hyp4mhz.com

Category: Samsung

  • Samsung i617T Review
    Welcome to the Samsung i617T Blackjack review.  The i617T released in 2008 is a version specific to the Telstra NextG network.  As we are writing this in 2010 you should know that this is one of the last remaining Windows 6.1 based smart phones that you can still buy. In terms of construction the i617 is a very solid phone, feeling sturdy and looks like a business style paper weight. However start to use it and it becomes clear that the fiddly Windows mobile OS is confusing.  That said once it has been set up you will probably be happy if your are comfortable with the Windows XP environment.  Mind you the 6.0 version was incredibly unstable so make sure it is the 6.1 version if you really want one. In terms of functionality the i617T is a bog standard Windows Mobile 6.1 phone.  If it is business functionality that you want than this is the phone to get.  It comes with the usual Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF apps to keep you busy and Activesync and exchange server compatible. Like other Windows phone of its generation it is not the most stable phone either. The fast processor (in its day) was quite good although the interface was still sluggish to use.  It's media player and its screen quality does not impress which seals its fate. Unfortunately you really need additional apps to maker you of the hardware, a proper web browser would be a good start and access to online app store would also be nice. Along with Wi-Fi and A-GPS would be good inclusions too.  It is an old phone so forgivable. In conclusion the i617T is an old phone and certainly shows it.  Try the Palm Treo Pro if you can get one instead. Specifications
    • Samsung i617T
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/1900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 Mbits data speed (download)
    • Design QWERTY based
    • 114 x W60.9 x D12.8 mm Weight 114 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 320 x 240
    • Camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 176 x 144 video call 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU ARM9 260Mhz
    • Memory Up to 128MB Up to 4Gig microSD card
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Activesync/Outlook Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset 3.7V 1700Ah Up to 14 days Standby Up to 8.5 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $500 AUD MID-2010 (Outright)

  • Samsung C5220 Review
    Welcome to the Samsung C5220 review. The Samsung C5220 released in early 2009 is a basic flip phone offered solely in Australia for the Telstra mobile phone network.  Hence this is a GSM and a NextG (3G) capable phone so get data connectivity at a good speed. We believe its the replacement for the older A411. The C5220 does not offer much standard functionality but due to its relatively cheap pre-paid and outright costs we can not really complain. What is does best is to connect to the internet Telstra portal for content and additional functionality.  The Telstra portal has improved over the years and has a number of free and subscription based content like news, video, music and TV. The C5220 is priced from as low as $59 as a pre-paid package you can't expect much. Construction and looks are average, with a all plastic body and plasti-metal keypad.   In black it looks like just another flip phone but in metallic red the C5220 looks  a little classier.  The external screen is a black and white screen and the internal a 2 inch colour TFT. Both screens are not really high resolution but easy enough to read and competitive with others int he price range.  The flip closes with a typical whack of a plastic toy but feels sturdy enough a year of two of usage.  The key pad is good to use but not as nice to look at or use as the A411 and A412. The interface is the old icon based navigation system used by Samsung since the early 2000's so everything is easy enough to access.  Speed of the interface is good and the annoying music key presses which can be turned off is still there.  The interface can be confusing since there can be quite a lot of information displayed at the one time. Network reception quality on the C5220 is very good but call quality is only average.  The Telstra/ZTE models are superior to this model in this regard and even the ancient Motorola V3XX is so much better. The C5220 can be sync'ed with your computer and used as a wireless 3G modem.  Although not as fast a standalone USB 3G modems it does work. Overall the Samsung C5220 is a decent enough basic mobile phone.  It will do voice and calls, SMS, MMS and emails and some very basic web browsing with ease. If that is all you want then this is a good choice just don't pay too much for it. The Telstra branded ZTE phones are just as good as the Samsung in this price range so you'll have to decide based on look and feel rather than what functionality it can actually do. However if your budget can spare a few more dollars and you'll be able to get a much better mobile phone. Specifications
    • Samsing C5220
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 Single-band 3G 850 HSDPA 3.6
    • Design Slider
    • L99 x W49.5 x D18.2 mm Weight 100 grams
    • Display/s Internal 2 inch TFT 176 x 220 pixels External 1 inch FSTN 96 x 96 pixels
    • Camera 1.3MP
    • Video Camera 174 x 220 pixel
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 microUSB
    • CPU ???Mhz
    • Memory Up to 35MB available to user 4Gig micro-SD card slot
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Music and Media player Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.7V 960mAh Up to 250 hours Standby Up to 2 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $100 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid)

  • Samsung S6700 Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung S6700 review. The version we sampled was the Samsung S6700T.  This model was released in late 2009 as what can be described as mid-range 3G capable 'feature' mobile phone for the Telstra network. The S6700 is a very interesting phone from Samsung.  It has all the features of what would be described as a high end mobile phone by the end of 2008 yet it is sold as a pre-paid package by some phone networks. It is a traditional slider phone without a touch screen and uses the 'old' Samsung OS but the processing power and features like A-GPS and a larger than standard screen although 240x320 pixels make this a compelling choice if your after a very good phone as a pre-paid. We describe it as a mid-range phone because of the shiny plastic and chunky nature of its construction.  That said it is overall very solid will wear well and certainly better than other more delicate sliders with similar features. The OS works fast and without any significant lags!  We where very impressed with with how well and reliably it all worked.  It is a real alternative to Nokia models since it has a nice relative big and clear screen. Overall another very good phone from Samsung.  It will do everything you could want in terms of calls and text however the lack of a QWERTY keypad limits it's appeal as an email solution for obvious reasons.  Clearly you can receive emails but your replies could be very short! If you want everything and email then the Nokia E63 is the only one we can recommend. When compared to other Samsung pre-paid packages, the S6700 blows them away in terms of speed.  The F480 for example although it has a touch screen is a snail when compared. s6700t_2 Specifications
    • Samsung S6700
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 3G 850/900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 data speed (download)
    • Design Slider
    • L108 x W49.8 x D12.9mm Weight 105 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 3.2MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 174 x 144 pixel video camera
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU
    • Memory 100MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Accelerometer Music and Media player Remote security Word/Excel/Powerpoint/PDF reader Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 880 mAh Up to 350 hours Standby Up to 4.5 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $199 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid)

  • Samsung S8000 Jet Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung S8000 Jet review. The S8000 Jet is another touch screen mobile phone from Samsung was released in late 2009.  This is one of Samsung's top range phones using their own OS. The S8000 Jet is appropriately named because this is a fast phone.  The OS works smoothly although still has the occasion lag for what ever reason.  At a guess the OS works 98% impressively smoothly as the iPhone. The phone also debuts the 3D cube menu system and a Vista like animation for certain apps.  It appears identical to the one LG already uses.  Whatever you thin k it does work well and looks good. The extra processing power means that the widgets system works the way it should along with everything else on the interface.  It makes the slower models in the Samsung range and indeed the Nokia models feel ancient by comparison. This include the Dolfin web browser which has a popup-ad blocker can handle JAVA and FLASH. Being a top range phone you'd expected decent construction and materials - tick.  You'd expect a hi-def screen - tick You'd expect GPS and Wi-Fi - tick.  It's got a decent camera and does video well and the usual option filled control panel. So there's everything you could possible expect in a phone like this.  Since this is a AMOLED screen its nice and bright and shows off the screen nicely.  Again it doesn't have that Blackberry Bold's  impressiveness for some reason.  It's a fair comparison since they are in the same price category. Overall a great touch screen mobile phone that has all the communication options you could want. We have no problems recommending the S8000 Jet.  However in this price range there are so many just as impressive options to choose from.  Eg. the iPhone 3G, N97 and N97 Mini and so forth. samsung_s8000_back Specifications
    • Samsung S8000 Jet
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 3G 900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 data speed (download)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L108.9 x W53.5 x D12 mm Weight 110 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 480 x 800 AMOLED
    • Camera 5MP Auto-focus LED Flash
    • Video Camera 720 x 480 pixel video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU 800Mhz
    • Memory Up to 8G available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Touch screen Accelerometer Widgets Music and Media player Remote security Word/Excel/Powerpoint/PDF reader Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS and recording Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 1100 mAh Up to 250 hours Standby Up to 3 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $799 AUS 2010 (Ouright)

  • Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH review. The 2009 S8300 ULtraTOUCH is another touch screen mobile phone from Samsung and clearly designed to take on other mid-range handsets regardless of keypad type. It was released in Mid 2009. The UltraTOUCH is a tad different from the other touch screen models from Samsung in that it also has a slide out numeric keypad.  It's RRP is higher then the others at about $500 (2009). The higher price tag is justified in that the construction materials and quality is higher than say the Preston.  Afterall it does have brush metal and higher quality plastics.  It also features the much promoted AMOLED screen. True the screen is brigher and certainly much more viewable in daylight but whether the screen quality is better as a result - not so sure.  You see we also have a Blackberry BOLD 9000 that's screen is exceptional and its not an AMOLED. The S8300 ULtraTOUCH is a curvy box that is relatively small and also well made. It is easier to hold due to the curves and is well put together phone and looks pretty good too. The slide out keypad feels solid too. So its looks good but when you start to use the phone things are still good but not as good.  The phone is a touch screen as well as having the keypad.  It is confusing at first before you work out that the keypad doesn't actually do much but to allow you to input numbers.  The interface is not as smooth as the other models in the Samsung range - disappointing considering that cheaper Preston version is easily faster. The S8300 UltraTOUCH is thus a bit of an oddity.  We don't think the setup works well. Apart from that the phone gets all the same functionality as the other models in the mid-range but with the inclusion of A-GPS receiver.  Its runs a custom Samsung Mobile Navigator software or can use Google maps.  The camera is a 8MP unit and the result look good and the video recorder's results looked good too. Again nowhere near a dedicated digital camera but good nonetheless. The internet browser was also surprisingly good, being able to play Flash files on most websites we visited. Overall a Ok sort of mobile phone. It has all the communication options you could want.  It does work well but not as well as the cheaper models in the Samsung range purely because it was relatively sluggish.  So unless you really want a slider phone with a touch screen then this is just perfect for you.  We reckon that you'd probably be happier with the S5600 Preston as an example. samsung_s8300_back Specifications
    • Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 3G 850/900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 7.2 data speed (download)
    • Design Slider and Touch screen
    • L110 x W51.5 x D12.7mm Weight 105 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 400 AMOLED
    • Camera 38P LED Flash
    • Video Camera 720 x 480 pixel video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU
    • Memory 80MB available to user MicroSD up to 16Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features A-GPS Touch screen Accelerometer Widgets Music and Media player Remote security Word/Excel/Powerpoint/PDF reader Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 1000 mAh Up to 350 hours Standby Up to 4 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $549 AUS 2010 (Outright)

  • Samsung S5600 Preston Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung S5600 Preston review.  The version we sampled was labeled the Samsung  S5603T.  This model was released in mid 2009 so you can expect to see it around for a year or two.  (Also check out the LG Optimus GT540 for an even better phone.) The S5600 Preston ICON is another touch screen mobile phone from Samsung and clearly designed to take on other mid-range handsets regardless of keypad type.  How do we know? It's price is very very competitive.  It's actually cheaper than the F480.  To cut a long review short yes the S5600 is better than the F480 in every way.  So why is the F480 so expensive - who knows? The S5600 Preston is a curvy box that is relatively small and also well made. It is a tad longer than the F480 but feels easier to hold due to the curves. It is very well put together phone and looks pretty good too.  Although we haven't seen it as a pre-paid package yet but you can be sure it will be in 12 months or so. The S5600 is an impressive phone to use!  The operating system and the Touchwiz interface work without any of the lags its predecessors including the F480 clearly have. It is easily better than the interface on touch screen Nokia's of 2009 but does feel a tad crude next to the iPhone - don't they all?  2nd best interface in he world is not a bad thing! Again, rather than bore you with the phones technicalities we'll get to the real story! As you can guess we think the S56o0 is a very good phone. We think that it is probably the best priced and feature packed mid-range mobile phone available at the time this review was written (early 2010).  It has a lot of features that will impress anyone.  It includes a decent screen and size,  a good 3.2MP camera, video, calender, media/file organizer, FM radio lots of memory and 3G capability. However before you go out an buy one remember that the S5600 is still a 'standard' phone.  It does not have features like GPS or Wi-Fi so if your needs only involve standard messaging - voice and video calls, SMS, MMS, IM and Email then this phone will meet your needs. Ming you it also comes with a document viewer for Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files. The S5600 has a few surprise features not found on many other phones one of which is a program called Mobile Tracker.  Basically if you lose the phone and the thief or dishonest finder changes SIM cards the phone will automatically send the SIM's number to your own SIM card.  Excellent and simple precaution - make sure you activate it though!  The other is a Shazam! (for iPhone) like program that allows you to find the name of a song your listening to - handy to some I suppose. For the price category it only has a 3.2 megapixels but the results are just as good as others with more megapixels. So if you want to fall into the trap of wanting greater megapixels as opposed to better quality pictures then go else where. The menu system is easy enough to use and there are plenty of options and apps you can play with.  However there are few interface customization options.  That said the graphics are already quite good so I don't think most will think it needs to be changed.  Samsung have also developed a widget screen which works very well. Unlike other mid-range Samsung's it does not slow the phone down. The widgets look cool but there lots of in-built widget options worth selecting.  The web browser is quite good for a non-smartphone so only very basic web surfing on it but it's fine. Overall the S5600 Preston is a very good phone.  It has all the communication options you could want.  The price in 2010 is very acceptable. We recommend the S5600 above the F480 quite easily although in terms of communication options is doesn't do any more.  So if you want the best touch screen 3G mobile phone for the least amount of money then the S5600 is it! (Early 2010)  There are no other touch screen models in this price category that work quite as well as the S5600 (at the time of this review). Note: since the price reduction in mid-2010 to less than $200 we think this one of the best cheap touchscreen mobile phone on the market.  However spend a little more and get the LG Optimus for a even better phone! Note: The price drop to under $100 in November 2010 as a pre-paid phone makes the S5600 even more appealing. Note that Android OS based phones that can be purchased for less the $300 is probably a better choice - outright only though! samsung_s5600_back Specifications
    • Samsung S5600
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 3G 900/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 data speed (download)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L102.8 x W54.8 x D12.9mm Weight 96 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 3.2MP LED Flash
    • Video Camera 174 x 144 pixel video camera
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU
    • Memory 80MB available to user MicroSD up to 8Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Touch screen Widgets Music and Media player Remote security Word/Excel/Powerpoint/PDF reader Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 1000 mAh Up to 350 hours Standby Up to 6 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $100 AUD November 2010 (Pre-paid) Under $190 AUD Mid-2010 (Outright) From $349 AUSD 2010 (Outright)

  • Samsung F480 Tocco Review

    hyp4mhz
    Welcome to the Samsung F480Tocco review.  Note that there are several versions of the same phone with slightly different specifications but all run the same OS.  Eg. F480T, F480i and TouchWiz.  We got the F480T version.  Priced as a feature phone for around $500 it is now a cheap mobile phone (2010). The F480 was released in mid 2008 to most parts of the world as Samsung's solution to touch based interface mobile phones.  For a 2008 mobile phone it is a very good and decent offering in comparison to all except the original iPhone.  Lets face it nothing comes close to the iPhone in terms of user interface presentations and use for 2009. Hence the F480 is a rectangular box that is relatively small and also well made.  Although pricey when first launched it is now a pre-pay option in most markets and that is why we are looking at it. Certain colors make it look a tad tacky but overall not too bad. Rather than bore you with the phones technicalities we'll get to the real story!  The F480 is a very good phone. it is better than any other touch phone in the market including the market leader Nokia that is priced in the same category.  There are much better though but you have to pay more! It has a lot of features that will impress anyone.  It includes a decent screen and size,  a satisfactory 5mp camera, video, calender, media/file organizer, FM radio lots of memory and 3G capability. The menu system is easy enough to use and there are plenty of options and apps you can play with.  However there are few interface customization options eg missing themes.  That said the graphics are already quite good so I don't think most will think it needs to be changed.  Samsung have also developed a widget screen which works well but when using this view option it does make the phone noticeable slow down. The widgets look cool but there are few widget options worth selecting - very basic is what we'd call it.  In widget mode it is not jerky just slow to respond.  The web browser is quite good for a non-smartphone so only very basic web surfing on it but it's fine. Overall a good phone.  It has all the communication options you could want.  The price in 2010 is still very high considering you can get the Nokia E63 which is easily a better phone that includes Wi-Fi but the E63 isn't a touch screen but it has a pretty good QWERTY keypad. So if you want the (cheapest) best touch screen pre-pay mobile phone (Late 2009) then the F480 is a very good choice.  However we can also recommend the Samsung S5600 series if you want an even better touch screen than the F480 or other 'standard' phones.  The S5600 is cheaper and in our opinion also works better - check out the review on the site. If you don't need a touch screen then there are lots of much better options to choose from in 2010. samsung_f480_back_1 Specifications
    • Samsung F480
    • Network Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 3G 850/2100 (Dependent on country) HSDPA 3.6 data speed (download)
    • Design Touch screen
    • L98.5 x W55 x D11.5 mm Weight 100 grams
    • Display/s External TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 5 MP LED Flash Autofocus and Digital zoom
    • Video Camera 174 x 144 pixel video camera
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V2 Micro-USB
    • CPU
    • Memory 200MB available to user MicroSD up to 8Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, vibration and others
    • Features Touch screen Widgets Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Battery 1000 mAh Up to 250 hours Standby Up to 3 hours Talk Time
    • Price history From $299 AUS 2010 (Pre-paid) From $399 AUS 2010 (Ouright)