Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO and B3210 CorbyTXT preview: First look

Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO

The Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO is trying to combine two things that seemed pretty incompatible not too long ago. Upper mid-range functionality and the higher price tag it suggests aren't exactly what young texters want.

Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO live shots

However Samsung obviously wanted to give the young professionals who do a lot of typing and messaging but don't need smartphone clumsiness the ultimate tool. It might not be even nearly as versatile as a WinMo or a Symbian handset but sometimes you need performance rather than versatility.

Most of you probably already know that but just for the protocol let's start by having a look at what the Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO has to offer.

Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, EDGE class 10, HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
• Form factor: Touchscreen Full QWERTY side-slider
• Dimensions: 105 x 56.8 x 15.7 mm, weight 135 grams
• Display: 2.8" 16M color TFT resistive touchscreen, 240 x 320 pixels
• User interface: Samsung TouchWiz with Comic UI
• Memory: 100MB storage, microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• Camera: 3.15-megapixels fixed-focus camera, video recording
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS
• Misc: Fashion Jackets (changeable battery covers), DivX video player, 3.5mm audio output jack, FM Radio with RDS
• Battery: 960 mAh Li-Ion battery
• Expected release: November 2009

We have to admit that we have a thing for metallic designs so the all plastic construction feels awkward at times, but hey, it's just us. Teens and tweens will probably adore its bold colors and nice customization options.

The handset comes with the latest reincarnation of the Samsung proprietary TouchWiz UI and normal operation is pretty much identical to the one of the Samsung S3650 Corby.

The CorbyPRO runs the latest edition of the TouchWiz UI

However the much ampler screen and the QWERTY keyboard give you the impression that you are working with a higher-tier handset. We can hardly say that it's the dream of the businessman but with HSDPA, Wi-Fi and a document reader onboard you have all the basics perfectly covered.

All your emailing needs are well covered too and the heavy social networking integration is going to appeal to exactly the right audience. Besides the TouchWiz interface with the animated Comic UI themeing seems to be a nice match for the whole youthful-attraction thingy with its colorfulness.

Undoubtedly, one of the key features of the Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO is its slide-out full-QWERTY keyboard. Using a four-row layout it takes most of the characters only a single click away with the numbers being the most obvious exception.

The QWERTY keyboard is marvelous

Now we don't think here is the place for debating whether 3, 4 or 5 is the right number of rows for such a keyboard but we are going to say that we are pretty happy with the one on the B5310 CorbyPRO.

It will also come in red

The keys are large enough for most users and even users, having lager-than-average hands are bound to get used to them fairly quickly. The extra large space is a welcome addition as the most frequently used key certainly deserves easy access.

We have to admit that the QWERTY keyboard adds some bulk and the slim profile is nowhere to be seen here. Perhaps that's our main grudge with the PRO.

The only other important controls on the Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO are the three keys at the bottom of display which are identical, although sized up versions of what we saw on the original Corby.

Other than that we have no complaints about the usability and user-friendliness of the Samsung B5310 CorbyPRO. The screen has turned resistive as opposed to capacitive, but touch sensitiveness seems unchanged - especially with the snappier overall performance,

The UI performance was commendable as well and we can surely say the CorbyPRO must have more horsepower under its hood than the original Corby. But of course, we are to pass the final verdict on that once we receive a final unit for a full review.

The question that remains however is whether there will be enough demand for such a handset. The young professionals and social network addicts will certainly consider it but whether they will choose it over the competing smartphones is yet unclear. As always in this market segment pricing is crucial here as even seemingly minor alternation can be the difference between success and failure.

Now let's move on to the second star of the night. Samsung B3210 CorbyTXT live photos await you right after the jump.