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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 31 reviews
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Product summary
The good: Integrated megapixel camera with video; solid call quality; MP3 player; loads of memory; world phone.
The bad: No speakerphone or Bluetooth; cumbersome navigation keys; hefty.
The bottom line: Though the Samsung SGH-P735 sports an adventuresome form factor and impressive performance, it suffers from design glitches and lacks some key features.
Specifications: Carrier: T-Mobile; Band / mode: GSM 900/1800/1900 (Tri-Band); Talk time: Up to 240 min; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 01/18/2005
The P735's attention-grabbing design is a cross between those of the Samsung SCH-A610 and the Kyocera KX2 Koi. Not only does the front flap flip up in a normal manner for talking, but like the Koi, it also rotates counterclockwise 180 degrees to reveal the keypad. The swivel mechanism is a welcome feature when using the phone as a camera, as you can let the main screen (which now faces backward) serve as a viewfinder for taking a self-portrait with the rear-facing camera lens. Or to take a traditional photo, you can flip the screen down (as with the A610) so that the internal screen is on the opposite side of the phone from the camera lens. In either case, the screen's orientation also rotates accordingly, so you don't have to turn the handset upside down. For more variation, you can rotate the flap 90 degrees for a picture in Landscape mode. But wait--there's more. A final maneuver is to rotate the flap 180 degrees clockwise from its original starting point to expose the keypad and the navigation controls. While we weren't certain of the exact purpose of this arrangement--which is similar to the normal talking position--you can make calls, take pictures, and browse through the menus, nevertheless. Take care, however, as you must repeat the three-step process to get back to the starting point.
While the multiform design may look cool, it has its disadvantages and may be too fancy for its own good. The primary flip-up mechanism is rather loose, so the mobile does not snap open and shut with a satisfying click. Moreover, when moving through the various stages of flipping and rotating, it's easy to lose your way, and we were concerned about the mechanism's long-term durability. And since you can rotate the flip in only certain directions that aren't clearly spelled out, you'll need some practice to master all the movements and to understand their functions.
Set in a mirrored frame, the P735's internal display measures 1.75 inches diagonally and supports 262,000 colors. In the usual Samsung fashion, the screen is difficult to see in direct sunlight, but it's great for viewing photos, games, and the animated menus (available in three styles). Though the menus themselves are easy to understand, we were mostly disappointed with the layout of the navigation keys. First, the good news: Immediately below the display is a large disc that serves as the flip hinge and holds a four-way navigation toggle. You can program it to launch four user-defined functions, and the blue illuminated ring adds a bit of light. Though the button in the center toggle appears to be only a shortcut to T-Mobile's T-zones, it actually doubles as a useful OK key when you're in the menus. And now, the bad news: The other navigation, consisting of two soft keys, a Clear button, and the traditional Talk and End keys, are set almost 2 inches below the screen and the navigation toggle. As a result, our thumbs had to do a lot of traveling when in the menus. The soft keys also are rather small, and while we like the dedicated camera button, its location just above the right soft key had us pressing it inadvertently. If you're thinking of buying the P735, be sure to give it a try first.
That said, we were pleased with the blue-backlit keypad buttons. They are well spaced, and their beveled shape made it easy to dial by feel. Completing the outside of the mobile was the camera lens on the rear face. Though we didn't miss a self-portrait mirror (due to the swiveling screen), a flash was conspicuously absent, especially for a megapixel camera. On the right spine, you'll find the MMC card slot, a dedicated camera button, and the proprietary headset jack; the left spine holds a volume rocker and the infrared port. We like that the volume rocker also can be used to scroll through the menus and that the charger port on the bottom of the unit has a swinging cover.
The Samsung SGH-P735 sports a good selection of basic features. You get a phone book with room in each entry for three phone numbers and an e-mail address (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts). You can assign a picture to each contact for caller ID but can only pair caller groups with one of the 30 polyphonic ring tones. We had one additional gripe: the phone book is accessible only when in standby mode and not through the main menu. Other goodies include a vibrate mode, text and multimedia messaging, an alarm clock, a calendar, a to-do list, a calculator, a currency converter, a 30-second voice recorder, and a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. You get an infrared port, but we were dismayed that such an expensive mobile did not include Bluetooth or a speakerphone. Continue reading- See more CNET content tagged:
- Samsung Electronics,
- T-Mobile
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