Pull the Samsung Genio touch out of its packaging and you could be forgiven for mistaking it, at first glance, for the Palm Pre.
The gentle curves, the 2.8-inch touchscreen and the rounded button in the middle of the face are all heavily reminiscent of Palm's new baby.
But where you'll pay around £600 over the lifetime of a new Pre, the Genio can be had for around £100 on a pay-as-you-go contract, and the specification sheet is still pretty compelling.
Not only do you get the flavour du jour - the touchscreen - but also a 2MP camera, an FM radio and a full HTML web browser. For the fickle, it comes with three interchangeable backs.
The Genio was originally called the Corby, and was marketed as a phone for kids.
It's easy to see why - the bright colours and emphasis on entertainment rather than heavy-hitting business features such as Microsoft Exchange compatibility make it a tempting handset for youthful show-offs.
That doesn't mean it lacks power, though. There are 27 widgets included, allowing you to access services such as Facebook and Twitter, and there are 75 more available to download, making the Genio potentially the best of both worlds: an upgradeable, flexible handset with plenty of data-handling capabilities, with none of the costs associated with top-end devices such as the Apple iPhone 3GS.
Samsung has embraced the touchscreen phone, and the Genio sits towards the bottom of its nearly all-encompassing range.
While devices such as the Omnia 2 and Jet build in everything but the kitchen sink, the Genio is more pared back.
That means there are compromises virtually everywhere you look, but should any of them make bargain touchscreen hunters look elsewhere?
Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
qalllman
January 14th
3. I love the Corby with me when I go jogging every morning. My girlfriend calls me on her way to work but I miss a lot of it because I am running. So I was looking for a Bluetooth headset with my Corby, and I got a yellow WEP490. I had worried about the wind disturbing the call but my girlfriend says that she can hear me real loud and clear. I can also hear well. WEP490 has a cool design and my eyes don’t hurt even after long hours. I am thinking of getting one for my girl friend as well because her hands are cold even when wearing gloves.
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musemechanic
January 13th
2. Pink in particular was the prettiest pink I’ve ever seen in phones. So I bought pink color. I also like the Bluetooth headset I purchased with Corby. WEP490 features an Auto Volume Control so it automatically controls the volume according to the surrounding noise. It also features a Wind Noise Reduction so it enables you to deliver clear sound quality to the person on the other side of the line.
Thinking about getting a full touch screen phone? Looking for a more easy-to-use product? If that is you, I definitely recommend Corby. I also recommend WEP490 as a package.
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broady2852
December 12th 2009
1. I recently purchased the samsung genio from the carphone warehouse on the T-Mobile network as it is currently priced at £66.00 compared to my regular network 02 which was priced at £107.00 (plus £10 top-up). And im glad i did... not only did i save £40 but the samsung genio is quadband... meaning i can use my O2 sim card in the phone... So why are O2 charging an extra £40 for this mobile phone ????
If your looking at purchasing the samsung genio... getit on the cheapest network and save yourself alot of money.
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