Samsung U100

Upside
The Samsung U100 resembles the Motorola MOTOFONE F3, albeit a MOTOFONE with plenty of bling added on the sides. It's a very thin and very sleek 2G phone with integrated 3.2-megapixel camera and "around" 50MB of internal memory, according to Samsung representatives.

Downside
On the minus side, there's no external memory slot, so the internal memory is all you're going to get. It's also somewhat on the large side -- we could easily imagine slipping it into a pants pocket, forgetting about it, and doing either it or ourselves some damage if we sat up the wrong way.

On the much more significant minus side, the model Samsung had on show refused to power on for us, so we can't tell you much about the user interface or battery life.

Outlook
The Samsung U100 is likely to be available shortly through Virgin mobile.

Battery

• Talk time
• 2.5

• Standby time
• 192

Camera

• Camera resolution
• 3-megapixel

• Digital zoom
• 4 x

• Video capture
• Yes

Connectivity

• Networks
• GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900

• Wireless technology
• Bluetooth

• USB connectivity
• Yes

Display

• Main display: Screen resolution
• 220 x 176 pixels

• Main display: Number of colours
• 262K

Entertainment

• Video player
• Yes

• Music player
• Yes

Functionality

• Input method
• Numerical keypad

• Supported audio file formats
• AAC, AAC+, MP3, WMA

• Supported video file formats
• MPEG-4

Memory

• Internal memory
• 70 MB

Physical features

• Available colours
• Black

By CNET Au

Samsung Ultra Edition 8.4

By Reuben Lee
Jan 12, 2007

In the past year, Samsung has built a strong reputation for featuring some of its slimmest handsets in its Ultra Edition series. The new Ultra Edition 8.4 (a.k.a. SGH-Z370) is no exception. Touted as the thinnest 3G phone in the world during its initial European launch in August 2006, the 8.4 improves upon the Ultra Edition 6.9 with several key enhancements, including 3G connectivity, dual cameras and an expansion card slot. The extra features do add slightly to the bulk of the handset, but frankly you'd be hard-pressed to find another phone that's as slim and feature-rich as the 8.4.

Design
Like previous Ultra Edition phones, the number in the model name denotes the thickness of the handset. Thus, in the case of the Ultra Edition 8.4, the mobile measures just 8.4mm. While it may not be as thin as its Ultra Edition 6.9 predecessor, we like that it feels a lot less flimsy. Combined with the solid build quality of the handset, we certainly had no qualms when putting the 8.4 in the back pocket, unlike the 6.9 which somehow felt like it would break under stress.

To better differentiate the new trio of 3G Ultra Editions from the first-generation lineup (unveiled during CommunicAsia 2006), the 8.4 will be offered in silver. This is a conservative yet refreshing change from the black in the original series and should appeal to the mass market audience. That said, there are just too many silver handsets in the market today. Given a choice, we hope to see the 8.4 being introduced in more vibrant colors.

Aesthetics-wise, Samsung adopts a plain-looking yet functional approach for the 8.4, with its design modeled closely after the 6.9. The phone follows a flat, wide footprint, with buttons and connectors on both sides. The microSD card expansion slot can be accessed from the right side and comes with a plastic cover to keep out the dust and dirt. The 1.9-inch landscape display makes it easier to read messages.

Buttons on the keypad are generally well-spaced and large enough for comfortable typing. Compared with the 6.9, Samsung has added two extra keys on the 8.4 for video calls and quick function switch just above the call and end call buttons, respectively. The center navigation button to access the Internet will take some getting used to as it is instinctively a menu button for many other phones.

To enable 3G video calls, the 8.4 comes with a VGA camera right above the TFT screen and a 2-megapixel sensor on the rear. The back camera is aligned with a self-portrait mirror plate on a flat surface that juts out slightly from the rest of the back cover. It's great for taking pictures as it is designed so your finger doesn't block the lens. This design, though, puts the glass at greater risk of being scratched.

For such a thin phone with limited real estate, we're surprised that Samsung still manages to squeeze in a small hook for hanging phone straps and other dangly accessories.

Our main design gripe lies with the phone's 3-in-1 connector. The single port is used to hook up to a wired headset, USB cable and charger, a setback as it means you can perform only one of the three tasks at any one time.

Features
It's amazing what mobile manufacturers pack into handsets these days, particular for ultra-thin models like the 8.4. Besides a 2-megapixel camera, the Samsung packs a video recorder/player as well as a music player. Its onboard document viewer application also lets you read your document files on the phone, a nifty tool for those who want to remain productive while on the daily commute.

The biggest enhancement the 8.4 has over the 6.9 is really the addition of an onboard memory card slot. This not only provides a convenient option to transfer data in and out of the mobile, it also doesn't cap the storage space available since more microSD media can always be purchased.

The 8.4 comes with the standard array of connectivity options including 3G, Bluetooth and USB. It also supports Java games and has a basic set of PIM applications for simple organizer tools. There's an onboard browser for surfing the Web, too.

This is not a music-phone, so naturally you won't find features such as dedicated music playback controls and 3.5mm audio jack, although those will be nice to have in future editions. What the phone offers, though, are stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) support, playlist creation and a built-in digital power amp that does improve the sound from the onboard speakers.

It's a pity the phone doesn't come with an FM radio. Nor is there a flashlight on the camera, which would have doubled as a handy torch.

Performance And Battery Life
We tested the Ultra Edition 8.4 extensively throughout a two-week period and didn't encounter any problems with reception or voice call quality. We liked that the volume on the earpiece could be adjusted louder such that we were able to hear the other party even on the noisy underground and bus stops. In 3G speakerphone mode, both parties could also be seen and heard clearly.

We were neither impressed nor disappointed with the sound reproduction from the speakers, although the relatively loud volume range came through on the phone. In terms of image quality, most of the pictures displayed relatively good color accuracy and sharpness compared with other camera-phones tested. However, night shots, as expected, turned out blurry and pixilated.

As with all small phones, there's always a tradeoff. For the Ultra Edition 8.4, the shortcoming is with the small battery. On average, the cell lasted us for about two days based on moderate usage. This should suffice for most folks, but if you are a heavy user and plan to employ more of the 3G applications such as data transfer and video calls, one can reasonably expect the battery to run even shorter. Unfortunately, unlike the 6.9, the 8.4 will not come with an additional battery. So you may have to factor in the cost of an extra battery when purchasing this phone.

Rating: 8 out of 10
The good: Slim, sleek design; 3G; microSD card expansion slot; supports Bluetooth stereo; 2-megapixel camera; solid build quality; vibrant display.

The bad: Average battery life; no FM radio; no second battery (like the Ultra Edition 6.9); one port for charging, earphone and USB; exposed lens design.

The bottom line: Samsung's latest 3G handset will appeal to those who want an ultra-slim phone but aren't willing to compromise on functionality.

Phone

Phone type Triband

Network GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900

Connectivity options 3G, EDGE, GPRS, Java, Bluetooth, USB

Ringtone options MP3 ringtones

Calling Features Video calls, Speakerphone

Phonebook capacity 1000-entry phonebook

Physical design

Form factor Candy bar

Dimensions (W x D x H) 112 x 50 x 8.4 mm

Weight w/battery 71 g

Primary display type TFT

Secondary display type None

Secondary display resolution x pixels

Interchangeable covers? No

Available colours Silver

General

LCD display size 1.9-inch; 220x176-pixel screen

Color LCD? Yes

Primary Display Color 18 bit

Performance

Operating system Others

Internal memory 20 MB

Expansion slot(s) TransFlash / microSD

Included accessories

AC adapter, USB cable, wired handsfree headset, user manual and installation CD-ROM

Other Features

Additional functions Document viewer; offline mode; uSearch

MMS? Yes

Predictive text input? Yes

Polyphonic? Yes

Built-in vibrate alert? Yes

Games Java games

Multimedia

Built-in digital camera? Yes

Maximum camera resolution 2 megapixels

Warranty

Base warranty 1 year

Samsung Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700)

By Damian Koh
Aug 17, 2007

Features
The U700 is one of those phones that manage to look fashionable, yet still pack a punch of features. The triband handset is equipped with HSDPA for fast data transfer and Bluetooth stereo (A2DP). It would have been a bonus if there's Wi-Fi, though. Onboard memory is limited to 20MB, but there's a microSD expansion card slot for the flash media.

Looking at the user interface, the U700 is very much similar to the recent Samsung mobiles. Although it is attractive, it can be long-winded at times, requiring multiple presses to perform simple tasks such as sending a text message. Even with the nifty rotary wheel for scrolling, we still stuck with the directional control most of the time. Both worked fine, but clicking the wheel provided a more "precise" control over the speed of the scroll.

For those whose memory is capable of retaining only the first few digits of their friends' mobile numbers, the search function on the U700 is a godsend. As we gradually typed out the numbers, the phone would show the contacts with corresponding digits so we could skip to the correct entry immediately. It's also helpful as a shortcut for those too lazy to go through the phonebook.

The 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera gave us average-quality images. Honestly, we expected more. Our pictures lacked punch in the colors and tended to underexpose. The shutter button on the right edge of the phone had to be held in a horizontal position for a better grip. The usual settings such as flash, timer, color effects are organized under a shortcut tab, while other options such as metering and picture quality are in a separate menu. Thanks to this, it took us more keypresses to get to certain functions, which was frustrating at times.

One other thing to note is that when shooting at maximum resolution, digital zoom is not available. Besides the main shooter, there's also a secondary front-facing camera for 3G video calls. We were rather disappointed the camera recorded video in 176 x 144-pixel QCIF resolution, which is unbecoming for a phone of this caliber.

In terms of multimedia, the onboard music player was able to sort our tracks by artists, genres, albums, composers. We also had the option to create playlists. When the music was playing in the background, the artist information and song title would appear as scrolling marquees on the home screen. The rotary wheel actually made itself very useful here by making fast-forwarding or going backward a track a smoother process. Unfortunately on this Samsung, there's no FM radio.

One thing the U700 can't handle is multitasking. For example, the music player would pause when we activated the camera. Fortunately, after we exited the camera, our music continued where we left off.

Performance
Call quality was generally crisp and loud. However, volume dipped when we switched to the onboard speakers. Although this wasn't a major issue, 3G video calling when we were outdoors was trying as it was nearly impossible to hear what the other party was saying.

The 900mAh battery life was decent for something that's so slim and lasted us just over two days on a single charge. Samsung rates the U700 for 3 hours of talktime and up to nine days on standby.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10
The good: Slim and trendy design; solid build quality; HSDPA; Bluetooth stereo; hot-swappable microSD expansion card slot.

The bad: Not everyone will like the touch-sensitive keys; LCD washes out in sunlight; onboard speaker volume a tad soft; 176 x 144-pixel video recording.

The bottom line: The Ultra Edition 12.1 is not only stylish and fashionable, it comes with a decent feature set, too. But the handset is not without its flaws.