Samsung Star S5230 Review

Introduction:

The Samsung Star S5230 was initially introduced along with the Samsung Preston S5600, both meant for people on tight budget. What the manufacturer is striving to achieve is get a chunk of the mainstream market with both phones targeting people who need the comfort of a modern touch sensitive screen device that offers up to date functionality at a decent price tag. We are about to review the first one, the Star S5230 that also happens to be major rival of the all popular and scrumptious LG Cookie KP500. Here is what you will find in the box:
 

Design:

Samsung´s star measures almost the same size, weight, functionality and general specifications like the LG Cookie KP500, but looks more shiny and polished. It is on the compact size and carrying it around in your pocket feels as if it´s not actually there. The phone sports 3-inch display with 240x400 pixel resolution and 262k colors that manages to deliver proper image quality in artificial lighting conditions, just as most other screens featuring similar specs do. Situation gets much worse in direct sunlight though with the phone turning into immaculate mirror, just like the Cookie. Come to sensitivity, the resistive display of the Samsung S5230 seems to be a step behind what it arch rival delivers, yet as a whole it doesn´t fare bad at all.



You can compare the Samsung Star S5230 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The three buttons below are not really large, but they have enough travel and pressing them is easily discernible. Volume rocker, power and camera shutter are onto its sides and our only gripe is pressing the first two requires more efforts alongside of the other keys. We would have liked it better if side buttons were located slightly below where they actually are, because pressing them during calls feels somewhat uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the phone sports the standard manufacturer´s port used for both charging or connecting it to a computer and not a mainstream microUSB port. The whole back side is actually a single plastic panel with rugged stencil pattern that helps to prevent the phone from sliding out of your hand. We are disappointed that you need to remove the battery to get to the microSDHC card slot.