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Samsung Galaxy Note. First Look
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Review GSM phone Samsung X800Package:
Now we are reviewing Samsung X800, which is a clamshell with two colour displays. Unlike other Samsung's products (for instance, the E720/730) built on a successful D500 platform, it supports TransFlash memory cards, has two stereo loudspeakers and is equipped with a 1.3 MP camera. 
The size isn't small - 89x45x24 mm, while the weight forms 89 g. The phone's dimensions are comparable to Samsung E730 (90 x 45 x 23 mm, 90 g). Really striking side loudspeakers make the design look youth. You will open it with one hand without any trouble, and small hollows are on both sides for comfortable opening. The qualitative silvery body plastic will surely gladden you with its smoothness. This phone roused no complaints of the assembly quality; everything is on a high level. 
The right side surface hold a headset connector closed with a plastic cover fixed to the body. Below you will see a coupled volume button placed rather uncomfortably. While speaking on the phone, you might put your finger on the headset connector but not on it, so, it would be more comfortable to place the button higher a bit. The top part contains a microphone useful for video recording, since the main one can be closed with your hand accidentally. It's a pity this very microphone is not used for dictaphone records. 
Only a slightly deepened camera button is on the left side. The top contains a strap hole, and traditionally an interface slot took its place in the bottom. It is covered with a fixed to the body cover. The two stereo loudspeakers are placed on both sides of the phone in that way to attract users' attention instantly. No stereo sound is provided while playing music, though the volume is beyond any praise. And even closing the loudspeakers you will get quite appropriate volume. 
A 1.3 MP camera objective is placed on the front part of the device. A flash near it can be used as a lantern as well, just press and hold the volume button. Then it works for 30 seconds and then you'll have to repeat the action. 
Below you can find a small external display, TFT, 96x96 pixels (19x19 mm) capable of 65K colours. The display quality is appropriate, and the information is viewable in almost any conditions. In the standby mode, the backlighting turns of and large electronic clock with a week-day and date specified below are shown. So, in more or less acceptable light conditions you will make the time out without backlighting. Both internal and external screens use the one backlighting lamp. While dialing a number, the information from the internal screen is duplicated to the external one, and thus everyone can see the name and number of a user you are calling. 
MP3 player buttons are under the external screen. In contrast to such models as Samsung E720, E730, the X800 has one more buttons. Now there are four of them. So, a stop button was added to play/pause and next. Holding the play button you can activate/deactivate the player without opening the phone. To prevent accidental pressures the play button is slightly deepened into the body. The buttons are of average size and comfortable even for a blind work. Opening the phone you'll see the main screen, it's TFT with the resolution of 176x220 pixels (28x35 mm) and capable of 262 000 colours. The display quality is rather high though on the level of other Samsung (E720/730) models. Really, it fades in the sun, not completely, something remains readable. 
The number keypad is comfortable in work and the keys are close to each other, but they are large enough and thus comfortable to work with. The white backlighting is even and allows reading all the symbols well. 
The navi block consists of a square 4D button with an "Ok" integrated, two functional keys, action cancel button and two keys for call answer and end. The block is comfortable to work with, since all the buttons are large and no accidental pressures happen. 
Almost the whole back is taken by a 850 mAh Li-Ion battery. In Moscow the handset lasted for two days in case of 15-20 minutes of talks a day and up to 2 hours of listening to mp3. Medium battery life, with more load you'll have to charge the phone every day. And each recharging will take about 2 hours. Besides the internal memory of 80 MB the device provides an expansion connector for TransFlash cards. Unfortunately, hot change is not provided, since the connector is placed under the battery. And again memory card support is a great plus; in contrast to the same E720, the reviewed model can be used as an mp3 player. MenuThe main menu is three vertical lines with icons with three in each. Submenus are vertical lists. You can use number navigation, horizontal deviations of a navi button allow moving along submenus. Fast access to chosen menu items can be assigned to the navi button deviation in the standby mode. 
Phonebook. The phonebook is accessible from the standby mode by the right navi button pressure; also it's accessible from the main menu. The internal memory allows keeping 1000 contacts. Each can contain name (up to 20 characters), surname (up to 20 characters), up to 5 phone numbers, e-mail address (50 characters), and a small text note (up to 50 characters). Besides, you can assign any picture/photo and assign a personal call signal, bind to one of the groups. 
For a group, you can have a picture/photo and a call melody. A user can create any number of groups. Fast dial for 8 numbers is at your disposal. Contacts in the phonebook are shown both from the internal memory and SIM; search by name will help you to find a necessary person. By the way, you can copy all the contacts from your SIM to the internal memory fast. Messages. Up to 200 text messages can be saved тещ the phone's memory. The handset supports EMS, and a set of small animations, pictures and sounds is already preinstalled. You can quickly insert data from the calendar, notes and the phonebook into you message. Or change a font-style. Group message can be sent to 20 users, contacts from the phonebook may be both chosen one by one or within a group. 
MMS editor is plain and clear; each item has not only a tip but a corresponding icon as well, so we expect no problems with entering messages. An outgoing message shouldn't exceed 295 KB in size. 
Mail client. The device supports POP3/SMTP, as well as several accounts. Besides downloading headers you can get the whole body. Only graphical files are supported as attached to incoming messages (GIF, JPEG). And at the same time you are able to send any file - a picture, a photo, video clip, MP3 melody or any other. The included file is limited to 300 KB. And the body of the letter can contain maximum 1000 characters. 
Call log. Here is everything about incoming, missed and outgoing calls. Each list contains approximately 20 calls. Calls from the same number are summed up and a general quantity is specified in brackets. A call counter is also here, duration of only the last call and general one are given. 
File manager. Here are folders with pictures/photos, music, video clips, sounds and other files. When you ask to open a folder with images, the device will "think" for a little and the same concerns at transfer from thumbnails to full-screen mode. Also from here you can view information about free and used memory. 
Settings. All phone settings are gathered here. Screen settings allow selecting wall-papers for both internal and external screens (for each separately). The internal screen allows setting font-colour for entering numbers, and selecting one of the four colour schemes for the menu. 
Any MP3 track you like can be set as a call signal, also you can select alert type - only vibra, only melody or vibra and then a melody. Besides, select sound accompaniment for almost any action. Bluetooth settings are also here. Supported profiles include FTP, Headset, Handsfree, Basic Printing, and Object Push. The realization is not ideal: this phone connected to other devices without any troubles (Motorola, Nokia), but connecting to PC happens from time to time. Unfortunately, we failed in getting stable work with PC. 
Calendar. Calendar allows three types of view - monthly, weekly (days are divided into hours) and all the events of one day. Up to 400 events may be kept into the internal memory, there are four types of them - meeting, activity, anniversary, other. You can quickly switch to a necessary date and sort by type. 
WAP. The developers installed WAP browser version 2.0. 
Applications. Java world. About 4096 KB are kept for Java applications, and four games are already preinstalled, they are well known by other Samsung phones. They are Bobby Carrot (logical game), Airship Racing (flying), Arch Angel (arcade), Freekick (sports simulator). 
MP3 player. In contrast to the previous models the main difference of this player is a capability to work in a background and 3D sound support. To make it work in a background, you need only to press the cancel button, and it'll minimize, only an icon telling the player is still working will appear on the top of the display. You can have it working and do whatever you want - enter messages, edit contacts, view the calendar, and run Java applications. 
A capability to create own playlists, set random, successive and cyclic play back is provided. A plain equalizer is also present (Normal, Classic, Jazz and Rock), though this settings play not important role, to tell the truth. Using Skins you can change the appearance of the player. 
Only playing music via the phone loudspeakers, you'll notice 3D sounding. No effect is felt when listening through the headset. That is mainly an entertainment function bringing no real use. Dictaphone. One minute restriction is preset, or you can select the duration for attaching the composition to e-mail and MMS. This dictaphone works only in the standby mode. 
Three alarm clocks are present, and each can be set for once or everyday work, or working from Monday to Saturday or from Monday to Friday. Any melody can be set for each alarm clock. Also you can set whether the device will turn on at the event coming or not. 
Here is also a world time function, a plain calculator, a unit converter with a currency one, a timer and a stopwatch (up to four intermediate values). 
Camera. A 1.3 MP camera is integrated into the phone. Both screens can serve as viewfinders. The camera takes photos with the following resolutions: 160x120, 176x148, 320x240, 640x480 and 1280x1024. Four compression levels are present for JPEG: Economy, Normal, Fine, Super fine. 
Multishooting allows taking 6, 9 or 15 photos in a certain time period. There is a mosaic mode, which means 4 or 9 pictures taken with low resolution and gathered in a single picture. Automatic saving mode is possible for a single photo. 
Traditionally you can select of the 7 effects: Gray scale, Negative, Sepia, Emboss, Antique, Moonlight and Fog. One of the 17 frames can be applied to a photo, it's comfortable you can view all the frames on a special page and not looking through them one after one like in some devices. The flash can be set for work only at shooting or constantly. Also from the settings menu you can view which function is now assigned to each button of the device, which is very comfortable. High quality (even higher than in Samsung D500) is provided while shooting outdoors. And at indoors shooting reduces it, noises appear.
Video is recorded with the following resolutions 128x96, 176x144, 320x240 and 352x288. Quality of the record is also selectable: Economy, Normal, Fine, Super fine. You can apply one of the 7 effects. Clips are saved as MPEG4 with no limitations on the duration, only the size of free memory matters. 
While watching clips on the handset, we noticed slight slowing down. And middling quality is now seen. ImpressionsThe connection quality is normal, the phone works even in poor coverage zones. The volume and sensitivity of the loudspeaker is practically enough in every condition. The two loudspeakers provide very loud sounding, it is beyond praise. Even having put the device into your bag, you will hear its melody. No stereo effect is still provided, so we won't consider it. The power of the vibra is average. 
The handset is rather interesting. Two loudspeakers, the memory slot, the new camera module which allows qualitative photos are certain advantages. Also you should remember the developed MP3 player, which now can play in background. The minuses are no hot change of memory cards and bad Bluetooth realization. This phone is to be launched in October for the approximate price of 375 USD. Vladimir Fokin ([email protected]) Published — 23 August 2005 Have something to add?! Write us... [email protected]
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