Samsung SGH-Z500

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Expect a sense of déjà vu when you first set your eyes on the SGH-Z500. Samsung has stuck with its formula that whatever works well the first time round, will work well again. So aside from the rash of silver clamshells, now weve a clone of one of Samsung's champions, the SGH-E700. In fact, you'll probably not notice the difference until after you've had a chance to compare the two.

Design

	Samsung SGH-E700 versus SGH-Z500 (click for a larger image)

In terms of design, we said it before two years ago when we reviewed the E700. Having said that, it's undeniably a fine piece of equipment. Externally, the finish is precise and the lens and LCD panels are set perfectly below the surface so it doesn't get scratched easily. All sockets are concealed with plugs that are flushed to the handset surface. You don't get rubber bungs or fiddly bits that get lost whenever you need to remove them to charge your phone. Internally, the look and layout are exactly the same as the E700 with the exception that the Z500 includes an internal VGA camera.

Samsung's attention to detail is further emphasized by the fact that all contact spots are cushioned to prevent premature wear. The top and bottom halves of the clamshell fold are attached with four tiny grey rubber studs so your LCD screen doesn't get scratched. The hinge area that gets the most impact when you open your phone too wide are cushioned by a strip of contoured black rubber strip.

Features
The Z500 comes with an ample range of connectivity options that includes the standard infrared, Bluetooth as well as USB for connection to the PC. Storage capacity is not limited to the 50MB onboard memory as the phone offers an integrated TransFlash expansion slot.

While testing the handset, we found it rather easy to organize files using the improved file manager. Little icons are used to represent each folder and you are also allowed to create your own folders. Scrolling through the folder menus was generally smooth with hardly any lag. The folder icons are also displayed differently for images, ringtones, and videos so you know exactly the type of content within.

As with most 3G phones, the Z500 comes with two onboard cameras. The internal camera, which is used mainly for video calls and self-portraits, can shoot up to VGA-quality images while the external camera has a 1-megapixel sensor. You will find a fairly common selection of camera settings for both still and video capture on the Z500. For those who want to send videos via MMS, the Samsung offers an option to set your video to MMS size so it stops recording automatically once it reaches the limit of an MMS' maximum file size.

Hotkeys are available when you're in the viewfinder screen so you can toggle between different modes without accessing the menu. On top of its 2x digital zoom, the camera on the Z500 also performs auto-color correction, as well. (The Z500's camera was earlier incorrectly listed with autofocus.) Other onboard camera settings include spot metering, ISO and white balance.

Video calls are activated via a special video phone key that sits right at the top of the keypad. Once you press the video call button, the camera will self-activate and you'll be able to either key in or choose a call number from the phonebook.

Another great activity for the Samsung handset is downloading and browsing 3G content. There's very little download time when playing movie trailers and the browser calls up the media player whenever a trailer is downloaded. You can subsequently close the media player to return to the browser. There is little change between the 2G (via WAP) and 3G browser interface aside from the significant increase in speed which provides an enhanced user experience. (Editor's Note: SingTel Mobile's 3G service was used for all 3G-related tests in this review.)

The Z500 can be used as a speakerphone, too. This is easily activated by pressing the middle key once the call is dialed. A wired handsfree headset is provided in the standard bundle while Bluetooth headsets are available as an option. The Samsung clamshell will come preinstalled with an inline skating game called Power Inline X and a MechWarrior-style game known as The Last Age.

Performance And Battery Life
The Samsung SGH-Z500 proved to be extremely reliable in daily use, with an average battery life of two days or more. The length of usage is expected to shorten dramatically if you make frequent video calls. During tests, we observed that the phone heated up significantly when it was used for extended periods of browsing, though not to the point of any discomfort to the user.

Like many camera-phones out there, the Z500 suffers from slight shutter lag at times. During video calls, there is also a very slight delay but we believe it's more of a bandwidth issue than a phone issue.

The phone conforms to SAR requirements and has a top SAR value of 0.994W/kg.

Conclusion
While it doesn't offer features that stand out from the current crop of 3G phones, the Samsung SGH-Z500 is built on a winning formula which makes it a solid and dependable handset that's suitable for most users. It also comes with a rather reasonable price tag--similar to the E700 when it was first launched--at S$798 (US$574.43) (with a two-year mobile plan).