Samsung S7330 review: Soul junior

Samsung S7330 360-degree spin

Samsung S7330 measures 104.8 x 49.4 x 13.9 mm, which is about the same as U900 Soul. It's not a small, let alone ultra thin, slider but it would feel nice in most pockets. The weight of 110g may be on the heavier side for a feature phone but the S7330 has a solid feel and comfortable handling.

Design and construction

The design of Samsung S7330 is obviously inspired by the U900 Soul. Not only the touchpad and the controls around it, but almost every element is located in the same place as in the highborn Soul slider.

The better part of the front panel is taken by the 2.2" display and the touch-sensitive control pad. On either side on the touchpad there are two rocker-styled regular press keys: soft keys on top, Call and End keys beneath. Above the display we find a video-call camera and the earpiece.

The earpiece and the secondary videocall camera

We are also pleased with the touch pad but the combination with the controls surrounding it isn't the best. The four keys aren't the most comfortable around and that makes the transition between them and the touch-pad rather hard. On the positive side the sensitivity of the touch pad can be set to one of the three available levels. The vibration feedback strength can also be adjusted.

On the right of S7330 we find the camera key and the microSD slot. The latter is hidden under a small plastic lid. The dual action shutter key is quite small but tactile enough and comfortably placed for landscape shooting.

The camera key and the microSD card slot is on the right

The lanyard eyelet is on the left side and so is the volume rocker. Here we also find the USB port, which is also used for connecting a headset or a charger.

Volume rocker, microUSB slot and a lanyard eyelet are to be found on the left

The top and the bottom of Samsung S7330 are completely plain with no functional elements whatsoever.

Nothing interesting on the top or the bottom

The neat back panel is a replica of the D780 Duos design. There are two distinct parts: the smooth battery cover with brushed metal looks and the grooved black surface at the bottom. Opening the slider reveals the 3 megapixel camera lens. It's complete with a LED flash and self-portrait mirror. We are to discuss its performance in detail later on in this review.

The back panel reminds us of the Samsung D780 Duos

Opening the battery cover (as easy as a simple slide up) reveals the 880 mAh battery. It is quoted at 350 hours of stand-by and 7 hours of talk-time which are pretty good numbers. In reality, we got the quite pleasing four to five days of moderate usage.

A decently performing battery lies under the hood

The Samsung S7330 build quality is more than decent. The metal battery cover is the only special material on the casing; all the other parts are made of plastic. It obviously lacks some Soul sophistication but that's duly reflected in the price.

The handset design is a pleasing fusion of Soul elegance and D780 Duos subdued styling. The brushed graphite casing is quite solid and the slider action is smooth and steady. Our only grudge here is that when sliding up and down you can't help but put a thumb on the screen. With the touchpad below you risk launching an unneeded menu when all you want to do is slide up.

The handset feels nice in the hand and is generally easy to operate single-handedly.

The Samsung S7330 fits nice in the hand