Samsung C5212 Duos preview: First look

Samsung C5212 Duos 360-degree spin

Samsung C5212 Duos design and construction

C5212 Duos measures 112.7 x 48.6 x 14.3 mm and weighs 110 grams, which makes it a relatively compact device. After all, there are two GSM transceivers in there. A classic bar with subtly rounded edges, it is very comfortable to handle. Though this phone is targeted at the mass market, looks are not excruciatingly low-end. The C5212 Duos follows the Samsung D780 design quite closely, but is notably more compact.

Samsung C5212 Duos looks and feels solid

Strangely enough, the Samsung C5212 Duos we see for the first time looks so stunningly familiar. It is almost identical to Samsung L700, which is also positioned in the lower midrange Samsung portfolio.

The C5212 Duos has a nice 2.2" TFT display of 176 x 220 pixel resolution. The screen estate is quite big for the pixel count, but the interface graphics come out so well we couldn't really tell the low resolution.

Low-end resolution and decent size: the display does fine• the phone in the dark

The keypad of the phone is a true joy to use. The large keys have excellent touch orientation and press feedback. All the controls around the D-pad are laid out quite well and the metallic accents are subtle but sharp.

The keypad is extra friendly

The left side of the phone accommodates the proprietary Samsung universal connectivity port, which is used for plugging the charger, data cable and headset. The neat and responsive volume rocker is positioned higher on the same side of the device.

Left-hand side: universal connectivity port and volume key

The right side of Samsung C5212 Duos hosts the shutter key and probably the most important control on this device: the nicely projecting and very responsive dual SIM management key.

Right-hand side: camera key and dual SIM key

Turning the phone over reveals the matt plastic battery cover and the camera lens with self-portrait mirror.

The plastic rear • camera lens and self-portrait mirror

The Samsung C5212 Duos is powered by a 1000 mAh Li-Ion battery. That's a step down from the 1200 mAh battery of the D780 Duos and we have some concerns whether the C5212 Duos battery can keep the phone going for more than two days of intensive use.

Removing the battery cover reveals the dual SIM card bed and the obviously not hot-swappable microSD memory card. On a positive note, we tested the Samsung C5212 Duos with a 16GB microSD card and it worked just fine.

The two SIM compartments and the microSD card holder

The ergonomics of Samsung C5212 Duos are commendable, so is the build quality. The phone is not the most compact of handsets but sure stands out among the Dual SIM kind.

The C5212 Duos held in hand