Samsung i620 Disadvantages

Samsung i620 review

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

The Samsung "i" line of smartphones are obviously keeping us busy these days. And again, quite obviously, the i780 we recently tested and the i620 are poles apart. While the high-end PocketPC sure adds value to the Windows Mobile lineup of the company, the main point of i620 is the benefit of diversity. After all, Samsung i620 is an i600 in the slider form factor and short of Wi-Fi. Sadly, one of the defining traits of the device is an absence.

Samsung i620 handles very well. The touch-sensitive controls on the front and the rotating D-pad wheel make navigation a breeze.

Ergonomics and friendly handling are a nice advantage of this smartphone, especially considering the space consuming QWERTY keypad slumbering under the slider.

Samsung i550 Disadvantages

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

When first announced, the Samsung i550 had only one version and it crucially lacked Wi-Fi. However, just as it started hitting the shelves, a second WLAN enabled version named Samsung i550w popped up. The two versions have no other differences in terms of hardware or software. Anyway, the second version places Samsung i550 in a somewhat different league - handsets that have it (almost) all. It may not have the best camera or GPS receiver around but performs adequately in both departments and that is what really matters most of the time.

Right now the Samsung i550 seems to have no direct market rivals. It's considerably cheaper than Nokia N82 and N95, or Samsung G810, which makes any comparison unfair. Even the N95 classic costs more than what you would pay for a Samsung i550. All of these handsets have a number of extra features on top of what the i550 has to offer but, as we found out, they're all on par in terms of usability and user friendliness.

Nokia N78 is probably the most similarly equipped phone but we are yet to see its market release. Nokia haven't been so kind of supplying us with pre-release handsets for testing - a rather quirky marketing decision.

So for now, Samsung i550 is the only handset in this market niche and that seems a good enough stepping stone to success.

One last thing before the actual review gets going. The Samsung i550 we had for the test was a beta unit, some i-dotting and t-crossing short of being ready for the shelf

Samsung i450 Disadvantages

In most people's minds Symbian and Samsung are two things that just don't go together. The Samsung i450 however might just be here to prove them wrong. Sporting the rare dual-slide design, it is one of the most interesting smartphone offerings recently announced.

Key features

• Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1 UI
• Dual slide design with unique Touch wheel key
• 2.4" 256K color TFT LCD display with QVGA resolution
• 3G with HSDPA
• 3.5mm standard stereo audio jack
• microSD memory card slot reportedly accepting high-capacity cards
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP

Main Disadvantages

• No WLAN
• Average display quality
• Mediocre camera
• No camera lens cover
• 3.5mm jack cannot be used for plugging a hands-free set

A music-oriented smartphone is not the most frequent sight around, so it's no wonder the few of those get quite a lot of attention. As we see it, with Samsung i450 it is quite well deserved. The dual slider packs a good number of features, which - combined with the unique music control solution and the Series 60 user interface - seem a good stepping stone to market success.

Samsung i450 review photos

Thinking about its market spot and rivals, the first name that comes to mind is Nokia N81. Boasting nice sound quality, similar design and dimensions plus the same OS, the N-series phone will surely put up a fight for the hearts of music smartphone lovers. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi capabilities and the dedicated gaming keys can be a huge advantage for some of the potential buyers.

If Samsung want to make a serious market stand with the i450, it will probably need to be released at an a bit lower price than N81. This however is only our opinion, and Samsung's marketing department might see things differently.

Only one last thing before we get to the actual reviewing routine. We have to warn you that our handset is a beta unit and some minor changes and bug fixes might take place before the handsets hits the shelves. We are confident enough to use this unit as a base for our review so stay tuned, we wil be back shortly after the break.