Samsung D800 review: A step into high-class

When you'd rather remain quiet

SMS, EMS, MMS, emails are all available. The phone is equipped with a T9 dictionary for easier writing, which does not use diacritics and thus does not shorten text messages. This is not true for MMS and email, though. If you prefer not to use T9 dictionary, simply deactivate it.

Messages menu • writing a text message

Text messages are written in a block of 8 lines. The message editor advises of the amount of available characters, counting down from 1836. Information on the number of written fractional messages is provided too.

Samsung D800 features a handy intuitive MMS editor, with which even a complete beginner will feel more than comfortable. The editor allows you to gradually fill in all 4 items on the page (object, picture or video, sound, text), which are displayed as icons with legends. If an item has already been setup, the black & white icon gets colored. Each MMS can be previewed before it is eventually sent.

 
Creating a MMS

The email client manages up to 5 accounts through the use of the POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP protocols. The accounts cannot be opened simultaneously though. Only one of them can be active at a time. Settings are quite detailed. They offer a simple spam filter, which blocks selected addresses or emails featuring "forbidden" words in the subject. Further on it offers automatic download settings, size limit settings or email headings only. Attached files can be both sent and received.

  
Creating a new email

Be creative

Camera is located on the rear side of the top sliding part. When the phone is closed, camera lens remains hidden and thus protected from scratching or dirt. Next to it there is a tiny mirror for self-portraits. Flash diode is missing. The camera works with 1.3 megapixel, that is, it takes photos in resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels.

 
Camera is hidden and protected

The camera applications is started either by a short press-hold on the special side button, or from the main menu. Pictures are taken in vertical mode, no matter the fact that the camera release button is situated on phone's side. The entire display can function as a view finder, but bear in mind, that not all you can see on it appear on the final picture. That is why I recommend you to set borders to the viewfinder. The release button reacts with a slight delay. Do not forget it.

 
Camera view finder • functions and settings menu • help

The white balance is controlled by the horizontal ways of the navigation key, while the vertical ways are used for zoom-in of the captured scene. Zoomed-in pictures are displayed in full resolution. The left context key offers access to the setup menu. Here you can select resolution, set up the quality degree of JPEG compression, use artistic effects. There is also a self-release function, decorative frames or release sound, zoom and exposure compensation. Fortunately, all sounds can be deactivated.

Images can be flipped vertically or horizontally by the help of a pair of buttons located on one of the phone's sides, but I don't know what this function is good for. Also available is "mosaic selection" of the captured scene, that is, you can take several pictures in accordance with schemes pre-installed in the phone, and then unite those pictures into one image. The basic mosaic scheme consists of 4 parts, but it is also possible to create a combination of three images or catch a portrait of a colleague of yours and then place a text bubble next to its face.

Sample photos:

 
Zoom work samples; delayed reaction of the release button (a move of the camera has deformed the end image)

All main functions of the device can be fast controlled by numeric keys. Samsung D800 creates pictures of rather average quality. Their edges are slightly out of focus, while capturing closely situated objects is nearly impossible.

Samsung D800 shoots videos of pretty high-quality, in a resolution of 352 x 288 pixels. Such videos can even be watched on a PC. Samsung E720 was the first model, where videos of such high quality appeared for the first time on the mobile market.

Sample video: busy street (3.3 MB, MP4 in ZIP archive)

Pocket music and video

The extra functions offer is pretty extensive with the MP3 player being probably the most interesting one. It features visual effects, but suffers lack of certain qualities as to the functions implemented in it. Files saved in the phone can be organized in playlists, but sorting by artist or file name is simply impossible. The player switches from one file to another, but does not forward within one and the same file. The menu offers the following options: visualization setup, file repeat, tuning with equalizer of 4 preset modes, and 3D effect. The MP3 player is not possible to minimize. In other words, to execute a phone call you will have to switch off the music player.

 
Various design modes of the MP3 player • files list

Unfortunately, we were not provided with earphones, so I am not able to evaluate the sound of the earphones enclosed in Samsung D800's original package. As for the loud speaker, it lacks bass elements and vibrates at maximum volume levels. Nothing special, really.

Samsung D800 plays videos of rather good quality, that is, in resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The fact that videos can be watched across the entire screen, while the handset is held in a landscape mode, pleases a lot (do not look for this option in the menu, but simply press key number 1). However, the phone does not feature a forward option. In the case of music files, this drawback is not a big deal, indeed, but if somebody calls you five minutes before the end of the movie you are watching, you have no other option but see the entire video all over again.

Playing movie in Samsung D800

The most serious and pretty limiting disadvantage of Samsung D800 is the absence of memory card slot. Even though the phone disposes of pretty much internal memory (80 MB), this hardly carries a single music album. Files stored in the memory are accessed through a well organized file manager, which consists of various folders: pictures, videos, music, sounds etc. Creation of new, additional folders is not permitted.

 
File browser • browsing pictures • memory state