Samsung's new D600 handset is slick and professional-looking, and slides open and shut like it's spring-loaded.
While it doesn't play in the "3G handset big league", this one does absolutely everything you'd expect a Bluetooth-enabled businessman's GPRS handset to do.
It's got 80MB of phone memory, a 2MP camera with PictBridge function, a large clear screen, MPEG4 video recording and playback, a voice recorder and an MP3/AAC/AAC+ music player. Office tools include an e-mail client, a document viewer supporting MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, HTML and standard image formats and TV output to allow office documents on the phone to be viewed on a PC, laptop, TV or data projector if necessary.
Like several recent offerings from Samsung, one of the phone's biggest selling points is its looks. Its compact size and rounded edges allow it to rest ergonomically in the palm of the hand. Available in wine red and charcoal grey, the phone looks so sleek one tends to flash it about, just to show off.
The screen and MP3 player can be accessed without sliding open the keypad. The keys light up brightly, making calling in the dark a breeze. The screen is easily viewed as it is clear and the font is large.
While the handset boasts a 2MP camera, I found the lens positioning awkward and my finger kept obscuring the lens when I held the phone in a comfortable position for shooting. A quick poll in my office revealed that most people had the same problem.
On a positive note, several lighting, flash and effects options on the camera make it easy to create a personalised "arty" screensaver.
Removing the tiny slot cover to plug in the charger proved tricky, and could cause annoying damage to manicures. Fortunately, you won't have to worry about this too often because the handset offers up to seven hours' talk time and up to 300 hours' standby time.
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