Design

Advancement in miniaturization has enabled mobile phones today to be slimmer than ever. The new Samsung SGH-F500 is only 10.7 mm thick. That is an engineering feat, considering the fact that it has display screens and buttons on both sides.

At 50 mm wide and 116.4 mm long, the SGH-F500 is large enough to be held in one hand and yet isn't too small that it feels fragile. It is also large enough for a comfortable layout of keys and buttons on both sides. Because of the large video playback screen and the swivel stand design, the SGH-F500 ends up pretty flat and squarish, with no curves to accentuate its design. But it is the price we have to pay for a dual-face phone this slim.

The PMP side of the SGH-F500 is where the cool stuff is. Touch-sensitive keys, a large 2.4” display enclosed in a glossy piano-finish. The reverse side is where all the phone functions are located. It has a matte black colour scheme. This is where function takes over form.

PMP Face

Phone Face

Unlike the large 2.4" display on the PMP face, the screen size on the phone side here is a measly 1.5” in size. This small screen is what one normally sees on lower-end mobile phones. However, this display actually looks a lot better than the dual-face Samsung F300 whose phone display is really small.

Although it is small, it has a relatively-high resolution of 220 x 176 pixels. As such, the display is sharp with very legible text. The fonts are small but you can easily read them without squinting. Of course, the limited screen space will mean you will need to scroll more.

Top

Bottom

Overall, the design of the SGH-F500 is unique and quite exceptional. No other mobile phone manufacturer has taken upon themself to come up with such a design. The ultra-slim form factor will be big hit amongst the trendsetters who are into all things slim these days, and its conservative black theme will never be out of style.

Build Quality

One thing I have noticed about all Samsung mobile phones is their impeccable quality. Samsung seems to have a firm commitment to quality for all their mobile phones, irrespective of whether they are high-end models or budget models.

Of course, this is a trend common to many Japanese and Korean mobile phone manufacturers, including Sharp and LG. In contrast, their competitors prefer to differentiate their products by restricting better build quality to their higher-end models.

As one of Samsung's premium line of mobile phones, the Samsung SGH-F500 is expected to have exceptional build quality. With a launch price tag of RM 2499 (USD 725), my expectations were naturally high. Very high in fact.

The moment I held the Samsung SGH-F500 in my hand for the first time though, I was not disappointed. The F500 felt like a very solid piece of equipment. There were no hollow areas in the F500. I checked by pressing different points of the phone with a finger. Hollow areas will creak during use - hardly a selling point for a premium model.

The SGH-F500 also does not have a detachable battery cover. Instead, the cover is screwed in to ensure it will never come loose. Fortunately, Samsung chose to use standard Philips-type screws instead of Torx or proprietary screws.

The F500’s two LCD panels have a rather thick plastic cover that protects them from some physical damage. They seem quite scratch-resistant although they do smudge easily with fingerprints. The LCD panels in slim mobile phone models tend to have thin plastic covers for obvious reasons. This makes them prone to damage and scratches. However, this is not an issue in the Samsung SGH-F500 mobile phone.