Samsung E720 review: Design and functionality

Samsung has created the new E720 model by picking up the design of the celebrated clamshell E700 and the complex equipment of the D500 slider. The new clamshell phone is boosted with functions; it has two color displays, megapixel camera, Bluetooth, huge memory and MP3 player.

Key features

• Internal display with resolution of 176Χ220 pixels and 262K colors
• Outer OLED 65K colors display
• Attractive design
• Megapixel camera, which also shoots good quality videos
• MP3 player with control keys on the front cover
• Bluetooth

Main disadvantages

• No memory card slot
• No infrared port
• No ringing profiles

When Samsung launched its E700 model in September, 2003, its design was so successful that the phone received praising comments from both experts and customers. The latter, by the way, have been buying the phone ever since. It is no wonder; this attractive clamshell phone with a hidden antenna allures and thus makes the bewildered customer ignore the disadvantages in the equipment and the controlling.

Samsung E700

Let's now turn to the present and take a closer look at the latest D500 model. The phone is very well equipped; it has an extension construction and a top quality display, a megapixel camera and Bluetooth, and the last, but not the least: it looks very good. This time, Samsung designers have gone for black color and have eliminated many minuses in the control system.

Samsung D500

If we combine the best features of both phones mentioned above, we will get the new Samsung E720. This elegant clamshell mobile has two color displays, a megapixel camera and Bluetooth. It also has a built-in MP3 player, which is controlled by special keys on the front cover. Even though the blue color of the E700 model has been substituted by the somewhat monotonous gray, the new image suits the phone perfectly.

The new Samsung E720

The well smoothed path

In terms of design, Samsung E720 walks in the direction set by the original E700 model. I am sure you recall the blue-silver clamshell with no antenna, which was decorated with sharp edges and a good quality OLED display set on the front cover. Its design was dateless, so it is no wonder Samsung still draws inspiration from it. No wrong moves, so to say…

The unusual and original blue color, which was E700's reserved mark, has been substituted by anthracite, dark gray. The color together with the steel silver frames make the phone look harmonized and quite "industrial" - giving clear signals that what we are having in front of us is not just a toy.

Thanks to its design the phone will certainly win a lot of fans

The most attractive element of the front cover is the constantly beaming small display defined by a solid silver frame. In the upper part of the frame is embedded the camera lens, surrounded by the lighting diode; in the bottom part you will find engraved the manufacturer's logo and a set of three control keys for the MP3 player. The rest of the front cover is made of anthracite; its surface is matt which makes fingerprints invisible. The design of the margins is dark silver.

Front cover; details

The joint area from the side of the front cover is quite rounded. The joint is remarkably solid and shows no contra reactions, no matter if open or closed. The moving portion moves fluently, with its upper part gently bottoming its final location. Due to the accentuated grooves between both its parts, the phone can be easily opened with one hand only. The phone is relatively small, with a size of 91Χ45Χ23 mm. Its weight - 90 g - is also standard for a clamshell phone.

The top edge is rounded from the front • the joint is remarkably solid • size comparison

Phone's sides are silver and dark. On the right one there is an oblong button that starts the camera; on the opposite side you will find the standard swinging volume button and a connector for the earphones which is secured with a cover. Do not have any fears about the cover for it is mounted to the phone with two rubber bands. The connector is not a standard jack one, which is a pity for the jack is usually an asset for any mobile equipped with a MP3 player. Instead, you will find an atypical Samsung connector which slightly resembles mini USB. The standard system connector is placed on the bottom edge of the device and is also secured with a cover.

Details of the elements placed on both sides of the phone

The back cover is a part of the accumulator and is also anthracite colored. It is decorated with the plastic logo of the manufacturer and its internet address: www.samsungmobile.com. The eye for interlacing a strip is mounted in its upper part. Battery is said to support up to 330 minutes of phone calls or 200 hours of stand-by work. Unfortunately, we have not had the chance to check this information yet. While we were making intensive tests with the phone, however, I had to sometimes charge it twice a day. The charger delivered with the phone has a diode, which notifies you about the charging process of the accumulator.

Phone's back side is boring

Welcome to Star Trek

I was overwhelmed by the futuristic outlook of the inside part of the phone, mainly because of the unusual keypad and the non-traditional design of the main control key. The latter consists of four buttons - one for each direction - and a central-located confirm button. Perhaps, Samsung could consider certain steps for improving its function in stand-by mode, in which it should evoke the main menu instead of the WAP browser.

Keypad, with its futuristic design, is very comfortable

The rest of the keypad consists of three columns. Two of them - the margin ones - start with the context keys, placed just next to the control button. Then come the keys marked with receivers and used for call control (their symbols are non-traditionally white) and the numeric keys. The middle column is separated by thin dividing lines; the numeric keys are accompanied by the correcting C key placed in the upper part of the keypad.

All keys are the anthracite shade of the dark grey. The main control button is set into a thin glossy chromium frame. The border lines between the keys and the confirming button are glossy as well.

The keypad is very comfortable and is among the best I have ever held in my hands. The keys are big; the dividing lines between them are accentuated enough. The uplift is extremely low, but the press is sure, due to a clear click. Yet this clicking, with its typical sound, may be considered a minus by certain users. The backlighting of the keypad is white; it is intensive enough and perfectly even.

Keypad backlighting

Let the colors play

As far as the display is concerned, Samsung is one of the masters. The main display of E720 can show up to 262K colors in a resolution of 176 Χ 220 pixels. The picture looks like a painting. Yet, with so much space around, the display could have been a bit bigger. For comparison, the D500's display was bigger. To sum up, I did not run into any major problems when testing the display, even in daylight.

Display is brilliant

Samsung did not spare a thing when creating the outside display either. It is made with OLED technology and can illuminate with 65K colors. It is divided into two parts - a top line with a digital clock and state icons, and a graphic part in a 96Χ96 pixels resolution. The top line of the display is constantly illuminated in turquoise blue. In terms of technology this illuminating does not lead to any bigger energy loss.

Display is a bit difficult to read in daylight • a view at the clock when the phone is closed • the display illuminates constantly

I would like to take a closer look at the outside display. Incoming calls are accompanied by a picture of the caller and his or her name and number. Incoming messages are announced by a picture on the graphic display, which disappears in a few seconds. Afterwards, the message is indicated by a tiny icon situated in the illuminated blue oblong. As for the missed calls, here the situation is somewhat different. They are also announced by a picture on the display, but when it disappears no icon shows to keep the alert visible. The outside display allows for taking self-portraits as well.

An alert on the outside display

Like in a coloring book

Although the phone's environment is traditionally colorful, it is organized and has perfectly elaborated graphics. The introductory display is similar to the one in the D500 model; the bottom line is dominated by the state info line including the icons of the functions of the context keys; at the very top end of the display is placed the line with the state icons and indicators, a bit lower is the info strip with the time and the date. The manufacturer's name is displayed on the wallpaper. You can choose its place and font or turn it off completely.

The left context key takes you to the main menu; the right context key opens the address book. As for the four ways of the control button, their functions can be changed according to your preferences.

Stand-by display • main menu • assigning functions to the four ways of the control button

The main menu has 9 elements organized in a matrix scheme. When you select an icon, it shows up, surrounded by a color frame, and starts animating. The quality of the graphics is brilliant. Inside the menu, moves are made through numeric shortcuts. As for text menus in deeper levels, here each item is accompanied by its specific numeric shortcut. No matter what color scheme or graphics dominate the display, the clock and the main state icons are always present in the upper right corner of the display.

If you do not feel comfortable using the standard blue menu, choose one of the other three color schemes. Placing wallpaper on the main and the second display is already a matter of course. In addition, Samsung lets you to use your own wallpaper. Display brightness can also be modified.

Samples of the menu's color schemes

Phone calls and phonebook

As usual, Samsung offers a phonebook with more than 1000 multiitem contacts. Each name can be assigned four numbers, a note, an email, a picture and a sound. Searching is relatively fast and is done by gradually writing, which is not true for the whole phone. When opened the address book displays three entries with a number attached to each of them. Just like in the D500 model, one can synchronize the contacts saved in the phone with a computer, using special service software.

Address book menu • searching the phonebook • contact detail • contact editing

Contacts can be sorted into groups, each of which can be additionally assigned a specific ringing melody and a picture. When displayed pictures fill up the whole display (regardless which display is being used). The phone rings with 64-voice sound or uses any file in a MP3 format. The overall sound is excellent. There is no other special speaker devices for ringing melodies, but the earphone. The sound is complex and features a steady bass component. Unfortunately, there is no option to customize the message alert. Instead, the phone offers ten preinstalled sounds to choose from.

Choosing type of number • group list and settings

What remains a mystery for me is why such a modern mobile phone cannot vibrate and ring simultaneously. The one and only combination of those two features this Samsung model is able to perform are vibrations which last for several seconds and then melt into ringing.

You can also select a sound to play when you open or close the phone. Of course, you can accept a phone call by opening the device and deny it by pressing and holding one of the volume buttons placed on the side of the phone. When pressed shortly the volume buttons regulate the loudness of ringing; unfortunately, they cannot lower it completely.

Good email support

The device manages text messages as well as extended EMS or MMS. And of course - email client. As usual, the memory takes in up to 200 SMS. You can use the built-in T9 dictionary and divide each message into 12 shorter ones. Sign counting refers to the message as a whole; at the same time the phone shows you how many messages have already been used. Just like the D500 model, the T9 dictionary can be centrally deactivated so that it does not turn on every time you enter the SMS editor. The display offers 7 lines for writing SMS.

Message menu • writing SMS • when you leave the editor, it asks, whether to save the text as a concept

As for creating MMS, their editor is so well organized that it can hardly confuse anybody. You are given 4 lines with descriptions and icons to gradually enter the individual message items. If you want to use optional functions, enter the context menu. Here you can preview the message or attach an additional page. A message can contain 300 kB and can have up to 10 pages. Details about the current size of the created message and its pages are given in the top part of the display. The maximum memory space for saving multimedia messages is set at 3 MB.

The email client enables the user to manage maximum five accounts using the POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols. Even though the client works with attachments, a message can carry no more than 250 KB of information. The number of characters for each email message is limited and should not exceed 1000, or the message will not be sent.

Creating multimedia messages • email client • memory details regarding messages

Each client has special folders where received emails are displayed. First to get downloaded are the headings, then you can download the rest of the email, incl. the attachments. The phone offers an option for leaving a copy of the email on the server as well as an option for setting the maximum size of each email that is to be downloaded. Unfortunately, the choice given is among three sizes only: 100 kB, 200 kB or 300 kB.

There is an option for automatic downloads with a one hour break between them, which cannot be reduced and thus may turn out to be much too long. The phone has a simple filter, which stops messages coming from forbidden addresses and from those with discarded message subjects.

Excellent video, at last

As I explained, the new Samsung E720 features an extremely rich functional menu and could be therefore used as a working device even by experts. Yet, judging by its overall idea, I expect it to attract mostly customers, which are hungry for multimedia applications. One of the main lures of the phone is its megapixel camera.

The camera takes pictures of a not very common format - 1152 Χ 854 pixels. It lacks a few more pixels to reach full megapixel. I could not figure out why this Samsung model does not have the same camera as the D500 model; the latter would manage the 1.3 MP resolution and would take pictures of standard size that is 1280 Χ 1024 pixels. Anyway, it also works with lower resolution suitable for sending pictures as a part of a MMS.

Camera's viewfinder

The camera is equipped with four levels of picture quality. The exposure can be manually adjusted, unlike the color balance. Pictures are organized in a mosaic or in a sequent order (max. 15 pictures). The phone offers standard color effects, extra frames and a self-timer function. There is no night mode. Its functions are recompensed by a pair of extremely strong lighting diodes mounted next to the lens. These could be set to work either constantly, or during the picture exposing process only. They could also serve as a lamp - just close the phone and press and hold one of the volume buttons on the side of the phone.

Lighting diodes in action

I was slightly disappointed by the quality of the pictures. Although they stand the overall test when confronted with the rest of the megapixel photo mobiles, they are somewhat veiled and their noise level is much too high, which abases them a lot. The sharpness of the details is satisfactory; the camera had difficulties mainly with close views and turned out to be relatively vulnerable to overexposure.

Sample pictures (in full resolution):

Common photos

Zoom

Exposure compensation without corrections • darkening to prevent the back wall from getting overexposed (here the phone did not manage the white balance) • positive exposure compensation to prevent the front wall from being too dark

The camera does not manage macro shots • the timetable scanned from approximately 50 cm was a success

A scene illuminated with diodes

The camera has a digital zoom, which keeps the picture format; with regard to the software pixel countdown, however, the quality of the final result is rather low. Zooming has 10 stages. Each span is accompanied by a sound effect which slightly resembles the sound given out by the translocation motor of a normal camera. The self-timer is also marked with a sound, which is possible to change or completely deactivate.

Samsung is very good at working with videos. It shoots videos in a 352 Χ 288 resolution with no duration limits, but the ones set by the capacity of the free memory. There is an optional lower resolution of 176 Χ 144 pixels and a setup, which limits the video files sent in a MMS. Both video records and soundtracks are saved in a MPEG4 format with the sound being caught by the microphone mounted on the front cover of the phone. Feel free to use zooming while shooting.

I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the video records. They are the best records shot by a mobile phone I have ever seen. The picture is big and fluent - unlike the ones I know from other photo mobiles; what's more, it looks good on the computer screen. I have prepared two video samples to demonstrate my words:

And business too

The phone has a well-tried calendar with an option for month, week and day views. The week starts with Monday (you can always change this setting according to your preferences). These facts may seem self-evident to most of you, but since they were not present in the older Samsung models I think they should be mentioned here.

Month, week and day view at the calendar

Use the control key to move between the days of the month view. The number and type of the events for the day are displayed below the table. The phone's memory can take in 100 notes of any kind; that is 400 altogether. Just like in Samsung D500, alerts can be synchronized with the computer.

New event entry • memory details

The alarm clock - the extra function which has become critical for many of us - has been left unchanged. There are three alarm clocks altogether. For each one of them you can set activating days and choose whether it should play when the phone is off.

Samples of extras

Here are some other extras: a calculator, a converter, a world time list, and voice notes. The voice notes could be one hour long. The time functions - stopwatch and countdown are also available. Game fans are another group of users to remain satisfied. The phone is boosted with six games of various genres.

Game list is quite extensive • some of the games are carefully elaborated

The overview of multimedia data is attended by a simple file manager, which lets you search the content of each item, send selected files through Bluetooth or attach them to a message; you can also rename files, delete them or mark them as favorites.

File manager • searching files with pictures • memory state details

Internet capabilities

Pretentious users may get disappointed to find out that the phone does not support EDGE quick data transfers, but has a common GPRS of Class 10 only. Even though there is a standard WAP browser for surfing the internet, the phone is not able to open common web pages.

WAP browser

Samsung uses Bluetooth or a data cable for communicating with the surrounding environment; there is no infrared port. If connected to the computer, the phone can serve as a hardware modem.

You will not find communication software on the CD delivered with the phone. It can be downloaded from Samsung's website. The pack of programs whose name is EasyStudio 2.0 is identical with the one used in the D500 model. That is why I will not waste time describing it here, but will refer you directly to the Samsung D500's review, where even the smallest details are fully explained.

Multimedia companion

Samsung E720 is a modern mobile, which sticks to the latest tendencies in the industry and has significant chances for success. Its main strength is the design, inspired by the successful E700 model, which has not lost its magnetism since it was first launched almost two years ago. The built-in MP3 player, which can be controlled directly from the front cover, will probably be the main lure for the mass public, regardless of the limits set by the phone's memory and the player functions. Some other magnets for the mass users may be the megapixel camera, the high quality displays and the ringing. Pretentious users will appreciate the email client as well as the elaborated address book which enables synchronization.

Although Samsung constantly learns from its previous mistakes, there are still plenty of details to work on. The lack of ringing profiles or the small size of the email attachments, for example, could be considered a great disadvantage by some users.

Samsung may turn out to be its own competitor. The older D500 model, which featured even better equipment in some aspects, will be offered at a lower price. The price of Samsung E720 may reach 430 euros, while the D500's price has already dropped below 400 euros. As a matter of fact, within this price category one can already get mobiles with operation systems and basically identical multimedia equipment. Still, those interested in a stylish mobile phone with an affable user environment will rather go for Samsung. Phone's direct competitors at this moment are only Nokia 7270 and Motorola V635.

Another point of view

I must say Samsung E720 disappointed me a bit. It is not the functions I am blaming, but the design. Perhaps I used the older E700 model for too long time and got used to it… Anyway, I expected the new model to come out with more innovations. A copy of the outlook of the year and a half old model, which was undoubtedly a huge success, was not the best move to make. I also hope to see this mobile offered in another color version, different from the boring grey. As for its functional equipment, Samsung has definitely made progress. E720 is an excellent example of mobile equipment - just like the D500.