Samsung S3500 preview: First look

The Samsung S3500 is a midrange phone that's dressed above its station. This Samsung Soul look-alike makes good use of metal and although it trades the touchpad for a regular D-pad, it still looks a notch or two above its price range.

Samsung S3500 official photo

Samsung S3500 at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10
• Form factor: Slide
• Dimensions: 99.9 x 48.0 x 14.3 mm
• Display: 2.2-inch TFT, QVGA resolution (240 x 320), 16M colors
• Memory: microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
• Camera: 2 megapixel camera with digital image stabilization and panorama shot, QVGA video
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port
• Misc: FM radio
• Battery: 800 mAh battery

The bottom line here is obviously the Soul connection. While the Samsung S3500 is clearly way down the portfolio ladder, it really tries to present itself favorably. Some of those Soul genes give Samsung S3500 a bit of an edge in the lower midrange. The brushed metallic look and the very same screen we saw in the original U900 Soul can only help it get noticed. Of course, the touchpad would’ve been a nuisance at this price point.

Samsung S3500: neat Soul-like low-ender

The styling aside, Samsung S3500 puts together a rather discreet spec sheet but it’s not totally clueless about what users may value. The Flash-enhanced UI and the good music package seem to be its key attractions. The capable music player makes enough sense with microSD expansion, while the FM radio offers RDS and broadcast recording functionality.

Well, more than decent looks and few but focused features seem to give Samsung S3500 a confidence boost in the lower end of the market. Let’s now see how that translates in real terms.