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Review: Samsung SGH-U300
Samsung's new Ultra Edition II range includes all standard form factors, and this fine example forms the folder-style entry. The Samsung Ultra 9.6 (SGH-U300) has a metallic design, looking rather different from its brothers in the series. The SGH-U300 misses out on 3G data, but does sport GPRS/EDGE and tri-band GSM connectivity in addition to the on board Bluetooth with A2DP stereo headset support. The handset boasts a bright 2.2" internal display, and like all newer Samsung handsets, has a QVGA resolution. Shooting above its size, the SGH-U300 includes a 3.2 megapixel camera, which is a great addition. For storing all your media, the 9.6mm (0.4") thick Samsung SGH-U300 includes a microSD memory card slot.
While the Samsung SGH-U300 will be released in Europe during Q1 this year, specific carrier availability and pricing information has not been released so far.
3GSM: Samsung's five mobile marvels
Samsung has unveiled an incredible 20 handsets at this year's 3GSM event in Barcelona, including five pocket-friendly mobiles. In addition to its Ultra Edition range of slim phones and its Ultra Special range of smartphones, Samsung has somehow found the time to squeeze in five impressive looking new mobiles with the E590, E740, E830, E840 and P110. The E590 is a smart white candy bar measuring 94x42x13.5mm andfeaturing a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus, multi-format music and video support, and stereo Bluetooth. The E740 is a slider phone, measuring 97x46x16.8mm and similar in size and design to the top-selling D600 from two years back. It carries a 2 megapixel camera, multi-format music and video support and stereo Bluetooth.
Samsung E590: Dinky dialler
Out at 3GSM, Samsung launched so many new phones that we literally didn't know where to start. Amid the plethora of new kit and tucked away in a corner, however, was a little candybar phone called the E590. At first we weren't sure if this was a new handset or not, as no one seemed that interested in it. On closer inspection though, we realised that it was indeed a new phone and that we rather liked its simple design. Samsung isn't renowned for making candybar phones, but we think it hit the mark with this one. It measures a pocket-friendly 42mm wide by 94mm tall by 14mm deep. The keypad and navigation joystick are easy to use. It feels comfortable to hold and while the screen isn't massive, it's fairly easy to read texts on it.
There's a built-in FM radio and MP3 player with support for stereo Bluetooth headsets (A2DP), which means you can listen to your music wirelessly.

Samsung E590
General
|
Network |
GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 |
| Announced |
2007, February |
Status
|
Available
|
Size
|
Dimensions |
94 x 42 x 13.5 mm |
Weight
|
65 g
|
Display
|
Type |
TFT, 256K colors |
Size
|
220 x 220 pixels, 1.8 inches
|
Ringtones
|
Type |
Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 |
| Customization |
Download |
Vibration
|
Yes
|
Memory
|
Phonebook |
1000 entries |
| Call records |
30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls |
| Card slot |
microSD (TransFlash) |
|
- 60 MB user memory
|
Data
|
GPRS |
Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
| HSCSD |
No |
| EDGE |
Class 10, 236.8 kbps |
| 3G |
No |
| WLAN |
No |
| Bluetooth |
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP |
| Infrared port |
No |
USB
|
Yes, v2.0
|
Features
|
Messaging |
SMS, MMS |
| Browser |
WAP 2.0/xHTML |
| Games |
Yes |
| Colors |
Black, White |
| Camera |
3 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video(QCIF) |
|
- Java MIDP 2.0
- FM radio
- MP3/AAC/AAC+/E-AAC+/WMA player
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF viewer
- T9
- Organiser
- To Do list
- Built-in handsfree
- Voice memo
|
| Battery |
|
Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh |
| Stand-by |
Up to 300 h |
| Talk time |
Up to 4 h |
Sony Ericsson unveils FM-radio toting K220
The basic camera phone comes with a VGA camera and GPRS data access, plus an FM receiver for on-the-go music. Sony Ericsson's new K220 is a virtual doppelganger of the just-announced K200 candy bar. On the plus side, the K220 adds an FM radio, complete with 10 presets (no word on whether the presets can be auto-programmed) and a radio alarm clock. On the minus side, the dual-band GSM/GPRS phone lacks the K200's world-phone abilities, a disappointment for globe-trotting mobile chatters. Otherwise, the K220 shares most of the K200's features, including a VGA camera, 2MB of on-board memory (good for about 40 images), an IR port, a 300-contact phone book, SMS and MMS messaging, a WAP browser and a speakerphone. The 128 x 128-pixel, 65,000-color CSTN display should be adequate for gazing at your snapshots, although we're anticipating a noticeable screen-door effect.
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