Samsung Monte S5620 Preview

Introduction and Design:

Observing the evolution of the so-called mainstream class of devices is quite an interesting thing to do. About a year ago, just a few of them offered 3G or decent camera, let alone Wi-Fi - features that are currently considered pretty typical. You can find virtual gemstones in today´s golden medium class of cell phones, coming with a great number of features at affordable prices and the Samsung Monte S5620 looks like one of them, because it delivers quite a few connectivity options, 3-inch capacitive screen with WQVGA resolution, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS and the latest version of the TouchWiz interface for feature phones.



We have to admit that the guys over at Samsung are grandmasters of the eye-reverting design - even a pretty ordinary, plastic model like the Monte grips your attention with its interesting color solution and catchy appearance. For some unfathomable reason, it does remind us of Bumblebee, the auto-bot from Transformers.


You can compare the Samsung Monte S5620 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

We do like the high display sensitivity – the phone registers even the slightest touch and the screen keyboard feels really comfortable to use. The Samsung Monte S5620 is equipped with 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port, both located on the top side. The back features a pleasing rugged pattern that prevents the device from accidentally slipping out of your hand.



As a whole, we do like the Samsung Monte S5620. It comes with an overall design that inherited elements typical of the Shark series and all told, we believe the device will appeal to a wide audience. 

Interface:

As we have already mentioned, the Samsung Monte S5620 is a feature phone running a refreshed version of Samsung´s TouchWiz interface. Since it´s the first time we have seen it, we will take a closer look at the novelties it offers.

Frankly, it is not that dissimilar from the previous edition. The home screen consists of three separate pages, where you can place widgets - they are now arranged in a horizontal menu that is accessible via the “edit” key. Samsung seems to have worked on the functionality of the widgets as well – for an instance, you can enter the time/date settings by clicking on the clock. Moreover, even if those dedicated to social networking (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) are not a novelty feature really, the applications they start run smoothly and are more usable now. Finally, they are available directly from the main menu, so you don’t have to bury your home screen under tons of widgets any longer.



Speaking of the main menu, it is still divided into several pages and all icons on them can be freely rearranged. Just like with the Samsung Jet S8000, exiting applications via the hardware button in the middle leaves them running in the background, meaning they are not stopped. Keeping the same button pressed for a while calls up the task manager that reminds of the Palm Pre´s cards.



When you do searches in the phone contacts, you can see the two uppermost results at a time. We were slightly surprised to find out the Samsung Monte S5620 lacks QWERTY keyboard, but perhaps the manufacturer will fix the issue before the final units hit the shelves.



Connectivity and GPS:

We have already mentioned the Samsung Monte S5620 comes with 3G and Wi-Fi. But it also features the capable Dolfin browser that we know well from the Samsung Jet S8000 – it offers partial Flash support, meaning it plays Flash videos and visualizes certain page elements, but fails to load sites like Vimeo. Still, we suppose the handset will be great for surfing the Web. Our prototype has certain troubles loading heavier pages and gives us insufficient memory error message. We do hope the issue does not affect the final, retail units though.



The handset features built-in GPS, but comes without pre-installed voice navigation software. Still, you can easily take advantage of what Google Maps has to offer.



Camera and multimedia:

You shouldn’t expect much from a 3.2-megapixel camera without flash, although the Monte, similarly to Samsung´s latest models boasts a decent set of options, plus the camera is an extremely snappy performer. Unfortunately, videos are captured at QVGA resolution only - something unacceptable even for a mainstream device.




We´ve got great expectations relating to the audio playback capabilities of the Samsung Monte S5620. The audio player is pretty cool, offers quite a few options, while the 3.5mm jack will allow you to plug in a pair of headphones to your own liking. It would have been great if the handset featured built-in radio aerial, but sadly, the extra is unavailable.



Expectations:

The Samsung Monte S5620 is a typical handset of the new generation of mainstream feature phones. It is equipped with quite a few extra features, plus some of the interface novelties are pleasing and make operating the phone much easier. Similarly to almost all devices in the same class, the future of the Samsung Monte S5620 heavily depends on its price that, as of today, remains unknown. All told, it does have what it takes to become a great option for ordinary customers.

Samsung Monte S5620 Video Preview