Jørgen Sundgot gets to grips with Samsung's capable SGH-D600E slider, which adds EDGE to among other features the glorious high-resolution display and 2 Megapixel camera of its predecessor.
Review summary of the Samsung SGH-D600E:
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 Whilst not the best camera phone we've seen, Samsung's SGH-D600E takes decent images under favourable conditions and also provides a good selection of options through which images can be shared with others - including, unusually, TV out. Furthermore, its superb high-resolution display excels as a viewfinder as well as under all other circumstances, while a solid amount of onboard memory and microSD expansion enable copious storage. The inclusion of EDGE is also noteworthy, as is the handset's excellent reception. Release: March 2006. Price: $400.
Pros: Stunning display; decent 2 Megapixel camera; good connectivity; microSD expansion
Cons: Poorly integrated music player; slightly chubby; limited browser
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Full Samsung SGH-D600E Review:
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Since scoring its first smash hit in Europe with the SGH-D500, Samsung has just kept adding features to this popular slider - the latest example of which is the SGH-D600E. Retaining the stylish looks of its predecessors, this handset stays true to the 96 x 47 x 22 mm and 103 g measurements of the SGH-D600 whilst adding EDGE; there is no other discernible difference with the exception of its slightly altered colour scheme.
Say cheese
Another aspect which the SGH-D600E shares with its predecessor is its 2 Megapixel camera. Void of autofocus, it snaps high quality stills of resting objects, but struggles with moving subjects and also exhibits annoying shutter lag - traits which offset its good colour reproduction and white balance performance. Comprehensive post-processing options include the ability to easily send images via e-mail, MMS or Bluetooth; print them via a bundled USB cable or Bluetooth; or store them in the 77 MB of onboard memory or on a microSD card for later viewing on the handset's own display or - would you believe it - a TV via Composite video out.
The handset's music player is the second main attraction, yet unfortunately also fails to impress. Slick-looking, it supports MP3 and AAC file formats while boasting a 4-mode equalizer and 3D sound, but the bundled earphones are of entirely average quality. We're also less than fond of an adapter being required for connecting headphones with a 3.5 mm jack, as well as the fact that the non-standard output is also shared by the bundled USB cable.
Well-working basics
For more menial tasks, however, the SGH-D600E does very well indeed. Opened effortlessly by a nudge of the thumb, the slightly chubby slider is ergonomically sound in all respects. A numerical keypad resting on the lower half sports large, easily distinguished and well backlit buttons which make dialing and text input a breeze, while the similarly well-designed navigational array resides just below the superb 2-inch display. The latter is a sight for sore eyes with its QVGA resolution and excellent brightness, playing host to static and animated user interfaces that virtually pop off the screen.
The SGH-D600E also comes equipped with a decent connectivity in the shape of tri-band GSM support and EDGE for high-speed data transfers, while Bluetooth takes care of connecting headsets or laptops to the Internet. A XHTML capable WAP 2.0 microbrowser is also present, although unable to load larger pages which renders it suitable for WAP surfing only. Furthermore, the handset features a phonebook capable of storing 1000 entries, SMS and MMS, Java support and polyphonic as well as MP3 ringtones.
Reception for the Samsung SGH-D600E proved to be excellent, while voice quality was good. Battery life, meanwhile, clocked in around 4.5 hours for talk time and in the range of 8 days for standby time.
Price and availability
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