Samsung L700 review: Cool as Metal

Samsung L700 360-degree spin

Samsung L700 measures 109 x 46 x 12.8 mm and the styling is not exactly extrovert. Still, the materials used and the high build quality will connect with enough people, who won't settle for cheap plastic affordability. The 12.8mm worth of waistline is just about enough to miss the "slim" tag by a couple of millimeters. Still, it's not a large handset, and the weight of 107g pays back with comfortable hand-hold and lasting metal finish.

Design and construction

Looks like we've made sure you figured it out by now that Samsung L700 is anything but a flash accessory. It's quite the other way around. The conservative laid-back design leaves an impression of a reliable, no-nonsense handset, extra solid and respectable thanks to the brushed metallic finish.

The L700 has a bright and vivid 2.1-inch display, but the letdown is the relatively low resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. The same resolution did pass in the B2700 toughie but just doesn't feel quite right in L700. For the kind of money they charge, you could easily get yourself a handset with a QVGA screen. Above the display are the video-call camera and the earpiece.

The front Samsung L700: balanced conservative looks

The keypad of Samsung L700 is a true joy to use. The large keys have excellent touch orientation and press. All the controls around the D-pad are laid out quite well and the metal accents immensely enhance the looks of the device.

The keypad is extra friendly

The left side of Samsung L700 hosts the microSD memory card slot, which as we managed to confirm, can handle cards of up to 8GB. The shutter key is strangely placed dead center on the left, which is not the most convenient position.

Left-hand side: memory card slot and camera key

The right side of the Samsung L700 accommodates the universal connectivity port, which is used for plugging the charger, USB cable or the headset. The port is the regular Samsung type (the one used in the last two generations of their devices), so there's a decent choice of compatible after market accessories, should you need any.

The nice looking volume rocker is positioned a notch higher on the same right side of the device.

Right-hand side: universal connectivity port and the volume key

As usual, the top and bottom part of the Samsung L700 are free of any controls. The only things, that may catch your eye at the bottom, are the microphone pinhole and the lanyard eyelet.

Top and bottom bereft of controls

The all metal design of Samsung L700 extends to the back too. The battery cover is made entirely of metal, much like the one of the more expensive Samsung Soul b.

The 2 megapixel camera lens on the back of L700 has a LED flash, but that would be little consolation if you need to shoot in the dark - it's nowhere near the performance of xenon.

The Samsung L700 is powered by a 960 mAh Li-Ion battery. The battery has a relatively high capacity for this market segment, but still the Samsung L700 managed only about three days of moderate use on a single charge.

The back panel is all metal again • camera has a LED flash

The ergonomics of Samsung L700 are commendable, so is the build quality. The all metal construction seems solid and durable, and the brushed finish is a boost to looks. The L700 is not the most compact of handsets but the solid feel in hand is a downright treat.

Samsung L700 held in hand