The Samsung Chat is a stylized entry-level smartphone that is designed for people that are primarily texters, but want to have a little extra online connectivity. At first glance, the style of the Chat 335 is a bit reminiscent of some of the entry level Blackberry phones on the market today, even down to the slanted keys that are on the full Qwerty keyboard underneath the screen. Overall, however, if someone wants to be online and have a full keyboard at a fair price, the Samsung Chat 335 is a very viable option to consider.
What are the standout features of the Samsung Chat 335?
The three primary reasons to consider this smartphone is its price, its full keyboard, and the fact that it has Wi-Fi connectivity. This is complimented by a 2.4 inch screen that offers 240p resolution and a color output of 256k. At this price point, it is difficult to find a better looking phone from an aesthetic standpoint.
What are the other features of the Chat 335?
This smartphone also offers a 3.5mm jack that can be used for most standard headphones. Users can also connect this phone to their computer thanks to the mUSB port that’s been included. The Chat 335 offers recognition of memory cards up to 8 GB in size and it comes with a free 2 GB card to get users started. A 2 MP camera with fixed focus is also included that can record videos in a CIF resolution.
Is there social networking included?
This smartphone offers users pre-installed apps that will allow access to Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo!, and MSN. What it does not offer is access to a 3G network and there is no GPS included either. Make sure that you are using this smartphone indoors or on a cloudy day because direct sunlight makes the screen on this phone virtually impossible to see. Updating a status or sending a text can sometimes be problematic, however, as the design of the keys make it rather easy to delete an entire update or text instead of a specific portion that needs to be adjusted in it.
How heavy is the Samsung Chat 335?
This phone is surprisingly light, weighing just 93g overall. The optical trackpad is one of the nice additions to the design and the user interface is easy on the eyes and allows for some customization to allow users to make their phone more of their own.
What about the Qwerty keyboard?
There are some good and some bad components in the keyboard of the Chat 335. The full size of the keyboard is nice and it allows for faster typing of emails and texts when users get used to the tactile functions of it. The keys are a little soft to the touch, however, and they are only raised by a millimeter at most, making them difficult to type on accurately. If a user presses a key down, it is inevitable that a few more keys are going to move and even register a button hit at times.
How is data access with the Samsung Chat 335?
In practical terms, data is virtually impossible to access with this phone. You can access website that have been optimized for mobile functions, but any standard website is out of the question. Users are going to get an error message from the experience. The trackpad, though a nice feature in principle, isn’t so useful when it comes to the actual data acquisition experience either.
Are the multimedia options on this phone any good?
What stands out with the Samsung 335 is how it plays music. The volume can be reasonably loud and the sounds aren’t particularly tinny – like most other phones that play through their speakers. As an added bonus, there are EQ settings to access so users can tailor the sounds to meet their needs. This is particularly useful if you’ve got a good set of headphones to plug into the phone. The camera is just 2 MP, but the images are pretty clear and vibrant. There’s no autofocus, so indoor images are difficult, but anything in the outdoors is going to look reasonably good.
How functional is the Samsung Chat 335?
Most users are going to find that the weight and grip on the phone are night. It looks like it would be an expensive phone, but here looks can be deceiving in a positive way. There is only 60 MB of internal storage, however, so users will want to take advantage of the mSD slot that’s in the phone. It’s also just 12 mm thick, which is surprisingly thin considering how much is actually included with the phone.
What are actual users saying about this phone?
Most customers rate the Samsung Chat 335 rather highly. On a 10 point scale, independent reviewers give it a score that is 8/10. Most customers see the Chat has providing a high amount of value, rated on average with a 9/10 score. It looks like it is an expensive phone, but it really isn’t, and that’s where many users see having plenty of value. Many mention that it can be difficult to get used to this type of phone if it hasn’t been used before.
What’s the overall verdict of the Samsung Chat 335? For someone who is looking for an all-in-one phone that can help them compose emails, update social statuses, or text with ease, the Samsung Chat 335 has a lot of features that will eventually increase the speed of communication. Although time will need to be taken to get used to the keyboard for most users, there is enough speed and capability with this phone to make it extremely useful. It isn’t going to be for those that surf the web while on the go or want to have massive amounts of apps at their disposal. It’s an entry-level phone, designed to look nice, and priced just right. If that’s what you want, then this is the phone you need.