Samsung Solid Immerse review
A rugged feature phone with useful features, the Solid Immense doesn’t have the power of a smartphone
The Samsung Solid Immerse is the first feature phone we’ve reviewed in a while, and it lacks many of the features we’d expect on the smartphones we normally review. However, as its name suggests, it’s a well-built phone that’s water, dust and scratch-resistant. The screen is hardened to resist scratches, while the phone can operate at a depth of 1m and stay submerged for up to 30 minutes, according to Samsung.
The keypad is composed of a single piece of rubber with grooves between the numbers, all the ports have covers with rubber seals, and the back cover has to be screwed into place to seal it. This waterproofing meant that we could immerse it in a bowl of water and still operate the phone. Its chunky plastic construction feels tough, but the downside is that the phone is at least twice as thick as the average smartphone, if narrower. At 115g, it’s quite light, however.
Designed for adventurous types or those who work in areas where a phone is likely to attract dust or shocks, the Solid Immerse also comes with a large plastic loop built into the top of the phone for attaching a lanyard, next to a bright LED torch that’s activated by holding down a large button on the side. The keys are large and chunky, and Samsung claims they can be used even when wearing gloves. Under a protective cover on the rear there’s also 2-megapixel camera that shoots grainy photos and video.
The screen looks tiny compared to a smartphone’s, but it’s clear and bright, although its horizontal viewing angles are narrow; turning the phone to the left causes the screen to brighten, while tilting it to the right makes it darker.
We found it fairly easy to navigate the basic features. You can scroll side-to-side through a row of icons at the top of the screen to access the various functions, which include messaging, the camera, music, Google, Facebook, Twitter and search. The latter is a local search of resources on the phone, such as music or other files.
The Google option is actually a choice between Google search, Gmail and Google Maps. The Gmail option just takes you to Gmail in the browser, which is disappointing, but the Maps option is a dedicated client, which uses the phone’s GPS chip to pinpoint your location. The Facebook and Twitter apps are pretty basic, as might be expected, but it’s still good to have access to these services.
Pressing the menu button brings up an icon view which lists a few extra apps. A Communications app holds call logs as well as the Palringo instant messenger and Facebook and Twitter, and a Communities app lets you upload files from the phone to a number of online services, including Flickr, Picasa and YouTube. A separate Apps icon leads to a useful collection of small utilities, such as a compass, pedometer, stopwatch and voice recorder. There’s also a browser and file manager. The USB port doubles as the headphone port, unfortunately, so you can’t replace the supplied set with your favourite pair.
Once we got used to typing messages on a numeric keypad again, we found it quite usable, and Samsung has included useful apps for keeping in touch and keeping on track. It won’t replace a dedicated GPS device, and it’s not for really extreme sports – for example Samsung makes no claims about use in extreme temperatures or altitudes – but if you do a lot of trekking, biking or camping and don’t want to risk dropping your expensive smartphone into a river, it’s a useful addition to your luggage. At £103 SIM-free, it’s not that expensive either, and we think the utility it offers makes it good value.
Details | |
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Price | £103 |
Rating | **** |
Hardware | |
Main display size | 2.0in |
Native resolution | 240×320 |
Second Display | No |
CCD effective megapixels | 2.0-megapixel |
Video recording format | 3GP |
Connectivity | Bluetooth, USB |
GPS | yes |
Internal memory | 30MB |
Memory card support | microSD |
Memory card included | 0MB |
Operating frequencies | GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 900/2100 |
Wireless data | EDGE, UMTS |
Size | 121x53x18mm |
Weight | 115g |
Features | |
Microsoft Office compatibility | Word/Excel/PowerPoint/PDF viewers |
Email client | POP3/IMAP |
Audio format support | MP3, e-AAC+, WMA, WAV |
Video playback formats | MP4, H.263 |
FM Radio | yes |
Web Browser | Samsung Dolfin Browser 2.0 (Webkit) |
Accessories | headset, charger |
Talk time | 6.3 hours |
Standby time | 24.6 days |
Tested battery life (MP3 playback) | 35h 11m |
Buying Information | |
SIM-free price | £103 |
Price on contract | £21-per-month, 18-month contract |
SIM-free supplier | www.handtec.co.uk |
Contract/prepay supplier | www.vodafone.co.uk |
Details | www.samsung.com/uk |