Samsung Soul U900 review

Samsung Soul U900 Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 12 May 2008

If it's pictures you're after, then the 5-megapixel camera takes decent snaps in daylight. We don't think it's as good as the Sony Ericsson K850i's 5-megapixel camera, however. The lack of a xenon flash means pictures in low light come out as clearly as a glass of Thames water.

The Soul's 5-megapixel camera takes clear shots in daylight but won't work in a darkened club

Using the music player is straightforward and it supports a variety of formats including MP3 and AAC, but the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack or adaptor means that you have to use the provided headphones. This is about as useful as trying to change a tyre with a screwdriver.

Performance
Battery life lasted for over two days with moderate use. It started to drop when we used more of its features, particularly while browsing the Web over HSDPA and listening to music for a prolonged period.

We noticed in noisy environments that the ear-speaker wasn't as loud as we needed it to be. If possible, test it out in a shop to see if it's loud enough to your liking.

Conclusion
The Samsung Soul is fairly straightforward, but that's what impresses us. It's by no means a do-all phone: there's no GPS and no Wi-Fi, for starters. It just works well and provides an enjoyable user experience. If the Soul doesn't excite you, then you could always try the LG Secret KF750. It comes with similar features, but has a few tricks up its sleeve. Alternatively, you could look at the Nokia 6500 Slide, a classic slider phone and good if you're used to the Nokia interface.

Edited by Shannon Doubleday