Samsung Ultra Edition 12.9

By Reuben Lee and Antonio Tan, CNET Asia
Nov 8, 2006

It's amazing how Samsung has evolved from a brand traditionally known for its clamshell phones to one boasting the slimmest handsets for almost all the common form factors. Just take a look at the Ultra Edition 12.9 (a.k.a. SGH-D900). It has a 12.9mm-thick chassis which, on paper, sounds rather unimpressive at first considering there are thinner offerings. But here's the catch. It's a slider phone, and its 12.9mm girth makes it one of the slimmest slider offerings out in the market. In fact, it's 1mm thinner than the already anorexic Motorola Razr V3 and boasts a strong lineup of features that includes a 3-megapixel camera, microSD slot and 2.12-inch QVGA display. The Ultra Edition 12.9 is currently available in retail outlets for about S$468 (US$333.29) with a two-year mobile contract and about S$680 (US$484.26) for the phone alone.

Design
The Ultra Edition 12.9 is like a thinner and lighter version of its predecessor, the SGH-D820. It sports a chassis that measures just 12.9mm (versus the D820's 15.2mm) and weighs a lightweight 85g (versus the D820's 90g). Thus, it is ideal for those who want a phone that slips easily into pockets. Having said that, we strongly advise keeping the phone in a soft pouch or getting a plastic film cover for the LCD to minimize scratching the exposed large display surface.

The aesthetics of the phone have been kept distinctively simple yet stylish with a predominantly black chiseled look that seems to be designed with the executive user in mind. We suspect, though, that the slim dimensions and overall attractiveness of the phone will be popular among mainstream users, too.

For a slim phone, the Ultra Edition 12.9 is surprisingly ergonomic, with a rubber-like material used to cover most parts of the bottom and sides of the phone for a firmer grip. The unit's 103.5 x 51mm footprint may appear to be a little larger than most handsets, but the wider real estate does provide for a bigger display and is somewhat more comfortable to hold and use.

We like the overall build quality of the Ultra Edition 12.9. Unlike some sliders we've seen which tend to be somewhat plasticky and creaky, the Samsung slider feels solid. Users should find added reassurance from the tight semi-automatic sliding mechanism which pushes open to reveal the number keypad as well as the camera. The buttons are generally responsive and well-spaced for easy messaging and dialing, although we still have our gripes about Samsung using the center "OK" key as an access to WAP, which, on more than several occasions was mistaken as the menu button.

As with the SGH-D820, the Samsung slider is equipped with a large 2.12-inch QVGA screen capable of displaying sharp images in more than 262,000 colors. There are several pros and cons to having a large display on a phone. In the case of the Ultra Edition 12.9, the bigger LCD makes for easy viewing of text and menus and is also a good size for watching videos and pictures. We tested the handset in outdoor daylight conditions and found it sufficiently bright for viewing, too. However, a larger panel usually means a heavier drain on the battery. The glossy display surface is also a magnet for oily smudges and scratches.

Possibly due to the limited space on the handset, Samsung has assigned only one proprietary port for the AC charger, headset and USB data connectivity, much like the Ultra Edition 6.9. This means that at any one time, only one of those functions can be activated. So if you are charging the handset, you cannot plug in the bundled wired headset or connect to the PC via the included USB cable.

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