Samsung Ch@t 335 Review

Introduction:

The Samsung Ch@t 335, also known as the Samsung S3350, is a candybar portrait QWERTY handset, designed with heavy texters in mind. You not only get a BlackBerry-esque keyboard, but to suit your web needs, the phone comes with Wi-Fi on board, as suggested by the proud “WiFi” logo at the front.

Its most lovable feature, however, is that it is a very affordable handset that might end up in the pockets of many people, who type a lot on their phones. Is it well-equipped for thumb gymnastics? Read on to find out...

Design:

The first thing you notice when you hold the Samsung Ch@t 335 is that it is fairly thin, but not remarkably so. It feels well in the hand, the phone is very light, since the casing is all-plastic, and the back cover has a pattern that improves the grip. The phone has tapered edges, which helps additionally for a comfortable fit.



You can compare the Samsung Ch@t 335 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

In a world of huge screens, the 2.4-inch TFT display with a modest resolution of 320 x 240 might not even make it to a mid-range device, but for your basic texting/calling needs it works like a charm. When it comes to viewing angles, the TFT screen is pretty average. It's not touch sensitive, but navigation is nevertheless fluid due to the optical trackpad. It is pretty sensitive by default, but you can customize the sensitivity, so you get very functional navigation. You also get two function keys flanking the D-pad, along with Send and End buttons at both ends of the navigation area underneath the screen.


In the Samsung Ch@t 335 we have a pretty BlackBerry-esque full QWERTY keyboard. There is no other word to describe the keys, which mimic the familiar edged style you might have seen on a RIM handset. The keys are similarly tilted to the left on the left half of the keyboard, while the right side tilts to the right making it very easy to type. The Samsung Ch@t 335 is however slightly narrower in size than your usual BlackBerry Curve, which means that the keys are smaller as well. If your hands are on the large side, you might want to check out the typing experience yourself before you get it, as this could be an issue. Key travel is deep enough, but dialing a number quickly is a pain with the small buttons, on top of that you have to hold a key to get in number mode.


On top there is a 3.5mm standard headphone jack, and a lid-protected microUSB slot for charging/syncing the handset. On the right you have the very conveniently placed and distinct volume rocker. The back houses a humble 2-megapixel camera, and the speaker grill. Pop the back cover open to add your own microSD storage card, which is hot-swappable. The 1000mAh battery is replaceable as well.