Not content with launching the UK's first 8-megapixel cameraphone with its i8510 smartphone, within no time Samsung has added another 8 million-pixel mobile to its line-up with a super slim touchscreen model, the Samsung Pixon M8800.

Billed as the 'world'slimmest full-touch 8-megapixel cameraphone', the 13.8mm-thin Pixon is fractionally skinnier than its most obvious rival, the touch-operated LG Renoir.

Generous features

Unlike Samsung's Symbian S60-powered i8510 and Samsung's Omnia Windows Mobile touchscreen phone, the Pixon isn't a smartphone, instead building on the touch control technology and user interface from devices like the Tocco. It does though bring an attractive set of features to your fingertips.

It has a satisfyingly large 3.2-inch touchscreen display, and supports HSDPA high-speed 3G data connectivity for high-speed downloading and browsing (at up to 7.2Mbps).

A GPS satellite receiver is built in too for position-finding and location-based services, plus it has the usual array of multimedia features including music and video players, FM radio and full web browser.

Samsung has also included an upgraded version of the widgets home screen mini-apps seen on the Tocco, adding several online-based widgets, and allowing more to be downloaded over the air to customise the phone.

Wi-Fi connectivity is absent, however, which is a shame on a device like this, particularly as the Renoir, i8510 and Sony Ericsson C905 (the other current 8-megapixel shooter-phone) all support it, boosting upload as well as download speeds.

Powerful camera

Imaging is central to the Samsung Pixon's appeal. Besides the headline-grabbing pixel-count, Samsung has stacked up an impressive amount of camera features and shooting gadgetry.

To complement autofocus and macro shooting, there's stuff like a Smile Shot setting (where it will only snap if it detects a smile), Blink detection (it won't shoot if someone's blinking), Face detection (looking to identify faces from previously stored and tagged images), location geo-tagging (exact positioning info, using GPS), plus an assortment of settings adjustment and editing options.

Video capture performance has also been boosted, with higher quality capture than on the Tocco, plus a slow-motion recording and playback option.

Large screen

Samsung hasn't strayed too far from the post-iPhone touchscreen phone norm with the Pixon's design.

Its all-black exterior, with a plastic and metal casing, is minimalist, with just three small buttons on the bottom of the fascia beneath the display, and an inconspicuous low-res video call camera above the screen.

Its overall dimensions are 107.9(h) x 54.6(w) x 13.8(d) mm - longer and a tad thinner than the Tocco, and smaller than the iPhone. It's a smidgeon thinner and narrower than the Renoir, but at 122g weighs more.

The large WQVGA (240x400 pixels) 262K-colour display provides a decent amount of space to view images, video and other content, plus there's an accelerometer inside to auto rotate the screen between widescreen and portrait phone mode with certain functions. Importantly, it also provides satisfactory room for touchscreen control finger action.

Simple menus

The Pixon's control system is similar to that used on the Tocco, with a few evolutionary refinements. Samsung's user interface has developed into a functional and comfortable to operate system.

On the home screen, Samsung has four main control buttons at the bottom (Keypad, Phonebook, Messages, Menu) which, when tapped, take you into their respective key functions or menus. A button on the side pulls up a panel of half a dozen shortcut options.

The menus are clear and straightforward, a stroke or tap of the finger enabling you to scroll through or select options. It's laid out in a familiar mobile phone way that's intuitive and easy to get to grips with.