SAMSUNG SGH E200

It may not be the slimmest phone in Samsung's stable but the SGH E200 has some solid features going for it. THE slim factor seems to be "in" thing right now and this is where Samsung has always been a step ahead of the competitors since start of the handphone slimming race back in the late 1990's. While the SGH E200 is not as thin the newly released Ultra Edition II range, it is still pretty slim at just at 9.9mm thickness plus it comes with enough reliable features to command respect. However, a few of the features could not be tested since the review unit came only with the handset and charger. Among the features not tested was the FM radio, which required the wireless earphone to work as a radio antenna. Also since there wasn't any documentation, I had to rely on the information on the Samsung website to find out the full range of capabilities. Standard design The E200 employs a rather standard candy bar design but the sleek finishing gives it a polished look. The earphone and charger uses the USB 1.1 slot located on the left side panel which also houses the volume control. The right side panel is home to the microSD card slot. SO THIN: The SGH E200 phone is just 9.9mm thick. The keypad was responsive and the navigation keys allow easy access to the usual functions such as the music player, camera, text messaging and the main menu. Users who constantly communicate via SMS will like the rather ergonomic keypad which allows quick text messaging. Clear viewing The interface is user-friendly and it doesn't take a lot of effort to figure out how the E200 works. The 1.8in display is a boon when it comes to reading messages and viewing pictures and video clips. In terms of sound, the E200 has speakers that do a pretty good job of making the phone audible enough when there's an incoming call. CAMERA PHONE: The phone has a 1.3-megapixel camera with standard mobile editing options. Since the E200 only has a 1.3-megapixel camera, I wasn't expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised with the overall image quality. When I accessed the camera function, I also found the video recorder function tucked in the same place which makes good sense. The camera comes with all the standard options for shooting mode, effects and timer. There are also all the standard mobile editing options available. If you have a compatible printer, you'll appreciate the option to print direct via Bluetooth. Good music player I was impressed with the music player as it was very user friendly. It has a good graphic display that shows you all the options including the option to add music from memory cards or via WAP or Bluetooth download. There are also enough options in the settings to help you create the perfect listening environment. There are preset equalisers for pop, rock, jazz, dance, and classical music as well as for the spoken word. Visualisation is also available with the onboard options of rainbow pulse and disco lights. In terms of regular phone functions, the E200 worked well without any problems. All calls were clear and I had no problems with connecting to the Internet via the WAP browser. I could also send text messages to 20 people at one go. Value for money Overall, the SGH E200 is a value-for-money handphone. It is very user friendly and comes with all the standard functions used by the average mobile phone user. Additionally it has some neat extras such as Bluetooth connectivity, a good music player and FM radio. In fact, the only quibble I have is that the camera could have been better. Pros: Easy to use; good music player; nice screen. Cons: Camera could be better. SGH E200 (Samsung) Triband mobile phone Camera: 1.3-megapixels Display: 1.8in, 65,356 colours (176 x 220pixels) Messaging: SMS, MMS, e-mail Connectivity: EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 1.1 Expansion slot: TransFlash (MicroSD) Battery type: 800mAh lithium-on Other features: Music player, video player, FM radio, voice recorder, speakerphone Weight: 90g Standby/talk time: 150 hours/ 3 hours Dimensions: 108 x45.6 x 9.9mm Price: RM699 Review unit courtesy of Samsung Malaysia, 1-800-88-9999. quoted from the star online.