All ‘i’s on Samsung

Among the many, many mobile phone models of Samsung, it’s probably the i-series handsets that are more relatively unknown due to their much more recent introduction compared to the popular D-, G-, F-, Z-, and S-series Samsung phones.

Here now is a crash course on the intriguing i-Series phone models:

SGH-i300

Samsung call this its “professional entertainment phone.” The artsy new SGH-i300 is loaded with music, megapixel imaging, video recording and Windows Mobile OS. It features Windows Mobile for smartphones, an integrated 1.3-megapixel camera with flash, 3x digital zoom and contrast adjustment, a multi-shot function, video recording and messaging, and can play MP3/AAC/WMA/AAC+/ASF/WAV/WMV files.

The i300 also boasts wheel dial navigation (jog disc), dual speakers with digital power amp (3D sound), Instant messenger (MSN) and Web browser (Internet), ActiveSync and document viewer, voice recognition, voice command, and voice dialing (call/menu).

SGH-i320N

The new SGH-i320 is a GSM/EDGE/GPRS tri-band smartphone that runs on Windows Mobile, giving one total access to e-mail and MSN Messenger.

Data input is a breeze with the QWERTY keyboard, yet the handset still preserves a compact and slim shape for easy portability. It lets one view and edit business documents on the landscape-view TFT screen.

The i320 also offers multimedia functions, including the 1.3-MP camera/camcorder (with flash and 2x digital zoom), music player and JAVA games. The MicroSD slot adds to the phone’s embedded 120MB memory.

The i320 is the slimmest and lightest smartphone ever, measuring only 111 x 59 x 11.5 mm and weighing a mere 95 grams.

Its 65K-color TFT screen with QVGA (320x240) pixel resolution has a 2.2” landscape view that is the perfect format for Web surfing and document viewing.

The large screen also enables text and photo caller ID so that one can have an advance view of who is calling. The i320 offers MS Push e-mail support for wide compatibility, including instant messaging.

The full QWERTY keyboard helps the user shoot off e-mails in no time. While the keys are small to fit on the streamlined smartphone, the buttons are sharply curved up in the middle, maximizing the surface area and allowing the thumbs to maneuver the keyboard for quick and accurate data input.

The keyboard is also arranged in a way that offers multiple number buttons for easy phone dialing. The SGH-i320 acts as a portable music player, allowing the user to relax when he is not working. Dual speakers, SRS WOW and Digital Power Amp provide superb sound when playing MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, AAC+, and OGG music files.

For maximum productivity of the phone’s multi-faceted features, USB 1.1, Bluetooth 1.2, MMS, and IrDA all provide fast and simple file transfers.

In addition, Bluetooth offers wireless connections to peripherals, including printers and stereo headsets with remote control capabilities. Enjoy Internet access through HTML & WAP 2.0 Browser, allowing the downloading of files, games, and ringtones to enhance one’s mobile’s multimedia functions.

SGH-i450

The SGH-i450 is a music-oriented, dual-slider handset that combines trendy entertainment features with an innovative design.

The soft corners and simple design are magnified by the simplicity of the mobile’s user interface (UI). Slide one way to make calls, the other way to listen to one’s tunes.

In music mode, the handset showcases metallic stereo speakers for professional audio output, and a touch-sensitive half-wheel (which follows the natural movement of the thumb) for navigating the mobile’s menu.

Measuring 101 x 52 x 17.8 mm, the i450 plays multi-codec music files, while its Premium Music UI offers an enhanced music experience through upgraded graphics and innovative touch navigation wheel.

It even offers a Hearing Protection EQ setting that lets the user cap the volume to protect the ears from sudden volume changes. Multimedia Transfer Protocol allows the user to easily sync with his PC (Windows Media Player) for seamless back and forth transfers.

The i450 runs on Symbian Series 60, making the device more like a small computer than a conventional mobile phone.

The latest Web Browser for S60 comes with several cool features such as visual page history, page overview, zoom and Web feeds.

Thirdly, S60 software makes devices easy and logical to use. You can run several applications in parallel and switch between them easily. For the i450, Samsung partnered with Bang & Olufsen to develop Icepower A/S mobile audio technology for a professional-sounding music experience. The speakers resemble professional stereos, utilizing many pin holes instead of just one speaker hole to pump out great sound.

And with HSDPA, the user can enjoy mobile browsing speeds as fast as 3.6Mbps, allowing him to download large files quickly and stream video. Other features found on the i450 include a 2-MP camera/camcorder with various picture-taking modes and photo effects, and a second VGA camera situated on front of phone for video telephony. 

Connectivity comes from Bluetooth and USB 2.0, while Mass Storage allows the mobile to act as a USB stick for storing and transferring files easily. One can even use the USB connection to charge the mobile’s battery.

SGH-i550W

Samsung’s SGH-i550 is a multimedia mobile equipped with GPS and trackball navigation. Packed with premium features including a 3.2-megapixel camera, music player, Web browser and S60, the compact bar has an extra large 2.6” TFT display that showcases the most accurate maps using enhanced GPS technology.

The i550 runs on a Symbian v9.2 OS (S60 v3.1) and is HSDPA-capable (3.6Mbps). It has a 2.6" QVGA, 262K TFT color screen and measures 115 x 53 x 13.8 mm.

Other features include a GPS Hotkey, a long-life 1200mAh battery, Trackball Navigation, a 3.5-mm audio jack that accommodates audiophile-quality headphones, a Video editor, and an FM Radio.

SGH-i600

Samsung’s black SGH-i600 is an HSDPA/tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE Wi-Fi smartphone running Windows Mobile OS to give total access to familiar programs, including MS Outlook, MSN Messenger, and Line-of-Business applications.

Its MS Direct Push feature provides around-the-clock sending and receiving of e-mail/messages while data input is a breeze with the ergonomic QWERTY keyboard.

Navigating through menus is easy and fast with convenient thumbwheel and hotkey, while PIM features keep schedules and tasks organized.

Its enhanced multimedia features include a 1.3-MP camera/camcorder (with six brightness levels and various photo effects) and music player — all organized using Windows Media Player 10. A MicroSD slot adds to the embedded memory for virtually unlimited storage of files.

Combining the sleek styling of Samsung’s slimmest and smartest looking phones with the high-speed technology of HSDPA and Wi-Fi, the SGH-i600 is a smartphone with immediate e-mail and messaging services.

Users will appreciate the lightning-fast connections when downloading multimedia content. Faster data rates enable the mobile user to access more files in the same amount of time, while providing greater fidelity for streaming video content.

The i600 even lets the user make free calls to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world through VoIP, whenever he has a high-speed Wi-Fi Internet connection.

Fully equipped with podcasting, this mobile allows the user to receive his favorite podcasts anytime and anywhere. It also allows the user to receive RSS feeds of the latest news, blog updates, favorite shows, etc.

The i600 allows easy music and video playback via Windows Media Player 10 with support for various formats and seamless enjoyment from the mobile to the computer.

Its 65k-color native landscape 2.3” TFT display (with QVGA 320x240 pixel resolution) allows the user to watch video easily on a full screen, taking advantage of every inch of space.

An easy-to-use thumbwheel allows the user to quickly and easily glide through menu options while a well-placed hotkey at the bottom of the thumbwheel acts as a convenient enter key.

A long press of the thumbwheel key accesses uMenu, a shortcut menu to one’s favorite functions. Users will be able to go through menus fast when using the thumbwheel.

Connectivity comes from WAP 2.0, USB 1.1, and Bluetooth 2.0. Data Management is via 50MB of internal memory expandable via microSD card.

Comprehensive PIM features include calendar, scheduler, to-do list, clock/world time, alarm with snooze function, calculator, stopwatch, and an unlimited phonebook. A gateway between a Windows-powered desktop and the mobile, Active Sync allows the user to sync with his computer so that all e-mails, Calendar, Tasks and Contacts stay updated wirelessly.

The i600 measures 113 x 59 x 11.8mm and weighs 105g.