If you are in the store for basic mobile phones, either for your kid or teenager eager to get his/her own handset, be aware that you have a bewildering array of choices out there. Unless you have some loyalty to a specific brand, narrowing your choices can be a real nightmare. Just when you plan you have your target handset in sight, here comes Korean mobile phone maker changing the questions with its Shark range of affordable feature phones.
Recently unveiled, its candy bar S5350 Shark and sliders S5550 Shark 2 and S3550 Shark 3 set in motion the series this January and should be available soon. No pricing data is yet available but judging from its basic functionalities and features, none of them should have a foot into the middle price points.
Stripped to Bare Essentials
Sampling one of them, the Samsung S3550 Shark 3, gives you a good deal with on the Shark range as a pitch to the immature markets wanting a basic handset with the in-crowd features their schoolmates expect to see. Not that it matters, but you get a no-nonsense feature phone stripped of the bragging rights that come with high-enders. There is no Gps, no WiFi and no 3G high speed internet access.
There's no high resolution camera, just a basic 2-megapixel fixed focus snapper and a rudimentary video recording. Its 2-inch Qvga Tft Lcd display is typical of many found in funds phones that do the job. Even if it has a Wap-enabled Html web browser, it can be a pain browsing on such a small screen. Similarly, social networking can be instant right from its homescreen or display Google Maps on it.
But we doubt any of that will matter on a small screen. Forget about its nearly useless internal memory of 35 Gb either. Good thing you get microSd external memory expandability for up to 8 Gb.
Basic Features
The Shark 3 is your basic quad band Gsm (850/900/1800/1900) with Gprs/Edge data connectivity on 2G. You get local data connectivity with either a wireless Bluetooth 2.1 or wired Usb 2.0 to get date synching with other computing or data devices like your Pc or someone else mobile phone.
This is for real a basic handset with none of the frills. But what it has, it does well and are housed in a trendy and slim slider body that has the elegant excellent look without the boastful presence. It measures a minuscule 95.8mm x 45.8mm x 14.4mm and weighing a pocket-friendly 79g - one of the lightest handset out there. Talk times are quite decent for its size. You get 7.5 hours on a fully charged 800 mAh lithium-ion batter. Standby times are at 19 days.
Conclusion
If not for is beautiful and intelligently crafted look and feel in your hands, we might as well look elsewhere. Feature-wise, there's nothing qualified about the Samsung S3550 Shark 3. But to be fair, there's nothing to complain about either, especially at its promised funds price point.
Then again, the practical markets don't for real have to be confined to basic entry-level phones if funds is their traditional consideration. With the fast-paced technical developments in the market, you might find an 8-12 month old smartphone or high end feature phone discounted sufficient to be in the same price range as the newer funds phones.
Stripped Down to Basics With the Samsung S3550 Shark 3Motion Sensor Assist Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor Basic Stamp 2 Module