The Samsung Ultra Edition U600 has a speedy 3G and HSDPA support which you can’t find on the other series 2 Ultra Edition phones. What’s more, the unit itself is already not quite run-of-the-mill in terms of design with a thin 12.1mm slider form factor does uphold the Ultra tradition. An extra touch of class and elegance is added by means of the shiny surfaces that replaces the previous Ultra phones’ matte finishes.
Like the other Ultra Edition 2 slider, the U600, the U700 features touch-sensitive buttons in front- particularly a pair of softkeys, the Call and End keys, a vide call key, and an application toggle key. As with the U600, these controls may be really cool, but they also get extremely inconvenient, as they are prone to inadvertent activation even with the slightest brush of finger, the results being either the accidental dialing of numbers or even the termination of processes and applications. In the middle sits a jog disc (along with the confirm key) which replaces the usual four-way navigation buttons. On the right side is the camera key and the microSD slot, while the left side hosts the two-way volume/menu scroll key and the jack for either the earphones, USB connector, or power cable. We found this layout on the left quite bothersome while using the earphones. Samsung’s proprietary earphone plugs get in the way of the volume key once attached, thus limiting access to it during playback. As for the numerical keypad, the buttons are flush but are large, well-spaced and comfortably tactile.
The unit has an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash mechanisms. In front is a secondary VGA camera for video calling purposes. The main camera is a decent performer especially under sufficient lighting. Otherwise, it’s hit-or-miss given poor light, as the flash does not tent to overcompensate at times. The camera’s impressive abilities are complemented by the handset’s bright 2.2-inch QVGA display and its lively color rendering. Given this screen’s super-smooth surface as well as its partial touchscreen function, there is that unavoidable tendency to gather unsightly fingerprints and smudges. The other multimedia functions on the U700 provide more than the ample audio quality and volume, even while using the loudspeakers. Similarly, we observed good sound quality during calling. Battery support is satisfactory under regular use – that is, a good balance of text messaging, calling, and multimedia use. Under similar conditions, users can enjoy a good day and a half of battery life on just once charging. The user interface was a minor drawback as it felt a little slow compared with other recent Ultra Editions, at least on the unit that we used.
Samsung combines dashing looks with the most relevant modern communications technology in its U600, creating a handset that should satisfy any mobile phone user’s needs.
