Similar to the LG Viewty, the F700's screen produces a reassuring vibration when you tap it, which helps if you want to make sure you've pressed something. You can use the F700 to watch YouTube videos and download Google Maps to it.
Better yet, MusicStation has created an app that lets you download your favourite tracks over-the-air for a flat-rate monthly subscription, which works very well. We managed to download a few tracks really easily -- our only concern is that you can't keep any of the music if you stop paying the subscription.
You can listen to tracks using your own headphones or wirelessly using a pair of stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) ones.
Performance
The audio quality during calls was loud and
clear throughout, without any noticeable muffling or distortion, and
the loudspeaker was equally good. Audio quality from the music player
sounded fine, but the player itself is very simple and we would have
liked easier-to-use controls and more options, such as an equaliser.
The picture quality from the F700's 3-megapixel camera was good for MMS messages and small prints, but blurry and grainy when blown up to full size, even when using the auto-focus. It's a shame there's no xenon flash, but the LED photo light is relatively bright at close range -- just don't expect brilliant pictures.
Battery life was good, lasting over a day and a half with moderate use and less if HSDPA was used for a prolonged period. It's quoted at 350 hours standby time and 270 minutes talk time.
Conclusion
The Samsung F700 is an attractive addition to
Samsung's portfolio, but it could have been so more than just a flash
phone with a few extras. Install an OS such as Symbian or possibly
Android on a device like this and the possibilities are endless. But
the software just didn't support the hardware well.
On a positive note, Samsung doesn't seem to have any hang-ups when it comes to trying out new concepts and while the F700 is a little rough around the edges, this bodes well for future Samsung handsets. Perhaps next time we'll see a better Web browser and a sharper camera -- and more importantly an improved user interface.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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User reviews4
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pcochrane7 12 May 2008
Good: Screen Size/Quality and Slide out keyboard - great for texting
Bad: MP3 Player interface, the button on front could have been used better
Comment: To look at, the Samsung F700 is great - large screen, nice shape and not too bulky. Feature wise it's packed and on paper can do a lot - 3.0 Megapixel camera, 3.6G HSDPA enabled, QWERTY keyboard for fast texting/email composition, good security - Messaging, Files, Contacts etc can all be individually locked if desired;
What I like: as mentioned, the screen, large and sharp, great to view photos/other media on, emails/texts can have their fonts increased or decreased as you read them by a touch of the volume button on the side; The QWERTY keyboard takes a day or two to get used to, you'll find yourself looking at the letter 'o' for example and pressing it 3 times as you would on a standard number keypad to look at the screen and see you've typed "ooo"! But nicely laid out and a good feature.
I don't Like:
When in a call, to end it, you must press the bottom button, then hang up on the touchscreen, sure that's only 1 mre button than you would on a normal phone: fine if your touchscreen hasn't locked up and refused to work leaving you to try and repeatedly press buttons slide the keyboard out, ANYTHING that will get it to hang u a minute later! So I just resorted to turning it off and back on again in these situations - Maybe it was just my phone? No - I have sent two back to Vodafone so far (from Jan) due to same problem and am selling this 3rd one as soon as I get it...
The MP3 interface - it is sooo bland, no equaliser settings, and can be tedious to go through the menu to select shuffle or repeat - fastforwarding or rewinding is a chore as the touchscreen element hinders this process but strangely sliding up and down for volume up or down seems to work fine - a nice idea from Samsung, but why not have album art in the background or some sort of visualisation other than just black?
The shortcut button again - you can't customise the shortcuts on there, and I can't help but criticise it's poor functionality and weekly decision to take a minute off leaving me stuck in a call when the other person has hung up on already!
Internet browser isn't great - maybe I'm asking too much after seeing Safari on iPhone, but if you unlucky enough like me to have enabled full screen during a session, you're stuck with it unless you luckily press the part of the screen to get it out of ful screen, 'cause there's no button or options in menu to do this, therefore no 'X' button to exit the net either - I just touch power button once to do this.
Summary
A great idea from Samsung, but it feels rushed (the similar F490 cam out 1 month after the F700, one month!) and has a few rough edges in my opinion, and perhaps I'm biased against it due to having to send 2 separate F700's back due to same problems...For now I'm using my old K800i - still better than a lot of what's just been released and will do so until Jan '09 when my contract's up and doubt it'll be a Samsung.
forddaisey 18 March 2008
Good: Love the fact that i can use it lol!
Bad: it comes with a pants leather case
johno106 12 March 2008
Good: Internet access, and the email function
Bad: Battery Life
Comment: Please dont buy this phone as it is fairly exclusive. Everybody, (including my friends), has an iphone - commoners. You wouldnt like the Samsung F700 anyway, with it 3G connectivity speeds, picture messaging, 3mp camera and qwerty keyboard. Not forgetting its touch screen facia - terrible. All this for £269 plus £35/month - not. Its not for you. Just me, and its free on a £30/month contract. Pity.
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