Samsung J700 Review by 3G.co.uk

Samsung J700 Review by 3G.co.uk

Once upon a time you used to be able to tell the difference between an entry-level handset and a higher specced gizmo without a second glance. Nowadays it's not so easy. The Samsung J700 is the latest handset to cause confusion to the mobile phone spotter. As a sleek slider, the J700 bares a close resemblance to last year's 3G Phone of the Year, the ever-popular Samsung G600. Granted, the five-megapixel camera might be absent, but the Samsung J700 certainly looks like a cracking device, but what's behind the smart exterior?

Samsung J700 - Removing the back

The Samsung J700 looks the part with its two-inch screen, turn-wheel and smooth contours. Unfortunately, our praise was curtailed when faced with removing the back of the handset to insert the SIM card. Trying to slide it off proved to be a frustrating experience - it was nearly 10 minutes before we could even begin testing the phone's capabilities. After checking the manual to see if we were doing something wrong, we discovered it was simply shoddy craftsmanship. Eventually after much prying and a few chipped fingernails, we managed to dislodge the back, allowing us to slide the SIM card under the battery. It's a major irritant when a handset fails such a basic precursor as removing the battery cover.

Determined not to let this episode cloud our judgement for the rest of the review, we took some deep breaths before persevering. Thankfully, the rest of the phone's craftsmanship is of a high quality. The J700's sliding mechanism is smooth and, unlike some other entry-level sliders, the top half of the handset doesn't feel as though it would break off if it received a knock or two. Underneath the front fascia, found under the two-inch screen are a collection of keys and controls, including the turn- wheel.

Full Review With Specification and Many more Pictures Here

Samsung Unveils Its First HSUPA Phone : Offering Unparralled Upload Speeds

Samsung Electronics unveiled its first cell phone to support faster upload speeds using HSUPA (high-speed uplink packet access) technololgy.

The SCH-M470 is a slider handset that can upload data at up to 2Mbps when on the HSUPA network.

Conventional 3G offers upload and download speeds of around 384k , while HSDPA (3.5G) enabled download rates to increase to 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps. HSUPA which inessentially is 3.5G for uploads increases upload speeeds to 2Mbps.

The means that users spend less time waiting for pictures, video or music attachments on messages to be sent. Samsung stated that it takes only 30 seconds to send a full MP3 , using the new technology.

The phone also features WiFi, Bluetooth and a 2 megapixel camera.

The phone is available South Korea only and costs about 600,000 won (£300).

Samsung Unveils Worlds Smallest 8MP Camera Technology

Samsung recently unveiled the world’s thinnest 8MP CMOS designed for use with mobile phones.
The device measures just 28mm × 15.3mm × 8.5mm and has some awesome features including :

• Face-detection
• Anti-shake
• ISO 1600 sensitivity
• Detecting and automatically taking a photo when it recognizes a smile.

Samsung says the new 8MP CMOS should be available for mobile phones in the 3rd or 4th quarter of this year.

Samsung i640v Review by 3G.co.uk

Samsung i640v Review by 3G.co.uk The Vodafone-exclusive Samsung i640V may not be the best-looking Windows Mobile smartphone we’ve ever seen. Its silver, grey and black colour scheme and flat front fascia is attractive, but the bulk of the device is hard to ignore.

However, we can forgive the size of the i640V for two reasons. Firstly, underneath its slider mechanism is a full QWERTY keyboard.

The keys are tall and thin, and are angled away from an imaginary line that runs down their centre. We found them comfortable to use for tapping out texts and email. Secondly, the i640V comes with two batteries, and one of them is pretty bulky. In fact, the device comes with two backplates, enabling you to use the thinner one with the standard battery if you want to minimise the bulk in your pocket.

No Wi-Fi?

However, some things are harder to forgive. There is no Wi-Fi, which should be a standard feature on high-end smartphones. Yes, 3G is on-board so you can get high-speed internet access, but when you are out of network coverage you can’t access Wi-Fi which can be a tad frustrating.
The camera is a little disappointing too. At just two megapixels, it teeters on the edge of acceptability. A front-facing camera brings video calling within your reach though.

Touchy feely

This smartphone doesn’t have a touch-screen, so when the slider is closed you have to use the front controls to navigate around the device. On the good side, the navigation button has the usual left, right, up and down controls and is also a wheel you can rotate to scroll up and down.
On the bad side, the front buttons for Call, End, soft menu use and Windows Mobile Home and Back are touch buttons. We aren’t big fans of touch technology, and there’s no exception here. With no tactile or aural feedback to confirm the press, tapping the right command was a bit hit and miss at times.

Full Review With Many More Photos Here

Samsung and Adidas announce the MiCoach Fitness Phone

Adidas and Samsung have announced their strategic partnership and unveiled the first product initiative as a result of the collaboration, called miCoach.

miCoach is a real-time training system designed to motivate, inspire and enable athletes at all levels to reach their training goals, whatever they may be. It is the most advanced interactive training system by collecting and turning personal data into individual training plans based on one’s fitness level and specific goals. This unique partnership combines the expertise of Samsung in mobile technology and communications with adidas’ leadership in innovation for sport.

Research and development for miCoach began over two years ago between the adidas Innovation Team and Samsung, with the objective of creating the most advanced and customizable training product in the marketplace. With input from the Athletes’ Performance Institute (API), an elite training and sport research centre based at Arizona State University, miCoach is like having your own personal coach with you on every run; a coach who knows exactly what you want to accomplish and exactly how to help you get there.

The miCoach system contains five key components which combined provide personalised audible feedback; the miCoach Samsung phone, a heart rate monitor, a stride sensor chip to fit all adidas running footwear, compatible adidas apparel and the miCoach website to create tailored training programmes.

miCoach is available throughout Europe in adidas and Samsung stores as well as select retail partners starting in mid-March 2008.

Samsung Armani Review by 3G.co.uk

Samsung Armani Review by 3G.co.uk

There's no escaping that we live in a fashion conscious world. Be it the tightness of your jeans, hairstyle or even your postcode, our fashion credentials are scrutinised daily. With the mobile phone industry having cottoned on to this fact, we're seeing an influx of designer mobile phones. Samsung has teamed up with Italian fashion giants Giorgio Armani to produce what they say will be the first of many collaborations together.

Samsung Armani fashion credentials

The handset itself is the size of a credit card and it's fair to say that you'll need your limit to afford this phone (although it is available free on contract) - yet as with all things Armani this is partly the point, a means of announcing that you are part of the well-to-do club. At a mere 85 grams, the Samsung Armani fits snugly in the palm of your hand and with its glossy black fascia, 2.6-inch TFT screen and copper back, Samsung has achieved its main aim, a truly gorgeous handset. Think a scaled down more attractive LG Viewty - no ugly duckling itself.

The centrepiece of the Samsung Armani is its touchscreen that takes up the near entirety of the phones front. The only buttons are the call and call end buttons found just below the screen, the volume key on the left hand side and the quick camera key and hold button (hold this to lock and unlock the phone) found on the right of the handset. Thankfully Samsung has included haptic response, first seen on the LG Viewty. This means that when you press a key on the screen you will feel a slight vibration under your fingertip to acknowledge your command.

Samsung Armani touchscreen

The release of the Apple iPhone changed the way in which we judge touchscreen interfaces for good. To the detriment of the other manufacturers it is effectively what all touchscreen devices are now compared to. The Samsung Armani is one of those that suffer. Response time is fairly swift and the sliding of your thumb at the bottom of the screen to shift between the clock and calendar works well enough. Pre-iPhone we would no doubt be singing its praises, but it just doesn't measure up to Apple's offering.

At the top of the screen are three shortcut keys. To make silent, press and hold down the speaker key, while the same process can be used to exit silent mode. In the top right hand corner is the icon that will open up the numeric keypad, while next to that is the icon that will open up the full menu interface. The numeric keypad itself, while the number buttons are spaced out well enough, some care is still needed to tap in the right digits, due to the lack of actual keys. When making a call, the handset cleverly locks itself to avoid any accidental button brushes. End the call and the phone reverts to being unlocked.

Full Review With Many More Photos Here

Samsung announce i640

The Samsung i640 , the successor to the i620, has appeared on the Vodafone shop and is available now in the UK.

The i640i features the same slider design that was present in the i620 and the main features are listen below.

The phone is tri-band GSM/GPRS handset with 3G

Weight 126g
Talk Time (up to*) 6h
Standby time (up to*) 380h
Dimensions 95 x 61 x 16 mm
Phone book capacity Variable
Video call time 150mins
SMS Storage Variable
Active Flip
Downloadable Realtones
Data Modem
Voice Memo Recorder

Additional Features
Bandwidth 900 / 1800 / 1900
Camera: 2.0 Megapixel
Intergrated Memory card slot

The Phone is available from Free on Contract.

Samsung Solid Review by 3G.co.uk

Samsung Solid Review by 3G.co.uk

Just like buses, you wait ages for a burly, robust handset and then two come along at once. The Samsung M110, better known as the Samsung Solid, was originally billed as the ‘World's Toughest Phone.' We think someone might have forgotten to tell Samsung about Sonim's JCB Toughphone, a phone we were openly encouraged to try our best to destroy. Samsung, it seems, was no longer quite as confident, asking if we could refrain from driving over it, throwing it out of a window or drowning it in water. Bah humbug! In Samsung's defence, it has since changed their stance arguing that the Solid is built to withstand the odd bump and fall, rather than be indestructible a la the JCB Toughphone.

Samsung Solid rubber casing

The Samsung Solid certainly feels sturdy enough. It's actually lighter than the JCB Toughphone, and feels impressively so for a solid candybar. The Solid is actually encased in a thick rubber body that feels more part of the handset than the Toughphone whose rubber body feels as though it was more of an afterthought. But could this body armour withstand an ‘accidental' fall from our desk? Yes it could, without so much as a scratch on it. Perhaps due to the rubber cushioning, the phone made little noise when it hit our wooden floor. However, unlike the JCB Toughphone, we cannot definitively say that it will survive a fall from a second floor window, but we can confirm that it can withstand the odd knock or fall.

Samsung Solid keypad

Billed as a phone ideal for tradesmen, it would be fair to assume that a number of these trades might involve wearing gloves. As with the JCB Toughphone, we gave the Samsung Solid the glove test, seeing how easy it is to locate and press the keys on the handset. While the keys themselves are slightly bigger than the Toughphone's their close proximity means it is not easy to identify them individually. Indeed one of the Solid's unique selling points is the embedded flashlight found at the back of the handset. The light itself is surprisingly powerful, especially as the source is slightly smaller than a pea. However, the on/off button is adjoining to the power button and while switching the flashlight on and off we accidentally turned off the handset on numerous occasions.

Full Review with More Photos and Specification Here

Samsung Soul will not be Quad Band

When the Samsung Soul was announced , it was that the slider phone would boast quad-band GSM radios.

However, this has now proven to be untrue.

Instead of having a full smattering of world-friendly GSM radios, the Samsung Soul is only a tri-band GSM unit, latching onto the 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz frequencies. Notably missing from the batch is the 850MHz band that so many North Americans seek for service in less than ideal locations. We can use 1900MHz, sure, but 850MHz just works better. The fourth radio in the Soul is WCDMA 2100.

Other features on the flagship Samsung Soul include a 5MP camera, 2.2-inch QVGA display, Magical Touch by DaCP, a stainless steel finish, Web 2.0 tools, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio, MP3 playback, and a Bang & Olufsen digital power amplifier.

Source

Samsung Soul Announced

Samsung has released details of its 2008 flagship mobile phone the Samsung Soul - which is a 3G HSDPA Slider. It comes loaded with a 5 Megapixel camera and is the latest in the Samsung Ultra Series of mobile phones.

It will be officially launched at 3GSM this week and the main specification details are as follows :

3G HSDPA with up to 7.2Mbps
Slider mobile phone
5 Megapixel Camera
Face detection software
12.9mm thick in a brushed metal shell
'Magic Touch' touch senstive navigation
Morphing keypad
2.2-inch QVGA display
Customisable touchscreen interface
FM Radio
MP3 player
microSD memory expansion

The Samsung Soul is set for release in Europe this April.

Samsung U600 Black Launched

o2 have announced the exclusive U600 Black, which is available now.

The phone not only features the new gorgeous "glossy" black finnish, but also now features "HAPTIC touch keys".

The external keys below the screen are HAPTIC touch keys. This means that when you touch these keys you will feel a sensation in your finger tip to tell you that the key has been activated!

The Samsung u600 Black is available now, and costs £99.99 or free on contract.

o2 Store

Samsung G600 Now in Pink

Samsung have released a pink version of its G600 , which comes with valentines day approaching.

G600 Pink Features
5 Megapixel camera
Multi format music player with FM radio
Improved keys and navigation pad
2.2-inch QVGA TFT LCD screen with 16 million colours

The G600 is available now from the 3G Shop

Samsung "Solid" Launched

Samsung have released the Samsung Solid Phone, a very durable and almost indestructable phone to rival the JCB Tough Phone (launched late last year).

The dual-band handset is encased in a rubber and has a military grade rating of IP54, making it dust , shock and water resistant.

The phone also has an SOS function allowing the user to have an emergency number. If the volume button is clicked three times the phone calls the number and automatically answers the incoming call.

Key features:
* GRPS Dual Band (900/1800Mhz)
* VGA Camera
* Resistance to Water, Dust (IP54) Anti-shock
* Flash Light
* Long Life Battery
* WAP 2.0
* SMS/MMS, Java
* Mobile Tracker, SOS

The Samsung Solid features an FM radio and Bluetooth as standard, and is available from O2.

Samsung F250 Slider

Samsung have announced the F250, another new music slider phone. The F250 places itself in the middle of the Samsung music range.

However, that doesnt mean the Samsung isn't worth a look as it looks stunning with its metallic keypad and mirror-finnished facia.

The phone has rather basic features but , for the price-range Samsung are aiming at. they are more than adequate. The features include the obvious music player with built in FM radio , Micro SD capabilities (up to 2gb) , Stereo Bluetooth capability and a 1.3 MegaPixel Camera with zoom.

The Samsung F250 is expected in the beginning of 2008 at around 180 EUR (or 128 Pound).

Samsung G800 Review by 3G.co.uk

Samsung's G800 has shaken up the camera phone market by bringing 3x optical zoom and five megapixels to the party.

Is this the death knell for the digital camera? When Samsung launched the G600 in the summer, a lot was made of the handset's five-megapixel camera prowess.

In truth, while we loved the handset for its slim good looks and user appeal, the camera could be described as good rather than great, despite the high resolution of the resulting shots.However, Samsung's latest stab at a five-megapixel camera phone, the G800, is a different beast altogether. For a start, Samsung has not attempted to retain a slim chassis; but, for the extra girth and weight, you get a far better camera.

Samsung G800 design
In terms of length and height, the Samsung G800 is not a big phone. Its footprint is actually almost exactly the same as the hugely popular Samsung U600. However, it is a lot thicker.The thickness on the Samsung G800 spec sheet is 18.8mm, but if you include the lens cover, the real thickness should be about 20.2mm. However, the reason the G800 is thicker than your average phone is because it houses a top camera with 3x optical zoom, which we'll tell you more about in a moment.

Full Review with more photos here

Samsung Announce Phone With Full Napster Capabilites

AT&T Inc. and Samsung have announced the future availability of the SLM by Samsung, Samsung's newest lightweight mobile phone with music and multimedia capabilities.

The SLM by Samsung will be in stores beginning Nov. 23 and is the first of the company's music phones to feature Napster Mobile , a new service that enables AT&T's wireless customers to easily search a music catalog of 5 million songs, preview samples of each song and purchase and download songs to their SLM in less than a minute.

With Napster Mobile, customers will have the ability to download five tracks a month with the Napster Mobile Five-Track Pack option for a discounted price of $7.49. Songs can be purchased a la carte for just $1.99. As a special offer, customers who select the Napster Mobile Five-Track Pack from their phone will receive the first five songs at no charge.

AT&T is the only national provider to enable customers to purchase full-track songs over the air from both Napster®, one of the most popular mainstream providers of digital music nationwide, and eMusic®, the world's largest retailer of independent music.

The Phone will be only available in the US for the time being, but it can only be a matter of time before full Napster functionality is available in the UK.

Samsung U700 Phone Review by 3G.co.uk

3G's 30 Second Comment

The U600 had no 3G but the newer U700 has 3G and even faster HSDPA. That surely makes it a no brainer ?

Slick Slim Samsung

The mirrored exterior and bright 256,000-colour display coupled with its slick ultra-slim build make the Samsung U700 extremely easy on the eye. The actual phone we reviewed was the U700V ( Vodafone model ).

However, its smart appearance also makes it susceptible to the odd finger smudge. The sliding mechanism feels secure, but as with its predecessor, the U600, the touch-sensitive soft keys are an acquired taste. Samsung has added a specified note to each key (when played from one to 10, it plays a scale) to indicate a key press, but the tones are downright irritating and you’ll soon be switching to silent.

3G HSDPA Included

For those with an observant eye, you may also notice that the U700V is slightly thicker than the U600, albeit a mere 1mm, and a whole 5g heavier. Having maintained its super-slim appearance, the U700V also boasts additional HSDPA – the U600 didn’t even manage 3G. Subscribe to Mobile TV and the U700V’s on-board HSDPA will allow you to enjoy fast, high-quality streaming.

The soft key on the right-hand side of the fascia when in idle mode takes you directly to Vodafone Live!.

Full Review Here with Specification and Many More Photos

Samsung G800 5 Megapixel 3G Camera Phone

Samsung has launched the Samsung G800 with a 5 megapixel camera phone and 3 x optical zoom.

The Samsung G800 is the answer for customers' needs to have the perfect digital camera and the perfect multimedia mobile combined into one single device. For example, optical zoom is very common in most digital cameras, but the Samsung G800 is the first and only 5 megapixel camera phone to have this capability. Features such as face detection, and Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), which are very up-to-date features even in today's digital cameras, are also equipped in the new G800.

The Samsung G800 helps its owners to capture fragments of their lives vividly and to express themselves beyond words. With the Samsung G800, users can store their lives in perfect detail at every moment. It is the smartest match for digital photo fans who aspire to own the best possible digital camera features on their mobile phone. Boasting 3x optical zoom and Xenon flash to enable close-ups and exceptional photo detail, the G800 also comes with other most up-to-date digital camera features such as panorama shots, multi shots and macro shots.

Not only just taking pictures, the G800 also provides a very easy tool for sharing images and videos. Plus, the Samsung G800 offers professional video editing functions so that people can easily cut, paste, and edit their own films.

The Samsung G800 will be supported by a major advertising campaign across Europe and will be available in European countries from November.

Full Story with More Pictures Here

New Samsung 3G HSDPA Symbian Smartphone Dedicated to Music Lovers

Samsung Electronics announced the Samsung i450, a music dedicated Symbian smartphone. The Samsung i450, the newest HSDPA mobile phone, brings both attractive dual-slider design and various multimedia features to Samsung’s new Symbian Smartphone portfolio. The i450 will be on display at the Symbian Smartphone Show in London October 16 and 17 2007.

The mobile phone applies HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps so that users are available to enjoy multimedia features with higher data download speeds. Running Symbian OS™ v9.2 and S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1, the Samsung i450 provides access to thousands of applications available from the S60 applications library and multitasking features in faster data speeds while ensuring the highest level of power efficiency and reliability from Symbian OS.

The Samsung i450 is a dual slider which slides up to reveal a spacious alphanumeric keypad for making calls or communication and down to reveal metallic speakers. It includes a touch navigation half-wheel which is an innovative arc that enables users to easily navigate the device when the phone is held sideways, putting the display in optimal landscape view. Perfectly located between the speakers, the half-wheel is also ergonomically shaped to follow the natural movement of the user’s thumb, making phone navigation easier, more comfortable, and more intuitive when switching through multimedia menus.

Samsung i450 will be available in Europe from October 2007.

Full Story with Phone Specification Here

Samsung Announces GPS Navigator 3G HSDPA Smartphone

Samsung Electronics and Symbian announced the Samsung i550, Samsung’s first GPS navigator equipped smartphone at the Smartphone Show in London, UK. Packed with multimedia capabilities and fast Internet speed, the Samsung i550 is the latest addition to the Symbian smartphone family from Samsung Electronics.

With a candy bar-type design, the new Samsung i550 is based on Symbian OS™ v9.2 and is on display at the Samsung stand at the Symbian Smartphone Show. Also based on S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1, Samsung i550 users can choose from thousands of applications from the S60 applications library and have access to their favorites by using dedicated hot keys.

With the GPS navigator function, voice activated turn-by-turn guidance makes it easy for car drivers to find directions while pedestrian mode offers specific locations and directions at walking speeds.

Web browsing and access to Web 2.0 services are made easy on the Samsung i550 as it’s based on HSDPA 3.6 Mbps and has full browsing with a high capacity memory of 128 MB RAM. Viewing and surfing web content becomes more convenient through trackball navigation and a 2.6” optimized LCD. The SGH-i550 includes a 3.2 megapixel camera with video editing functionality. It features 150MB of internal user memory and an FM radio.

The Samsung -i550 will be available in Europe from November 2007.

Full Story with Phone Specifications Here