Posted by Mia in 
Among the products of Samsung the DUOS series is very successful, so the developers from time to time introduce new models of the device (with 2 SIM-cards). Because of the world financial crisis, the idea to release a low-cost model is to the point. So, meet the budget DUOS – C5212 Model.
Design
Monoblock as monoblock, nothing special. The device fits in any pocket. The thickness of the phone is 14.3 mm, but for low-cost handset it is quite acceptable.
Build quality of Samsung S5212 does not cause complaints, but the glossy plastic spoils everything. The manufacturer could make the back cover from rough material, as it is too glossy and can easily slip out from hands. In addition, the back cover’s plastic rapidly scratches and they are clearly visible on the shell. So, keep C5212 away from keys and other “evil” items.
If we again return to the evaluation of design, then one thing is clear – Samsung C5212 just can not look as solid as the first DUOS (D880), but it certainly looks better than many budget handsets.
Keyboard and display
The control is also not original. But some people like simple buttons that are easy and comfortable to control. They think that the fewer frills, the better. As a result, we have a convenient set of buttons with short stroke and white backlight.
The 4-side navigation button is raised above the surface. It is not highlighted, so it cannot be seen in the dark.
The rest of the keyboard is comfortable, of course, the plastic is cheap, but that’s another conversation.
The display, of course, is not the best the resolution is 176 x 200, 2.2 inch, TFT-Matrix. The picture quality is not bad.
Of course, the screen with a modest resolution is not suitable for viewing videos or photos, and even reading e-books is not convenient. Under direct sunlight the picture decently “burns out”, but the menu and icons are readable. As a result display can get the “quiz”, taking into account its low cost.
Menu
It has a standard menu, like most Samsung devices produced in 2007-2008, so those who are familiar with the Korean phone manufacturer in the whole will easily deal with such menu.
Familiar large icons, well distinguishable font (you can change the size), three nice themes.
Everything is convenient and logical; control will not cause problems even for beginners. For those who do not like to wander through the menu, there is a custom menu, consisting of five items, which are selected by the user from 24 functions.
Two SIM cards
As other devices from DUOS series, C5212 has a manager of SIM-cards. Here you can turn on one or another SIM-card, select the card as primary, giving them names, assign icons (seven pieces), in one word – control.
Finally you can choose a melody (vibration) for SMS for each SIM card.
As before, you can choose ringtones and signals for other events individually for each card. I’d like to mention that the main ringtone of Samsung phones has changed a little bit. It sounds more glamorous.
The device holds four calls (two on each card), switching between them takes place smoothly. During the data transmission (using phone as a modem, or just while surfing on WAP-sites) the number from which you have switched to the network becomes unavailable, while the second SIM-card can receive calls.
Calling and sending messages takes place in a standard for Duos way – dial the necessary number or text and select one of two SIM-cards. Everything is very easy.
Entertainment
Samsung C5212 can not boast about advanced multimedia, but it has a camera, MP3-player and FM-radio.
The camera takes pictures with a resolution up to 1.3 megapixels.
Camera settings are standard. The quality of images is not so bad.
MP3-player is already well known from earlier models. It has Simple and nice interface.
FM-radio works properly, the sensitivity is above average, and most of the stations with strong signals were received without interference. Automatic search works well, finding more than 60% of stations.
You can make records from air and keep audio content in the memory of the phone.
Applications
There are five independent alarms with the detailed configuration.
Lingvo Dictionary is also useful, which is convenient to use because of ease of implementation of the application.
Calendar, world time, calculator, notes, etc. are placed in the folder “organizer”, everything is standard. Recorder saves the content on the memory card or in the phone.
File Manager is convenient; it shows all the folders, etc.
The own memory of the phone is 30 MB. This is not much, so it is desirable to purchase microSD-card for 1 GB.
Conclusion
With two SIM-cards on board, in the mode of 15-20 minutes of calls a day, an hour listening to music and the use of other functions, C5212 battery lasts about three days. This is a good result for the budget DUOS, because many of the expensive smart phones work much less.
Anyway, I liked the phone, just as an affordable solution for those who urgently need a phone with two SIM-cards.
