Samsung M7600 Beat DJ review: Scratching the beat

8 gigs in an otherwise standard package

There isn't much stuff in the box

The Samsung M7600 Beat DJ comes with the mandatory charger and a two-piece 3.5 mm headset with a regular size remote. You also get a USB cable, a mini CD with the required syncing software , a manual and what's most important - a 8 GB microSD card.

All this is stuffed in quite an outsized box.

Samsung M7600 360-degree spin

The Samsung M7600 may sound big on paper, but that's mostly due to the rounded top and bottom. At 111 x 51 x 14 mm and a weight of 99.7 grams, the M7600 Beta DJ is quite pocket-friendly.

Design and construction

The rounded edges do make it quite an unusual handset. At times you might even wonder which way is up. We still like the idea and it feels the Samsung M7600 can benefit from the distinct styling.

The M7600 Beat DJ body is made of high quality plastic, painted in three different colors. Metallic gloss frames the display and the touch-sensitive scroll up front. Eye-catching violet is used on the sides and moir?-patterned dark grey on the back cover.

The rounded design

Above the display there's the secondary video-call camera and the ambient light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that is used for locking the display when you hold the handset up to your ear during calls. Right below them is the nicely rounded earpiece.

Front view, earpiece and sensors, call buttons and back key

The central part of the front is taken up by the 2.8" 16M color OLED touchscreen display.

The OLED screen

The Call and End keys and the Back button are located at the bottom perfectly matching the design. Never mind their unusual placement due to the handset's curvy styling, the three hardware keys are quite comfortable, with a very distinct press.

Upon a closer look the empty space between the screen and the call buttons reveals its hidden virtue. It's a semicircular touchpad, which mostly gets used in music applications. Together with the touchscreen it forms a circular scroll that stretches from the bottom third of the display to the receiver keys.

That black area is actually the lower half of a touch-sensitive scroll which stretches on to the screen

The left side of the M7600 Beat DJ is quite crowded. First, there's the lanyard eyelet, followed by the handy volume rocker. Next comes the lock slider and finally - the connectivity port.

It's a standard microUSB port that's used for both charging and pairing the handset with a computer.

The left side hosts the lock key, volume rocker and the microUSB port

On the right are the microSD slot and the dedicated camera key, which also accommodates the basic Task Manager (application switch). That's a typical solution in recent Samsung handsets.

The last thing to mention is the 3.5mm audio jack at the top of the phone. It's protected by a plastic cap, so you may not spot it at first.

The right side and the 3.5mm audio jack on the top

The two stereo speakers are symmetrically placed on the curved top and bottom of Samsung Beat DJ.

The stereo speakers

At the back of the M7600 Beat DJ there is the 3 megapixel camera lens and the LED flash, along with a small self-portrait mirror. The surface offers a secure grip and is perfectly resistant to fingerprints.

The rear with the camera combo • under the cover

The Samsung M7600 Beat DJ is more than just a face in the crowd. The unique styling does well to highlight the unique skill of the handset. On top of that, this thingy is incredibly pocket-friendly and quite a pleasure to handle. The paintjob seems to quite suit the target audience too.

The Samsung M7600 in hand