Samsung G800 - Fortus Mobile Phone Review

Raising the Standards in Mobile Imaging

The latest addition to the small, but growing, group of 5 megapixel camera phones is the stylish Samsung G800. While this amazing slide phone wasn't the first with a 5 megapixel camera, the G800 is the first mobile phone to include an optical zoom with such a high quality camera. This Samsung masterpiece is also one of the best looking high quality camera phones currently available.

The latest imaging technology can not yet be packaged into an ultra-slim, super lightweight casing, but the Samsung G800 is comfortable to hold and is an ideal size for taking pictures. The shiny, silver casing is subtle, but sleek, and the G800 sports a trendy slider design. The full colour display screen takes up most of the phone's face, measuring 2.4 inches, and is perfect for viewing the incredible pictures captured with the phone's camera.

A simple navigation pad is located at the bottom of the screen, along with two soft keys and the call buttons. The Samsung marvel slides open to display a typical flat, slider-style keypad. The top row of buttons may be more difficult to access, but the other keys may be more easily distinguished than the buttons of many smaller handsets. Turn the G800 over and the handset transforms into a digital camera, quite similar and comparable to a dedicated camera.

The 5 megapixel camera is the most appealing feature of this stylish slider and there is no doubt why. The Samsung G800 is currently the premier camera phone and could seriously rival some of this year's hottest handsets, including the iPhone. Not only does the G800 take digital camera style photographs that can be printed on your Pictbridge compatible printer directly from the handset, it also features a number of features previously only found on standalone cameras, like Wide Dynamic Range and face detection. This camera phone also boasts a user-friendly camera-like interface that is a first for mobile phones.

The Samsung G800 takes both pictures and videos and features integrated editing software for both. The optical zoom feature pushes the G800 ahead of the competition and the power of a real Xenon flash ensures perfect shots day and night. The music player and integrated, stereo FM radio are just as impressive, supporting all common formats and providing high quality sound.

The G800 is an all-around good mobile phone. The internal memory is more than many handsets, at 160 MB, and a memory card slot allows unlimited storage for your favourite songs, pictures, and games. The Samsung G800 supports most types of messaging, including email attachments, and features 3G connectivity as well as Bluetooth. Unfortunately, wi-fi connectivity was forgotten.

Besides the lack of wi-fi and the somewhat bulky size, the G800 is a stylish phone that is paving the road for camera phone technology. The Samsung G800 may just earn the recognition of this year's most magnificent mobile phone. It's difficult to follow up on the successful U600 and G600, but Samsung has done it successfully and can consider the G800 to be another feather in its cap.