Samsung Ultra Smart F520

As a complement to the Ultra Smart F700 unveiled last week, Samsung today challenged Apple once more with the F520. The Korean firm's latest entry trades sleekness for screen area. A slightly larger 3-inch touchscreen affords a higher, 480x272 resolution; in exchange, the F520 grows in size to accommodate a two-way slider that either extends laterally for a keyboard or downwards for a number pad and arrow keys. Camera resolution at the back is a more modest 3 megapixels, Samsung says, but still outperforms the iPhone's 2-megapixel camera. A front VGA camera permits video calls.

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Other advantages carried over from the F700 include faster HSDPA Internet access, support for less common portable media formats such as Real, and full HTML browsing. A quick-access button can instantly trigger any of the phone's core media functions -- including an as-yet unnamed mobile TV feature, Samsung claims. The F520 ships in September and is primarily meant for Asian and European subscribers due to its tri-band GSM radio, though the company has not ruled out a North American launch for particular carriers.

By Electronista Staff