Samsung X700 review: Rich features

Time organized almost perfectly

Samsung X700 organizes time through the following applications: calendar, task manager, alarm clocks, voice recorder, calculator, currency and unit converter, stopwatch, minute counter, and world time application. Text notes are not available.

 
Month, week and day view of the calendar

The calendar is very good and detailed. The calendar offers month, week, and day views. You can insert anniversary dates, tasks, and events, each of which can be assigned a subject, description, place, start and end time, advanced reminder, as well as daily, weekly or monthly repetition until the very date of the event.

  
There are four event types available • World time application

The task organizer is part of the calendar, but its task record can also be displayed separately, if necessary. The option of marking-off accomplished events is available, of course. The calendar capacity is shared, serving all types of records. It fits in 400 items.

 
Samsung X700 has 3 repeatable alarm clocks • converter converts almost everything

Samsung X700 has three alarm clocks: two regular ones and one specialized in early-morning wake-up alarms (it postpones alarm by 5 minutes). All three alarm clocks use all types of melodies and MP3 files and get activated even when the phone is off. The phone also features a voice recorder, which makes records up to one hour and those records can be applied as ringing melodies. The calculator is well elaborated, with clear preferences for mathematical operations.

   
Voice recorder v time countdown • stopwatch • calculator

You will not get bored

The main entertaining allure in Samsung X700 is its MP3 player. Yet, to my opinion, Samsung could have been more particular about it as it is way too simplified. For example, it does not get minimized (unlike the radio application built in the phone, which does play in background). The lack of equalizer or other sound-modifying functions is regrettable, too. In result, the main advantage of the MP3 player remains the pair of top-quality speakers and the ability of full stereo transmission through Bluetooth.

  
MP3 player available in two visual modes • file list

The MP3 player offers 'random play' and 'repeat' of one or all music files. However, it does not search files automatically. You will have to add new songs to the playlist manually. The MP3 player only disposes of one playlist. When music is played, one of the two visualizations available in the device appears on the display, occupying approximately half of its surface. Unfortunately, these visualizations are functional with MP3 files only.

 
Player menu and setup options • music file detail

Samsung X700 is delivered together with a pair of black earphones, the so called "plugs". Even though they do not fascinate with exceptional performance, they are enough for occasional listening to music. Earphones could also be successfully used as a Handsfree set, which is performed by the use of the microphone and the green button for accepting phone calls. Connecting one's own pair of earphones to Samsung X700 is impossible, as the phone lacks a standard 3.5mm jack.

Earphones enclosed in the phone box are pretty good

In case that you get tired of playing MP3 all over again, try listening to the radio - the broadcast can also be played through the loud speakers. The radio application can be minimized, but make sure that the earphones are plugged in, as they play the role of antenna. The phone offers enough space for storing of up to 30 radio stations, which can be searched and saved automatically. If you want them renamed, you will have to do it manually. To my opinion, the reception of Samsung X700's radio in city conditions is fully sufficient.

Record of all saved radio stations • radio menu

Samsung X700 has three pre-installed Java games: a classic jump & run game, a football free kicks game, and an air-fighter game. Additional games can be easily downloaded due to the support of Java 2.0. Bare in mind, however, that Samsung X700 is not able to open Java files received through Bluetooth.

Samples of pre-installed Java games

EDGE back-up

Data transfers are possible by EGDE Class 10. If you find yourself in a place with no EDGE coverage, try the slower GPRS of the same class. Bluetooth is quite handy for short-distance connections. Samsung X700 does not have an infrared port.

EDGE technology is mostly used for WAP connection. The WAP browser built-in Samsung X700 is started either from the main menu, or by a press on the central part of the navigation key. In the second case, the phone immediately begins to open the preset home page. There is an option inside the browser menu for a direct switch to any primarily entered web address or selection of one of the 15 tabs available. Of course, you can also use X700 as a modem, connecting it to PC through a data cable or Bluetooth.

 
WAP browser • inserting a web address

All contacts and records in the calendar can be seamlessly synchronized with Outlook thanks to a program called Samsung PC Studio 3. The same program also backs up internet connection established through the phone and facilitates MMS and SMS sending. For more details on this software I recommend you to take a closer look at the Samsung D800 review.

Success is possible

Samsung X700 is a good phone with top-class features. Attractive, yet conservative design; large, top-quality display; EDGE Class 10; the megapixel camera and the microSD memory card slot are some of its strongest advantages. On the other hand, it is evident that certain details have not been considered as they should have been: X700 lacks ringing profiles; its MP3 player is much too simple; the camera lacks flash, etc. And last, but not the least, the keypad is rather difficult to use and may cause hard times to beginners.

Samsung X700 has joined the market group of phones like Nokia 6230i, Siemens S75, and Siemens CX75, so its success depend most of all on its street price.