Samsung S7350 Ultra s preview: First look

Samsung S7350 Ultra s user interface

The user interface graphics look very good, especially with the new Flash-based themes onboard, while most of the features and functions remain the same.

Much like the Samsung S7220, Samsung S7350 Ultra s is among the first Samsung handsets to have a flash-based UI (which is kinda similar to the Sony Ericsson interface). The new Samsung user interface differs from the one on previous models by its rich colors and new background animations.

Unfortunately, only the home screen and the main menu are animated. If you go deeper in the menu, you'll see the old and well known menu structure (which isn't bad by any means).

The user interface of Samsung S7350

Unfortunately, third-party themes are still not supported, but the device comes with a few preinstalled. Here's what some of the different themes look like.

Some of the Flash themes aboard

One of the most intriguing features of Samsung S7350 Ultra s is its GPS receiver and the Samsung Mobile Navigator application, which is made by Route66 and offers turn-by-turn navigation and various maps and location-services.

This is how the Samsung Mobile Navigator looks like

Samsung S7350 Ultra s also has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with maximum image resolution of 2560x1920 pixels and dual-LED flash plus self-portrait mirror.

The camera uses the usual non-smartphone interface and follows the current trend of displaying settings with icons in a toolbar at the top of the screen, while options appear as drop-down menus.

The usual camera user interface

Face detection and geotagging are among the more interesting camera features of S7350 Ultra s. The rest, as usually, includes picture size, shooting mode (single, smile shot, continuous, panorama, mosaic and frame shot), color effects (black and white, negative, sepia, etc.), white balance, and resolution setting.

The camcorder user interface is the same. The video recording is the key camera feature - the S7350 Ultra s captures at WVGA (720x480) resolution with 30fps. Unfortunately our unit couldn't record video clips, beacuse of its beta status.

The face detection and the geo tagging are onboard

The S7350 Ultra s produces good quality images with balanced color and mild sharpening. Noise reduction is very gentle, which favors image detail. In macro mode you can take very sharp and "clean" images. The dynamic range is very good too

Samsung S7350 sample camera shots

Except for the digital maps and of course the video player, the other applications that put the large WVGA display to good use are the built-in trial-versioned games. You can enjoy the Brick Breaker Revolution, Pyramid Bloxx and Who Wants to be a Millionaire games.

The Brick Breaker Revolution game

The Pyramid Bloxx game

Final words

Samsung S7350 Ultra s takes aim at the mid-range with a nice pack of features and elegant exterior. Despite the lack of Wi-Fi, which seems to be missing on all Samsung feature phones, there's hardly anything to hold against the device at this point.

We are delighted by the ergonomics and build quality even at this pre-release stage, the 2.6" WQVGA display is amazing and quite unusual for a non-touch phone. And finally, a GPS receiver with a mobile navigation solution is a real treat on a feature phone.

Truth is we can see prosperous future for S7350 Ultra s and we really hope it keeps up the high standards when it hits the shelves.