| Product: |
Samsung SGH-D500 |
| Date: |
11.06.05 (464 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Light, Compact, Easy to use
Disadvantages: Camera slightly inferior to Motorola
I am a sucker for the latest gadgets and I renew my mobile phone every year to keep up with the latest developments as they change so quickly. At the end of last year, after reading many reviews and much deliberation, I chose to go with the recently released Samsung D500, which I received for free on my current tariff with Orange which costs me £25 per month, which considering the phone was costing in excess of £350 was a good deal.
The phone is a sliding model, in that the keys slide down from behind the front panel when you want to use them which makes it a very neat compact phone to carry. When it rings, you either press the answer button or just slide the pad down to answer the call. It only weighs 99g too so it won’t weigh down your pocket, and you won’t even notice it in your bag.
The navigation pad looks like it will be really fiddly to use, but as a man with big hands, I can assure you it is comfortable as are the soft keys either side of it, and it is not too sensitive that small touches on the keys take you places you don’t want to go. Everything is accessed quickly and easily from the home page which is clear to read on the colour screen which is standard with this phone.
Text and photo messages are made simple with predictive texting which can be switched off if you so desire. The polyphonic ringtones are very clear, and I have downloaded some music tracks which are now my ringtones, and they are instantly recognizable as the quality is that good.
The camera is 1.3 megapixel, and whilst the images are good, they are not a patch on the images captured by my wife’s Motorola. The camera lens sits on the rear topside of the phone, and has a small mirror next to it should you desire to take some photos of your gorgeous self! It is simple to use, just point and click. It does have a zoom on it, but as with any digital photography, the image becomes slightly more grainy, the more you zoom in. As I only use the camera for capturing spontaneous shots where the quality is not the issue, it certainly fits the bill. Also, you can record video with this phone, and although I have not done this yet, I will be over the summer months when we go out and about as a family and I don’t want to carry the camcorder with me. It is similar to using the camera, just point and film, whilst you can also receive and video footage from friends whose phones have the same capabilities.
It has an infrared port on the side of the phone which I have used easily and it transfers information extremely quickly. Bluetooth is also included on this model, although the Motorola and this phone have a huge problem finding each other using this method. This model has more memory (80mb) than I can use, so I cannot imagine many users finding that this does not suit their needs.
One of my favourite functions is the speakerphone. It has an excellent level of clarity and allows my wife to hear all of my conversations instead of constantly whispering “what did they say?” whilst I am talking!
It claims to have over 10 days standby time, although I would dispute that and say maybe 6 at a push before it needs charging again, although this phone charges up very quickly. Other features which I have not fully tested or experienced are triband, e mail, games, MP3 player, voice recorder, calendar, and the handy media album where you can store your pictures and sounds.
All in all, it is a very impressive phone, and may be the one that makes me keep a phone for more than a year.
Summary:
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