SPECIFICATION
Size
Length 103mm
Width 42mm
Depth 16mm
Weight
102g
Main display
TFT, 256K colours, 176x220 pixels, 30x37mm
Camera
2mp, 1600x1200 pixels, video (CIF)
Connectivity
Quadband GSM, USB, Bluetooth
Memory
20MB internal, microSD memory card slot
Battery
Standby 300 hours
Talk time 6 hours


LOOK AND FEEL
Long and slim flip phone – glossy scratch-resistant mineral-glass upper; slightly rubberised rear surface. Looks good, feels solid and well built.
8/10

EXTERNALS
Generally uncluttered. Top has tiny camera lens and small (19x16mm) colour external display , both invisible when switched off. Thin volume up/down and operator-specific smart keys on left edge; useful voice command key and mini USB port (for charging and data transfer, hands-free) on right edge.
8/10

KEYBOARD
Enhanced version of RAZR etched keypad but more comfortable to use. Good non-slip coating, superb deep blue backlighting. Several keys have long-press functions as well.
6/10

DISPLAY
Good contrast and legibility. Resolution is lower than many competitors but is noticeable only on some menu text.
6/10

MEMORY
microSD memory card slot (under battery cover, though not under battery).
6/10

CAMERA
2mp and video, but pretty basic controls – 8x digital zoom, no flash, no autofocus, medium-res (CIF) video capture. Picture quality is distinctly iffy.
6/10

MANAGING MUSIC
Basic, though there are two music players – one with playlists (won’t play when phone is closed) and one without (will play when closed).
4/10

PHONE
No problems with signal reception or call quality.
8/10

IN USE
A pleasure to hold, and basic functions are ok. Very good phonebook. Menus and user interface generally are disappointingly old-fashioned.
5/10

EXTRAS
One-key access to voice commands. Calculator has built-in unit converter useful functions like voicemail and keypad lock (long press on existing keys).
3/10

WE LIKE    
• Looks and hand appeal
• Phonebook
• Time organiser function

WE DON’T LIKE    
• Old-fashioned menu
• Poor camera
• Not great for music playing

Overall
Could have been so much better – neat physical design and high-quality construction let down by lack of quality and imagination inside.

60%

SAMSUNG D830

SPECIFICATION
Size    
Length 103mm
Width 54mm
Depth 9.9mm
Weight    
85g
Main display    
TFT, 256K colours, 240x320 pixels, 36x47mm
Camera    
2MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video (CIF)
Connectivity    
Triband GSM, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB
Memory    
80MB internal, microSD memory card slot
Battery    
Standby 210 hours
Talk time 2.5 hours

LOOK AND FEEL
Spectacularly slim (less than 10mm) especially for a flip phone. Light, but wide enough to fits the hand comfortably. Minimalist matt finish.
8/10

EXTERNALS
Small mono external display. Only external control is volume rocker
switch. Slot for hot-swappable memory cards on right; plastic cover on left protects combined headset/charger port.
8/10

KEYBOARD
Touch-sensitive keys, generously sized and well spaced.  Downside is disappointing lack of tactile feedback on keypresses,  especially irritating for texting (a heavy press is required to be sure of selecting the character). Good white backlighting.
5/10

DISPLAY
Well up to Samsung’s usual standard – bright, crisp, very rich colours, excellent in daylight. External display is a bit drab though.  
8/10

MEMORY
80MB internal memory is quite a generous allocation. microSD memory is easily accessed (slot on the side) and is hot-swappable too.
8/10

CAMERA
2mp camera with 10x digital zoom but not much else – no flash, no macro, no autofocus. Picture quality is surprisingly good, though. Medium-res (CIF) video capture.
7/10

MANAGING MUSIC
Enough memory for music tracks, playlists, equaliser with four presets, A2DP support for Bluetooth stereo headsets.
7/10

PHONE
No problems with signal reception or call quality.
8/110

IN USE
Menus and general approach to function selection is good. We didn’t get the claimed talk time though – averaged less than 2h in our tests..
7/10

EXTRAS
Good organiser functions. Voice recorder (up to one hour per recording). Unit converter. PC synchronisation. EDGE support, if you can find a network.
5/10

WE LIKE
• Slimline styling
• Memory capacity and expandability
• Camera functions and performance

WE DON’T LIKE
• Touch-sensitive keypad – insufficient feedback for keying
• Plastic casing will wear (producing shiny patches)
• Dull looks

Overall
Slimness is impressive, but keyboard is difficult to use. Fills out the Ultra Edition range, and maybe that’s it’s only raison d’etre ...

71%