Review of GSM/UMTS-handset Samsung F330

Mobile-review have posted another excellent review...this time on the Samsung F330. Like always, the review is full of info and pics. It's really worth checking out. Here is the final impression.

Impressions
The reception quality put up by the F330 is in line with other Samsung-branded devices. The ringtone volume is quite decent, as it can be heard in various environments. The silent alert is average strength-wise, no significant improvements have been made here.

Form-factor wise, the F330 appears to be a rival to the Sony Ericsson W910i, but on closer examination, you’ll see that these are two completely different worlds. In terms of price, the Samsung’s offspring is more of a competitor to the Sony Ericsson W580i. However the latter is a clear winner thanks to a bevy of color solutions, more punch under the hood, better build quality and materials used (the plastic utilized in the W580i is way more expensive). Given their equally heavy price tags of 400 USD, these two are going to clash, but don’t expect the F330’s sales to come close to the benchmark of the W580i. The reason being that it already has another competitor in the form of the Samsung U600 with its superior 3,2 Mpix camera and similar price, making the F330 not a clear-cut choice. Consumers are more likely to go for a device from the U-series instead of a quirky handset housed in an unsophisticated design.

One of the company’s missteps with the F330 is the decision to offer it only in white, which instantly narrows down its target audience, making this phone a very niche model. The youth won’t find this trim flashy enough, however girls usually deem this color appealing. On the other hand, the absence of a 3,5 mm audio jack on the casing, its sound quality comparable with other offerings and not exactly snazzy design might put these girls off. All this throws the F330 into a vicious circle which it doesn’t seem to be capable to escape from.

I had been struggling for a while, trying to figure out what this phone lacks and what could outweigh most of its omissions, but the answer turned out to be right on the surface – my friend’s 17-year old daughter enlightened me “I wouldn’t buy it – it lacks style, but pretends to be an iPod”. This phone definitely needs more charisma.