The expression ‘mid-range’ is often seen as a mild insult in mobile phone circles but while this term is certainly applicable to the Samsung U800 (it’s a snip at around £140 on PAYG) the phone does much to distinguish itself from the ranks of ‘me too’ handsets that occupy the same price band.
For starters, the appearance of this phone would suggest a much higher price tag; the brushed-metal exterior is incredibly appealing and the ultra-thin candy bar form factor results in a device that is practically undetectable when you slip it into your pocket.
The only aesthetic element we’re not 100 per cent taken with is the small two-inch screen, but with a bright QVGA TFT display boasting 16 million colours, it is at least of a high quality – regardless of its diminutive dimensions.
Impressively, the U800 also features HSDPA for high-speed data transfer and video calls. Those of you that can painfully recall the days of 3G phones being the size of a European compact car will no doubt marvel at the astonishing slenderness of the U800; sadly such an effective combination of elegance and functionality comes at a price – battery life is predictably average.
As you delve deeper into the U800’s specification you begin to notice more drawbacks. The phone packs a weedy three-megapixel camera with an LED flash and lacks auto focus. The quality of the shots is acceptable rather than outstanding but you’re highly unlikely to forgo your traditional ‘point and shoot’ camera in favour of this. Video recording is similarly disappointing.
Things continue to slide when you attempt to use the U800 for tasks other than making phone calls and sending text messages. Although the phone has 1GB of internal memory and a microSD card for expansion, it’s a pretty poor music phone. The media player is incredibly rudimentary and ends up looking positively ancient when placed alongside one of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman handsets. The bundled headphones are a bit dodgy, too, and there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. Boo.
Although the U800 is capable of handling 3.6 Mbps of data thanks to its HSDPA capabilities, the small screen makes surfing the web a largely unpleasant occurrence. The pre-installed browser struggles admirably to render even the most basic of sites but ends up looking a bit pathetic. Still, this is hardly a phone that is aiming to challenge web-friendly devices such as Apple’s iPhone or Nokia’s N96.
Gaming on the U800 is a markedly more enjoyable affair thanks largely to the excellent D-pad which is both accurate and responsive. The review unit we had access to featured trial versions of three Java titles: Tetris Mania, Paris Hilton’s Diamond Quest and Mini Golf: Las Vegas. All three games are good fun but it’s slightly disappointing that you have to pay extra to unlock all of features.
From a design perspective the U800 is a complete triumph; this is a phone you’ll be more than proud to have about your person, even if the slim and lightweight chassis means you may not even feel its presence. The welcome inclusion of HSDPA and video calling is balanced out by some unfortunate shortcomings (poor camera and media abilities, namely) but when you consider the place in the market the U800 is set to inhabit, it’s a little easier to overlook these irksome issues.
Samsung U800
A desirable design coupled with a half-decent set of features results in a mobile that is worth looking into if you’re shopping on a budget – just don’t expect the cutting-edge luxuries associated with more costly handsets
Damien McFerran
Damien's mum hoped he would grow out of playing silly video games and gain respectable employment. Perhaps become a teacher or a scientist, that kind of thing. Needless to say she now weeps openly whenever anyone asks how her son's getting on these days.