Samsung's multimedia quartet

The magic number for camera-phones this Christmas seems to be five. Or 5 megapixels to be exact as Samsung finally joins Nokia, Sony Ericsson and LG in Asia to launch the SGH-G600, possibly the company's first GSM handset with an onboard 5-megapixel sensor, this November. With the recent launch of the Nokia N95 (8GB) and Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot, there are now at least five 5-megapixel camera-phones in the market, the other two being the first Nokia N95 and the LG KG920.

In addition to the high-resolution camera, the G600 also sports several nifty features for the casual snapshooter. Among them are various shooting modes (including macro and panorama), autofocus function, high ISO setting (ISO800), 640x480 video capture, onboard image editing tools and a camera user interface that Samsung promises will work just like a digital camera. Unfortunately, you won't find optical zoom lens, Xenon flash or HSDPA connectivity on the G600. For those features, you'll have to wait for the higher-end Samsung SGH-G800 model which is expected in 2008.

Also showcased at the launch were three new music-phones. The HSDPA-enabled SGH-F330, which ships in December, is a sleek slider phone with music recognition functions. The SGH-F210 also offers music recognition support but comes in a swivel stick form factor with 1GB of onboard memory. The SGH-F200 is a scaled-down camera-less version of the SGH-F210.

The G600 is expected to retail for S$698 (US$444.08) without operator contract, while the price of the F330 has not been confirmed. Both the F200 and F210 are now available in stores for S$338 (US$215.04) and S$498 (US$316.83) (without contract), respectively. For the upcoming holiday season, consumers can expect at least another three more Samsung phone models to be launched, according to its product manager.

Samsung's new multimedia phones

Model name	In a nutshell
Samsung SGH-G600 Click for more details	Notable features: 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED light LCD intensity light sensor 640x480 video capture resolution Camera shooting modes Onboard image editor 2.2-inch 24-bit color QVGA TFT display Bluetooth v2, USB 2.0 and TV out 102 x 47.8 x 14.9mm; 104g Retail price: S$698 (US$444.08) without contract Availability: Expected end November 2007
Samsung SGH-F330 Click for more details	Notable features: Triband with HSDPA 2-megapixel camera; VGA camera 128x220-pixel LCD with 262K-color Music recognition function FM radio with RDS; podcasting features Bluetooth stereo; USB 2.0 24MB built-in memory with microSD expansion card slot 103 x 48 x 13.5mm; 91g Retail price:To be confirmed Availability: Expected December 2007
Samsung SGH-F210 Click for more details	Notable features: Triband GSM with EDGE 2-megapixel camera 128x220-pixel LCD with 262K-color Swivel design; Click wheel navigation Dual UI Music recognition function FM radio with RDS Bluetooth stereo; USB 2.0 1GB built-in memory with microSD expansion card slot 89 x 31 x 20.5mm; 81g Retail price: S$498 (US$316.83) without contract Availability: Now in stores
Samsung SGH-F200 Click for more details	Notable features: Triband GSM 1.46-inch 128x220-pixel LCD with 262K-color Swivel design Dual UI FM radio with RDS Bluetooth stereo; USB 2.0 2.5MB built-in memory with microSD expansion card slot 89.5 x 32.6 x 19.8mm; 76g Retail price: S$338 (US$215.04) without contract Availability: Now in stores