Samsung’s Ultra blowers have long been the poster boys for the size zero phone generation with the likes of the slinky U600 and U700 sliders and the Rich Tea Finger-thin U100 breaking all slimline records. The Korean’s latest Ultra, the U800, is another svelte number but this time rocks up with a premium steely glint.
With its trim 9.9mm torso carved from quality brushed stainless steel, the U800 has a lot in common with the Nokia 6500 Classic. But where its slender metallic rival only chugs along to 3G and sports a two-megapixel snapper, this Ultranite fires a three megapixel shutterbug and faster 3.6Mbps-flavoured HSDPA downloads speeds.
Like its polished design, the U800 is a smooth operator with a flushed mechanised keypad recalling MOTOSLVR L7’s classic thumb-hospitable arrangement. The UI, with its deft sliding menus and smart-looking themes, is also easy to work through.
Sadly, the three megapixel lens is autofocus light, so snaps wouldn’t be strong on detail, but with decent photo mods onboard it will still deliver reasonable quality snaps just a tad short of print quality. Unfortunately, the LED flash is to crude for consistent illumination but with a generous 1GB dollop of internal memory and microSD card slot, there’s plenty room for storing your photos and other multimedia clobber.
Verdict
The U800 is classy and sophisticated slimline candybar that modestly hints at a premium phone world - minus the mortgage-sized price tag
Best features
Slimline design
Quality brushed metal finish
Fast HSDPA download speeds
Not so good
No autofocus on camera
Crude Led flash
Closest rivals
Nokia 6500 Classic
The U800 closest rival may not have Samsung’s feature prowess but you could argue its slightly trimmer frame and stylish design make it more desirable.
Sony Ericsson W890
This slimline muso not only harbours a slick Walkman music player but finds space for a 3.2-megapixel snapper and turbo HSDPA download speeds.
Samsung U600
If you’re hunting for a slimline blower but don’t want a candybar, then this Ultra slider, packing a 3.2-megapixel snapper and EDGE technology, is defo worth a shufti.
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