By August 17, 2009

Samsung S5600 review

The Samsung S5600 is yet another touch screen device from Samsung continuing the theme of simplicity and practicality gloriously blended with great stylish design.

At first glance you may struggle to differentiate between the S5600 and the host of other Samsung touch phones currently on the market however Samsung are keen to show that each phone has something different to offer, so what does the S5600 bring to the Samsung touch screen party?

5600_angled_right

The Samsung S5600 Preston

 

Samsung S5600 specification:

  • 3.15-megapixel camera
  • Bluetooth®
  • GPRS, EDGE 3G and HSDPA support.
  • MP3 player
  • email 
  • Stereo FM radio with RDS
  • Java™ capable
  • FM radio
  • internal memory 80MB
  • MicroSDHD memory card support
  • speakerphone
  • accelerometer sensor
  • wap
  • USB compatible
  • 2.8" QVGA Capacitive touch screen
  • width: 54.8 mm
  • length: 102.8 mm
  • depth: 12.9 mm
  • weight: 92g
  • standby: 12.5 days
  • talk time: 3 hours

 

General

The S5600 certainly does its best to stand out with its bright white shell and minimalistic sleek design however this is something which I found very necessary as its small size teamed with its curved back design it does feel rather small in the hand especially when taking a call. That said I am a fan of Samsung touch screen devices as a whole and certainly design wise the S5600 did not disappoint.

The phone feels very light indeed largely due to the plastic case however it does not feel to cheap which in the past has often been the case with lighter devices. The screen is a 2.8” touch screen and the device also houses a nifty 3.2 Megapixel camera.

The front of the device is largely dominated by the 2.8” touch screen however unlike some other devices it is not all conquering and the large call and return keys certainly take a certain amount of space. Another important thing to mention is that unlike some other touch screen devices the front is completely plush meaning the touch screen is not set back at all from its surroundings.

The Samsung S5600 front view

The Samsung S5600 front view

 

The left of the device is as you can see extremely clean with a single two way volume rocker. Also the curved back design of the phone really adds to the device creating a sleek clutter free phone.

5600_left

The Samsung S5600 left side

 

The right of the S5600 continues the minimalistic theme with just two buttons one being used to lock the screen and of course the one step shutter button.

The Samsung S5600 right side

The Samsung S5600 right side

 

The top of the phone although extremely well disguised is home to the mini USB connection used for charging the device and for using headphones with the device the connection as you can see is tucked nicely behind the cover and as I have said in a number of reviews it always pleases me to see a headphone input on the top of a device as it just makes it easier when carrying the phone in your pocket.

The Samsung S5600 top view

The Samsung S5600 top view

 

The back of the phone shows off the phone in all its rounded glory and also showcases the 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash which is certainly a welcome addition. Apart from that there is very little else to say about the back of the device apart from that it does complete a well presented stylish looking device well deserving of the Samsung branding.

The Samsung S5600 back view

The Samsung S5600 back view

 

Seen here are is the SIM slot and the Micro SD slot which are both tucked safely underneath the battery. The phone can support up to 16GB via Micro SD which for a phone of this price is extremely impressive.

The Samsung S5600 internal view

The Samsung S5600 internal view

 

Highlight and Lowlights
+Affordable & Reliable
+Large touch screen display
-unreliable camera quality

 

Review

The Samsung S5600 is one of the latest touch screen handsets utilising Samsung’s touchwiz interface. The phone looks very similar to other Samsung touch screen devices most notably the Samsung Jet however what the 5600 however what it lacks in original styling it makes up for in value for money. Despite it not being over original in its design that certainly does not mean the S5600 is not an attractive mobile phone, its small, compact curved design feels very nice in the hand although when taking a call it does feel a bit on the small side.

The touchwiz interface brings a well presented user friendly interface to a touch screen device well capable of impressing. The colourful main menu is simple to navigate and everything can be found exactly where you would expect it to be. The home screen is a very interesting place to be, The widgets bar can as with other touchwiz devices be found on the left of the screen allowing quick access to your favourite features and applications however something which I think Samsung have done really well here are in theory three separate home screen each able to hold a number of widget and when I first discovered this I feared it would be a nightmare navigating between the three screens however a simple flick and that is it, even the wallpapers are created with this in mind.

Touch screen devices are usually clutter free button wise and the S5600 is no exception the three keys which can be found on most current touchwiz phones are present and somewhat on the large side however there function is simple call control and return. The screen I would like to say dominates the front of the device however that is not quite the case there is a fir amount of white casing around the screen which lies flush on the device. The screen is a very impressive touch screen not just in how it looks with colours being clear and distinct but also in the way it operates, it is very responsive and LAG between screens is kept to a minimum. One thing that did cause a slight concern and it is a slight concern is that as the screen is plush it does occasional lead to you accidently launching one of the quick launch features and the bottom of the screen when moving your hand around.

The S5600 comes equipped with a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash, the camera performs well for a camera of this quality however it is not class leading and although the picture quality is certainly capable of capturing those drunken nights out it does seem to lack the clarity and depth I have seen on phones with a similar spec camera. The flash does a decent job at assisting low light situations and is slightly less blinding than the Duel LED flash found on some Samsung touch screen devices. Welcome features include things such as Smile shot allowing you to capture a happy looking shot without fail and a panorama mode however that is about it, the phone does have autofocus which is touch and go and can often be a let down.

Disappointing yes but considering that this is one of the lower priced Samsung touch screen devices it becomes understandable and slightly more forgivable. Playback is enjoyable with the built in accelerometer and the large 2.8” display however given the sensitivity of the accelerometer I often found picture flicking back and fourth between the screen with the slightest of movements. The phone also included geotagging and a forward facing camera is present for video calling.

The S5600 is a little light on features and applications however this is expected from a lower priced device and despite this lack of an extensive applications set it does still offer a few cool features for the you to enjoy. The phone as you would expect features music playback and an FM radio via the headphone adapter which connects through the mini USB connection on, wait for it…. the top of the device, this is a great addition from Samsung as it finally means the phone will be able to fit nice and snug in your pocket without the unsightly bulge of the connection protruding from the side. Playback is certainly up to scratch and with storage of up to 16GB via micro SD you are unlikely to run into any problems with storage.

The touch Screen as I mentioned earlier does have its problems but these are very small indeed and can be overlooked and excused by the fact that the S5600 is a real joy to use, texting is not ruined as it often can be on touch screen devices by an over sensitive touch screen, Lag between menus and applications is minimal compared to others devices Samsung or otherwise. The large touchscreen also makes web browsing an enjoyable experience aided largely by the inclusion of 3G connectivity. Bluetooth adds to the connectivity on the S5600 as well as GPS.

The phone apart from what I said earlier about it being a little on the small side when taking a call does come up to scratch sound wise and although it may sound like a bit of an obvious thing to say I have encountered phones in the past that do have poor sound quality both on speak phone and used in the traditional way, they experience muffling and often static however the S5600 suffers from none of the above. The battery life is said to be 300 hours standby and 3 hours talk time which is quite frankly a but disappointment and I found having to charge the S5600 after just a days mild usage.

5600_angled_right

Conclusion

In conclusion the Samsung S5600 is a small, light and compact touch screen. Simple to use and a lower price tag, perfect? No far from it but that does not take away from the fact that the S5600 from Samsung is a great little phone perfect for the average user looking for a ‘safe bet’ a reliable phone with some great attributes.

 

Review by: Nick

Posted in: Reviews

About the Author:

More than 20 years in the IT industry. Blogging with a passion and thirst for new technology since 2005.
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