Samsung showcases 4.5-inch flexible AMOLED, Flexi It's

For all intents and purposes, every single flexible display we've seen over the past few years has eventually been filed in the "awesome things that'll never materialize" drawer. There are exceptions to that rule, mind you, but we've largely been frustrated by how often these things pop up at trade shows and then vanish forever. Samsung Mobile Display, however, is hoping to change that. According to reports stemming from FPD International 2010, this here 4.5-incher is dangerously close to production, and given the lustworthy 800 x 480 resolution, we couldn't be more excited about the possibilities. We're told that Samsung is eschewing the traditional glass substrate in favor of a newfangled plastic version, and evidently it's a heck of a lot easier to mass produce. After all, we're still waiting for this thing, guys.

Via Engadget

The Official Samsung Continuum

Samsung has officially announced their latest Android smartphone, the Samsung Continumm which will be available with mobile operator Verizon Wireless.

The Samsung Continuum will come with Google Android 2.1, and it features a 3.4 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, there is also a secondary smaller 1.8 inch display which Samsung calls a ticker display.

The ticker display can be fully customized to display what information you want, for example it could be used to display text messages or even tweets.

Other specifications on the Samsung Continuum include 2GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot with an 8GB card included. The Samsung Continuum will be available from Verizon on the 11th of November for $199 after a $100 mail in rebate on a two year contract.

via Mobile Crunch

Samsung May Drop Symbian Devices

Shortly after Sony Ericsson moved away from Symbian, Samsung has announced today that it will not be releasing any further Symbian devices.

Samsung had reported last year that it might drop Symbian but then changed its mind. It now looks like Samsmung is going to develop its own Bada mobile OS.

Symbian has been used throughout the mobile OS market in the past but is now being squeezed on all sides by RIM’s Blackberry OS 6.0, the Vole’s imminent release of Windows Phone 7 and the exponential rise of Android.

Official letter to the Symbian developers:

A message on behalf of Samsung Mobile Innovator

Dear Symbian developers.

Samsung Mobile Innovator will discontinue its Symbian support service from December 31st 2010.

Please refer to the following event schedule (all times in GMT)

- 01:00am, 10/29/2010: Symbian Lab.dev Closed- 01:00am, 12/30/2010: Symbian Forum Closed- 01:00am, 12/31/2010: Symbian Content Removed

We recommend posting any new discussion board queries no later than the 10th of December 2010 to ensure your issue can be addressed prior to the Forum’s closure. Please take this opportunity to download any required documentation before all content is removed. Registration and certification of Symbian applications for the Samsung Apps store will cease from 08:00am on the 31st of December 2010.

Via Geeky-Gadgets

Samsung Galaxy Tab Arriving To The UK?

If you have been eagerly waiting for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in the UK. You will be pleased to know that Samsung have now announced the launch date as the 1st November.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab features a 1GHz processor, Google’s Android 2.2, Froyo operating system, a front facing camera for video calls and a 7-inch LCD display and weighs just 380g.

If you would like to know a little more about the Samsung Galaxy Tab check out the demo video released by Samsung a while back.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will be available in the UK across all major networks, key high street and out of town electrical retailers and online such as Carphone Warehouse, Dixons Store Group and T-Mobile.

Via Engadget

Samsung Omnia 7 with Windows Phone 7 leaks

Samsung GT-i8700 in both photo and video form, but this is the first we’ve seen of the next in their Omnia line.

Taking a page from HTC’s playbook, Samsung have decided to honour Microsoft’s latest mobile OS by skipping digits 3 through 6, and naming the follow-up to the Omnia 2 the Omnia 7.

Now, IntoMobile broke the story, and believe that this is the previously spotted GT-i8700 that I mentioned above, but I think I’m going to agree with SlashGear here and say that this is a different device. The curved top is definitely un-GT-i8700 like.

Unfortunately, there are no specs available right now, but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say it’ll have somewhere around a 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 8GB storage, and at least a 5MP camera.

Of course, as more details come to light, I’ll be here tapping ‘em out on my keyboard, just for you.

Samsung SCH-i400 Continuum Smartphone

Details have appeared of a new smartphone from Samsung, the Samsung SCH-i400 Continuum, which features an OLED as the main display and a secondary OLED display below that.

The secondary OLED display is called the ‘Ticker’ and it is designed to show updates for a range of different things like RSS feeds, and the ‘Ticker’ display automatically turns on when you hold the bottom of the smartphone.

Other specifications on the Samsung SCH-i400 Continuum include, a microSD card slot, a built in camera plus a dedicated camera button. There are no details on what version of Android it will run.

As soon as we get some more information on the specifications on the Samsung SCH-i400, as well as some information on a release date we will let you guys know.

Samsung Restore SPH-m570

While it may claim similar eco-friendly properties as Samsung Reclaim does, Samsung Restore SPH-m570 looks a bit more like the Rant. It has a number keypad on the front, but it slides sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Despite its recycled ingredients, Samsung Restore SPH-m570 feels sturdy, and we like its overall oval shape and curved edges. Measuring 4.6 inches long by 2.1 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick, Samsung Restore SPH-m570 is definitely bigger than both the Rant and the Reclaim, but it's still lightweight at 4.32 ounces and easily fits in a pocket or purse.

On the front of the phone is a lovely 2.4 inch QVGA display that supports 262.000 colors and has a 320x240 pixel resolution. We are pleased with the colorful images and the crisp text, and the size of the screen allows for more messages, especially in threaded conversations. You can adjust the brightness and the backlight timer. The menu interface can be arranged in either grid or list view, while the home screen has Sprint's One Click interface along the bottom row (You can read more about One Click in our review of the Samsung Highlight).

As part of the phone's eco-friendly theme, the Restore includes quick links to the Planet Green site in the One Click interface. The navigation array that follows is a bit of departure for Samsung messaging phones. You get the typical two soft keys, the speakerphone key, the back key, and the Send and End and Power keys of course, but instead of a regular toggle, you get a square optical touch sensitive touch pad similar to the one on the Samsung Moment. This makes navigating the menu a lot quicker and smoother, but it takes a bit of practice to not scroll too far from where you want.

Two soft keys are on the left side of the display, for use when the keyboard is open. The number keypad underneath the navigation array is quite roomy, and we like that the keys are separate from each other and are raised above the surface for quick dialing. The volume rocker is on the left spine while the 3.5 mm headset jack and camera key are on the right. The charger jack is on top and the camera lens is on the back. Sitting underneath the camera lens is the self portrait mirror.

Samsung Restore SPH-m570 has a 1,000 entry phone book with room in each entry for six numbers, an e-mail address, an instant messaging handle, a URL, a birthday, a street address, a job title and company name, and notes. You can assign callers to groups, pair them with a photo for caller ID, plus one of 20 polyphonic ring tones and melodies. As an option, you can use Sprint's wireless backup service to store your contacts on Sprint's servers.

It has essential features such as a vibrate mode and a speakerphone, plus the usual PIM tools like an alarm clock, a calendar, a calculator, a tip calculator, a world clock, a memo pad, and a voice memo recorder. You will also find stereo Bluetooth, voice command features, USB mass storage, instant messaging, and text and multimedia messaging. The latter supports threaded messaging so you'll be able to see your back and forth texts as a conversation. Along with Samsung Restore SPH-m570's pro-environment message, it also comes with an eco calculator that will measure your carbon usage, similar to the one on the LG Remarq.

As with most Sprint messaging phones, Samsung Restore SPH-m570 comes with social networking applications like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Since it has GPS, it also offers Sprint Navigation and Family Locator services. Other applications included in the phone include Google services like maps, search, YouTube, and a ScanLife bar-code scanner. Along with the eco-calculator, the Restore also has "green" apps like Green Glossary and Green Guide that offer tips on how to live a more eco-friendly life. You can also do simple multitasking and send certain apps to the background.

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint)

Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) isn't much of a looker. It measures 2.4 by 4.9 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.3 ounces. It's finished in black plastic with a dark chrome band around the front panel edge. The 2.6 inch plastic resistive touch screen offers just 320 by 240 pixel resolution. It's small and stubborn enough that you'll need the stylus tucked into the bottom right corner for just about anything not on the home screen or main menu (more on that later).

Six function keys bracket a large, rectangular five way control pad all were easy to press in regular use. The four row QWERTY keyboard felt a little cheap, but it was fine for modest typing chores. As a dual-band EV-DO Rev A (800/1900 MHz), quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and UMTS (2100 MHz) device, Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) is a true world phone just as its namesake implies. It also includes Wi-Fi. Voice quality was solid in both directions, with a trebly, crisp tone in the earpiece and good wind rejection.

Reception was average. Annoyingly, the OS couldn't keep up with dialing numbers all the tone sounds piled up a second or two afterward and cut each other off. The booming speakerphone was plenty loud for outdoor use. Calls sounded fine through a Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset. Battery life was excellent at 6 hours and 34 minutes of talk time.

Windows Mobile, Business Support, and Apps
Without the proper tuning a la HTC TouchFLO or Samsung TouchWiz, Windows Mobile looks archaic. Version 6.5 brought a much needed refresh to the home screen which actually looks and works nicely, with its larger buttons and clearer fonts. But the rest of the OS remains ugly and outdated right down to the old school touch screen calibration process on first start up. At least Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is slightly improved from earlier horrific versions, and even renders static

Flash content in a pinch. But it renders desktop pages very slowly and hangs up loading scripts, and the touch screen controls still feel like an afterthought. As a proper Microsoft powered smartphone, Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) views, creates, and edits Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and views PowerPoint files. It connects to Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server accounts for Direct Push e-mail.

The Intrepid isn't a bad smartphone for third party apps, thanks to its 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7600 processor, 266MB of free internal storage, and 193MB of total RAM, with a generous 153MB available for user programs. A microSD card is located underneath the battery cover and off to the side. You have to pull the battery to swap cards, which is a royal pain. An ill fitting battery cover compounded the misery it always took five or six tries to seat properly. Multimedia fans get the usual compliment of Sprint Power Vision services, including dozens of Sprint TV channels (live and simulcast), Sprint NFL Mobile Live, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile.

The GPS radio hooks into the TeleNav powered Sprint Navigation for voice enabled, turn by turn directions. Samsung Intrepid SPH-i350 (Sprint) locked onto my location quickly and spoke clearly, although the low-res screen and Windows Mobile's fixed upper and lower UI bars made for a tiny map window. Sprint included quick links to Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr for social networking duties. Instant messaging was a disappointment, the tabbed interface works with AIM, Windows Live, and Yahoo accounts, but charges for each message as a 20 cent SMS.

Samsung Instinct HD (Sprint)

First of all, it has an awesome camera. Recorded HD (1280 by 720) and VGA videos were sharp, super smooth, and well lit only the flat colors and slightly pixelated look gave away the tiny cell phone lens. Photos taken with the 5 megapixel still mode looked very sharp outdoors, with plenty of detail in bricks, grass, and tree leaves. There was quite a bit of noise in darker rooms indoors, but shots were acceptably sharp and detailed with enough light.

Shutter speeds were about one second even with auto focus, and the phone recovered almost instantly after every shot. To play back HD video (either recorded or sideloaded), you have to attach a US$29.99 HDMI cable, sold separately. When do you want converted a few 720p movie trailers to MP4, sideloaded them to the microSD card, and hooked up the Instinct HD to a 42 inch plasma HDTV. The video even played simultaneously on the Instinct HD's screen. (The TV only shows video output, incidentally not UI graphics.)

Other media features here are flexible, but inconvenient and buggy at times. You need to pull off the stiff battery cover and remove the battery to replace the memory card. My 16GB SanDisk microSD card worked fine, and Sprint tosses a 4GB card in the box. The phone has a standard size 3.5 mm headphone jack. AAC, WMA, and MP3 music tracks sounded clear over Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth headphones. The music player displayed album art when available.

Various Sprint themed services like NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR come as part of Sprint's Everything plan, and you can buy music tracks over the air from Sprint's music store. I ran into several glitches playing music and video. The volume inexplicably started deafeningly loud on every track for the first quarter second, and the unit hard reset itself in the middle of an MP3 track.

Popping the battery and microSD card reset it. The video player oddly forced me into the TV app when it was done, even though I hadn't been using Sprint TV. The Instinct HD has the right hardware for gaming with its large touch screen and accelerometer. But it wouldn't run any of our Java benchmarks, and the one preloaded game demo ran poorly. It appears all that CPU horsepower is geared toward HD video.

Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless)

Like many of the touch screen smartphones available today, Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) has a candy bar design but it is slightly on the bulkier side at 4.69 inches tall by 2.35 inches wide by 0.52 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces. However, there's good reason for the extra size and that's the gorgeous 3.7 inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) AMOLED touch screen. When compared with the first Omnia and other touch screen smartphones, videos and photos look amazing on Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless).

It has a smoother picture, wider viewing angles, and higher contrast. Also, a built-in accelerometer changes the screen orientation when you rotate the phone for certain applications like the Web browser, messages, photos, and video. Also, while the smartphone's touch screen is resistive and requires a bit more pressure than a capacitive touch screen to move among various home screen panes, we found it quite responsive and didn't require the precision of a stylus to select items.

We should note that the touch screen was a bit temperamental when we first used it, but after realigning the screen with the stylus, everything was fine. Below the display, you get Talk and End or Power keys and a Main Menu key (more on this later). There is an OK button, but it's on the left side of the phone along with the 3.5 mm headphone jack and volume rocker. The microSD expansion slot is also located on this side but you'll have to remove the stylish red battery door to access it.

On the right spine, you'll find the stylus, a Micro-USB port, a lock key, and a camera activation or capture button. Last but not least, the camera and flash are located on the back. The only thing we missed was having a back button for returning to the previous screen, since an on screen option wasn't always available. While the physical aspects of Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) aren't radically different from the competition, the smartphone's does have some unique "design" features are beneath the surface.

For one thing, it offers an on screen portrait and landscape QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology, which Webware previewed a while back. Instead of pecking at individual keys, Swype lets spell out a word by dragging your finger on the keyboard from letter to letter. Swype's algorithm then does its best to figure out what word you're trying to input it also automatically enters a space after you complete a word and includes certain tricks, such as circling a key to input a letter twice. Admittedly, we were very skeptical of Swype.

However, to our surprise, it worked and was mostly accurate. We ran into some problems when entering terms that weren't true words, such as an IM handle, though Swype will try to come up a list of possible results. It also takes some adjustment to enter long words since you have keep your finger on the screen the whole time. Still, we were always amazed when it came up with the correct word. Samsung also completely redid the main menu page. Pressing the menu key below the display will bring up a grid view of all your phone's apps. There 12 icons per page and each page is customizable so you can rearrange the apps in the order you want.

All you have to do is press the Edit button on the bottom of the screen and at that point you can move the icons to any position on any menu page. Pages will be added as you add more applications to your phone, and you can move among pages by swiping your finger left to right or vice versa. Right next to the Edit button is one of our favorite additions the new Task Switcher function. This feature shows you all your running applications in thumbnail visuals and lets you easily switch between tasks, exit out of an app, or end all running programs. It alleviates one of the biggest problems of Windows Mobile, which was multitasking. In fact, TouchWiz 2.0 in general does a good job making the OS more easy to use, so much so you can hardly tell it's a Windows Mobile smartphone.

Finally, like the Samsung Behold II, Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) offers the 3D cube interface for the phone's various multimedia capabilities. However, unlike the Behold II, there is also a toolbar on the where you can launch the same entertainment apps with a simple tap, which is much more functional than the gimmicky cube. Overall, TouchWiz 2.0 makes much more sense and is more useful on Samsung Omnia II (Verizon Wireless) than the Behold II, as it provides the customization abilities that Windows Mobile lacks and offers a much more intuitive user interface.

Samsung Moment (Sprint)

You wouldn't be off base if you initially confused the Moment with Samsung's other touch screen phones. Indeed, with its rounded ends and prominent display it looks a lot like the Samsung Rogue. Yet, a closer look will show that Samsung Moment (Sprint) is larger than its siblings and its color scheme and soft touch material on its battery cover put it more in line with the Hero. The result is a rather unremarkable design, particularly when compared with its Android counterparts, but the smooth lines give the Moment a minimalist appeal.

Samsung Moment (Sprint) is more than just large (4.6 inches by 2.34 inches by 0.63 inch), it's also quite heavy (5.67 ounces) for any kind of cell phone. The extra bulk is noticeable and Samsung Moment (Sprint) can make for a tight fit in some pockets, but the trade off is a solid device with a sturdy build. The slider mechanism is sufficiently stiff and the handset has a firm feel in the hand. We noticed, however, that when the slider is open Samsung Moment (Sprint) feels a bit top heavy. When typing, be sure to steady the back of the slider with your fingers.

At 3.2 inches, the Moment's vibrant AMOLED display is smaller than the iPhone's, but still large enough to allow for comfortable navigation. Though the resolution (480x320 pixels) is lower than on the Rogue, the rich color support (16 million hues) means that colors and graphics pop right off the screen. You can change the brightness, the wallpaper, and the backlight time, and you can adjust the accelerometer settings so that the display doesn't change automatically when you rotate the phone. A proximity sensor will switch the screen off when you're on a call.

Samsung Moment (Sprint) ships with Android OS 1.5 so its three home screens and phone dialer interface will be familiar to Android users. The dialer features round buttons and offers quick access to a list of favorite contacts, though it lacks the additional shortcuts we liked on the Cliq. The main menu is also unchanged from other supported handsets to access it, tap the small pull tab at the bottom of the display. Naturally, you can add or delete shortcut widgets and move them around the home screens.

But in a change from other Android phones, the display offers vibrating feedback for the virtual keyboard and keypad (you can turn this feature off). Fortunately, the physical controls just below the display are better. You'll find large Talk and End or power keys and a square OK button that doubles as an optical mouse. The latter is a unique Samsung creation that acts like a touch pad. By swiping your finger cross the control, you can move the cursor or swipe between home screens. Though the optical mouse is tiny, it works well. In fact, it's so sensitive that you need to use it carefully.

On the downside, we'd prefer to have a dedicated search control. Other exterior features include a volume rocker on the left spine and a camera shutter and a voice dialing button on the right spine. A Micro-USB port on the left spine accommodates the charger and a USB cable. We thank Samsung for giving us a standard charger port and the 3.5 mm headset jack on the Moment's top end. The camera lens, flash, and mirror sit on the rear side near a speaker. You will need to remove the battery cover to access the microSD card slot.

Essentials include text and multimedia messaging, a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, a calculator, an alarm clock, and a nifty "Device self Service" that allows you to, among other things, quickly activate your phone. Some basic apps like a world clock and a notepad remain absent, and we're a little perplexed by the new File Viewer feature. Though we welcome the capability to view files that are stored on the phone a feature not available on previous Android phones you can't do anything other than delete the files once you find them.

To be really useful, we should be able to move files as well. Beyond the basics, you'll have 802.11b Wi-Fi, USB mass storage, Google Talk, instant messaging, Sprint visual voice mail, stereo Bluetooth, PC syncing, and speaker independent voice dialing. The Moment also comes integrated with apps from Facebook, The Weather Channel, CNN, ESPN, and a demo version of Bejewled. Of course, Google voice search is also onboard and you can populate the home screen with a handy search widget.

Samsung HT-AS730

Samsung HT-AS730 is a "component style" home theater system, which means that it's basically a full on AV receiver that's boxed up with a matching 5.1 speaker system. No DVD or Blu-ray player is included the implication being that you already have a disc player or game console on hand. The system's receiver looks slick enough, completely masked in a polished black plastic. We were shocked to see how light the entire unit was (less than 7 pounds) considering it measures in at 15.24 inches tall by 12.2 inches wide by 16.85 inches deep.

The front flap hides various controls, which can also be accessed via the remote control along with a quarter inch headphone jack and composite input. For what's an otherwise solid design, we did have a lot of problems reading the receiver's display. The dimly lit LCD is completely useless unless you're standing right in front of it. Unfortunately the dimmer button didn't help as we were already on the brightest setting. The included remote control is a bit intimidating at first, but it does give you plenty of control over the receiver and other devices should you choose to program them into the remote.

Buttons are laid out logically throughout, although the function bank at the bottom can get a bit overwhelming. It can also be programmed to control several brands of TVs and DVD players, and it can also control Samsung Blu-ray players. As always, though, we recommend getting a more capable universal remote. As far as connectivity goes, Samsung HT-AS730 has a lot to offer at least at first glance. In addition to three switchable HDMI sources, it can accommodate two component and four composite inputs as well. (Like most AV systems nowadays, Samsung HT-AS730 has no S-Video connections.)

For audio, you can take advantage of up to four digital sources (three optical, one coaxial). While Samsung HT-AS730 offers a decent connectivity suite for a home theater system, there are caveats. First off, there's no video upconversion. That means for each input type HDMI, component, or composite you'll need to run a corresponding output cable to your TV, and switch inputs there accordingly. Also keep in mind that there's a maximum of five AV sources (four on the back, plus the front panel auxiliary) to toggle between so you could have three HDMI sources (game console, Blu-ray player, and DVR on HDMI, plus a Nintendo Wii on component, for instance).

Once we mastered all of our input settings, we were upset to find that our HDMI connections were occasionally unreliable. For example, when switching between devices, we would get stuck with a blank picture. Only after unplugging and plugging in our HDMI cable were we able to see picture. We experienced this issue when switching about 30 percent of the time. Also, we found that it didn't matter what we were switching from the problem happened as long as you were landing on an HDMI input.

Samsung HT-AS730 also comes with an iPod dock that is compatible with all iPods and iPhones that have a dock connection port. We should note that using the iPhone with Samsung HT-AS730 automatically puts the device into airplane mode. There is no onscreen navigation for music playback, so while you can use the remote, you're still going to need to hover over your iPod to see what you're doing. The same is the case with iPod video playback. Additionally, the iPod must be in TV out mode for it to play through the receiver. Video quality is on average with most HTIBs we've seen with similar functionality.

Samsung HT-BD1250

Samsung HT-BD1250 is a 5.1 system the included speaker package consists of four identical smallish speakers for the front surround, a slim center channel and a subwoofer. Samsung HT-BD1250's front or surround speakers feature both a tweeter and a woofer, which is a nice plus on an HTIB system. The four bookshelf speakers sit 8.3 inches high, and have a stand built into the base. The front of the speaker has a glossy black finish, while the rest of the cabinet is matte black.

Looking through the speaker grille, you'll see a rare sight on an HTIB speaker both a tweeter and a woofer. The speakers aren't as small as the ones included with Panasonic's Blu-ray HTIBs, but we didn't find them overwhelming. The center channel is tiny, coming in at just 11.8 inches wide by 1.9 inches high by just 2.7 inches deep, and should easily fit under any TV. It has two unusual, rounded rectangle shaped drivers, but Samsung doesn't provide anymore information about the speaker.

The subwoofer is average size for an HTIB, but sounds bigger than it looks more on that in the performance section. The main receiver and Blu-ray player combo unit features a design that looks slick on the showroom floor, but is kind of a pain once you get it home. The front panel has a trapezoidal shape that tapers toward the bottom. It's covered with a glossy black finish, while the top of the unit is awash with Samsung's dark red "Touch of Color" it's a distinctive look, although it's a magnet for fingerprints.

Samsung HT-BD1250's speaker setup is completely manual, so it's up to you to adjust the volume levels of all the speakers and subwoofer, and calculate listener to speaker distances. We strongly recommend performing the setup because straight out of the box Samsung HT-BD1250's center channel volume was much too loud and the surround speakers were too low in volume. You'll find the manual setup located in the Sound Edit part of the on screen menu. Navigation logistics aren't the best or the worst we've seen, just follow the User Manual's instructions and you'll be fine.

Samsung U5

Offered in black, white, red, pink, or blue, the oblong and thin 0.81 ounce Samsung U5 measures 0.9 by 3.5 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and features a tiny, 1 inch grayscale OLED screen. The display attempts to show album art when available, but its size and lack of color work against it. (The animated characters you can assign to appear whenever the player powers up, however, make much better use of the screen.) A typical button array sits just right of the screen, with Up, Down, Back, Forward controls for navigation, playback, and volume surrounding an Enter button.

The top panel houses the mic, a Previous Menu button, and the Recordor Shift button which, when held down for more than a second, starts voice recording regardless of what menu you're in. The headphone jack and the Power or Lock buttons can be found on the right hand and lower panels, respectively, and a lanyard loop and Reset button are on Samsung U5's back panel. A minor gripe : the rounded plastic cover on the left hand side that protects the USB connector is unusually hard to remove but it could be argued that it is doing its job.

A removable, transparent plastic shirt clip and a pair of better than average low end earbuds come with Samsung U5. Samsung U5 doesn't display photos or show video, and its audio codec support isn't very robust. Only MP3, WMA, and OGG files will play on the device, but given the built-in USB connector, getting your music on Samsung U5 is a snap. Simply plug it into your PC's USB port (no cables needed) and use Windows Media Player or drag and drop files directly to the device. The US$60 2GB Sansa Clip costs $10 more than Samsung U5 but supports two more audio codecs (FLAC and Audible) and, some would say, does a little better in the sleek design department.

Samsung U5 is impressive from a sound standpoint, in that its earbuds actually have a bit of bass response and, thanks to the foam covers, stay in place pretty well. Sure, the Ultimate Ears MetroFi 170 (US$50) will sound a lot better, but there's not an urgent need to replace the included pair. Adjustable EQ, 3D, and Bass effects are also included for a little bit of sound customization, but other than tweaking the EQ to your tastes, it recommend leaving the effects off. The FM radio is easy enough to operate.

Pressing the Record or Shift button while holding down a navigation control lets you add up to 30 presets. Recording a snippet of radio is equally simple, and all recorded files as well as Voice Recorder files reside in their own folder in the Music menu. Now let's talk about the Fitness menu : it's silly. You start by setting a Daily Goal (say, burning 250 calories), providing your weight, and designating an activity (for example, Hiking).

Then you select "Performance," and Samsung U5 will start counting down how many calories you are burning and it'll let you know how many minutes are required to reach your goal. Even if, say, you set the thing down on your desk or take a nap, it will still count down the calories. Since it's not connected to any exercise equipment and can't measure your heart rate or how many steps you're taking, it's really just a stopwatch that "counts" burned calories. Perhaps it's useful as a motivational tool, but not as a scientific one.

Samsung Q2

Available in black or white, Samsung Q2 looks slick, but it won't win any body battles against the nano its 3.9 by 2.0 by 0.4 inch (HWD) frame is considerably bulkier than the skinny iPod. That said, Samsung Q2 sports a larger screen, measuring 2.4 inches with a 320 by 240 pixel resolution. (The nano's 2 inch screen boasts the same resolution, so it looks a bit sharper.) Below the screen is the now familiar array of Samsung touch sensitive controls when powered up, a central button is flanked by Up, Down, Left, and Right arrows for menu navigation, as well as a backward navigation control and a button that pulls up submenus.

The controls are lightning fast and reliable unlike many touch screens and touch sensitive buttons out there. The player's right hand panel houses a Power, Hold, User, Record switch, the latter of which can be set to control various functions like photo zooming. The lower panel features a headphone jack and the connector for PC syncing, the back panel houses a mic for voice recording, and the top panel has a lanyard loop. Included in the box are better than average earbuds (if only because the foam covers assure they stay in place), a manual, and a proprietary to USB cable to connect the player to your computer.

Suspiciously absent is a CD with file conversion software typically players with limited video format support like the Samsung P3 include one. Speaking of file support : for video, the Q2 plays only WMV and MPEG-4 files. Audio support is also limited to MP3, WMA, OGG, and FLAC, but at least the last two will please fans of lossless compression. It's still a bummer not to see AAC support like the P3 offers especially now that Apple has removed all DRM from its iTunes AAC offerings. The player accepts several photo file types including JPEG, BMP, GIF, and PNG.

The aforementioned earbuds are not nearly as poor as most bundled pairs. They stay in place pretty well, offer some bass response, and don't distort at high volumes. Could your listening experience be improved by swapping them out for Ultimate Ears' US$50 MetroFi 170? Absolutely, but if you combine the Samsung earbuds with the user definable EQ (which also has standard presets like "Rock" and "Classical"), the listening experience on the Q2 isn't bad.

As always, Samsung includes some special effects, like "Audio Upscaler" and "Street Mode." My advice is to leave them alone they're merely boosting some frequencies and cutting others, and rarely do anything useful to the sound. When music is playing, you can choose to view album art or flashy and trippy screensaver animations that, despite being gimmicky, look cool.

Samsung Mondi SWD-M100

Samsung Mondi SWD-M100's size. At 4.88 inches by 3.03 inches by 0.63 inch and 6.39 ounces, it's bigger than any cell phone that's crossed our desk in years. It won't fit in your pocket and it will take up significant space in a purse or a backpack. Some reviewers have rightfully griped that Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 is too big, but we don't see any way around it. And in any case, we figure that those who want Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 will know what they're getting. On the upside, Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 has a solid construction in the hand, and its slider mechanism has a sturdy feel.

It doesn't click into place at either end, but we slipped it open and closed a few times without hearing any squeaks. On the other hand, the kickstand on the Mondi's rear face feels a tad flimsy it's easy to knock Samsung Mondi SWD-M100 down if you hit it from the left side. The battery cover is also a bit tricky to pry off, but that's a minor point. Samsung Mondi SWD-M100's biggest design attraction is its 4.3 inch display. With support for 16 million colors (800x480 pixels), it's both bright and vibrant with sharp graphics, colors, and photos.

You can change the font size and the brightness and you can assign photos from the camera as wallpaper. The touch screen is responsive, and you can align the interface if you wish. Most icons and touch buttons are big enough for you to use your finger, but you'll need the stylus for the window scroll bars. We found it easiest to use the stylus constantly. The touch screen offers vibration feedback and you can adjust the intensity. As previously mentioned, we're not thrilled that Samsung chose Windows Mobile 6.1.

For the uninitiated it can be a nightmare to find your way around, but even longtime Windows Mobile users will find it clunky and archaic. For instance, we encountered our own frustrations with searching for files and accessing certain settings. Samsung masks Windows Mobile somewhat with a customizable TouchWiz widget bar and an attractive top level "bubble" interface that shows your messages, e-mails, VoIP calls, and appointments.

We also like the Samsung designed menus that display your contacts and Opera browser bookmarks in a Cover Flow like design that's reminiscent of the iPhone's. Once past those screens, however, the familiar Windows Mobile interface greets you. Not only is it a letdown, but it's also rather schizophrenic. For example, behind the Samsung designed menu that you can customize with your favorite features, you'll need to access the standard Programs menu to access additional features.

It's the same story with the Settings menu you can access some options through an attractive Samsung menu, but you must access the Windows Mobile page to get other options. The experience is jarring and somewhat frustrating. You can enter text in a number of ways. Besides the full physical keyboard behind the sliding face (we'll get to that in a minute), there are two on screen keyboards and three options for entering text using a graffiti method. The first keyboard comes courtesy of Samsung. It features large buttons that allow you to use your fingers and eight additional keyboards for numbers and symbols.

The space bar is small, but we could tap away rapidly. On the other hand, we don't like that the keyboard pops up automatically each time you tap a text entry field. It even appears if you have the slider open. There's also a tiny Windows Mobile keyboard that takes up just a quarter of the display we can't imagine why you'd want to use it. The graffiti options Transcriber, Block Recognizer, and Letter Recognizer are easy enough to use.

Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560

Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 largely resembles other square texting phones such as the Samsung Propel. We didn't love the odd slider shape when we first saw it, but we admit that's it's grown on us. It may not be pretty, but it certainly is functional as it accommodates the full QWERTY keyboard. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560 measures 3.9 inches by 2.37 inches by 0.59 inch and weighs 3.5 ounces. It's also portable, it has a comfortable feel in the hand, and the slider mechanism feels sturdy.

In fact, if you hadn't told us, we'd never guess that it's made from recycled materials. And we have to admit that we like the green color. Not only is it appropriate for the eco friendly image, it's also attractive and unique. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560's 2.6 inch display supports 262.000 colors and has a 320x240 pixel resolution. It's not particularly eye popping, but it's bright and it shows colors and graphics well. You can adjust the brightness, and the backlighting time.

The icon based menu interface is simple and intuitive and we like that the Reclaim supports Sprint's One Click interface (see our Samsung Highlight review for a full description). The navigation array is quite nice. You'll find a large circular toggle with a central OK button, two soft keys, Talk and End and power buttons, a speaker phone shortcut, and a back control. Though most of the controls are flush, the spacious design makes them easy to use and accessible. The alphabetic keyboard lies below the sliding face.

The top of the keys isn't set too close to the slider so you should have enough room to tap away. As on many cell phones, the alphabetic keys share space with numbers and symbols, but the arrangement doesn't feel too crowded. The number and Function keys are conveniently marked in green. You'll also find a shift and symbol keys, shortcuts for the e-mail and texting apps, back and enter buttons, and a control for emoticons.

On the left spine you'll find a 3.5 millimeter headset jack (nice!) and a large volume rocker. On the right spine is a camera shutter, the microSD card slot, and the charger port. The latter uses a standard Micro-USB connection, which we welcome. The camera lens and self portrait mirror are on the rear of the sliding face. You must have the phone in the open position to snap a photo. Samsung Reclaim SPH-M560's single speaker sits on its back side.

Samsung Solstice SGH-A887

Samsung Solstice SGH-A887 offers a trim design with rounded corners. It's not quite as angular as the Samsung Behold or the Eternity, though it lacks the Highlight's color choice and patterned back side. We wouldn't call it stylish, but it's not unattractive either. It measures 4.3 inches by 2.1 inches by 0.5 inch and weighs 3.3 ounces, which gives it a comfortable and sturdy feel in the hand. The 3 inch display is just big enough, though we wouldn't want it to be any smaller.

With support for 262.000 colors and 400x240 pixels, it has a pleasant resolution that shows colors and graphics well. It won't knock your socks off, but it's suitably bright and vibrant for phone of this caliber. Samsung's TouchWiz interface gives you instant access to a variety of features, though we wish its customization options were more extensive. The icon-based menu interface is simple and intuitive.

Permanent touch icons on the bottom of the screen open the dialpad, the phone book, and the main menu. The dialpad and QWERTY keyboard are unchanged from previous Samsung touch screen models. The dialpad features large alphanumeric numbers for calling and sending texts using T9 predictive text. The keys are somewhat small, but you can use T9 here as well. Basic punctuation is surfaced on the primary keyboard, but you must click through to a second keyboard for numbers and symbols.

The Solstice's accelerometer works across many applications. As with other Samsung touch screen phones, you can switch between the keypad and keyboard by rotating the phone to the left (rotating it to the right will result in an upside down keyboard). The handset also offers a motion detection feature that will automatically mute a call or an alarm tone when you turn the phone and place it face down on a surface. The display is responsive, whether you're selecting icons or scrolling through long lists.

You can adjust the intensity of the vibrating feedback and change the display's calibration. As for other customization options, you can change the display's wallpaper, brightness, backlight time, font type, and greeting message. Three physical buttons sit below the display a Talk button, a back control, and the End and power key. The calling controls are flush, but the back button is easy to find by feel. The volume rocker rests on the left spine while a combined headset or charger jack and camera shutter sit on the right spine.

The jack is proprietary and you can use only one peripheral at a time. Also on the right spine you'll find a control that opens a shortcut menu for the browser, the games menu, the music player, the messaging app, and the dialpad. There's also a command to end any open application. The camera lens and self-portrait mirror rest on the phone's back side and the memory card slot is inconveniently located behind the battery.

Samsung WEP470

Samsung WEP470 is a cheap headset and it makes no pretensions otherwise. Measuring just 1.7 inches long by 0.75 inch wide by 0.43 inch thick, Samsung WEP470 is blocky and rectangular and won't call too much attention to itself thanks to its size and dull looks. Right on the front of the headset is the multifunction call button. It sits just above a thin line that houses the LED indicator. The button is big enough and is easy to press. The volume rocker is on the left side while the charger jack and power switch are on the right.

The dedicated power toggle makes it easier to power the headset on and off, instead of having to hold down the multifunction button like on most other headsets. When you turn the headset over, you'll find a simple, small earpiece that sits just at the opening of the ear. There's a rubber coating around it so it feels comfortable. We would have appreciated different sizes of ear bud covers for different size ears. Even though Samsung WEP470 does fit comfortably, it doesn't feel very secure. We definitely recommend using the included optional ear hook for additional stability.

We paired Samsung WEP470 with the Apple iPhone 3G. The pairing process was very smooth and we didn't even need to enter the PIN pairing code this may depend on your phone, though. The call quality was quite good for the most part. On our end, we heard our callers just fine, but we did encounter intermittent static buzz. Still, their voices sounded natural and volume was good. On their end, callers could hear us loud and clear most of the time. This was especially true in a quiet office environment, where background noise was minimal.

In a moving vehicle, though, callers said they could hear a bit of background hum. Similarly, it didn't cut out all the environmental noise when we were in a busy cafe. Samsung WEP470 also does not do well with wind noise conversations were close to impossible in particularly windy conditions. However, in most normal everyday situations, Samsung WEP470 did just fine with noise and echo canceling.

Callers also said voice quality was natural and almost of landline quality in the best situations. Samsung WEP470 features the normal capabilities to answer, end, and reject calls, as well as last number redial, call mute, and the option to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa. It has a rated battery life of 6 hours talk time and 8.3 days standby time.

Samsung SC-HMX20C

With its attractive, well rounded, capsule shaped body, Samsung SC-HMX20C looks pretty slick, but its design makes it a bit awkward to hold. The curve of the camera makes one handed operation tricky, it's difficult to keep a steady grip, since you have to slightly unwrap your fingers to reach key recording controls like start and stop and zoom. Alternatively, you can swivel the right handed grip backward to a 45 degree angle but that just makes tapping the main controls on top of the camcorder even more awkward.

There's no optical viewfinder, but the 2.7 inch LCD touch screen offers a wide viewing angle and a responsive user interface. Samsung SC-HMX20C duplicates its zoom and recording controls to the left of the display. If you use these controls instead of the ones up top, you may be able to keep a steadier grip with your right hand. Samsung earns points for compactness; the 1.01 pound camcorder measures only 2.60 by 2.65 by 5.47 inches (HWD). Like Sony's HDR-SR11, Samsung SC-HMX20C features face detection technology while you're shooting, a green box tracks faces within the frame.

In my test shots, the camera had no trouble quickly identifying and autofocusing on faces. You get a 10X zoom lens, which is standard for the majority of models in this price range, though the aforementioned Sony gives you 12X. Like most camcorders in this price range, this Samsung uses a CMOS sensor with a focal length of 6.3mm to 63mm, with f-stops at f/1.8 and f/2.8. It captures still images of up to 4 megapixels. According to Samsung, Samsung SC-HMX20C can store 3 hours 10 minutes of video at highest quality (1.920 by 1.080 interlaced at 60 frames per second).

For additional storage, there's a slot for MMC+ or SD Memory cards (card not included). Like any tapeless camcorder, playback on the Samsung is a dream. You can quickly jump between segments of video with hours between them (like skipping through chapters on a DVD). A tape based camcorder like the Canon Vixia HV30, on the other hand, forces you to rewind and fast forward, the same way you'd cue up a VHS tape.

Video recorded by Samsung SC-HMX20C doesn't look bad not, that is, until you compare it with the Canon and Sony models with the same resolution (1.920 by 1.080i). The overall color tone of video is quite dark and underexposed. Footage shot heading down a subway staircase, for example, was extremely dark and showed no detail at all. In the same shot, the Canon and Sony footage picked up shadows and small cracks in the walls.

The Canon and Sony models record in AVCHD format, which creates larger files with more video information, while Samsung SC-HMX20C records in the smaller MPEG 4 format. Samsung SC-HMX20C also has issues with purple fringing in high contrast areas a problem it shares with the Canon HV30 and the JVC Everio GZ-HD10. Purple halos outlined buildings against white clouds, and indoors, ceiling lights were outlined in purple. The Sony HDR-SR11 is the only camcorder of this bunch that showed absolutely no fringing.