The U700 is the latest in a long line of slim slider phones from Samsung that boast supermodel looks. But this handset has brains as well as beauty, thanks to support for the latest ultra-fast 3G standard.
Our phone was supplied by Vodafone, which offers it free on contract.
StrengthsThe first thing you notice about this handset is its brilliant display. Not only is it big, bright and colourful but it also has a crisp 240x320-pixel resolution that's ideal for viewing Web pages using the built-in browser.
In fact, access to the Web is one of the areas that this phone excels at. Sure, the large screen is a bonus in this regard but what's even better is the support for HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), the next generation 3G standard. It allows the handset to connect to the Web at speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, and certainly it felt blisteringly quick while we were browsing sites via the Vodafone Live service.
As this is a 3G handset it's also equipped with twin cameras for video calling. The one on the front is the usual low-resolution affair but once you open the smooth slide mechanism the rear mounted 3.2-megapixel snapper is revealed.
This has both a micro mirror for taking self portraits and also a flash for shooting in low light. The shots it takes are above average as the autofocus keeps everything nice and sharp and images have natural-looking colour. A slight bit of smearing in the detail means it's not going to replace a dedicated camera but it's still pretty impressive.
The handset's slim and light design means it feels comfortable to hold, and battery life isn't too bad either -- you'll get around five hours of talk time out of it.
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User reviews4
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smat 21 March 2008
Good: Good for Photos and phone calls
Bad: The touch buttons and the battery life the external buttons power it up in you pocket running the battery down.
Comment: At first I thought this was a great phone but the external buttons do not lock when it is closed and cannot be locked so when you put it in your pocket, even with the brightness turned right down and the displays set to min. time the battery goes down very quickly.
The touch buttons are unreliable and when trying to use the rotating scroll feature your finger slips off and suddenly you are on the internet.
I find it hard to connect with Bluetooth it always needs confirmation unlike my Nokia that just automatically hooks up.
One thing I would also like is a flashing indication of a missed call and new SMS message as the old Samsgung had.
As a phone it is good which is what it is all about as long as the battery is not flat.
cazz 20 October 2007
Good: large screen, looks sleek
Bad: Plasticky, those awful touch sensitive buttons!
Comment: This wasn't the phone I wanted (that was the G600...out of stock) but was persuaded into by Vodafone, it looked good so I went with it.
Having tried it for a week it's now on it's jolly little way back to Vodafone, it's awful, the touch sensitive keys drive me crazy, I thought I might get used to them but last night reduced me to a wreck, just one small swipe over those buttons and the whole message you were writing disappears and you're on Vodafone Live...again.
The casing is plastic and shiny I was so worried about scratching it I even started looking for some sort of silly fabric bag I'd seen someone else with to protect it, then I came to my senses and rang Vodafone to return it.
Ahh my struggle is over
Travis Boothman 4 September 2007
Good: The look,
Bad: Short battery life, poor music player, low volume,
Comment: I was really excited about buying this phone, it looked great, I heard and read good things about it, so I was bitterly disappointed when I actually got the phone and realised I was duped by the hype.
The look of it is fantastic but that's about it, the 'user guide' was useless and lacked information, the battery life is extremely poor (about 1 hour of talk time).
The volume for ringing and the music player is very poor due to only one speaker.
The camera is hard to use and is not good in the dark, and the video only lasts 15 secs.
When talking for awhile (after 20mins) the back gets hot due to the battery.
It's very sensitive to the touch and the 'rolling' control in the middle is not very good e.g when trying to sms you 'brush' the roller and lose everything.
You just lightly touch the pad and it rings someone.
Trying to write a sms is hard due to the fact that when you mispell a word you have to delete the whole word and start again.
Well I've only had it a week so I may find more wrong with it later.
Thanks for reading.
And I wouldn't recommend ANYONE to buy this phone.
See all 4 user reviews