Samsung S400i review

Samsung S400i Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 8 March 2006

The SGH-S400i is one of Samsung's new i-mode handsets, available on the O2 network, the only one offering the i-mode service at the moment. Of all the Korean giant's i-mode phones, it has the lowest specifications, but due to its slide form-factor, small size and unmistakable Samsung styling, it's attracting plenty of admirers.

The S400i is available free on a £19 monthly contract or for £170 on pay as you go.

Design
The SGH-S400i looks like a smaller version of the Samsung D500 with Samsung D600 styling. The front is black, with a distinctive silver Samsung banner across the middle separating the screen and the soft keys. The soft keys are slightly different to those on other Samsung phones because of its i-mode functionality. On the left and right of the navigation key, the soft keys are marked with a white mail icon and an i-mode icon. Underneath those keys are the accept call, reject call and cancel buttons.

 

The rest of the handset is a dull metallic grey colour and has a smooth and curved design. The S400i only weighs 88g and is small, measuring 91mm by 45mm by 21mm, and it feels comfortable to hold. The slide mechanism is smooth, but if you open it with one hand, as most people do, it's quite easy to mistakenly press the soft keys and activate an application as you open it.

When the slide is opened you're presented with a small but functional keypad. All the keys, including the ones on the front, are black with backlit white numbers and symbols. Each key on the keypad is slightly raised at the bottom and this makes them very tactile. However, the keypad feels out of balance when the handset is fully opened. The top half of the handset feels heavier than the bottom and tends to lean forward unless you hold the handset with your entire hand. Another niggle is the bottom of the keypad, where the keys are narrower than at the top and this makes pressing them slightly awkward.

If you're right-handed, you may find the silver volume button on the left side of the phone badly positioned. Unlike the Nokia 6111, which had a volume button that sat just under your thumb, this button involves you using your forefinger, which can be awkward, depending on how you hold your phone.

As with most Samsung phones, there's a cover over the charging port on the bottom and a headphone port on the right side. The covers are relatively easy to open and give the phone's surface a more flush appearance. The battery doubles up as the back casing of the phone and has a quick release button to pop it out when you need to replace it or change the SIM card.

The on-board camera is a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) photo and video camera and comes with a flash and a portrait mirror. As with the D500, the camera is cleverly hidden behind the front section of the phone and protected by the back section when closed.