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Samsung B3310 Review

Samsung, the master of the budget handset, brings us the B3310. It’s a funny-looking handset intended for the young – that’s if the child-like font is anything to go by. Available on Virgin Media pay-as-you-go for £59.99, it’s cheap and cheerful but can the B3310 meet the demands of today’s tech-savvy teen?

What we like

We’re not 100% sold on the funny design of the B3310 – it has its number pad along the length of the handset, tacked on to the screen panel – but there is something quite endearing about its chubby form.

The 2-megapixel camera is easy enough to use, with a dedicated camera button making it quick to access. The picture quality on-handset is perfectly acceptable, although when transferred to a computer it’s not up to much more than a thumbnail.

The music player is basic but straightforward to use, with repeat and shuffle modes as standard as well as the ability to build playlists. The FM radio will be a welcome addition for some, too – although you’ll have to plug the headphones in to act as the antenna.

Overall, the handset is very straightforward to use – with social networking widgets and email accounts easy to set up, it’s a good phone for someone who is intimidated by flashier smartphones.

What we don’t like

It’s nice to have a slide-out Qwerty keyboard instead of a cheap resistive touchscreen one, but we’re not sure about the layout. The space bar is shoved in between V and B so it takes a bit of readjusting to get to grips with it. It’s also quite difficult to dial using the number pad with the keyboard stowed away.

We’re old and jaded, so don’t really like the silly handwriting-esque font but perhaps our younger, less cynical selves wouldn’t have minded it so much.

With no 3.5mm headphone connection, you’re stuck using the cheap headphones that come with the handset or investing in an adaptor. The screen is really quite tiny – especially as it is dwarfed by the chunky chassis surrounding it, and can be quite difficult to read long messages and emails.

Conclusion

We really struggled to do much more than the basics with the Samsung B3310; for calling, texting and listening to music it does everything you need to a fair standard. But for more advanced functions like web browsing and social networking, you’d be better off opting for a handset like the INQ Chat 3G or even a budget Android handset like the LG GW620 InTouch Max. These have larger screens and better browsers for a similar price.

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