Although Samsung has lately earned itself a name for making exciting and colorful mobile phones, there is still room for a phone phone. Oliver Thylmann checks out the SGH-A800.
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Over the course of the past year, Samsung has come to earn itself a name in Europe for its clamshell model phones, such as the SGH-S100 and the SGH-T100. All feature the latest technology including color screens, double displays, GPRS and polyphonic ring tones - but they weren't all on the small side, and that's where the SGH-A800 comes in. Weighing in at a mere 72 g and measuring only 80 x 40 x 22 mm, it is utterly small and was in fact developed by Samsung with the specific intent to show just how small a mobile phone can be made.
 | Samsung's SGH-A800 is a phone phone
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The dual band GSM 900/1800 MHz, dual-screen clamshell phone has since been beaten by Siemens' CL50 (measuring a minute 73 x 39 x 22 mm, weighing only 70 g), although it doesn't sport the same amount of features. The outer screen of the SGH-A800 can either show an analogue or a digital clock, along with signal strength and remaining battery life - and of course caller ID. Placed just below the screen is a stand-by LED, which lights up in 7 different colors, all of which can be assigned to different callers.
Flip the lid open, expecting the now-so-familiar Samsung color screen, and you're in for a negative surprise as the SGH-A800's display boasts only four grey tones at a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. On the bright side, the user is greeted by a a comfortable button layout with good tactile feedback. Even users with bigger thumbs should have few problems using the keypad, despite its small size.
The menu of the phone is intuitive for performing most tasks, although some frequently used features require too many clicks. The menu is navigated by means of the 4-way D-pad, which also can be assigned several shortcuts, and voice commands are also available for those who want to keep their hands free. As a combination, the menu and the keypad makes for a good combo.
The polyphonic ring tones of the SGH-A800 can have 16 voices, and are stored in dynamically allocated RAM. Users can configure how much space should be made available to the different kinds of content (such as SMS messages, Contacts and soforth) through a file manager type applicatoin, and the phone seems to be quite roomy in terms of storage. It can hold up to 2,000 contacts, all with 4 separate phone numbers, e-mail address, a URL and a personal image as well as giving users the option to assign each individual entry a ring tone and a color of the outer LED. Sadly, the SGH-A800 does not synchronize with a PC, but this could hardly be expected from a phone which offers few advanced features.
What the SGH-A800 does offer, however, is a WAP 1.2.1 capable browser, and it can also be used as a modem - but only by means of a data cable which must be purchased separately as there is no IR port. Standby time is listed by Samsung to be an impressive 140 hours, while talk time is listed as being 5 hours: both of these proved correct during our test period. Also, the SGH-A800 delivers very good voice quality.
Availability
The Samsung SGH-A800 is available in most European countries at a retail price ranging in the vicinity of 360 EUR, without contract.
Conclusion
If size is of great importance, the SGH-A800 is definitely an alternative to consider, despite the lack of advanced features and buzzwords. It's a great phone phone, which serves one function only - and that is to call people. EMS, MMS, Bluetooth and J2ME are nowhere to be found, and that is also what keeps its price at a comfortably low 360 EUR.
- What's positive: Very small; very light; great voice quality; polyphonic ring tones
- What's negative: Poor internal screen, menu could be better, no IR port
| Features | 4/10 |
| Exterior | 5/10 |
| Ergonomics | 5/10 |
| Performance | 5/10 |
| Value: | 4/10 |
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iSW Score:
4.6/10 |
Price and availability
The will start selling for TBA () in November 1999.
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