Samsung Ultra S Preview

Introduction:

February is the month of love and… of the MWC. At this year’s event, we saw a lot of phones from various manufacturers, but it was definitely Samsung that turned out to be the most productive one. It showcased many interesting handsets like the ecological Blue Earth, the musical BEAT DJ and BEAT DISC, the multimedia monster OMNIA HD and the projector-phone I7410. Of course, the line of phones did not end there. One of the new additions to the Ultra series, namely the Ultra S (S7350), also had its moments there. It does not pretend to compete with the UltraTOUCH for the first place in the manufacturer’s catalogue for 2009, but this doesn’t mean that it lacks the necessary features. Well, it might not enjoy the presence of a 2.8-inch touch-sensitive AMOLED display, or an 8-megapixel camera, but its appearance is definitely similar to the one of the flagship.

Design:

As we’ve mentioned, the design of the Ultra S very much resembles the one of the UltraTOUCH, but the lack of a touch-sensitive screen is accountable for some of the differences. Under the 2.6-inch WQVGA screen you will find the two standard soft keys, along with the send and end ones, which are not protruding at all. The UltraTOUCH’s rhomb-like back button is replaced by a rectangular d-pad.




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

In order to dial a number, you will need to slide the phone open. The numeric keypad is rather stylish, but we would not say that it is the handiest one we have used. However, this might be different in the final unit.

If we leave the front and the keypad aside, the Ultra S has a conventional set of keys. In relation to this, you will find the volume rocker on the left side, and the camera shutter, along with the standard microUSB port on the right.

The back of the phone will not surprise you in any way, since it looks completely normal. The only element that puts some variety in its simple appearance is the pattern around the 5-megapixel camera.

Software:

If you have used aSamsung phone before, the interface of the Ultra S will make you feelat home, because the well-known menus are still the same. You can givethem a different appearance if you change the theme, but our unitoffers only two additional options.



Multimedia is definitely oneof the things the Ultra S is good at. The music player is still the same and delivers anice design, a lot of equalizer presets and displays album coversflawlessly. In case you want to listen to something fresh, you canalways turn on the radio, as long as you carry the headphones with you.Still, we didn’t say it’s good because of the music; it was because ofthe video. Even though ours is a prototype unit, it turned out to sportsome great video capabilities, so that DivX and Xvid clips with a resolution of 720x302 pixelslooked really good on the large 2.6-inchscreen.



Unlike the flagship device(UltraTOUCH), the Ultra S features “only” a 5-megapixel camera with aLED flash. Its interface has a clean and simple appearance and is easyto use. It allows for a plentyof options, such as white balance, exposure control,scenes, face detection, smile shot, etc… When you decide to view one ofthe pictures you have shot, it will display it in standard portraitview. However, the accelerometer can be used here in order to rotatethe image, and when you lean the phone in some direction, as if theimages are leaking one after another. When you’re shooting videos, theresolution of the Ultra S (720x480) outmatches the one of the UltraTOUCH(640x480).


As you may know, the phone also has a GPS receiver, which you canuse to geotag the places where you have taken your photos, or to guideyou on your way back home. Unfortunately, our unit lacked thenavigation software, but we hope that this will change once the phonehas hit the market.