Samsung F700 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Unveiled

Design and Build

The Samsung F700, released in December 2007, is a device that showcases an era when mobile phone design started transitioning into more versatile and sophisticated forms. Its dimensions are 112 x 56 x 15.9 mm, weighing 139 grams, ensuring the device feels solid in the hand without being cumbersome. A notable feature is its QWERTY keyboard, a slide-out mechanism that was quite popular during this time, providing a physical typing experience that many users still appreciated for its tactile feedback.

Display

The device features a 3.2-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with 256K colors, boasting a resolution of 240 x 440 pixels. While the screen-to-body ratio of approximately 44.3% may seem modest by today's standards, back in the mid-2000s, it represented a substantial display area for multimedia viewing. The notion of a touchscreen instantly broadened its appeal for a generation beginning to interact with devices through touch.

Camera Capabilities

The Samsung F700 hosts a 3.15 MP rear camera equipped with autofocus and an LED flash, which was notable for capturing images with reasonable clarity during its release period. Video recording capabilities were included, making it a competent device for basic multimedia needs. Moreover, a VGA videocall camera was integrated for the front; although modest, it catered to the growing trend of video calls that was emerging at the time.

Performance and Storage

The phone, being a feature phone, did not sport advanced processing capabilities typical in smartphones. However, it was sufficient for standard tasks. It came with an internal storage capacity of 112MB, which was expandable via a microSD card slot. This was fairly standard considering the overall technological landscape, allowing users to store photos, music, and applications without facing major limitations.

Battery Life

Powering the F700 is a removable Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery. The battery provided up to 300 hours of standby time and a talk time of up to 4.5 hours, which was quite reasonable and allowed users to get through a day of typical usage with ease before needing to recharge.

Network and Connectivity

The F700 supports GSM and HSDPA technologies, allowing for decent data connectivity in an age where 3G was becoming widely adopted. Though it lacked Wi-Fi, it offered Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for wireless headset connectivity and a proprietary USB for data synchronization with computers.

Software and Features

This device was not powered by an advanced smartphone OS, but rather a feature phone operating system, which was adept at handling basic tasks. Messaging was well-supported with SMS, EMS, MMS, email, and instant messaging capabilities. The phone included a WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML browser, enabling simplified Internet browsing experiences. It also came with Java MIDP 2.0 for running basic Java applications and games.

Sound and Multimedia

The device included a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm jack, supporting MP3 ringtones and offering a good range of sound alert types. The presence of downloadable polyphonic ringtones and Java-based basic games was geared toward users who sought basic personalization and entertainment before modern app store ecosystems.

Market Position and Legacy

During its release, the Samsung F700 was priced approximately at 280 EUR, positioning it in a competitive segment that appealed to users seeking both style and function in a pre-smartphone era. Although the F700 did not substantially influence high-end smartphones' trajectories, it was a testament to Samsung's penchant for innovative designs and could be seen as a precursor to the company's future touch-based phones.

Conclusion

The Samsung F700 stands as an emblem of the evolving mobile technology landscape of the 2000s. It combined design innovation with practical features, catering to a diverse consumer base at a time when the concept of multimedia capabilities in phones was just taking off. Its legacy is further accented by a design language that influenced subsequent models, making it a notable device from a tech-historical perspective.