Samsung C3530 Review

Introduction and Design:

Smartphones and big screen sizes are all the rage nowadays and even though they offer great functionality, there is still the casual user, who does not need the big screen and just wants to make a call or send a text. But hey, this does not mean that looks don't matter at all. The Samsung C3530 combines classical functionality with some style to fit in this paradigm. Its accents fall on the design and music performance, backed up by support for up to 16 GB of additional memory. Well, so far so good, but is there something else this phone can offer for a price of just under $200? Read on to find out!

So without further delay, let's a peek into the package. The box of the Samsung C3530 contains a micro USB wall charger, standard 3.5 mm ear buds and the user manual. Nothing surprising save for the lack of a USB cable, which is rather annoying.

The Samsung C3530 is a traditional yet stylish feature phone that fits in this exact spot with a small 2.2 inch non-touch TFT screen. Design is one of the phone's selling points, so let's take a closer look at that rounded brushed metal body. In its ads, the C3530 is compared to an attractive lady and it definitely has the thin (.43 inches) and lightweight (3.22 ounces) frame to match one. The metal finish gives it a sturdy classical look, but upon closer inspection, you will notice some rough cutouts, one just where the volume rocker is, which spoil the impression. The keypad also seems wobbly, but apart from that there are no moving parts. Overall, the phone feels slightly unfinished and falls short when comparing its metal finish even to dated phones like the Nokia 6300 or the Samsung L700.



You can compare Samsung C3530 the with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The 2.2 inch TFT screen comes with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, and unfortunately has poor viewing angles. Nothing extraordinary in the screen department, you get the same display as on older handsets like the Samsung C3500.


We made the case that the buttons on the C3530 feel a bit wobbly and it seems that things might get even worse after time. Size-wise, however, they are spaced nicely and we found typing relatively easy and accurate. The phone comes with only 50 MB of built-in memory, so the memory expansion via microSD is very welcome. Luckily, the microSD slot with capacity of up to 16 gigs is located on the side below the back cover, so you don't have to remove the battery to change memory cards.

Interface and Functionality:

If you had a deja vu reading so far, this part will do nothing to relieve you of that feeling as there really is nothing new in the interface as well. The phone runs fast, it is customizable with themes – and that wraps up most of the functionality. Okay, we should also mention that there is a dedicated chat client in the face of Palringo, and basic Facebook/Twitter apps are also there. The small screen is not of much use when it comes to reading, and maybe that is the reason why Office document support was left out.

Just as in the good old times, there is a lot of pre-loaded games, however most of them are just demos. Pac-Man and Asphalt 4 stand out as the most prominent time eaters, but unfortunately these are also in their demo versions. For some more content, you could still pay a visit to the Samsung Apps section.




Multimedia and Camera:

The Samsung C3530 is touted as a great music player and we found sound quality to be very good. With the support of up to 16 GB of memory, and physical buttons as controls, the music player is definitely usable. The 3.5 mm jack will let you plug in your favorite headphones, but even though stable do not expect something extraordinary here either, mind-blowing basses are definitely out of the question. The loudspeaker ranks above average with great volume.

We consider video playback on a 2.2 inch screen an enthusiasts' game and we certainly are such as we tested all kinds of videos on the C3530, but it only managed to play MPEG-4 files encoded in its native resolution or lower.


The 3.2 MP auto-focus camera comes with no flash. We took it for a run in cloudy weather and found it to perform just above average. Colors were accurately reproduced, with enough detail, but dynamic range was not so good. Video recording is there, but with a QCIF resolution of 220 x 176 pixels at just 15 fps, you would do yourself a favor if you skip on video recording.





Internet and Connectivity:

Web browsing on a 2.2 inch screen is a painful experience, but if you really need to check out something on the go with this phone, there is EDGE support and a basic built-in browser that you navigate with the D-pad. Nevertheless we liked that the pages load relatively fast and zooming with the volume rocker aligns text accurately.

Performance and Conclusion:

While it could not impress us with features, the Samsung C3530 is above all a calling device. That is why its calling performance was absolutely crucial. Luckily, our callers reported hearing us at great quality and very loud. On our side, we found the sound from the earpiece loud and clean. Voices sounded natural and overall call quality was one of the best things about the C3530.

With a battery life of up to 14 hrs of talk time and 18 days in stand-by, you might wonder if Samsung did not accidentally add the “1” digit in front of the figures – especially, on the background of recent 4.3 inch battery eaters. But the 960 mAh battery indeed proved durable and added up as the phone's second major plus.

With so much said, it is time to weigh in the pros and cons and see the whole picture. And unfortunately, despite the good battery and call performance, price stands squarely in the way of the Samsung C3530. For just below $200 you could get the Nokia C3 Touch and Type for example, which is amazingly packed with features in comparison to the C3530. The C3 Touch and Type comes with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, a larger 2.4 inch touch screen and a 5 megapixel camera. Really, the C3530 feels like a thing of the past, it could still fit in as a basic phone, but at such a price it would be a long shot.