Samsung U900 Soul review: That's the spirit

Samsung U900 Soul 360-degree spin

Design and construction

At 12.9 mm thick, Samsung U900 Soul is obviously not the slimmest Ultra handset we've ever set eyes on. As it turns out, it's a tad thicker than any other member of the Ultra II lineup. However, in terms of design, we are willing to say that it is the best looking U-mobile we've ever got to test. Besides, it is meant to excel in features more than any other Ultra handset ever was. The 5 megapixel camera and the touch pad are still rare enough and can hardly be overlooked.

In terms of controls layout and ergonomics, Samsung U900 Soul resembles the well-known Samsung U600. Add or take the power button and the video-call camera, that is. The display has also been altered slightly and is now capable of showing up to 16M color, as opposed to the 262K of U600.

At the top of the front panel of Samsung U900 Soul we see the earpiece dead center and the video-call camera on the left. The 2.2" display is right under them. Next in line is the touchpad, which is in charge of navigation and control. On the sides of the touch pad are the two selection keys, as well as the Call and End keys. The End key is also used for turning the handset on and off, as there is no dedicated key for that purpose.

Earpiece and video-call camera • The bunch below the display

On the left side of Samsung U900 Soul we find the volume rocker and the USB port. The lanyard eyelet is also placed here, all the way down the bottom.

The left side of the handset - volume rocker, USB port and the lanyard eyelet

The dedicated camera key and the microSD card slot are on the opposite side of the handset, exactly the same way as in Samsung U600.

The right side of Samsung U900 Soul features the microSD card slot and the dedicated camera key

The top and bottom of the handset are completely bereft of controls. Opening the slider reveals the keypad and the microphone pinhole. The keypad proved quite a pleasant surprise but more about that a little later in the review.

There are no functional elements on the top and bottom of Samsung U900 Soul

The camera of the Samsung U900 Soul is the main highlight on the back of the phone. It only gets revealed when the slider is open. Next to it are the LED flash and the self-portrait mirror. As it turns out, the Samsung U900 Soul has quite a capable camera, which will unleash its potential later in the dedicated shooting part of the review.

The five megapixel camera is really impressive

"...We are delighted with the build quality of Samsung U900 Soul. It is quite obvious that high quality materials have been used. The brushed metallic front panel frame and battery cover also benefit the design greatly..."

Opening the battery cover reveals the 880 mAh Li-Ion battery. It seems like a rather modest solution for such a power-hungry multimedia phone.

A somewhat disappointing 880 mAh battery lies under the battery cover

We are delighted with the build quality of Samsung U900 Soul. It is quite obvious that high quality materials have been used. The brushed metallic front panel frame and battery cover also benefit the design greatly. All in all, the handset manages an exceptionally pleasant feel in hand.

The phone held in hand