are found are the end and send buttons which are also elevated and Touch sensitive in nature.

A smart design element is the presence of hardware keys located on the right edge of the phone. Discreetly embedded on the right side is the Hold as well as on and off keys. The charger or data port is located above these two buttons on the right edge of the phone. On the left side of the phone edge you would find a volume modifier slot as well as a slot for the memory card. On the back of the Samsung Armani you would find a camera lens and an LED flash to go with it as well. With a 3 megapixel capacity and full autofocus capability the phone certainly has adequate functionality.

Above average performance

On an average the performance of the Samsung Armani does impress quite well. Although the phone doesn’t look all that good under sunlight, the sunlight mode present in the phone does help to alleviate the excess light. You can easily adjust contrast as well as brightness in order to ensure easy readability. The highlight of the device seems to be the haptic feedback which allows the user to feel a slight vibration once a key has been pressed. However, one thing to note is that the vibratory sensation does not come until an action has been completed fully. You can select from amongst three levels of vibration intensity as per your wish. The overall sound quality is much above average and unlike its predecessors; the Samsung Armani does not suggest familiar contacts based on the series of numbers typed in. In terms of loudspeaker performance, the Samsung Armani is just above average however the Croix interface more than makes up for this deficit.

Popular features

The Samsung Armani comes with easy messaging facility that supports MMS, SMS, EMS as well as email functionality. There is also a T9 dictionary which is provided in conjunction with textual inputs. The phone unfortunately does not come with 3G capability which can be a downer for most of us! It also does not come with HSCSD instead supports EDGE connectivity. Weighing just around 85 grams this phone is certainly counted as lightweight! There is also Bluetooth version 2.0 support along with A2DP as well as USB version 2.0 support. The browser supports WAP version 2.0 as well as XHTML and the camera has a 2 megapixel capacity.

Outlook and overall verdict

Stylish and with looks to truly die for, the Samsung Armani remains yet another phone which makes a style statement. In terms of functionality, it offers a few things like the haptic feedback. However if high end features are what you are looking for then this phone is not for you. If you want stylish looks as opposed to a feature rich phone then the Samsung Armani is perfect for you!

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tagged: Touchscreen, 3G, Touch, Keypad, IPhone, Samsung, Apple, Armani Phone, Prada

If you were to get mistaken by the F700 as an IPhone – you would be forgiven! Being uncannily similar to the iPhone as far as design and aesthetics go, the F700 is clearly also proving to be a tough rival to the iPhone.

Unique design aspects

The Samsung F700 comes with a smart slideout QWERTY Keyboard which allows for easy usage while also viewing the screen. The phone comes without a stylus and is responsive only to Touch access via the fingers. The keyboard has inbuilt VibeTonz technology through which the user can actually feel the vibration on the phone while touching a particular numeric key or a letter. Measuring overall 104 mm across and 50 mm wide, the phone is a prototype for a compact and solid handset. Externally the phone has a smooth and glossy finish and a curvy edge which makes for better ergonomics. The phone is also called the Ultra Smart phone and its main focus is towards technology and multimedia applications. With a smart and stylish metallic edging as well as a unique black edging on the screen, the phone is very sleek to look at.

Functionality and stylish features

The Samsung F700 is not just aesthetically pleasing. It is also very functional. The phone supports HSDPA connectivity and has 3G capability. Average download speeds are in excess of 7.2 Mbps which can prove very useful for those of us that like good Internet speeds while on the go. Replete with tri-band network capability the phone allows you to toggle between network bands. The phone has Bluetooth technology, EDGE/USB connectivity as well. The Flash interface coupled with 3G capability enables easy video calling capability in the phone. The inbuilt camera is of 5 megapixel capacity and of very high quality. The video player in the F700 also provides for compatibility with Real, MPEG4, H364 as well as 263 video file formats. The phone also has compatibility with music file formats such as AAC+, MP3, as well as eAAC+ etc. The QWERTY keyboard facilitates easy browsing and text input experience for the user.

Optimal performance

One of the highlights of the Samsung F700 in terms of performance seems to be its flexible touch screen mechanisms. While the QWERTY keyboard does provide touch screen functionality for those used to the technology, even for the uninitiated the phone can be a tutorial of sorts. Allowing novice touch screen users to transition into the touch screen mode, the phone is quite user-friendly that way. Network speeds are on the higher side which is an added plus for the phone. As opposed to the iPhone from Apple which lacks in HSPDA connectivity, superior camera ability and sliding out keyboard, the F700 meets all these challenges.

Outlook and future trends

The Samsung F700 is certainly a cut above the rest when it comes to the kind of features you would expect in a smart phone. Doing away completely with a stylus, the phone promotes only a touch screen interface which uses finger touch recognition. The beauty and functionality of the phone coupled with clever design features surely makes this a must-have on everyone’s list!

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The Samsung F700 is available for $559.89 at ElephantCellular

tagged: 3G, HSDPA, Keyboard, QWERTY, Touch, PDA, F700, Samsung, Apple, iPhone, Touchscreen