What is it: Fashion phone with a large touchscreen and HSDPA
What we think: We're very impressed with its design, but not overwhelmed by the features or the interface
Samsung F700 Review
Reviewed on: 19 December 2007
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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