A year ago Samsung released an 8-MP serious mobile phone called Pixon. Now let’s welcome a young successor – Samsung Pixon 12, which is equipped with 12-MP camera and a smart display. Of course, the novelty is interesting and worth studying, and even, worth its price.

Design
As with its predecessor Samsung M8800 Pixon, Pixon 12 does not have a pocket size to comfortably fit in any pocket. However, if you have large pockets, then problems will not arise. The phone is also thick, which is caused by the camera module and decorative projection at the lower end.
These features make the phone a compact digital camera. The back cover is made from metal, but … it is “afraid” of keys, and other warlike items. When negligent handling scratches appear fairly quickly, and appearance is lost with the same speed. Under the cover you can find battery and a slot for SIM card.
Of course we do not forget to mention voluminous pedestal of the camera, with xenon (pulse) LED lights flash and autofocus. Everything like a digital camera.

At the upper end of the connector there is a microUSB, for accurate plug. Unlike Samsung Jet, which is placed on the same platform, there is no 3.5-mm audio input, and therefore you need to connect them through the headphone adapter. To be honest, this is inconvenient, and the “experience” of Sony Ericsson music phones without audio jack proves this.
The right end is given to the phone’s control. On / off switch, the focus / shutter, zoom button are located on the right end. On the left there is a microSD memory card slot and key lock. Everything is quite convenient.
Under the display there are three mechanical buttons – two “receiver” buttons and menu / return to a back operation.

Display
The screen is exactly the same as in Samsung Jet. This means that the AMOLED-display is one of the best – high contrast, bright colors, large viewing angles, high definition of images, and resistance to direct sunlight. The brightness adjusts automatically, or manually. The display is designed both for finger and stylus control.

The set has no stylus, but nothing forbids us to take a pen or a pencil from the table and control through it. I must say that both ways of working with 12 Pixon are convenient. With regard to the control by fingers, the latest Samsung such problems do not occur.

Menu and control

Here are the same preset widgets like at Samsung Jet ( by the way quite a lot), plus you can download and install.
You can also change the icons on the main menu – almost unnecessary, but a funny feature. Scrolling lists, menu, etc. works fine and without glitches.

As in previous models, there are 4 icons displayed on the screen: quick access to menu, directory, SMS-service, virtual keyboard. The menu is the same as in Samsung Jet. But we have a convenient main menu presented by 3 x 4 grids. If you go deeper, then there are lists of features with small icons.
Pixon supports multitasking, and a list of (more icons or grid), running applications can be put on display, in 1.5 seconds, holding the central button. Optionally, you can close any applications.
As symbols rather large, you can use your phone even in a tottery bus.

Camera

In Pixon 12 there is a camera ever observed in the phones. The matter is not the megapixels (12), and the great functionality, but … technological advances.

The interface of the camera is oriented horizontally. It is very comfortable, due to large symbols on the screen – everything is perfectly calculated for fingers.
Now let’s talk about the possibilities. It has thirteen scenes of shooting, six shooting modes. One of the modes is a “beautiful face”, which name speaks for itself. There is a micro-Photoshop in the phone. This function slightly clears the pores on your face, highlight of the outbreak, etc. Frankly, it is a useful joke, especially if you often do portraits.
Another innovation – a function smart auto, or “autophoto”. About this you can read in the review of Samsung WB550, and here we simply note that the phone successfully and quickly switches between shooting scenes depending on what you shoot. In addition, it is supported by auto focus on a moving object.
There is also a function of detection of blinking, which may be helpful, as well as the image stabilizer.
But zoom in Pixon is not optical and 4 times digital, as that is not firmly in the context of the 12-MP camera.
So, the camera has many settings for the most creative fans of mobile graphics.

Music

The interface of the player is very similar to Samsung Jet, but with a little repaint. There is a choice of three types of visualization, 10 preset equalizers. You can access the list of songs; click the desired one, thus launching the play.
Sound of the player (i.e., music) is not bad. With good headphones the sound is loud, bass and tops are visible. Overall, it’s not bad, but we can compare it with Nokia N96.
Conclusion
This phone can be perfect for techno funs or mobile photo enthusiasts, or fans of big screens, or … touch phones as a whole. Although it’s not a smartphone, but a good camera has no competitors.

Buy Samsung M8800 Pixon Unlocked Phone–International Version with No U.S. Warranty (Black) from Amazon

Motorola, once a pioneer in the market of mobile telephony, is now in the shadow of other, less famous, but more on the ball manufacturers of portable electronics. But watching from afar the growth of the segment of the so-called camera phones (phones with powerful photo capacities) is clearly not to the liking of the company. A little late, Motorola announced a really interesting solution – Motozine ZN5. How the company managed to accumulate the previous experience and what was the outcome?

Design
A key element in the perception of a mobile phone is certainly its appearance. Whatever its technical characteristics are, if the design causes dislike, it would be extremely difficult to make friends with such a device. The segment camera-phones do not boast of particularly elegant exterior, but still have something to please the eye.
Motorola makes no secret that Motozine ZN5 is the response of the company to the already produced solutions from Sony Ericsson and Nokia. On their background the ZN5 looks quite organic, and to some extent, even fresh. The point is that when you first look at the novelty, it seems that this is normal, so to speak, business unit.
The appearance of Motozine ZN5 is standard for mobile handset from Motorola. The only currently available graphite color organically fits to the spirit of the ZN5 – strict, but with taste.
By the way, the weight of the phone is 114 grams, the size equals to 18h50, 5h16 mm, while the latter figure – includes the thickness of the module chamber, for the rest of the perimeter of this figure is 12 mm. In fact, for a serious camera-phone, these characteristics are at a very high level. The closest competitors cannot boast of such forms.

With regard to the subjective experience of work with the ZN5, phone could be called attractive. It has no outstanding or memorable elements (well, except the purple buttons activating the camera on the right end). Due to this fact, the audience, capable of being interested in such a product from Motorola, is very wide.
The competitors added zest to their camera-phones in the form of loud names of the photo-industry. We know that such a simple marketing move perfectly valid for the ordinary consumer. In the case of Sony Ericsson it is the prefix CyberShot from the world of digital cameras of Sony, and Nokia has added the logo Carl Zeiss, as one of the leaders in producing high quality optics. Motorola has entered into an alliance with the company Kodak. And even if today the world-renowned manufacturer of photo technology is, in a sense, on the sidelines (as Motorola is, when it comes to mobile phones), it is clear that a company, which has a history of 120 years, will not produce anything bad.

In Motozine ZN5 everything is subject to the photo abilities of the phone. Motorola is trying by all means to show what an excellent option Motozine is for capturing and working with photograph. In a sense, it will have to be tolerated, for example, on the tactile level – after all the block of the camera is fairly massive and causes inconvenience.
The main body is made of high quality plastic, and the rear lid is made of metal. By the way, it has a rather unsteady attachment to the body and there may be unpleasant consequences, even if dropped from a small height, i.e. it will simply bounce off. However, the lower end is covered with rubber; so that if the attack befalls on that part … do not worry, nothing may happen. The apparatus is assembled (even our engineering sample) fine, no backlashes, scripts, and other problems with the case.
The MicroUSB connector is located on the left end and at the same time it is a connector for the charger. At the other end of the same left end is located a universal 3.5 mm jack for connecting the headset.
The right end is equipped in a standard way – the start key and key of the work with the camera (horizontal direction) and two volume keys.

Display
When it comes to the camera, the question of the quality of the display is at the forefront. Many phones from Motorola wgich we have tested had good screens, but on the background of the competitors they looked rather pale. In the case of the ZN5 things are much better, the model is equipped with a display that was performed on TFT-technology, has a diagonal of 2.4 inches (resolution of 240 x 320) and displays up to 260 thousand colors.
The screen showed a good result in operation – good color rendition, brightness and viewing angles allow to work comfortably in almost any conditions. All, without exception, users will appreciate the availability of a very large font in the menu (by the way, the display shows up to eight lines of text plus the three office ones).
Unfortunately, the ZN5 is not a smart-phone and we cannot fully enjoy the capabilities of the screen (e.g., movies), but it is not useless to say again that for the set functions of the phone the display is sufficient.

Keyboard
The main part is made of a polymer film. In other words, the mechanical keys are closed with the film, with the result that an effect of single array is achieved. This looks really interesting, and the work, despite the innovation, is rather middling.
Only the circular navigation button is allocated on the general background. It has a 4-position activation of features with the function of the confirmation in the center. Soft keys are located between the navigation key and the traditional “tubes”. Critically small space is left for them. No, it is not that false abrasions occur all the time, but such a positive trick causes a series of inconveniences. Under the soft keys are two additional buttons. The first is to access the gallery, the second – to delete characters.
The digital keyboard is of a standard size. Keys are at a decent distance from each other – to dial a telephone number or type an SMS is easy.
However, it is desirable to press the keys at the right angles, but it does not cause additional inconvenience, you have only to get used to it.
In the camera mode the digital keys have additional abilities (they are marked on the shell). For example, you can quickly send a photo to an online gallery, remove or, on the contrary, save the resulting image.

Menu and Functions
First it is desirable to note that in our test the engineering model was activated, in which many of the functions worked as they should.
The model is built on a platform of LJ (the closest relative of Motorola ROKR E8). On the fine-tuning of this interface the company has spent a long time, but, honestly speaking, the result is not cheering. The menu is quite difficult to master even for the over-experienced journalists (a fact generally accepted by the press), not to speak of ordinary consumers.
And many of the complexities and conditionalities could have been completely avoided, but Motorola always had a distinguished vision of the ergonomics of the phones (remember the red “tube” on the left side, only recently moved to its rightful place).
The phone has basic functions, without which a mobile phone is not taken seriously. This includes: Bluetooth (A2DP profile), a powerful web browser, FM-radio and a media player. The interesting additions include the availability of Wi-Fi, TV-output (the cable is included).

As you can see, the phone is sufficiently stuffed with all necessary facilities. Unfortunately, the ZN5 is not a smart-phone, and its functions of expansion are severely limited.
The presence of the graffiti Kodak in the ZN5 – is not just a decoy for a trustful buyer. The developments of that company are used in their entirety. By the way, the Kodak gallery allows you to quickly send photos via e-mail or post them in the Internet. The feature Kodak Perfect Touch is also available from the gallery; it allows to significantly improving the display of the captured material. Well, and the function Kodak Easy share Software will allow you to print photos directly from your phone, bypassing the computer. And this is without speaking about the camera and its capabilities.
Summarizing the functional outcome it may be noted that the ZN5 has all necessary facilities. The overall result was somewhat spoilt by the difficulty in dealing with individual elements of the menu. But as is it usually the case – the process of familiarization takes time.

Camera
Open the cover, in a second the camera is activated, and already in three or four seconds, it takes the white balance. By the way, the machine is rarely wrong, that allows for good shots without preparation.
The interface is like that of the model ROKR E8 – a line of information above, translucent windows of menu, produced by pressing the left key content.
It is easy to deal with the settings, but they are not many either. An interesting fact – the camera can save images in the uncompressed RAW format, which is obviously cool, but in a phone it is meaningless. Typically, this format is used by professional photographers, working with serious cameras.
Now let’s talk about recording abilities. The unit is equipped with a Xenon (pulse) flash and an autofocus lamp light, which is quite powerful. Autofocus is slow in the dark (the lamp helps to focus), but at the same time does not make mistakes.

The focus could not be called quick with good lighting either, but it might be the problem of our test sample. The camera has a “red” eye reduction, when half a second before the main flash blinks the lighting of the autofocus.
How such a system works, is known from compact cameras, so it only should be noted that in the ZN5 it more or less copes with its task.
A macro-mode is supported; in our sample, however, it did not work well, so close-up photographs of flowers and other such pretty things failed. The camera can record videos in the ridiculous resolution of 144h176, so the opportunity is not worth to be considered even as fun. The panoramic shooting mode (gluing of three frames) is implemented in a normal way – with the help of the framework, the camera tells when to make the next frame for gluing.

Outcome
Against the background of the other camera-phones, Motozine ZN5 is not only lost, but is highlighted with a number of fundamentally interesting features. It is just enough to remember the 350 MB internal memory (even up to 4 GB on the cards microSD, and a 512 MB card in the kit), the excellent camera from Kodak, and it is clear that Motorola has come to the market fairly prepared.
The pre-installed Li-Ion battery of the capacity of 950 mAh, according to the manufacturer, provides up to 350 minutes of talking time and up to 350 hours in standby mode. In the reality of Moscow networks, the ZN5 worked 3 days (until 30 minutes of conversation and an hour of use of other functions), which is an outstanding result.
For people who need a relatively small, modern telephone and who are not afraid of the “menu from Motorola”, the model ZN5 will be a great solution.

Design
It seems that the philosophy of ROKR EM30 is “to unite a phone and a player in one device, which is more a player than a phone”. We have met similar tricks before. Thus a series of Samsung phones “F” (particularly F210) have used the concept. However, Motorola implemented the idea in its own way. The first thing you will notice in the exterior of the EM30 is the small display. The disproportion of the screen compared to the body gives a clear association with a music player.

ROKR EM30 looks quite cool, and it is evident that the main audience of the model is adolescent people young in spirit.
Interestingly, the EM30 is executed in the same colors as the music box Nokia 5320 ExpressMusic. While putting together the units look at least like cousins. Or, maybe, this impression is created with the over-popularised combination of black with red?
The sleek and wide body is the legacy of ROKR, which in this case, is only an advantage for the ROKR EM30. The dimensions are 115 x 53 x 10,6 mm and it weighs 100 grams.

The model is equipped with a standard 3.5-mm jack for connecting the headset. If you do not like the headphones supplied with the set, then you can always connect something of your own choice.
This connector is located at the upper end of the phone (it is closed with a plug) and this fact is a few more points for a good music phone. The remaining facets of the tube demonstrate a standard set of buttons and connectors. Thus, at the right end are located the microUSB connector and the mechanical key of locking the keypad. On the left are the volume button and the camera activation key.
The body of the ROKR EM30 is made of plastic, and the rear lid is from a metal with a special rough surface. In general, the quality of the assembly leaves a very pleasant impression. The phone inspires credibility and it is able to survive a few falls, without any consequences.
So, the challenge of combining a player and phone in one unit is executed by the Motorola designers in a fine way. The model looks modern and to some extent, even fresh.

Keyboard
Motorola very often uses this keypad design in its latest models. Using such a keyboard is unusual only for the first time. Over time, the fingers get used to the slow course of the keys. The keyboard of the 30 is hardly an example of ergonomic, but does not cause negative emotions either.
The main feature of the keyboard of the new model is that it is created on the basis of ModeShift technology. What is so unique and useful in it? The thing is – when you use the phone, the numeric keypad looks and works like all mobile phones. But when the music player is activated, instead of the number keys appear the buttons of work with the player and the color of lighting changes from bright blue to red.
The keys of the player are between the digital buttons so that they do not hinder the work either of the phone or the player. It is a simple and effective solution for switching quickly from talking to listening to music.
The navigation unit, on the contrary, is standard. There are two content keys at the disposal of the user, a four-position navigation button, a shortcut button to the music player, “back” key and the two “tubes”.
By the way, the navigation key in the number mode is highlighted in blue, and the outer circle of the key is lighted. In the player mode the color changes from blue to red, but instead of the external circle, the inner one is highlighted.

Display
Perhaps the weakness of the EM30 is the screen. The specifications are as follows: a diagonal of 1.8 inches, a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels, a support of 65 thousand colors.
It is funny, but the TFT-technology in this case seems even a luxury. It is obvious that the display is mostly needed for reading text information. Media browsing is inconvenient due to its size, and because of the resolution. But with its main objectives the screen copes well. Volumetric icons, large font, high brightness and contrast make it possible to enjoy all the convenient functions of the phone.

Functions and menu
Because of the restrictions of the display the main menu is represented by ten icons arranged in two rows. The musical orientation is once again confirmed by the fact that the first item on the menu is “Music”, and then come the other sections.
They all correspond to their names and are linked logically. In the “Organizer” you can find such features as: calendar, e-mail, alarm clock, data synchronization, the controller of loading (shows the files downloaded and sent via the Internet and Bluetooth), file manager (separate for the memory card or by category: music, pictures), world time, calculator, task list.
Thus, the menu is slightly different from the standard one in Motorola tubes of the latest period, but remains easy to work with.
From the functional point of view, the EM30 is a typical representative of a class of low-cost phones. Today, fortunately, this concept implies the existence of Bluetooth (A2DP for listening to music in stereo), EDGE (Class 12), Java, a convenient web-browser.
The recorder was found in the multimedia folder, although this feature is more suited to the definition of “business application” and it is not very much to the place in a folder of applications for entertainment.
The integrated 2-MP camera has an 8-fold zoom and has nothing stronger to boast of. However, a digital zoom is not a special reason for pride either.
Below you see the test pictures, and the full-size pictures are in the archive, which can be downloaded here.

Music player
To begin with, it is noteworthy that the player of the ROKR EM30 supports the following formats: MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC +, Enhanced AAC +, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10. So, music can be enjoyed in almost any convenient format, except for FLAC and OGG.
We have already met the implementation of the music player in the previous EM30 models of the company. For example, by pressing a shortcut key, we get to the section “Library”.
The main menu allows the player to navigate through your own music collection (music files can be located in any folder on the memory card; the search for new songs is done automatically). Music files are sorted in the following categories: the last played, random songs, all the songs, lists, artists, albums, genres, composers. All categories are filled in automatically, with the exception of “lists”. These are the so-called “play-lists” that the user creates. In this context, it is not out of place to recall the full support of Windows Media Player 11 (Microsoft music ecosystem support), and given that the vast majority of music programs for the PC have a similar consistency, it is clear that EM30 easily supports playlists set up on the PC.

It is time to remember the ModeShift technology and to tell what keys are available in the player mode. These are five standard: rewind / switching tracks, forward / backward, play / stop, random play and autorepeat.
During the playback of music, the screen displays the file name, artist name, song name, and the elapsed and remaining time. The set of additional features pleased with its usefulness and wide range: random play, autorepeat, EQ (you can choose from 12 preset options, Bass Boost, 3D-stereo).
The sound of the player surprised with its quality – clear sound, with virtually no distortion. Such things as the equalizer and 3D-stereo, really affect the quality of music. We will not compare the EM30 with other musical patterns, but this novelty from Motorola is much higher in quality than most of some modern tubes. Even the traditionally heavy comparison of the musical players in the case of the EM30 does not look so intimidating. Yes, Motorola compared with them does not have enough volume, but this can be forgiven. Just listen to a couple of songs before buying, and you will see the decent music capabilities of the EM30.
The memory on the phone about 30 MB, but do not boggle at this small volume. There is a slot for microSD memory cards of up to 8 GB.
Unfortunately, we have no information as to the capacity of the map that will be included with the EM30, but considering the low prices on removable media, even the most affordable 8 GB, are affordable to many.

Outcome
The technology CrystalTalk is used in ROKR EM30, to ensure clear sound during a call. It is necessary to acknowledge that making calls using the EM30 is as comfortable as listening to music.
The battery capacity of 970 mAh easily satisfies the appetites of the cell phone for three days (3 hours listening to music, 30 minutes of conversation, 30 minutes for other functions), which is a decent result.
The phone is ideal for the replacement of the music player, has a decent (and harmonic) set of functions. If you are not confused by the design of the EM30, then there is just no other obstacle for buying this model. In its segment the novelty looks very confident.

Appearance
The phone turned out to be bigger than it appears in photographs. When wearing it in a jeans pocket a real feeling of discomfort does not occur, but the case of the Samsung M7500 Armani is always there.

Samsung M7500 Armani is clearly perceived as a male-model, and the reason is not only the size of the tube but also the size of the keyboard. By the way, it only tries to appear to be sensory, this is just an illusion; there are usual buttons under a flat surface made of solid sheets of metal.

The case is made almost entirely from high-quality plastic and the unit seems solid, but not a strident combination of different materials. The affiliation with the clan of Armani is betrayed by a great, bright emblem of this fashion house, which cover the whole rear lid.
Armani inscriptions glow on the right and left ends. You can even choose the color of the lighting!

Our first association was with the telephone Siemens M65, with «winkers». Well, it’s just an association, nothing more. So, the first thing we did with Siemens was to switch off the «winkers», and the same thing was done with Armani after half an hour of use.
At the ends are placed the player buttons, but due to the large size of the shell, the developers made the «musical» buttons quite large and with a distinctly perceived abrasion.
So the player can be commanded blindly, without delivering the phone from a jacket pocket. In general, the keyboard and the arrangement of additional operation buttons were pleasing, especially when combined with the size of the phone, which is not lost in male’s hand.
It was pleasing that Samsung Armani M7500 is equipped with a normal microUSB jack, carefully covered with a lid. Connection to the PC does not require special drivers; the phone is recharged from the computer, and of course, is recognized by it as a usual USB device.

Display and menus

The display of M7500 is made in the OLED-technology, bright and contrast, with large angles of view.
In addition, it submits to the lighting sensor which automatically changes the brightness of the screen, depending on the conditions of exterior lighting. The sensor is working correctly, and as a result, the display is always readable.
The menu is made in form of icons, for example, the settings are under the sign of a wrench, the player is «hidden» under a «note».
In general, the menu is organized logically and easy – everything fits on one screen and specific blunders in the transition are not observed. While the logic of constructing sometimes suffers, for example, to turn off the sound of the confirmation key clicking, it was necessary to get into the «profile» and change the settings of the current profile.

Instead this function could be put in the menu «phone» – «settings» – «sound», where it would look much more logical.
For a long-time Nokia user, the menu of this model does not look confusing. Possibilities of customization are rather broad – there are several predefined themes, screensavers and wallpapers.
A shot from the camera can be set as a wallpaper. In principle, everything is usual and convenient, but no revelations.

Music and image
It’s nice that this model is equipped with a standard 3.5 mm jack for headphones, because the possibility to connect any headphones is very valuable.
The music player supports not only the MP3 format, but also WMA and AAC. In general, the player is pleasing; however, it is unnerving that you cannot set the equalizer to your liking, but to choose from only nine finished presets.
In case of using good headphones, the sound quality is high, so the phone can be recommended as a complete replacement of an MP3 player.
The device has a sufficiently large amount of internal memory – 125 MB, so a little music library can be placed directly in it.

The FM-receiver is working properly, i.e., has a good reception. There is an RDS function, but it is very limited – the screen displays only the title of a radio station.
The setting and saving of stations is organized on the intuitive level of understanding. There is a convenient tool – RSS Reader – for reading news tapes. It can be guessed from the title, anyway.
The integrated camera with a resolution of 3.2 MP has no flash, but is equipped with autofocus. With good lighting the obtained images can be very decent. On a clouded day or indoors the matrix of the camera begins to make «noise», which is normal for this type of technology. The functionality of the camera is also standard for a phone of this class. It is possible to apply to images a standard set of effects, such as: sepia, transfer the images in black and white version, etc.
 

Outcome
Frankly, we were displeased with the low volume of the ring and the low vibration; somewhere in a noisy street, you can easily miss a call. Apparently the Armani icon, under which the speaker is located, is of no help in this case.
The 960 mAh Li-Ion Battery, with an average load on the phone (20 minutes a day and an hour and half of music) was sufficient for a three-day work, and that’s OK. 
Without getting into deep jungles to describe the tube, it can be said that in general the phone had more minuses than pluses. Personally, the too much brightness and blatancy were annoying; even with the backlight off, the phone looks very defiant – «thanks to» the Armani logo on the back side. While certainly there are people who will be ready to forgive this phone everything for only the Armani emblem alone. In general, if consider only the technical characteristics of the device – they are pretty good.

]]> http://www.newphonesreviews.com/samsung-m7500-armani-review/feed/ 0 http://www.newphonesreviews.com/samsung-m7600-review/ http://www.newphonesreviews.com/samsung-m7600-review/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:09:03 +0000 Mia http://www.newphonesreviews.com/?p=474 Samsung M7600 is similar to the model S8300 Ultra Touch, as the two tubes are based on a single platform. Accordingly, in this material, we did not deal with those issues, which can be read in the review of S8300.

Appearance

Of course, Samsung M7600 has an unusual design, and at first glance the device resembles a miniature game console, and users of cell phones will recall Motorola V80, a sort of a rotator, which during its existence produced shocking impression on others. So the brand-new Samsung M7600 is also a bit shocking, as we have already noted with a form of a shell.

However, the phone does not seem very large, since it is comparable in size, for example, with the flagship sliders S8300 Ultra Touch. The musical novelty is suited well on the palm, although slips out of it at any convenient moment. The point is that in the «construction» of the model soft-touch plastic wasn’t used, here it is almost glossy.

At the end a lot of things are brought out. The right holds the camera button and the memory card slot. On the left there is a strap eyelet, a microUSB slot, a volume regulation, a sliding key of the blocking / inclusion of the player. If the convenience of the «blocker» is relative, it should be mentioned that during the conversation, the speaker volume adjusts comfortably. On the upper end there is a 3.5-mm jack for connecting headphones (headset) and near it one of the external speakers is situated. Such an arrangement ensures high-quality and loud sound – you can put the device on the table and listen to music.

Near the conversational dynamics the front camera, sensor of lighting and sensor of approximation, which locks the screen during a call, are hardly noticeable.

At the back side of Samsung M7600 are (the lid looks quite funny): a camera, LED flash and mirror for self.

Keyboard, display and menu

There are only three buttons under the screen – that of adoption and cancellation of the call and the return button.

The screen with the size of 2.8 inches and the resolution of matrix 240h400 points is made by AMOLED-technology. In fact, it is the same as in the model S8300 Ultra Touch, one to one.

Of course, as in the mentioned model, there is a position sensor, which itself vertically or horizontally turns the image on the screen.

The construction of the menu interface and other differences are executed in the same way as in the S8300. Personally, I found no differences.

As in many Samsung devices, the dialing or SMS sending are realized from the keyboard screen. It is not easy to say that such a method is comfortable, especially for beginners. But after a day or two, you get accustomed.

However, it is impossible to dial in gloves. Some may not like this. In the S8300 there was a usual full keyboard, which is absent here. So there is one way – to click on the screen. It is good that the sensitivity of the display is correct, as needed.

Camera

Samsung M7600 is not a cool camera phone, so it has a 3Mp autofocus camera without optical zoom. There is a LED flash-light, the range of the work of which is equal to 40-50 cm

The horizontal camera interface is well known from the previous models, you should control it with fingers; it’s a benefit that the icons are large. The functionality of the camera is visible on the screenshots. At least more than 10 scenes of shooting are present.

The player and the BeatDJ function

That part (if I may say so) of the phone, will seem interesting to many of you. And there is a reason. The processor IcePower of B & O is used as an «iron», the rest is an «add» from Samsung: the interface and sound effects.

The player has a user-friendly interface; it is easy to work with the musical setting.

The sorting of music is habitual, play-lists are supported.

The album covers are displayed on the screen, you can scroll around in a circle, selecting the desired one. Frankly, this is not always easy, because the graphics are slow, and you are simply wasting your time.

During playback, the screen displays album art, track title, artist name (Group), time code. One click can switch to the 5.1 regime, which significantly changes the sound. But it is for the sake of experiment, nothing more. Of course, it is possible to rewind within a track; with a light hand movement by pressing the virtual buttons «next» / «back» or by winding, touching the same virtual circle.

The player gives a very high quality, clean sound. You can safely connect good headphones, not being afraid that your favorite song would sound like something is wrong. The set headphones in this series are «fair», but, at least they do not fly out from the ears, and the wire does not freeze in negative temperature.

Let us continue about the sound. It can be modified by using five preset equalizers, or you can move the «sliders» yourself, achieving the desired result. There are a few sound effects, but they are more suitable for experiments.

More than 25 diverse digital effects may be applied to the track in real time; there is even a corporate scratch, when you rotate the disc on the touch panel. And, of course, the resulting outcome can be recorded.

Personally, this feature seemed to me not very interesting, but tastes differ. It is realized decently, some of young people like it, but again, I think that it is easier to go to a club (in summer – open air), where prominent DJs play and not to fret the phone.

FM-radio

The quality of the reception is at a high level – you can listen without any problems to the majority of stations in the city. The supplement is supported by RDS. This screen displays not only the name of the station, but also the composition, as well as other information, in a running line at the top of the display. It should be admitted that the RDS worked somehow, but from pre-release firmware anything can be expected.

Autosearch finds about 30-40% of the broadcasters and the rest – by hand. Up to 99 stations can be «hammered» into the memory, just what radio fans of the mega-cities need. A song playing on the radio can be recorded (MP3 format, bite rate of 128 Kb / s), and then you can find the folder with the downloaded song. And if you do not know the name of favorite songs aired on the radio, the function of music recognition (Find music) will help you.

Recorder and other functions

In a quiet environment the quality of Dictaphone recording is high, the maximum recording time is limited to one hour. After recording you can immediately listen the clip and it is very convenient.

Google Maps as always eat the GPRS-traffic with a great appetite, the map looks very well on such a quality display, the routes are laid. The GPS-receiver is working correctly; there is no problem with the reception of signals from satellites. There is no special program for the GPS, except for simple applications, pointing the coordinates and altitude.

As in the model S8300, the alarm turns on / off with one click, there is a mass of settings – up to 10 pieces of alarms can be created.

The file manager is very handy. The embedded memory of the M7600 is about a 90 MB, the memory card refers to a capacity of up to 32 GB, as claimed by the manufacturers. We had no problems working with an 8 GB card, there was no other available.

Conclusion

Samsung M7600 will price is not too attractive, but taking into consideration the excellent characteristics of the tube, we can say that it is worth its high cost. Perhaps someone will be scared by the unusual appearance and the lack of keyboard or someone, on the contrary, will be attracted with the excellent sound quality of the player and the quality touch screen. Tastes really differ.

]]> http://www.newphonesreviews.com/samsung-m7600-review/feed/ 0 http://www.newphonesreviews.com/nokia-e75-review/ http://www.newphonesreviews.com/nokia-e75-review/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:32:54 +0000 Mia http://www.newphonesreviews.com/?p=429

I will never compare Nokia E75 with Nokia E71. Despite the fact that both devices belong to the same series they are different with their design, keyboard (though both have a QWERTY-layout), and the display guidance.

The novelty has a quite acceptable size for this class of devices; the Nokia E75 fits excellently in the inner pocket of a light jacket and is not especially felt there, though it weighs 139 grams. The tube lies in the hand as expected, not jumping out from the palm of your hand at every opportunity.

The quality of the Nokia pleases, the details fit together perfectly, nothing creaking and annoying. The slider pleased me either – the closer strongly picks up the upper half, which opens with a loud click, in the middle way. Metal can be found on the reverse side of the slider at the ends around the display, and the lid covering the battery compartment is made of it as well. It is made of corrugated stainless steel, and looks good and solid.

At the ends are the volume keys, the camera button and voice dialing, the microUSB connector and memory card slot. The camera lens is located so that when recording the finger is not seen in the frame and does not interfere.

At the upper end there is a standard 3.5-mm jack for connecting headphones. This is good, because an adapter is not required.

Display and keyboard

The screen is quite standard for many Nokia devices, and if not a standard of quality, then certainly a very good option for this model. TFT-matrix decently «burns out» under the sun (the colors are indistinguishable), but the menu icons and text are well visible; it is possible to work under direct sunlight. Natural transmission of colors and decent viewing angles also refer to the advantages of Nokia E75. Of course, when disclosing the tube the picture overturns, however, it can be implemented by the sensor status as well. In general, the screen is suitable for any task, including GPS-navigation.

Decent size keys, including 4-position button-selector, are convenient; during one week of use there were only a few mistakes. The only «but», delete the characters, is not very convenient, because this function is assigned to the shared content key, which has a small area, and this causes discomfort. Numbers can literally be dialed on-the-run, as the finger always gets where necessary.

It is assumed that you need two hands when typing on the QWERTY-keyboard, otherwise it will not work. Keys are made of opaque plastic, are of sufficient size for quick (the adaptation takes two days) typing, fingers do not fly off, mistakes are rare. As far as to the use easiness, you again need to get used to the keyboard. As for me it was easier write an SMS on an «external» keyboard, and a long e-mail – on the «adult», but only after preliminary training.

Camera

The vast majority of users will of course shoot stuff with the camera. The particular model has nothing to boast about here, but this camera is what you expect to see in a phone for busy people – 3 IP, LED flash, mirror for self-portraits.

Seven scenes will be quite handy for creativity. There are several series of shooting modes, ranging from six shots «machine gun» to «capture every 30 minutes until the memory ends». Who may need such a function (I have in mind the latest), is not clear. It is also not pleasing that when the camera is turned on it always makes the «auto» flash mode, even if it was off before powering down. This is very uncomfortable. As the E75 has a GPS-receiver, the ability to put images on geo-markers is a self-evident joke. The autofocus properly fulfils its role, in most cases with the second attempt.

The output on the camera can be the following – it produces decent images under favorable light and with a strong desire (along with some skill). In early dusk the matrix begins to make «noise», and this must be taken into account. This is just in case.

Music

The music player interface is similar to previous Nokia devices, but has cosmetic refinement. As you can see the album covers are displayed without problems, info of the tag-files is often completely readable; rewind within a track is supported.

The sound can be changed through five preset EQs. However it is possible to decide oneself how music will sound by using eight lanes. There are the traditional modes of expanded and enhanced stereo bass.

The sound quality is decent, but with a noticeable «plastic» tint, in addition, the low volume should be noted because of which it is difficult to listen to music in the subway.

The radio is like a radio, nothing special. The quality of the reception is decent, at least in the city. A memory of 50 cells should be sufficient; RDS is supported, the sound can be put into an external speaker, recording the live-broadcasting is not possible.

Menu and Functions

There is no need to describe the mail client, because it takes long, and is not interesting for all (despite the mailing orientation of the model), it will take a lot of space, some people will even sleep (or simply close the page) while reading the text.

The menu is usual for new devices of the S60; you can see for yourself how it looks. Numerous tube settings are encapsulated in stylish icons or lists; all is sorted through, everything is logical and there is no need to refer to the instructions.

It has three themes of the main screen. One theme is standard; the other dubs the desktop icons, the third called «Active» – is the nicest. In addition, when it is activated, six icons for quick access to functions are displayed at the top of the screen, and at the bottom of the screen are thumbnails, which report events, such as missed calls or received SMS messages.

Office applications (the «Office» folder) are known from the early models, everything is familiar and everything works. For office workers, there is even the Intranet application. It will be used by some 10-15% of the owners of E75, but the function is not redundant.

The calendar is traced (executed) to a hundred points – informative, visual display of events, a simultaneous display of a whole month and the events on a particular day; convenient switching of the type of display of the created events. Everything is simple and convenient.

Outcome

If you work with e-mail by your phone every day, often go on business trips, your company pays for the mobile phone (GPRS-roaming is not cheap) and you are issued this model at the expense of the company, everything is wonderful. If not, then for all the benefits of the device, its price kills many people. In case the price is lowered, the E75 will become a justified purchase, but for me personally, I would have bought an HTC Touch Pro. Although this is a different class of device, but both have a full keyboard. In general, Nokia E75 is a good bargain if you just want to have such a phone in your pocket, and the price is irrelevant.