Samsung SGH-i550W

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Features

Usually by looking at the dedicated buttons on a phone, one will be able to tell the strongest feature on the unit, or how the device is positioned in the market. In the case of the i550W, Samsung has clearly given the built-in GPS and Web browser priority over other features with their own hotkeys. Of course, there's also Wi-Fi which has its logo at the top right corner.

Like we mentioned earlier, the i550W isn't Samsung's first S60 phone though we are glad the company is bringing it back again. In recent years, the Symbian platform has been intimately linked to Nokia's Nseries handsets. So when one mentions S60, the Finnish company almost automatically comes to mind. Now, S60 loyalists are handed another reason to make the switch from Nokia, if they previously held back.

Although the familiarity and the user interface of the Symbian S60 have been carried over to the i550W, Samsung didn't just leave it as is. The menu icons have been redesigned, so it looks different from the ones on the Nokia handsets. Ultimately, it's S60 in a different flavor, or theme, depending on how you look at it. That's good if you are already a seasoned user of the OS. Otherwise, it's only a matter of getting used to.

Samsung also spruced up the standby screen of the i550W with a Google search bar as a permanent fixture. Besides that, the Yahoo! Go software is pre-installed for users. It's a pity there isn't a Search application, like the one on the Nokia handsets which prowls through the phone's contents when carrying out a query.

Connectivity options on the i550W are plentiful. Besides Wi-Fi, the triband phone comes with HSDPA and Bluetooth stereo A2DP. There's also a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with built-in LED flash for snapshots and an FM radio for music over-the-air.

« Design | GPS and Web browser »