CES 2006
Samsung seems to be on a slider kick these days, at least when it comes to GSM phones. Hot on the heels of the ultra-slim T809 that just launched for T-Mobile, Samsung this week took the wraps off the D807 and T709.
The D807 is simply the U.S. (quad-band) version of the D800, which was announced for Europe two months ago. (Similarly, the T809 is the U.S. version of the D820.)
The D807 has almost the same exact feature list as the T809, and both are about the same size and very slim. But for whatever reason, they are two different phones, clearly designed by different product teams at Samsung.
The D807 does have a couple of handicaps compared to the T809. The most glaring is the truly awful keypad, which unfortunately is very similar to the keypad on Samsung's A900, but smaller and even harder to use. The problem is that it's just too flat and smooth. There are no separate keys that can be felt with your fingertips. The silver strips in the center are just decoration and don't help the ergonomics.
The other hits against the D807 include a lower-resolution display, (176 x 220 instead of QVGA like the T809,) and a camera that doesn't swivel.
However, the D807 is blessed with Bluetooth, speakerphone, microSD card slot, music player, and speaker-independent voice dialing from VoiceSignal (unusual for a Samsung GSM phone.)
The D807 should be available for Cingular in the 2nd quarter.
Helio Hero Video Tour
Review: Sony Ericsson W810
CTIA 2006
3GSM 2006
Review: Samsung T809
UTStarcom CDM-8945 / PN-230
Pantech PN-210 / PN-205
LG CU320
