The Samsung i550 Mobile Phone - A Quick Review

In the category of smartphones, the Samsung i550 has the potential of becoming the next classic. Not just because of its fancy looks—although it does come in a slim, stylish case that you can get in either black or brushed metal—but more because of its high level of functionality. It is the kind of phone you can grow loyal to; a practical phone for the practical user.

While it is not up there with the ultra high-end models, the Samsung i550 safely caters to the kind of buyers who want to get the full multitasking capabilities of a smartphone at a reasonable price.

In terms of features, it has more than just the basics. First of all, a big-enough 2.6-inch screen allows for good navigation and works well with the phone's multimedia features that include a 3.2 mega pixel camera, video recording and playback, and even a Flash player. The display resolution is 240 x 320 pixels, with 262K colours, which is not bad at all.

With its 3.2 mega pixel quality and LED flash, the Samsung i550's camera takes very decent photos. They may not be as excellent as what the more expensive camera phones can produce, but they are good nonetheless. A dedicated button and auto-focus also make the i550's camera easy to use.

The Samsung i550 likewise has a competent music player that reads standard formats such as MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+, and is complemented by a 3.5mm stereo audio jack. An FM radio also provides an alternative to stored music.

On the subject of storage—the Samsung i550's 150MB internal memory seems liberal enough, but just in case you may need more, a MicroSD card slot will allow up to 4 gigabytes of additional memory. Battery life is also adequate and reliably supports the phone's multiple functions.

The Samsung i550 runs on Symbian OS with the S60 user interface. It makes for a very handy all-around mobile gadget with complete organiser features and a document viewer. It boasts built-in GPS navigation with Google Maps—a first for Samsung. It also offers the best in wireless connectivity such as 3G HSDPA and EDGE, providing speedy data transfer. It can likewise connect to other devices via USB and Bluetooth 2.0. Wi-Fi is, however, limited to the i550w model.

Of course, no smartphone would be complete without being able to browse the internet. The Samsung i550 is enabled for WAP 2.0, HTML, XHTML, and e-mail messaging. It even offers video streaming. Obviously, this model is packed with functions, but then switching between tasks is not a problem with its 128MB of RAM.

It does have a few drawbacks, the first one being that it is only a tri-band and not a quad-band phone. Ease of use is also somewhat hampered by its keypad style, which looks smart in a minimalist way but is slightly awkward to operate because the keys are a little too thin for comfort. The trackball navigation, while ideally a better alternative to regular toggle keys, might also disappoint an impatient user. Still, the Samsung i550 is a sensible phone to buy in terms of features and reliability versus the price.

If you prefer to spend less on your phone expenses, buy the Samsung i550 with a free gift or line rental deal, or alternatively take your pick of the UK's best free mobile phone contract deals to get better value in the market. Taking the extra effort to look around can be rewarding.