Samsung G800 - first look

Mobile Choice played with the new Samsung G800 with 3x optical zoom at the handset's official launch party last night. Here's the lowdown.

We're especially excited by the new Samsung G800, because it's the world's first phone to feature a camera with 3x optical zoom. It boasts five megapixels of resolution as well, of course - and a Xenon flash - but it's the 3x optical zoom that sets it apart.

We got to grips with one at Samsung's glitzy G800 launch event held at the British Museum in London last night, and we have to say it's impressive.

It's a little larger than the Samsung G600, and a fair bit thicker, but that's because it has to accommodate the optical zoom, which, when activated, protrudes telescopically from the rear of the handset. As you're operating the zoom, a digital symbol in the corner of the viewfinder displays when you have reached 2x zoom and 3x zoom. Once past 3x zoom, the handset's camera automatically switches to digital zoom. When the camera is not in use, the lens is protected by a sliding cover.

The camera also features face recognition technology for framing portraits. The camera recognises when you have one or more people in shot and a series of little red boxes appear on screen to help frame each face. We're not sure how it works, but it's very clever.

We took a few photos in the British Museum, which was relatively dimly lit and we found that the Xenon flash does provide depth of field when it worked. However, the flash was a little temperamental on the device we tested. But that could be as much down to the handler as the handset.

The Samsung G800 offers loads more besides the camera, including HSDPA speed web browsing and downloads and a music player. But it's the camera with 3x optivcal zoom which will attract people to this phone.

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Samsung SGH-G600 review | Introduction

Samsung have been active on the mobile phone market for quite some years now and already have several successes on their name. Nowadays, the mobiles get more and more extensive. In the beginning of this year the Nokia N95 was introduced; a mobile phone with a 5 Megapixel camera. Sony Ericsson followed with the K850i and now Samsung too with the SGH-G600. The Samsung G600 is a so-called slider mobile with extensive features, including a 5 Megapixel digital camera. A high-megapixel camera in a mobile phone is no unknown territory for Samsung. On the CeBIT in Hannover last year, they already presented the Samsung SCH-B600, a mobile phone with 10 Megapixels and 3x optical zoom. Unfortunately, the B600 will not be available in Europe, but hopefully Samsung have used their experience in the high Megapixel segment to make the Samsung G600 a success. Our findings can be read in the following Samsung SGH-G600 review.

Samsung SGH-G600 - Design

Just like we have seen many times before, Samsung pays a lot of attention to the design of the mobile phone, which is also the case with the Samsung G600. A combination of tight outlines and round forms make sure the camera looks good, but not overly prominent. Even a business man will fall for the design of the Samsung G600. The handset comes in dark grey with three silver colored buttons on the front side. Directly beneath the screen we see a raised edge to slide the mobile open, this edge could have been made a bit higher, because now your finger will slip past it at times.

Samsung SGH-G600 - Buttons
When the Samsung SGH-G600 is closed, you will find a few buttons on the front side for taking a call or ending it, opening the menu and finding the contacts. In the middle we find the navigation buttons with the confirmation button in the centre. The buttons are locked when the mobile is closed and will be unlocked when the phone is opened, when receiving a call or after pressing a certain key combination. When the handset is opened, we will see reasonably sized, numerical buttons. Even someone with larger fingers can operate the buttons without a problem.

Samsung’s first 5 Mega Pixel Camera Phone

The samsung G600 is packed with loads of features and combines style, class and elegance

The Samsung G600 is finally here. The stylish looking slider phone that looks similar to the Samsung U600 and the Samsung E900, has burst onto our shelves and is now available through OneCompare.com.

The Samsung G600 measures 102 x 47.5 x 14.9mm and weighs in at 105g. It is loaded with Stereo Bluetooth - this allows you to stream your music to compatible speakers/headset, USB, microSD (TransFlash) with 55MB of internal memory, FM Stereo, and built in hands free to name a few.

The G600’s MP3 player boasts a feature to change the themes of your music player to suit your mood. This is the first time that Samsung have incorporated this feature into one of their mobile phones.

The main feature of the G600 would have to be its 5 mega pixel camera with auto focus, image stabiliser, and power LED flash for extra picture clarity. But that’s not all - the G600 also comes with the mobile phones world’s version of PhotoShop. This allows you to retouch, crop, and resize your pictures on your mobile phone, so not only do you get excellent quality pictures but you can also make amendments to your photographs before printing them out. This can be done via a Bluetooth printer.

Click here to check out the deals currently available through OneCompare on the Samsung G600.

Battle of the five-megapixels

It looks like it will be the battle of the fourth quarter. Samsung and Sony Ericsson will go head-to-head in the coming months as both release five-megapixel handsets in a fight to claim their place as UK manufacturer with market share second only to Nokia.

Though Samsung's G600 is set for a head start, it is up against Sony Ericsson's K850i in what could be a like-for-like decision for consumers and salespeople. Both phones will have widespread retail distribution.

Samsung UK director Mark Mitchinson said he was attempting to steal the march on Sony Ericsson and take 25% market share this year. Retailers say the battle between the G600 and K850i symbolises the broader tussle between the two manufacturers: style versus function.

Both manufacturers are popular among operators for high ARPU and low returns. Samsung's more fashionable customers are known to be users of voice, while Sony Ericsson users are more likely to use their phones for internet services.

The G600 could steal the limelight as the more stylish, slimmer handset. Sony Ericsson's more boxy offering, retailers argue, has the better camera. Sony Ericsson's trump card is that the K850i is HSDPA, while the G600 relies on GPS. The K850i also has a Xenon flash and a Photo Fix application that sharpens pictures, as well as new features to store and share pictures, including a new photo album and an iTunes-style media manager.

Samsung has put a £3m marketing campaign behind the G600 and expects one million of its loyal customers to snap one up by March 2008. It has received UK orders for over half a million units.

What the dealers sayDealers are divided as to which handset will be more successful, with both winning points for their different qualities.

Kris Solanki from Walk and Talk Mobile suggested the K850i would be the more popular. 'Sony Ericsson will do better because the picture quality on its phones is brilliant. Even when you compare a K810i [which has 3.2 megapixels] to the Nokia N95 [with five megapixels], it's a sharper picture.' He added that the manufacturer's name was more widely recognised.Other dealers thought the handsets would appeal to different audiences. Mehran Mehmood of Fonetec said: 'The Sony Ericsson followers will go with Sony, but sleek and feminine people will go for Samsung. I think they will both do very, very well. Both have their loyal fans.

Dealers saw both new devices as direct competition to the N95, which has lead the way in megapixels on the UK market. Samsung claims the N95 is a 'very different product' to the G600.

Samsung launched a ten-megapixel handset in Korea in October last year called the B600. Hazel Pearson from Transcom said: 'Why didn't it bring it out here and just blow everyone out of the water? If you've got it, flaunt it.'

© Copyright 2007 : Noble House Media Ltd

Samsung Adds Second 5MP Camera Phone

After waiting a relative age to bust out its first five megapixel camera phone, Samsung is well and truly over its coyness.

Just two weeks after it launched the SGH-G600 the company has stepped up to the mark once again with the SGH-G800. Like the G600, it shoots at up to five megapixels but also throws in a 3x optical zoom and proper Xenon flash enabling it to compete not just with the likes of Sony Ericsson's K850i but even dedicated slim and light digicams too.

Away from its headlining feature this slider is no slouch either with a large 2.4in QVGA screen, HSDPA connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and a microSD expansion slot. In fact, the only obvious downside of the device is that all this functionality has had a detrimental effect on its waistline with its 16.8mm width fatter than a lot of handsets these days.

That said, the G800 looks a cracking handset for those who like their fashion phones to do a lot more than just look pretty and given that you'll no longer need to carry round a digital camera for basic point and shoot stuff there's likely to be extra space in your pockets anyway...

Unsurprisingly, Sammy hasn't been keen to give a release date for the G800 yet, but I'd be surprised if it didn't start pleasing snap-happy customers before the end of the year.

Link:Samsung UK

Samsung G600 (SGH-G600)

We got out first sighting of the Samsung G600 a couple of days ago, and now we can tell you almost all of the features of this interesting looking 5 megapixel camera phone.

The main selling feature the SGH-G600 is the camera - a 5 megapixel unit with autofocus and flash. Of course, megapixels aren't everything and a lot will depend on the quality of the lens.
The big surprise about the Samsung G600 is that it isn't a 3G phone which is surprising as Samsung are promoting the SGH-G600 as a web device. It doesn't have WiFi either, and any sort of high-speed data is limited to those few who have access to an EDGE network. And yes, the SGH-G600 looks like it has a front-facing camera, but as far as we can tell from all the official details it isn't.

What the Samsung G600 does have is the usual range of applications such as an MP3/AAC/WMA player, stereo Bluetooth, TV output and microSD expandable memory (an impressive 1GB in the standard sales package). The display is a 2.2" 240x320 pixel panel in 16 million colours, and the Samsung SGH-G600 also squeezes in an FM radio.

In addition to the 5 megapixel stills camera, Samsung say that the SGH-G600 can capture video at up to 640 x 480 pixels. Combine this with the TV output and memory card and the G600 looks like a capable little digital camcorder.

Don't forget that it's a phone - in this case the Samsung G600 is a quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz phone with GPRS and EDGE data. Maximum talktime is 3.5 hours with up to 12 days standby time. At 105 grams, the SGH-G600 is slightly heavier than many current GSM phones.

Samsung have high hopes for the G600, but we think that the lack of 3G data is a major flaw.. and then there are looks. The SGH-G600 looks very much like dozens of other Samsung sliders and there's very little to differentiate it. We think that the G600 will not challenge the dominant Nokia N95 any time soon.

Samsung G600

Samsung G600 camera phone :
Samsung Mobile has announced a sleek new camera phone, the Samsung G600, at an exclusive global launch event today. Housed in a fashionable black two-toned slider shell and equipped with a 5 megapixel camera, the Samsung G600 is a fusion of design, photography and the ultimate in phone functionality. A design icon and high performance camera in one, the Samsung G600 is the latest member of Samsung’s range of handsets and is made to capture quality pictures of priceless moments. At work or at play, consumers can now get creative with various modes such as panorama or mosaic settings and enjoy the quality of built-in Power LED flash. The Samsung G600 guarantees to make users look and feel great.

Samsung 5 megapixel camera phone
Mark Mitchinson, Director of Samsung Mobile UK and Ireland, commented: “With slim lines and a sleek design, the Samsung G600 incorporates a sophis- ticated, stylish and compact product that will appeal to both fashionistas and tech-savvy professionals of all ages. “The Samsung G600 is more than a highly desirable style icon, it comes with a built-in 5 mega-pixel camera that will allow consumers to capture, store and print their favourite moments, without compromise.”

Samsung G600 phone - 5 megapixel camera
“We know consumers will love having advanced functionality and digital camera features in one compelling device. Additional benefits, such as creative shot modes, microSD external memory and the Image Editor will make the Samsung G600 a digital must have,” said Mr Mitchinson. For a better viewing experience, the Samsung G600 incorporates a 2.2” LCD with 16 million colours, a 5 mega pixel multi function imaging system and full Bluetooth v.2 connectivity. This will enable people to view larger pictures and graphics and helps users read text or Web pages in full. What’s more, these features are bundled into a tiny 102 mm by 47.8 mm by 14.9 mm frame.

Samsung G600 phone - Multimedia features
The Samsung G600 is also equipped with a host of multimedia features designed for those on the go. Music lovers will enjoy the embedded MP3 player, which can be customised to individual tastes and preferences. With improved internet browsing, users will benefit from NetFront Browser v.3.4, which provides PC-like browser capabilities on your mobile.


Samsung G600 cell phone - Availability
“In conjunction with the Samsung G600 launch, Samsung has partnered with an online digital development retailer, to help users capture their fashion conscious moments. The partnership offers each customer 50 prints, a photo memory book and a collage poster, so people can capture and share their fashion moments,” said Miss Land. The Samsung G600 will be available in the UK from August 2007 on all major networks and from all retailers.

Samsung G600 (SGH-G600) Preview

The Samsung SGH-G600 is a five megapixel camera phone, and it's Samsung's first device of this resolution to be launched outside the Korean market.

Joining a somewhat small club of 5 megapixel phones, including the Nokia N95, Sony Ericsson K850i and LG KG920, the Samsung G600 looks interesting.. but like most Korean phone manufacturers, Samsung have chosen to illustrate their new handset with a picture of a pretty girl, rather than giving us the full technical specifications.

Still, what we do know the is the Samsung SGH-G600 comes with a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.. if our interpretation of the Korean press release* is up to scratch. It also has Bluetooth, an FM radio, USB 2.0 and presumably expandable memory and an MP3 player plus a QVGA (240x320 pixel display).

The rumour is that this is a 3G phone, although we can't confirm that. It is just 14.9mm thick though and the styling is a little different from the current crop of Samsung sliders. Price and availability are not known at the time of going to press.