Virtually all the latest mobile phones are appealing to a new generation of tech-savvy, social networking enthusiasts, but the Samsung Monte has really pulled the stops out to corner a fair chunk of this market. Lean and handsome, the Monte is one of the more stylish-looking Samsung mobile phones, and it boasts a delightfully responsive 3-inch capacitative touch screen which makes navigation a breeze.
If you’re looking for access to a proper app store like you’d find on the iPhone, forget it. But this is a much less expensive phone and you’ll get a broad range of pre-installed widgets which deliver a satisfyingly large span of functions. A static widgets hotkey on the screen bursts open a menu which displays all the available widgets. Within minutes, you can have a host of features running, from BBC iPlayer to Google Search, YouTube to a range of social media tools, as well as clocks and calendars. Just drag the widgets from the menu and plonk them on any of the three home screens.
On the Samsung Monte you’ll find both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and there’s a 3.2 megapixel camera to mess about with, too. As contract mobile phones go, this one’s a real ‘cheapie’ at about £10 a month for a 24-month contract. If you’d prefer pay as you go, it’ll cost you £120 and the SIM-free option comes in at around £150. It may not be the mobile phone equivalent of a Bentley or a Rolls, but it’s a pleasingly handy (and eye-catching) Mini-Cooper, at least.
Another new offering in Samsung’s range of cheap mobile phones is the Samsung S3370, a smartphone featuring user-friendly navigation and more features than you would expect from a pay-as-you-go, budget-ranged offering.
Aimed at social networkers, the Samsung S3370 comes with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter pre-loaded. The phone has a 2.6 inch TFT 256k touch screen display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It sports the TouchWiz UI (user interface) and an auto-rotate accelerometer.
Physically, the phone is a nice size – 100 by 53 by 13 mm and weighing just 86 grams. The only colour choice is black.
The Samsung S3370 is a quad band 3G phone supported by Bluetooth A2DP, USB, EDGE technology, and GPRS – all which contribute to quick access and faster data transfers.
The included camera is somewhat lacking, at only 1.3 megapixels. However, camera functions include smile detection, video recording, and picture wallpaper. The video player supports MPEG4 and H263.
The phone’s music player includes an FM radio, and the phone supports Java games.
The nicest aspect of the Samsung S3370 is the ability to add custom widgets to the home screen, so that you can see those all-important status updates, tweets, and direct messages at a glance.
For individuals looking for cheap mobile phone deals, the Samsung S3370 is exclusively available via 3 Mobile on a pay-as-you-go scheme. The benefit of this includes the ability to make good use of free Skype-to-Skype calls and access to Twitter.
The Samsung Monte is one of the best value new mobile phones on the market today, as it is affordable at around £120 on pay as you go deals while still offering tremendous value when compared to other contract mobile phones.
Despite its relatively cheap price tag, the Monte is one of the best Samsung mobile phones on offer. It offers integration with leading social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and MySpace, although only one programme can be run at a time, as well as instant messaging services via Palringo IM.
Although basic, the media offerings on the Samsung Monte are neat and tidy. The phone comes with a serviceable built in music player, and the presence of a 3.5 mm jack means that any headphones can be used. Meanwhile, the BBC iPlayer is also available to stream video over Wi-Fi networks.
There are also features included which you wouldn’t expect to find on a model such as the Monte, including a well thought out photo editing suite and GPS navigation via Google Maps.
Despite the abundance of features on the Samsung Monte, it does fall down in some places as it tries too hard to imitate the top of the range, latest mobile phones. At times, the processor power is lacking and the phone can lag, while some basic functions such as email suffer from ease of access issues. There is also the lack of a QWERTY keyboard, which can make typing long messages a chore.
The Samsung Solid Extreme is not a phone for people who love the technology included with the latest mobile phones, as many functions on the handset are either lacking or older generation. Instead, the Samsung Solid Extreme is a mobile phone for people who lead an active lifestyle and need a handset which can keep up.
Unlike most Samsung mobile phones, which are usually criticised for their build quality, the Samsung Solid Extreme‘s best feature is its sturdy design. The handset has been designed to withstand huge abuse, including shock, rain and even solar radiation. Because of this, looks have taken a back seat to durability as the handset is heavily set in thick casing.
Due to the emphasis on durability, the functionality has also suffered as only a basic 1.3-megapixel camera, low quality music player and FM tuner are available on the handset. However, due to the presence of a microSD card slot, large amounts of songs and photos can be stored on the phone without space becoming an issue.
Because of the emphasis on durability rather than technology with the Samsung Solid Extreme, it is surprisingly cheap compared to other contract mobile phones with some deals being available from just £10 a month.
However these cheap mobile phone contracts are often severely limited in the amount of free calls you can make and texts you can send, although for a phone designed to be used on the go this may not be a major issue.
Making mobile phone news with its super slim classic design is the Samsung Lucido S7220. When looking at it, the Lucido S7220 is similar to the Tocco Ultra slide-out, brushed black finish, edged in hot red; but this phone is not a touch screen. The screen is AMOLED and 2.2 inches in size. The phone is one of the lightest around, at 90 grams, and, it’s only 11.8 mm thick, fitting perfectly into a trouser or jacket pocket.
The camera is 5 megapixels and comes with GPS tagging, panoramic mode, face detection, and smile shot. It also includes anti-shaking which can be turned on or off whether in still mode or shooting video. The phone features EDGE, 3G, Bluetooth, and HSDPA. It also has a decent audio/video player.
This phone also has a couple of safety features: Assign “fake calls” it to a shortcut key and, when in that awkward or uncomfortable position, you can fake a phone call to yourself. For a realistic effect, you can also record audio to speak to you, ensuring the call is believable. The “SOS” feature will text pre-assigned numbers and the mobile tracker will use the GPS to show those numbers where your phone is.
There isn’t much negative to say about the Samsung Lucido S7220 – the keypad layout is a bit uncomfortable, but that’s about it. All-in-all, the Samsung Lucido S7220 is one of the best mid-range phones on the market. For mobile phone deals for this phone please contact your provider.
The Samsung S7330 is a middle range offering from Samsung, styled on the highly-successful Samsung Soul and featuring touch-sensitive navigation.
Aesthetically, the S7330 is a stylish phone – exceptionally nice looking for its price range. Sporting a plastic and metal combination casing, the phone feels solid and sturdy when using it and the slide is quite nice. Then there is the touch-sensitive navigation pad, which offers additional depth to the exterior.
A 3.2 megapixel camera takes fairly good shots, with auto focus, self portrait mirror, and an LED flash. The music player is also good. Other features include video recording, MMS, SMS, and email facility. Web access is via HSDPA and a microSD slot offers the capability to expand on the 30 MB internal memory. Connectivity is via USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.0.
Dimensions for the Samsung S7330 are 49 by 104 by 14 mm and the weight is 110 grams. Talk time is purported to be up to five hours, with 400 hours of standby time.
One feature to potentially let this phone down is the keypad; it is flat and the keys are set too close together, making texting difficult.
All-in-all, for individuals interested in Samsung mobile phones, the Samsung S7330 is a good choice for a middle range offering, even though it isn’t quite the quality the Samsung Soul is. If you’re looking at contract mobile phones, this one is available on 3 Mobile, who also offers the phone as a pay-as-you go handset as well.
If you’re in the market for cheap mobile phones, then Samsung mobile phones are always worth considering. Let’s look at the Samsung B3310; quirky, straightforward, and fits into the smallest of budgets.
Firstly, let’s look at design. This phone looks odd, but it grows on you. There is a number pad running up the left side of the handset and it is quite bulky. The front of the phone is black and the back is silver. The phone is easy to use – with social networking widgets and easy-to-set-up email. The two megapixel camera is also simple to use and includes a dedicated camera button for quick snaps. Picture quality is okay when you’re looking at it on mobile screen, but once transferred to the PC, the images become little more than thumbnails.
Serious music lovers might be disappointed with this phone, but for the less picky, it’s not that bad. The music player is basic, with repeat, shuffle, and playlist modes. There is also an FM radio which works when headphones are plugged in. However, the phone headphone connection isn’t 3.5 mm, so you would need an adaptor to use good headphones.
Instead of the frustrating Samsung touch screen found on so many of their phones, there is a slide-out QWERTY keyboard; which makes this phone excellent for texting. As far as cheap mobile phones go, the Samsung B3310 is fine for the basics – telephone calls, texting, and listening to tunes as you go. If you want more, you should look elsewhere.
Some of the best mobile phone deals can be found after searching online, for those looking for cheap mobile phones or the best mobile phone deals they can find it is a good idea to use the online searches to compare mobile phones side by side with no biased sales people trying to sway you one way or the other.
The Samsung Tocco handset is available through most of the big name service providers including O2, Orange and T-Mobile. All have something good to offer depending on your expected usage.
For lighter users O2 are offering a package deal including a free handset, 300 minutes of any time any network calls and unlimited text messages, a choice of free gifts or alternatively 13 months half price line rental on an 18 month contract. That makes the £30.00 per month usual line rental charge seem just that little bit more affordable.
For the heavier user or those who may be expecting an increase in usage, T-Mobile is offering £35.00 per month on a 24 month contract, 1200 free minutes any time of the day to any network plus unlimited text messages. Again some deals can also include free gifts, and alternatively you can take 17 months half price line rental.
There are offers out there with many different companies, but before you go looking, make sure you have an idea of usual or expected usage. Signing up to a tariff that is too low could mean receiving a bill at the end of the month for a vast amount of calls made over the free allocation. Alternatively, paying for a high tariff that isn’t being used is also a waste.
Before you pre order your Samsung S3100 Pink it is worth having a look around for some of the amazing deals on offer. If you are willing to pay a little towards the cost of the phone the deals are greatly improved, although deals that include a free handset are also widely available but be prepared to pay a greater monthly line rental.
T-Mobile is offering a deal of £35.00 a month line rental on a 24 month contract; the handset is free and includes 1200 minutes of free talk time any time any network plus unlimited text messaging. Some offers even include free gifts ranging from 11 months free line rental, £250.00 cash back or even a Nintendo Wii.
Alternatively, Vodafone is offering this same handset on a 24 month contract for £10.00 per month. This deal includes 75 minutes of free talk time, any time any network and 250 text messages, and again there are offers available that include 13 months free line rental or a free Sony DAB radio. Vodafone is also offering their Passport scheme whereby the mobile phone can be used abroad for only a small connection charge per call. Standard call rates usually apply.
It is worth noting that although the Vodafone deal is far cheaper per month than the T-Mobile deal, you do only get 75 minutes of free talk time and 250 free text messages, so if you are a heavy mobile phone user you may not be saving any money in the long run. Usual or expected usage is a major factor in deciding on the best deal for you.
The Samsung i900 Omnia is a stylish phone available in a metallic black and silver casing with soft rounded edges. The touch screen is 3.2 inches and has a high resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. A QWERTY keyboard is displayed on the screen making texting a simpler function than using the touch screen. The smart phone recognises handwriting.
The handset runs with the Windows Mobile operating system, version 6.1, and supports Microsoft software, document viewing function and a PDF viewer. This 3G smart phone is a member of the Samsung I family that also includes the Samsung i560 and the Samsung i780.
The i900 Omnia works on a quad band network that allows you to use your phone across the planet, but access does vary across the network providers.
The phone has an internal memory of eight gigabytes, but can be increased to 16 gigabytes by adding a memory card. It also has Wi-Fi so you can access the internet either via a LAN or a nearby hotspot. It has 3G technology which means that data transfer is high speed between compatible devices.
The five megapixel camera allows you to capture moving videos or still pictures and the auto focus makes sure that your photograph is crisp and clear. The built in flash will add brightness on a dull, rainy day or a dark evening. It also comes with a built in image stabiliser to prevent any out of focus shots.
The music system includes a built in radio and the facility to play your favourite CDs or to download music from the web.
