SAMSUNG SGH i450
Samsung i450 specifications
Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, UMTS, HSDPA
Display: TFT, 262144 colors
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
Camera: 2 megapixel video recording with sound
Memory: 1 GB + microSD slot
Communications: GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0+ A2DP, USB 2.0
Battery: Li-Ion 1000mAh
Additionally: FM receiver, MP3 player, 3.5mm audio out
OS: Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack
Dimensions (edit): 11.3x5.9x1.18cm
Weight: 95 g
DESIGN
Information about the emergence of new items from Samsung with such impressive characteristics as 1 gigabyte of internal memory, support for a 3.5 mm audio jack and a number of multimedia applications appeared not so long ago. And the SMS magazine was among the first Ukrainian specialized publications that had a chance to personally test a freshly baked product of the raging digital age.
The design of the smartphone can be called modest, but at the same time, it is insanely elegant and pleasing to the eye. The body of the novelty is made of soft glossy plastic of dark gray, almost black color. On the one hand, the device looks very, very attractive in this color scheme, on the other hand, the glossy body is easily scratched. The most prone to damage is the smooth back panel, which does not have any protrusions.
The smartphone is made in a slider form factor, and the design of the mechanism is similar to that of Nokia N95. The top panel slides in two directions. Moving upward gives access to the numeric keypad, moving downward puts the smartphone into multimedia mode.
The quality of the sliding mechanism is as always on top, although it is very difficult to open the case with one finger.
DISPLAY
The novelty is equipped with a 2.3-inch TFT-display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The screen is distinguished by good image detail, which allows you to enjoy watching video clips and even films on it. To do this, however, you need to install a separate player that supports formats such as DivX, AVI and other popular codecs. Fortunately, the operating system Symbian OS allows you to do this without any problems. During operation, I had only one remark related to a small number of pre-installed interface design scenarios. In my subjective opinion, the presence of bright themes would make it possible to better assess the quality of the matrix color rendition.
ERGONOMICS
You can get used to operating the Samsung i450 in a matter of minutes from the moment you turn on the device, since the Series 60 interface is familiar, if not to all, then to almost all mobile phone users.
The control system is simple and straightforward. It consists of a round five-way button and two function buttons. There is also a separate key to launch the main menu and a button to delete typed text. The only difference from other Series 60 smartphones is that the Samsung i450 does not have a dedicated button for quickly changing text parameters.
By sliding the slider body downward, you gain access to the touch-sensitive control wheel of the MP3 player, and the image on the screen is automatically rotated 90 °. The manipulator itself is motionless and does not react very accurately to finger movements. It is possible that at first you will have to develop skills to work with the touch key. This will especially affect scrolling through a long list of songs in the music library.
PERFORMANCE
Samsung i450 smartphone user will most often use multimedia applications such as MP3 player, FM receiver and photo album. During testing, I did not find a single hang of the operating system Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1. All applications opened quickly and I did not notice any random reboots of the device.
COMMUNICATIONS
The terminal supports GSM and UMTS communication standards. Working on the third generation network, you can make and receive video calls using the built-in front camera, which at first I took for the backlight control sensor.
To connect to the mobile Internet i450 uses GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA technologies, and to listen to music via a wireless stereo headset, a Bluetooth 2.0 module with A2DP protocol is provided.
ENTERTAINMENT
First of all, the i450 is a multimedia device. To emphasize the concept of the novelty, Samsung took a logical step and equipped the terminal with 1 gigabyte of internal memory. It is dynamically used between all applications on the device, but it is clear that most of this volume will be taken up by your favorite music. In addition, the device has a slot for microSD format.
The player's animated interface is comfortable and well-designed. Surprise was caused only by the equalizer, which can only be configured with a headset connected.
As for the headphones, the device supports the connection of a proprietary headset, but in addition there is a separate 3.5 mm jack on the case. Thus, any music lover can easily connect their favorite headphones. You can also use the terminal as a game console, install Java applications and programs for the Series 60 platform.
Despite the multimedia focus, the device is equipped with an office suite QuickOffice and a program for viewing PDF files. If your practice included cases of working with office documents on a smartphone, you will certainly appreciate the ability to preview presentations, spreadsheets and texts.
WORKING HOURS
With a low load, a fully charged battery lasts for six days of continuous operation without switching off at night. For a smartphone, this indicator is very good, since the user himself can choose what is more important to him - long operating time or active use of the player.
RESULTS
Advantages: 1 GB of internal memory, 3.5 mm headphone input, original touch control
Disadvantages: It takes some getting used to working with the touch key
ALTERNATIVE
Nokia 5700 XpressMusic
A youth smartphone from the XpressMusic series, which continued the concept of the 3250 model. The device is equipped with a rotary unit with additional player control keys, stereo speakers, FM-receiver and is equipped with a 1 GB memory card.
Sony Ericsson W950
Well known Walkman model. The smartphone is equipped with 4 GB of internal memory and does not support a memory card slot. The player is controlled using separate keys and a touch screen.
