OH, AND IT`S GOOD FOR MAKING PHONE CALLS TOO (Samsung SGH-D600)

Member Name: stuleg

Product:	Samsung SGH-D600
Date:	07/12/05 (5518 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: MP3 Player, 2 megapixel camera with flash, Word PDF & Rich text viewer, amazingly clear reception

Disadvantages: Not 3G (although many would see that as an advantage!)

Being a confirmed gadget freak and realising I had not changed my mobile phone for at least six months I decided it was high time to put that right. I was looking to extend the contract I was with on O2 while updating my current phone. After a conversation in which I threatened to move to another service provider O2 eventually offered me a free upgrade from my Samsung P400 to the recently released all singing all dancing Samsung D600, needless to say I bit their hands off!

• What's in the box? •

Firstly, and most importantly, you get the phone itself - an amalgamation of black plastic, rubber and chrome all squeezed into a unit measuring 96 x 46.5 x 21.5 mm which sits nicely in the palm of the hand. The weight is also low at 103 grams which means you won't be hauling around a brick in your pocket. The battery slots onto the back of the phone and takes about three hours to charge from flat using the included charger. A plethora of cables are next out of the box with a USB to phone one allowing synchronisation between the phone and the Samsung PC studio program, which is also supplied on CD-Rom. There is also a cable which enables the phone to be connected to a TV to view photographs and video as well as a Sim card from your chosen network provider. Of course no new phone or electrical device would be complete without half a trees worth of documentation; the 100 page users' guide is invaluable while the numerous fliers for various mobile phone related websites are less so. Finally a 12 month warranty card looks simple to fill out.

Depending on which network provider you are with you should also get a selection of goodies to setup and enable Bluetooth communication with the phone. I received an O2 blue set which comprises a wireless headset, mains and car charger, carrying case, neck strap and instruction manual. Basically this enables you to communicate with your computer for remote printing or wireless transfer of files and information, or other Bluetooth enabled devices.

• Key Features •

• 2 megapixel Camera: - One button push turns the D600 into a quality camera complete with flash. Pictures are taken and saved on the phones inbuilt memory at a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels. These can then be stored on the phone, viewed through the TV cable on a TV, set as a wallpaper or downloaded to a PC using the Samsung PC studio software. Bluetooth connectivity means any pictures can be sent remotely to a printer or other Bluetooth enabled device.

• 4 GSM band: - Using 4 GSM bands (850, 900, 1800 and 1900) means that the D600 is usable practically anywhere in the civilised world, switching the phone on in a different country will result in a quick check to find a suitable telecommunications provider whereupon the phone will operate as normal.

• SMS, MMS and email: - All popular messaging formats are available on the D600. Simple text messages up to 160 characters can be sent and received via SMS (Short message service) while audio, video and picture files can be exchanged using MMS (Multimedia message service) or email. An email address is easily obtained by texting your network provider and usually consists of your existing phone number @ your network provider.

• Video recorder and Voice memo: - Up to one minute of video with audio can be shot and stored on the D600, where it can then be shown on the phones screen, downloaded to a computer or watched on a TV with the use of the supplied cable. In addition to video the D600 also allows voice memos of up to one hour long to be recorded, again these can then be stored, downloaded and shared with the minimum of fuss.

• Bluetooth: - This allows the phone to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth enabled devices within ten meters, data can then be shared. This function also allows the D600 to be used hands free via a Bluetooth headset or controlled remotely. Additional equipment is required if you wish to make a computer Bluetooth enabled.

• MP3 player: - A simple but effective way of playing music on the D600, audio files can be uploaded to the phone via the Samsung PC studio software or by Bluetooth. Once on the phone they can be played through the phones duel 3D speakers or via the included earphones. MP3 files can also be used as ringtones.

• Phone to TV: - This feature allows any pictures or videos taken with the D600 to be displayed on a TV. Simply plugging in the TV out cable means pictures can be displayed one at a time manually or in a slideshow format. The pictures and videos do not display in full screen but do take up the majority of the space available.

• File viewer: - An amazing feature that allows files in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF and plain text to be viewed on the phone. Simply upload the required files via Bluetooth or USB cable and read, store or forward to a printer as desired.

• Voice Clarity: - One button press ensures the clarity of incoming calls are as good as they can be, by increasing the volume and even blotting out background noise.

• Upgradeable memory: - The D600 has 72MB inbuilt memory which is more than adequate for everyday number and message use as well as a few music files or pictures. Moreover there is a memory card slot which takes t-flash (trans-flash) cards - one of the smallest memory cards available. A 512MB card can be purchased for around thirty pounds turning the phone into a very competent MP3 player as well as allowing plenty of room for picture, video and file storage.

• The best of the rest: - If I listed every feature of the phone we would be here forever, suffice to say the D600 has it all! The TFT screen displays 256 thousand colours crisply across the 240 x 320 pixel viewing area, this is ideal for playing the three preinstalled java games or scrolling through the menus. An organiser function allows you to store and be reminded of important information and events while an alarm clock, stopwatch and world time function mean you have no excuse to be late again. A currency converter makes travelling and using money abroad an easier experience while a calculator takes the brain work out of maths. An impressive 1000 entry phonebook allows even the most popular person room to spare for his or her contacts while predictive (T9) text compliments the traditional ABC style input method to make texting and email writing an enjoyable experience. The D600 is WAP 2.0 enabled allowing basic browsing of compatible sites, favourites of which can be stored in the bookmark section. Finally, 30 preinstalled polyphonic ringtones and space for as many more as the phones memory can store mean you need never be bored with the same tone for long, as mentioned before MP3 files can also be set as ringtones, add to that a vibration function and there is no excuse to miss that important call or text.

• My Opinion •

Well first and foremost we mustn't forget the Samsung D600 is a phone! It is all well and good having a feature rich phone but if it doesn't deliver on the primary function it is intended for than the rest counts for very little. Thankfully the D600 delivers crystal clear calling to be proud of; I have seldom heard such crisp and clear conversations even on a landline - the voice clarity function works as it should so that if there is any background noise it is quickly and effectively nullified. On more than one occasion I have actually had to turn down the volume such was the volume and clarity of the person I was talking to. Although the phone is compact the sliding feature means that the ear and mouthpiece are well positioned during a call and as such purvey sound well. Battery life is average with my rather heavy phone use resulting in a recharge every two days. Texting is easy with the predictive text taking the hassle out of spelling and the keys are spaced well enough apart so that you do not hit the wrong one by mistake. The real boon of the D600 lays with the screen though, it is superbly clear and makes viewing pictures, files and files a pleasure - the menu system seems to have been cleverly thought out so that the minimum of thumb work is needed to access the vast majority of the functions available.

The D600 is the sort of phone you just like taking out and looking at, I have had mine about a week and I am still finding new functions to play with, the MP3 player is crisp with the various functions required to play, stop or pause a song clearly and cleverly marked. For those lucky enough to be in the position where they are coming to the end of a contract the Samsung D600 is free with the majority of Network providers, I received mine this way on a 12 month contract. Pay and go customers will have to wait however as there is not yet this option with any network provider although a Sim free D600 is available and retails at an eye watering £350. The Samsung D600 is, in my mind, the best mobile phone around in the UK today, Samsung seem to have thought of everything as well as ironing out any problems from this phones sibling, the D500. Five stars out of five from me.

www.samsung.com/uk/
http://shop.o2.co.uk/shop/

Summary: The Samsung D600 is, in my mind, the best mobile phone around in the UK today.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Sound quality:
Variety of features: