Samsung X820 review: Just for the record

6.9 mm - this is how thin the slimmest mobile phone in the world is. At the same time Samsung X820 offers rich features, a comfortable keypad, and a brilliant display. Even so, it remains just a bit from real perfection.

Key Features:

• Extreme slimness: 6.9 mm
• Comfortable keypad
• High-quality horizontal display
• 82 MB of internal memory
• EGDE, Bluetooth

Main Disadvantages:

• No ringing profiles
• No Infrared port
• No memory cards
• Ringing and vibration cannot be used simultaneously

Samsung X820 in official photos

We live in a world defined by categories as the biggest, the most beautiful, the smartest... and everyone is trying to outperform the others... Well, it seems that the Korean manufacturer Samsung has managed to do so in the mobile world by creating the slimmest mobile phone ever - Samsung X820. The profile of this device will amaze you, believe me.

The competition among handset manufacturers about who would launch the slimmest mobile phone was first run - unintentionally probably - by Motorola and its first Razr model (13.9 mm thick), which provoked great astonishment among users. And a new trend was born. Razr was followed by the slimmer SLVR L7 model (12 mm thick). The new Samsung X820, however, is so slim, that the entire competition has been moved to a completely different - far higher, or should I say "slimmer" - level. Its 6.9 mm deserve a special attention and that's what it's going to get in this review.

Frontal view • magic slimness violated by the camera on the back of the device

Samsung announced the launch of an entire line of ultra-slim phones. Along with the slimmest, classic-shaped X820 model the Korean manufacturer is going to launch Samsung D830, which will be the slimmest clamshell ever. The third for the series is the slider Samsung D900 (12.9 mm thick), which recently hit the market.

Black is cool

It seems that Samsung designers have become sick of silver... It was not long ago when we wrote about how identical Samsung clamshells were due to the silver nuance their creators would continuously use on them, while praising at the same time the chic black elements on the E300 model. Now silver is gone... and black rules. Not a bad decision, btw.

Front looks classic • the slimmest profile ever • comparison with a credit card

The only non-black elements on Samsung X820 are the silver band on the top, the manufacturer's logo, and the white legends of the keys. Samsung X820 could hardly be described as extravagant, exceptional, or very attractive. Due to its 113 x 50 mm and its slightly rounded contours, its front looks pretty common.

Profile is stunning • the camera mounted in the upper part adds for wedgy looks

The real magic comes at the moment when you grab Samsung X820 and feel it in your palm. On one hand, its 7 mm astonish; on the other, however, they raise fears as to how solid such a thin body could be. As we were provided with one copy of the phone only, we did not dare to test Samsung X820's constructional limits. Nevertheless, I can assure you that the phone has an excellent construction. It is solid and all elements fit in perfectly. Neither the phone in general, nor the subtle battery cover gave out a single creak during the tests. At the same time it is necessary to say that the Samsung X820's body carries no steel reinforcements. All parts are elaborated of plastics, a fact proven by the weight of the phone - 66 grams. If we were to test how solid the phone is, we would have probable had to sit on it pretending to have forgotten it in someone's back-pocket. I bet it would have endured.

No eyelet

On the right side of Samsung X820 you will find the camera shortcut button as well as a connector for both the earphones and the charger. The latter is protected by a rubber cap fastened to the phone body and thus hard to lose. The dual volume-control button is situated on the left. The top area of the rear side of the phone is somewhat thicker as it is here where the camera lens is integrated.

Camera button • joint connector for charger and earphones

In the bottom, beneath the plastic cover, you will see a Li-Po battery with a capacity of 800 mAh (it might come with 630 mAh battery in other markets). If you spare Samsung X820 extensive use, it will repay you with almost 3-day battery cycle. If you mean to make use of all its functions, it will probably ask you for a dose of energy every second day or so.

To my opinion, the Korean manufacturer has forgotten to implant one pretty important element in Samsung X820, that is, an eyelet for hanging the phone around one's neck. In any case, Samsung X820 is a stylish, even if not so extravagant handset, which deserves to be publicly demonstrated.