By Damian Koh
30/07/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39051199,42657615p,00.htm

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.

Features

In terms of design, the F480's biggest competitor within the Samsung ranks is the Armani phone. But the latter is nowhere near when it comes to features and, most importantly, the user interface. Like we've mentioned earlier, Samsung has adopted a livelier TouchWiz UI for the F480. The Home screen now also includes the widgets bar. The idea is to let you have quick access to a list of programs and reorder it the way you want by dragging and dropping mini apps from off a vertical bar on the left onto the screen.

However, it's a mixed bag with the new interface. We welcome the more interactive experience as the animated transitions when switching menu pages provide eye candy and the menu icons are now full-colored. We also like the subtle onboard haptic feedback that gives some form of tactility. But unlike the Omnia, the F480 offers a more stripped-down UI. For example, the widgets bar is limited in terms of customization. You get to fiddle around with only a predefined list of programs so it restricts the usefulness of quick access. Basically, Samsung decides which are the ones it thinks you will use most often.

By now, you would have noticed that the TouchWiz interface resembles Samsung's WM 6.1 Omnia handheld. For the F480, scrolling on the widgets bar is different from scrolling on menu pages. On the bar, you drag the list up by moving it down with your finger. But in the menus, the list moves down instead, similar to what you'd get when using a conventional directional pad. While most users should get used to this with time, this shouldn't have been the case in the first place.

Minus the lack of consistency in the interface, the F480 is in fact quite an impressive enough handset. Although its tri-band GSM (900, 1,800, 1,900) connectivity limits its use in the US, it supports HSDPA in the 2,100 spectrum for high-speed data access. There are also Bluetooth stereo, FM radio, 240MB of onboard storage with support for up to 8GB via a microSD expansion card slot. The only missing wireless radio here is Wi-Fi.

Camera resolution maxes out at 5 megapixels with the module supporting autofocus and LED flash. There are also features such as smile shot, face detection and panorama capture, but they are not entirely reliable. In the case of shooting panoramic pictures, you can take either a total of three or four frames at VGA resolution. The camera automatically records the subsequent shots after the first picture is taken as you move the shooter horizontally, while trying to keep the horizon as level as possible. The problem we faced was that it didn't always "connect" the succeeding frames, and because you wouldn't know when the camera will capture the next spot, you will be continuously moving until it does. That increases the chances of motion blur.

Nor did we manage to get the smile shot feature working in our review. We had a few of our test subjects smiling at the camera, but despite attempting several methods of shooting, nothing happened. It could also be due to the feature not working properly on our set. We'll check on that again. Otherwise, picture quality is similar to what you'd get with other camera-phones out there--that is, nothing to shout about, but sufficient for basic snapshots. Shutter lag was measured at 0.4 second in our tests.

Performance

The F480 is rated for up to 6 hours of talktime and slightly over 11 days on standby. On average, most users should be able to squeeze at least two days of use without having to reach for the charger. Sound levels are on the lower side and if you are in a noisy environment, chances are you'd be pressing the handset really hard to your ear to hear what the other party is saying.

Conclusion

Except for minor hiccups, the F480 has the makings of a stylish touchscreen handset that doesn't compromise on features. But though it looks good both in specs and design, Samsung still has work to do to maintain consistency in its software and ensure that some features work like they should.