Samsung SGH-F480 Review

Introduction:

The first Samsung non-smart phones with a large touch screen were based on the Croix interface. It had a ton of drawbacks – monochrome, ugly and not very user-friendly.

Apparently, the manufacturer has decided to fix that and has developed new software, called TouchWiz. Its debut was in the F480, which is the subject of our review. This is a high-end device with a very attractive appearance, equipped with a 2.8” display, a 5-megapixel camera and HDSPA 7.2Mbps support.

The package contains:

• Samsung SGH-F480
• Metal lid
• Leather lid, covering the front
• 2 user’s manuals, brochure
• Warrant
• CD with software
• Handsfree
• Data cable
• Charger

There are two options for the battery lid – with and without a leather protector for the front side. Thanks to it you can avoid scratching and contaminating the screen, but at the same time, it will prevent you from using the phone with ease (especially when making calls). We are not happy that a stylish case is not included in the package, since we think it would have done a better job and could have been made to fit the design of the device.


In some parts of Europe the phone is known as Tocco (means “touch” in Italian), but since this alias is not used around the World, we won’t emphasize on it in our review.

Design:

At first sight, the most impressive features Samsung F480 has are its compact size (3.9 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches (98 x 55 x 11.5 mm)) and the brushed metal, covering most of its body. The weight of 3.5 oz (101 g) is justified by the materials, which adds a nice feeling for solidness and dependability.



You can compare the Samsung SGH-F480 to many other phones, using PhoneArena's Visual Size Compare Tool.

Most of the front is taken by the 2.8” touch display, supporting a resolution of 240х320 pixels and 262k colors. It reacts only when touched by fingers (every touch can be accompanied by a sound and/or vibration), which is inconvenient when wearing gloves. Luckily, it has a great sensitivity, although a step behind the leader in this aspect – iPhone. The screen offers quite good colors, but there’s more to ask detail-wise. The same goes for using the phone in direct sunlight; it is usable, but the mirror-like effect prevents the user from seeing clearly.

Over the display, we have the video calling camera and the speaker, and under it are located the reject/accept buttons and one, activating the shortcut menu. They are all very user-friendly with the only thing being problematic is the lack of a clearly felt stroke when pressed.

There are only three more buttons to be found on the body – the volume rocker, for locking and the camera dedicated one. They are located respectively on the left (next to the microSD card slot), upper and right side (where is the charger/data cable/handsfree connector). The “hold” button is the only problematic one, assigned to lock/unlock the device. The trouble comes from its small size and the unpleasant pressing experience.


On the back of the phone is located the 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. As we’ve already mentioned, there are two options for the battery lid, but the metal one fits the overall look of the phone much better. Unfortunately, it will not protect the F480 from dust and fingerprints.

As a whole, Samsung F480 is one very attractive phone and it will surely draw people’s attention. Its clear design resembles the top fashion models – PRADA and Giorgio Armani.