Samsung D900 (SGH-D900) Review, User Opinions and Technical

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7th April 2009 Author: - - Views:

Samsung SGH-D900

The SGH-D900 is a stunning slider mobile phone by Samsung. It is otherwise known by its alias: The Black Carbon. As to why it is called by the company as such will be discussed later, though you are sure to already have ideas of your own

The slim tradition is kept with the Samsung SGH-D900 and could very well be the world's slimmest slider, and surely will be what first attracts many consumers. And as slim as the D900 may be, the features are anything but. In fact, this handset is filled to the brim with functions one would wonder at the technology Samsung had to employ to make this possible.

The basic functions are of course present such as a one thousand phone book entry with the capacity to save five phone numbers, an email address plus notes for each individual entry. A user group is also assignable with the ability to assign one of twenty five polyphonic ring tones and a picture as caller ID. Aside from the usual polyphonic ring tones, the D900 can also playback your assigned MP3 file as a ringing tone, which makes this phone very customizable.

Of course you can also expect the mandatory features like text messaging vibrating alert, voice recording, Web browser, calendar, calculator and a unit and currency converter. But what came as a surprise was the TV out connection that lets the user view videos and images on a television. Now, that may not be as usable as it may sound, but already I could think of a lot of important uses for it, multimedia presentations being one Samsung SGH-D900 Side Open of them.

Samsung SGH-D900 Camera and Display

With the TV out feature of the Samsung D900, displaying the photos taken with this handset would not be a problem even when connected to big screen televisions. Thanks largely to the D900 being equipped with a 3.1 mega pixel camera that is far better from what even high end camera phones tend to offer. Images taken with the D900 look brilliant and taking them is not a chore as the camera's user interface is simple and intuitive. This is because a lot of the camera's functions may be accessed quickly as all the buttons of the D900, even the alphanumeric keypad, acts as shortcuts to adjust camera settings on the go. And brushing upon that subject, the D900 does have a lot of available settings that the user can tweak such as choosing from different image sizes (240 x 180, 240 x 320, 320 x 240, 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1600 x 1200, and a whopping 2048 x 1536). Different image qualities such as normal, fine, and superfine is also available. Of course exposure metering, color effects with eight presets, white balance, choice of thirty picture frames, ISO settings, digital zoom, brightness and two focus modes (pan or auto) are also present.

The camera fun doesn't end with still photographs though as the D900's video capabilities are far better than what we are usually making do with. For starters, video resolution comes in four different settings: 128 x 96, 176 x 144, 320 x 240 and 352 x 288. Different quality setting such as economy, normal, fine and superfine may also be selected. The user may also opt to turn off audio recording when not needed during video capturing. Of course video quality still has a long way to go before it can compete with dedicated camcorders but compared to other camera phones available on the market these days, the Samsung D900 has got to be right on top of the list.

Samsung SGH-D900 Design and Accessories

As earlier stated, because of its design, the D900 is given the cool "Black Carbon" nickname by Samsung. And the name suits it as it indeed looks like a phone carved out from some sheet of industrial strength black steel. It sports a matt black finish giving it Samsung SGH-D900 Back excellent grip. And at only 13 mm thin, this has got to be the slimmest slider phone out in the market today. Sliding the phone open and shut is a cinch with its exceptional slide mechanism and may be operated with just the thumb, with its thumb grip giving extra help.

The Black Carbon's screen display is nothing to be scoffed at either as its 2.2 inches of 262,000 vibrant colors look absolutely stunning and may give even bigger screened phones a run for their money. Colors are right on the mark and text is easy to read even under harsh daylight. The screen's brightness may also be adjusted depending on the environment, and it comes with a backlight timer as well for emery conservation. And to further revamp your Black Carbon, different font styles and colors are selectable, as well as a choice of different backgrounds.

Ease of use is achieved with the Black Carbon's navigation keypad located underneath the beautiful display and is very useful with the slider closed. Sliding the cover panel open of course reveals another one of the Black Carbon's gems, the ergonomically designed alphanumeric keypad.

Summary of Samsung SGH-D900 Features

Weight: 93 g
Width: 51 mm
Height: 103 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Network: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (Quadband)
Screen Resolution: LCD, TFT / TFD, 2.1 inches, 240 x 320 pixels, 262,144 colors (18 bit)
Data: Bluetooth, EDGE
Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR / FTP, supports HFP, HSP, DUN, OPP, FTP, BPP, A2DP, AVRC
Web Browser: Openwave WAP 2.0
Music: MP3, AAC
Camera: 3.1 mega pixels
Messaging: SMS, MMS, EMS, Voice Mail
Expansion Slot: microSD (TransFlash) hot-swappable
Tones: Polyphonic, MP3, Vibrating Alert
Software Features: -----
Other Features: Picture phonebook, PictBridge direct printing, Speakerphone, Calendar, Alarm ClockPicture ID, Ringer ID
Battery: LiIon, 800 mAh, 6.5 hours talk time, 260 hours stand by time

PROS: The slim design and matt black finish definitely makes the Samsung D900 one of the best looking mobile phones out in the market. The 3.1 mega pixel camera offered is far better than what competing brands have to offer. The MicroSD expansion slot is very useful especially for a phone with multimedia capabilities.

CONS: The keypad, although ergonomically sound in spacing does seem a bit flat and unsure when pressed.

Overall: In conclusion, if high end features and sleek looks are what you look for, then you can not go wrong with the Samsung SGH-D900 Black Carbon.