Advanced Storm Samsung F408 Double-Slide Ⅱ Review

It's impossible to kill two birds with one stone for both of the Music and Camera shooting? Samsung never think so. Samsung F408, with B&O ICEpower, Double-slide, Muti EQ sound, 300MP camera, and 3.5G network in one, which will be on the market this July.

Kill Two Birds With One Stone

Obviously Omnia i908 is the most outstanding cellphone of Samsung at the later half of the year. The preceding music cellphones such as F338, F258, i458 have been good behavior, then F408 will be the next one. F408 is out of common to put emphasis on both of the music and the camera shooting functions. 3.5G netword, 8GB memory card supported, Google service and the come back traditional keypad make F408 looks like All Star member.

The Come Back Streamline Design

i458 is supposed to be the best music cellphone, if not in view of the high price and the alternative S60 system. Compare with i458, F408 may be much popular for the common consumers.Facade polishing design is used in F408, the back cover use the fog skin texture, which rised the contrast effect in look, and be good in anti-slipping. F408 is in medium size, the one for review is in black, for the conventional music series, it's possile the red version and the white version will be released later.

▲ Silver and black always looks calm, however red the white version is looked forward to



▲ Gum texture for back cover, easy to clean when polluted


▲ On the right size, easy for handing

Profile

It seems Samsung master the keypoint, in a row of cellphones are set up the parts in the same logic and position. The volum control, charging port, and the memory card socket are distributed in both side. The keypad mark of red and green are set as the short cut for camera and music.

▲ KANO hole, volum control, and the memory card socket。



▲ 8 GB microSD Hot Plug supported



▲ Storm shortcut and the Samsung standard charging port



▲ shortcut for camera and music player

Traditional Keypad and the Jog Dial

It's testified that not everybody be used of touch keypad, so F408 give up Touch Tech this time, all the keypad use the trational mode. As the navi roller, F408 use the Jog Dial, which has been used in U708, to spin clockwise and anticlockwise and 4-directions press to control the cursor on the screen.

▲ To spin clockwise and anticlockwise and 4-directions press to control the cursor, a bit hard tactility



▲ Pimple Function Key feels a bit hard


▲ The keypad



▲ purple backlight looks neutral in dark situation

3.5 mm Stereo

3.5 mm stereo is easy to work with the common earphone from the market，and the drive-by-wire adapter and the stereophone(with mic phone) are included in the accessories. So it's not bad to used the original earphone for both of the telephone and music.

▲3.5 mm stereo port


▲Upmarket earphone is optional


▲ Original stereo earphone with mic phone, good in sound-proof

▲ 3.5 mm drive-by-wire adapter, the silver button for calling

Double Slide

Maybe the double slide with Speaker design is the origination of Samsung, after pushing, the music playing at onec. The operation is too dazzle to be translated, well, it's a real plaything for music fans.

▲ Music mode (Speaker out) and the calling mode



▲ Two speaker on both side, the maximum volum of the inside ringtones reach to 88db


▲ 3 music mode

Library Panel

For the music player, it can display album name, Artist info, and the cover(if you edit) with the support of ID3 tag. Album comment, play mode(replay, random), ringtone set and the three vision panel of cover, Effects, and the both are include.

▲ Cool music panel



▲ Music smart guide the player control for beginer

B&O ICEpower + DNSe 2.0 Audio

F408 use B&O ICEpower tech in music for the better tone and P-save, Samsung's DNSe , the new Smart Limiter, Smart Bass are included. Frankly speaking, F408's tone is really fantastic.

▲ ICEpower + DNSe 2.0

Battery Power

F408 use AB463651BE model BL battery, the capacity is 960 mAh from the Samsung official website. After the test under the condition of cellphone on, bluetooth off, and keep music playing for 4 hours, lost the first frame power, the 2nd frame lost in 1.5 h later, but under the condition of frequently using of the SMS, Internet, camera shooting and calling, it's necessary for charging every day obviously.

▲ 960 mAh BL battery

Shazam identification

The music datebase Samsung used is Shazam，just like the Gracenote SE Track ID used, which is easy to be operated. Aim the sound source(the playing music from anywhere), then press the identificaion buton, F408 will spend 10 second for sampling, and sent back the sample to Shazam for matching, then sent back the result, which must be the most popular function for music fans.

▲ Music Identification

300 MP AF Camera

300 MP AF Camera is one reason to focus people's vision, on the middle price level with full function, always fit for expectation.

Compare with the previous camera series, the only advantage is the panaroma shooting is include. AF is supported, but half-pressing fosus not work, and F408 has to spend 7 second to save the image of 300 mega pixel.

▲ Camera panel



▲ Panaroma and frame shoot(20 forms)


▲ Use the Jog Dial to adjust flash, timer, brightness, display mode.


▲ MP4 code、QVGA 15 FPS supported in Video

Real scene

Close range shooting is really easy for operating, and F408 is good in focusing. Obviously, there's some problem with the white balance.

Image editor

Colour adjustment, contrast, brightness, 7 Effects, whirl, crop, and resize are include in the image editor, and the photo frame, stamp, emoticon and the comment are individual and interested for people. No size limited in editor, even for the largest size of 2048 x 1054, if you don't mind waiting.

▲ Image editor



▲ 10 series of Photo frames for chosing

RSS, personal security, and others

At last to introduce some small functions of shutdown alarm, RSS news channel, Google search, Gmail, and the user-defined. As the safe mode, the first mode is cellphone tracking, when your lost cellphone in calling, F408 will send SMS to the cellphone number you have set, for raising the opportunity of retrieved, the second mode is the lock function of 7 parts, such as SMS, files, phone book and so on, to aviod somebody(girl friend?) see the secret, of course you have to ready a perfect reason for locking.

▲ 2.2 inch QVGA screen, the 2 themes of purple and white-orange


▲ shortcut setting


▲ alarm, Files lock, mobile tracking

Everythings Gonna Be Alright

For all the functions, F408 will not bring people the despair, as the rumor said, the retail price of F408 may be RMB 2300( USD 336), not bad.