The Samsung UltraTouch mobile phone is a slider-style phone, offering users the choice of using the full touchscreen interface or the numeric keyboard in the slide-out tray. The touch screen is responsive, so there’s no need to learn a particular method of gestures with to make the interface work well. In sunlight I thought the screen performed well, and the phone felt good in my hand, with a nice build quality.
It’s another of the phones that offers the traditional icon menu view screen, or you can access an ‘app’ screen, wherein all the telcos will badge the phone with their own widgets and wallpaper – quick access to telco content services like, news, weather, etc.
The UltraTouch has an accelerometer, so you can watch videos, or look at web pages and photos in either landscape (widescreen) or portrait view, depending upon which way you hold the phone.
The speaker on the UltraTouch throws out decent sound, so taking a call using the speakerphone option, or listening to music without headphones, isn’t a crime against sonics. Speaking of music, there is no 3.5 mm headphone jack on the phone itself, but in the box is an adapter, that turns the mini USB into a 3.5 mm jack.
The camera on the phone is also of good quality. It’s 8 megapixel, with face and smile detection, auto focus, and with the Wide Range Adapter there a little help enhancing shots taken in less than optimal lighting.
Other features I liked were the nicely implemented world clock, and Fake Calls. Want to get out of a tricky or awkward social situation, and haven’t pre-arranged someone to call you as a prelude to an escape plan? No problem, just hit the bottom section of the volume control on the side of the phone, and the phone calls you, ring tone and all, plus you can tape a short voice message which plays on a loop, so the cause of your social anxiety will hear the voice on the other end of the call and think you really are talking to someone. All you need do is brush up on your acting skills, and voila, instant ecape from an awkward place.
Availability
The UltraTouch will be in stores now, carried by Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and 3 Mobile.
Review
Read our full review of the Samsung UltraTouch.
