Samsung SGH-F480

By Damian Koh
Jul 30, 2008

If we have to describe in one sentence our impression of the F480, it will be that we are glad the horrible Croix user interface is now a thing of the past. With the F480, Samsung has ditched the single-tone scheme, boring and not-so-user-friendly Croix on the F700 and haute couture Armani phone, and adopted the TouchWiz software. But there's still room for improvement for a more intuitive user experience.

Design

One look and you can tell the F480 is very compact. The credit card-sized (98.4 x 55 x 11.6mm) handset is larger than Samsung's own Armani model, yet is a pinch smaller than the LG Prada. In the hand, the metallic chassis delivers a very solid and reliable feel. Most of the front estate is taken up by the generous 2.8-inch QVGA display and the glossy surface makes it very vulnerable to fingerprints. So be prepared to wipe it often. The good thing is that the bundled cover/casing which replaces the standard battery lid has a flap to protect the screen as well.

Unlike full touchscreen handsets, the F480 has a pair of mechanical call/end keys and a third one that activates the shortcut menu. However, it is the Hold tab that locks the screen and keys to avoid unwanted presses, which proves to be most useful. The earpiece/speaker grill sits above the LCD display and the front-facing video call camera is to its right. Like most of its phones, Samsung has gone with a sole connector port that connects to the charger and headset. While that limits multitasking, it's something we can live with. The microSD expansion card slot is hot-swappable and found on the left edge.

The F480 isn't built for big hands but for the average Asian palm. Its biggest plus points are its sleek looks, compact size and solid build. Our only niggle is its vulnerability to fingerprint smudges, though you should be able to minimize that with the bundled cover.

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