Samsung's follow up to the "Soul" promises much. Its 9.9mm thick brushed metal exterior and clean lines suggest a well designed and a solidly constructed handset. It feels reassuringly expensive and it is quite a looker.
Display
The keypad is nicely spaced out and keeps to the same format as the U900 but has subtle changes like the dedicated video-call key and the application switch key which are no longer present. The buttons when pressed react well and the two buttons either side of the D-pad are slightly raised aiding user control and the selection of functions such as 'call' and 'end call' as well as selecting menu options.
The interface is typically Samsung and it is easy to navigate through the functions. The 2" screen has the full colour treatment and the backlighting is lit up brightly and images are sharp and of good quality. The main menu displays as a grid or a standard list and if you're familiar with the way Samsungs work you'll notice the U800 keeps with the trend of having the last used function items highlighted when you open a sub-menu. Not bad if you use one function over another lots of times such as using the music player, camera or texting.
There are various wallpapers present as you would expect but what is pretty nifty is the option to select photos that will play as a slideshow. You can even control how the transitions work.
Functions
Dialing performs to expectations and the smart dialing works very well. Once you start typing in a number it searches your phonebook for matches providing quick access to contacts. The sound quality is clear and the voice clarity is good when talking in a crowded public space.
Messaging again performs to the levels expected, although a personal gripe of mine is that if you want to delete just a few words of a text or a line and you hold the delete key for a fraction too long your whole message is erased and you have to start again, but this happens with all Samsung phones and not just with the U800.
The U800 handles all the common types of messages, SMS, EMS, MMS and emails, and you can store 500 SMS, 30 push messages, 200 broadcast messages and 30 configuration messages on the available 1GB memory.
The email client is adequate and can manage up to five accounts, POP or IMAP, and any file, business card, task or note can be sent as an attachment.
Imaging
Somewhat disappointingly the U800 only comes with a 3MP camera however the picture quality is actually very good. The processing, sharpening and colour detail produces good results and the camera interface is easy to use and quick for finding settings so you don’t miss the 'moment'.
Video recording fared less well in our tests although a frame rate of 15 fps doesn't really help. Playback showed footage that was jumpy and bitty, however you can upload your clips online at the touch of a button providing you have a ShoZu account.
Music
The Samsung U800 has a good music player and with the 1GB internal memory and expandable memory micro SD card slot it has the potential to fulfill the promise.
It plays AAC, eACC+, MP3 & WMA music formats and will filter by author, album, composers, and genre. You can create your own playlists, and you will not be disappointed with the audio quality which was more than satisfactory for our tastes.
An FM radio is also bundled with the handset which has a self tune option and RDS which can be switched on or off.
Verdict
The U800 is a solid offering from Samsung. It builds on the success of the U900 Soul and proves that when things work they don't need to be changed. It looks great and performs well and is sure to have a good following.
Specifications:
- 2" Screen, 16million colours, 240 x 320 pixels
- 3.0 Megapixel camera, 2048 x 1536 pixels, 4x Digital Zoom, Flash
- 1Gb on-board, microSD
- Bluetooth v2.0, GPRS, HSDPA, Java, MMS, MP3 ringtones, MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, Speaker phone, - Tri band, WAP 2.0 / XHTML
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