Samsung F480 Cell Phone

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UPDATED 15/7/2008 !!! CHECK OUT BELOW!!!!

I'm sure you've read about this phone so I'm going to focus on everyday usage annoyances that I've come across.

It is - after 2 failed tries with the Samsung F700 and then the F490 - Samsungs third attempt to bring out an iphone clone.
And this time around it is worth getting IF you can live with some annoyances with this phone.

I've used this phone for 2 weeks now and the following things I've encountered:

-> As with all Samsung phones, you CANNOT use your own MP3 tone for text messages/MMS/email etc, ONLY for incoming calls. You'll have to rely on it's built in 5 corny tones.

-> You cannot just install new JAVA games via the PC without extensive modification through 3rd party tools available on certain forums.
On Nokias or Sony Ericssons for example you can upload new java games via the PC software to your phone or just put the JAR/JAD file onto the memory stick.

-> The new touchscreen and widgets are brilliant, but you cannot change the default widgets or add your own. You also cannot change the main menu style or define shortcuts. This means that some things like Alarms you have to touch 3/4 times to get to that menu point.

-> The scrolling with the new touchscreen - apart from scrolling down contacts - in the settings menus is VERY cumbersome as it won't always scroll. I was trying to set an alarm for a calender event I had set up and couldn't do it because that option is at the very bottom of that menu page and no matter how hard or soft/fast or slow I tried to drag my finger vertically down the screen the page hardly scrolled at all.
UPDATE: I've found a method to minimise this annoyance - you can also scroll using the sound volume buttons on the side, much easier!

UPDATE: It seems the reception on this phone is worse than on my old one, it keeps cutting the conversation.

-> Size: The F480 is small - much shorter than it's predecessor F490/iphone, but roughly equal width. This means its just a bit too short to hold whilst making a call. Basically, it's about as long as the distance from your thumb to your little finger (ie the entire width of your hand)

-> Connections: If you own another recent Samsung phone like the X820 or the D900, I'm afraid your chargers and USB connectors will NOT work on the F480. The Tocco has a new connector that looks exactly the same but is wider so it won't fit into your old phones and vice versa.

-> Sound quality: The person who's calling you sounds unnatural, like speaking through a tin.

-> For some reason, you cannot search by surname. When I uploaded my outlook express contacts to the phone it stored many of the names as surnames as opposed to first names. I could not find them through the search anymore, only if I scrolled through the entire contacts list.

Bottom line: If you are used to the vast customization options of say a Nokia N95 then this phone is NOT for you.
If however you are a fashion slave then you definitely need to get this phone! It's infinitely sleeker and more stylish than the LG viewty/Prada and not nearly as expensive/geeky as the iphone.

PLEASE CLICK WHETHER YOU THOUGHT THIS GUIDE WAS HELPFUL OR NOT. THANK YOU!