Samsung U600 review: Slim is sweet

It seems Samsung really takes making sleek looking and ultra thin mobile phones to heart. It's no wonder that the Samsung Ultra lineup has become a significant part of the company's mobile portfolio. We got hold of another Ultra Series II member, the Samsung U600, and we'll be more than happy to check if it hits the spot for you. Also known as Samsung Ultra 10.9, it perfectly fits the Ultra series bill and, what's more, looks all set to become its most successful member. Stylish and comfortable to hold are the two things that best describe the first impression the slim handset makes, but we are now to see if it performs as well as it looks.

Samsung U600 official photos - several of the color versions of the handset

Key features:

• Great looking and very well built
• Navigation combining touch-sensitive and standard keys
• Camera with 3.2 megapixel resolution and autofocus
• EDGE
• Large display with great image quality
• microSD memory card slot
• Seamless PC connectivity and synchronization
• FM radio
• Smart search
• Nice image editor

Main disadvantages:

• Weak sunlight legibility
• No 3G
• User interface is on the slow side
• Confirm key starts the web browser in stand-by
• Keys within the same row have no distinguishable borders and typos are likely
• Battery life is not among the best

Samsung U600 is considered to be the runner-up for leadership in the Ultra line II, behind Samsung U700, but that is not completely true. Actually the two phones come from two different research and development centers of Samsung and we would prefer to consider them as distinct products, rather than think of one being an upgrade of the other. Samsung U600 is a bit slimmer than U700 and stands at only 10.9 mm thickness. Actually that makes it the world's slimmest slider. Other U600 niceties that U700 lacks are the FM radio and TV out functionality, so that should be enough to prove that they differ in purpose more than they do in ideology and, therefore, class affiliation.

Samsung U600