Our Review of the Samsung G800
Much like the LG Viewty, the G800 is being pitched as a phone-camera – that is, a digital camera that can make calls – rather than a camera phone.
Hot on the heels of the chart busting G600, Samsung have released the all new and improved G800. Much like the LG Viewty, the G800 is being pitched as a phone-camera – that is, a digital camera that can make calls – rather than a camera phone. This is mainly due to both the features of the camera (5 Megapixels, Xenon flash, autofocus, 3 x digital zoom) and the way that you hold the phone in order to take pictures; much like you would a digital camera.
The Samsung G800 has a much sleeker and curvaceous feel to it and the 2.4" 262K colour TFT display, larger than that of the G600, dominates the front of handset. The high-quality screen is perfect for displaying the many image features on board the G800, and the pictures taken on the powerful camera. This Tri-Band 3G phone comes in a silver coloured metal-effect jacket, or in a sleek black plastic casing which lends this phonecamera/cameraphone a sophisticated edge.
The G800 measures a sizeable 101 x 51 19mm, not a brick by any stretch, but the size and weight (134g) of the handset serves only to give it a solid, robust feel, which is exactly what you'd want from a sophisticated imaging device. As we mentioned briefly above, the 5 Megapixel camera comes with a Xenon flash, 3 x optical zoom, auto focus and face detection, enabling you to take accurate, crystal clear shots. The back of the Samsung G800 has the feel of a digital camera due to the lens cover which is resistant against all those pesky scratches; the slide-open cover is manually operated, meaning that there is no massive battery drain that comes with camera phones which have active (i.e. battery powered) lens covers, and the lens is adequately protected from dust and scratches.
HSDPA compatibility comes included, and is another step up from the previous G600, enabling incredibly fast audio and video downloads in areas with 3G coverage. Overall connectivity seems to have undergone a change as the Samsung G800 is both GPRS and EDGE compatible. The phone supports Bluetooth and A2DP allowing you to pair wireless stereo headsets and transfer files, pictures and songs to other compatible phones, computers, and printers.
The Samsung G800 also comes complete with a 160MB of internal memory and a microSD card slot (up to 4GB) which is more than enough for most users to store video and their favourite tracks for use on the inbuilt MP3 player. All in all, the Samsung G800 promises to be another smash hit handset for the Korean technology powerhouse and if you choose the G800 you are not just getting a phone but a full multimedia machine. There are many true rivals to the Nokia N95 and now the Samsung G800 has joined the rapidly swelling ranks.
Pros
HSPDA compatible; The Camera - Great resolution and Xenon flash!
Cons
Perhaps too similar to the G600 for some.
Our Rating
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One for all budding photographers out there, this sleek slider packs in a 5 Megapixel camera with Xenon flash and 3 x optical zoom. Not to be missed.
