Samsung outdoes itself with Ultra Smart F700

Eek! Must restore... cardiac function... ahh, there we go. Samsung's Ultra Editions seem to get classier, glossier, and more far-fetched with every subsequent iteration -- and if they haven't already jumped the shark, they have now with the rather breathtaking Ultra Smart F700. The candybar with a slide-out QWERTY 'board makes do with 7.2Mbps (yes, we said "seven point two") HSDPA plus EDGE for those occasions when 3G towers are out of reach, a 2.78 inch touchscreen sporting no fewer than 440 x 240 pixels, microSD expansion, full HTML browsing, Bluetooth, and a whopping 5 megapixels of snapping power on the backside. Per protocol, America is left squarely out of the equation with GSM 850 and WCDMA 850 / 1900 all coming up missing, but at least folks in the greater Barcelona area should get a shot at it next week when it bows all official-like at 3GSM.

Gallery: Samsung outdoes itself with Ultra Smart F700

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[Ben @ Feb 8th 2007 2:16AM]

take THAT, apple fanboys!

[Lord.Genome @ Jan 10th 2008 6:44PM]

It's too fat: half as thick again as the iPhone. Is that an F700 in your pocket or have you just grown a breast? Back to the drawing board girls, iPhone still rules.
LG

[Lonin @ Feb 8th 2007 2:17AM]

iPhone what?

[wsjchoi @ Feb 8th 2007 2:19AM]

Apple re-invents the phone?

sure, sure, just because the iPhone was announced first, everyone else is copying the iPhone, right?

don't think so...

poor brainwashed fanboys, i mean, steve's army.. lol

[jeffthechefnz @ Feb 8th 2007 2:26AM]

That is sex0r right thur!!!!

[Snoogans @ Feb 8th 2007 2:50AM]

Can someone explain to me why America doesn't get the more badass phones like this one, or the new Sony Ericsson w880(plus countless others)? It hurts. Tell me why.

[PeteC @ Feb 8th 2007 4:38AM]

It's payback for the fact America gets the iPhone 6 months prior to everyone else although we're all looking at that as a bug fixing session before Apple update the firmware and send it out to the rest of us. We know there's enough Apple fanboys out there who'll be all too keen on doing lots of bug spotting for apple whilst I have to put up with using an N95 or possibly now one of these babies!

[Daniel Eire @ Nov 27th 2007 2:11PM]

oh please!you in the States get everything else first and often better models,PS3 for instance.In Europe we pay through the back teeth for mobiles(cell phones to you).I was rather pleased though the States got the iphone first it saved me paying good money for junk

[Dean Lowe @ Feb 8th 2007 3:07AM]

They should've just called it the "Ultra FU-iPhone"

[DM @ Feb 8th 2007 3:08AM]

R.I.P. iPhone.

[tehuberone @ Feb 8th 2007 3:17AM]

"and a whopping 5 megapixels of snapping power on the backside."

Looks as if its in the front, right above the top right of the screen.

[Gil @ Feb 8th 2007 3:31AM]

That's a luminosity/proximity sensor

[remsup @ Feb 8th 2007 5:58AM]

Actually you'll probably find it's the " view me" camera for Video calling

[resource @ Feb 8th 2007 3:19AM]

Holy shit, this really kills enthusiasm for the iPhone.
Apple already needs an iPhone 2.0 to compete with this and other stuff annoucned at 3GSM.

Does this have
Wi-Fi?
GPS?
Decent onboard storage?
WM 6 for Skype and such?

Regardless, I'd move to Europe for this phone.

[dave @ Feb 8th 2007 3:27AM]

beauty!

[jarednoah @ Feb 8th 2007 3:32AM]

Holy Crap! This makes the iphone 'craptastic" and looking so "dated". But to be honest, this phone will not sell much in the US because it's triband. But it will be a seller in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world.

[Matt-NL @ Feb 8th 2007 3:34AM]

Yup Samsung just had to show apple that they are KING in the mobile phone industry...

Pretty good thing this iPhone killer, especially for pricedrops that is.. :D

[Scooter @ Feb 8th 2007 3:59AM]

w00t. where do I sign...

[ZSX @ Feb 8th 2007 4:12AM]

[quote]
>"and a whopping 5 megapixels of snapping power on the backside."
>Looks as if its in the front, right above the top right of the screen.

That's a luminosity/proximity sensor
[/quote]

This is a 3G phone so I'll bet there are 2 cameras, one on the front for video calling, and the big 5MP one on the back.

[keith waddington @ Feb 8th 2007 4:13AM]

why are you people obsessed with apple? find something healthy to hate and then get therapy.

and i'm sure your predictions will have all the accuracy of a Bill Gates vision: 'cos you know he always gets it right. Right?

keep hating
waddo

[o rly @ Feb 8th 2007 10:16AM]

@ keith waddington : "why are you people obsessed with apple?"

That's funny coming from someone who's lame website has a huge "made on an Apple" image at the bottom.
...and yes, your site still sucks, but at least you don't spam it on Engadget anymore.

[Gil @ Feb 8th 2007 8:37AM]

Actually it's the fact that the US is something like less than 10% of the market

[Lance @ Feb 8th 2007 9:26PM]

Yeah, "one of these babies!" which will have just as many bugs.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Feb 8th 2007 4:39AM]

The phone - with touchscreen covering completely its top - was in Sci-Fi for very long time. One of recent examples, is mobile phone from RahXephon animation: slim, long, black, with touchscreen covering one side completely. With such large screen, one can comfortably have top of your address book displayed, thus lessening need for keyboard. And so on.

iPhone or whatever are just taking an obvious evolutionary ways, allowed by modern technology. One five years ago, touch-screens were thick and heavy. Modern materials allowed them to be slim - and embeddable into all kind of devices. Touch-screen based keyboard is ultimate dream of any geek, but technology isn't yet advanced enough to make touchscreens that large.

[nikster @ Feb 8th 2007 5:24AM]

You know... I just wish Apple would get competition like this in the PC or mp3 player market. It would be like MS suddenly getting their heads out of their a**es and making something that actually kicks butt instead of the craptastic disappointment that is Vista. Or Creative actually producing something that doesn't look like grandpa's DAP.

But here - Apple intros iPhone, Samsung releases something at least equally cool, and in some respects better (3G!). Hell, yeah!

I will probably still go iPhone but definitely not before playing with this bad boy. Looks are iPhone-killer-worthy but if history is anything to go by Sammys user interface / software department is the beast to the hardware department's beauty.

Let's see what Nokia is going to do. As of this posting, they have nothing to compete with this.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Feb 8th 2007 9:51AM]

>> You know... I just wish Apple would get competition like this in the PC or mp3 player market.

[Jonesy @ Feb 8th 2007 6:31AM]

Reading up on other sites, this has the VibeTonz feature which lets the user feel the buttons on the touchscreen. When you press the screen it vibrates slightly which gives the screen some 'tactile' feedback.

Even though i'm based in the UK I think it's a shame Samsung couldn't get this to market in the US at the same time as the rest, would be interesting to see the iPhone has some stiff competition straight from the getgo.

[Jimmy Rivera @ Feb 8th 2007 7:07AM]

I fail to see how this is an Iphone Killer?! I mean it looks like an HTC killer if anything or at least on par with it. Not sure if thats a proprietary OS, or if its a flavor of Windows Mobile, but this looks just like HTC apache/etc etc... unless this thing is thin, or has a solid state large capacity HD, or something new to bring to the table, then its just Samsungs version of the cingular 8125/8150 w/HSDPA... and that don't mean squat.

[b0gsie @ Oct 3rd 2007 11:41PM]

you are quite stupid, are ya?
it did state that it uses Windows mobile 6, ya heard?
this unit is actually the BlackJack2. I have the original BlackJack, and that itself could kick Steve Jobs in the A$$. The BlackJack2? It's way, way over the Iphone.

[Pete @ Feb 8th 2007 7:21AM]

It's the interface that makes the iPhone special (at least to my mind), not the specs or look of the thing. I wouldn't brand this an iPhone killer until I see it in action -- the screens shown here are not at all promising.

On the other hand, it's about damn time the rest of the world got something first. I'm still waiting for xbox 360 content, iTunes movies and it looks like a really long wait for the iPhone too...

[Dorio @ Feb 8th 2007 7:39AM]

As far a s competition for the HTC, you are totally missing the fact that it has a 5MP camera with autofocus, etc! Hello, that blows away both the iPhone and the HTC and everythign else. It is the first QWERTY phone with a camera over 2mp. This is the ultimate mobile photo blogers tool that I have been waiting for. If only had 850/1900.
http://www.ThePortableLife.com

[Phoenix @ Dec 16th 2007 11:50AM]

Actually you are wrong, what about the kaiser/TyTN II/Vario III/Stellar? 3 MP

Still less, but better.

[Dorio @ Dec 16th 2007 12:15PM]

That wasn't out yet when I made the comment nearly a year ago.

[kdmaster @ Feb 8th 2007 7:40AM]

wow a single button-i wonder where they got that idea?

well it looks oretty good but i still would get an iphone for 8gb and the cool factor ( or n95!)

[morgan @ Feb 8th 2007 9:12AM]

A 5 megapixel camera doesn't mean anything if it still takes crappy pictures. Since when has the # of megapixels meant anything. If it is a good lens, then it will be sweet.

And this whole whiney iPhone comparison is sooo 1996.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Feb 8th 2007 9:59AM]

"If it is a good lens, then it will be sweet."

Second that! I was seriously interested in the N93 until I saw the sample pics. I'd buy a phone like that so I don't always have to keep my digicams or my camcorder with me to document when kid A or kid B do something cute/funny/silly/adorable.

Cameras and cellphones are a very natural convergence -- both share need for processing power, an LCD screen and rechargeable batteries.

If someone got smart and put a cell-phone inside a consumer point-n-shoot digicam (4-5mp), like Samsung seemed to be doing a while back (5, 7mp cam-phones with zoom, where are they now?), I'd buy it, bulky and all. The price *should* be less than each gadget by itself, since many components are shared -- A relatively small 6mp Canon (SD600) is only $220 retail now, a decent phone is $150... so the package could be had for

[jwer @ Feb 8th 2007 9:31AM]

I fail to see how this "jumps the shark".

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Feb 8th 2007 9:52AM]

(was supposed to be:)

" You know... I just wish Apple would get competition like this in the PC or mp3 player market. "

Where have you been? Dozens of mp3 players better/cheaper than iPod. And if you're looking at pure hardware, Apple doesn't even come close to a PC when it comes to value. Of course, Steve's Army will tell you about how their little Macs can "do everything out of the box" while you need to buy software for your PC. However, anyone with half a clue will be quick to realize that what comes with a Mac is *very* basic and to pursue anything seriously, you'll need to plunk down some money -- even for many things that can be had as Freeware or inexpensive Shareware on PCs. And once you consider the significant price-difference in the hardware, a couple of $100 software packages will still have PCs come out on top.

[nikster @ Feb 8th 2007 7:23PM]

I was talking about hardware design.

There's Apple... then there's nothing for a long time, then a little more nothing, then Sony... Asus, and lately HP, and then the rest of the ugly family.

Same thing in mp3 player market, the best anyone can come up with is something that doesn't hurt your eyes when you look at it but nowhere near the refinement of the iPod. Even the 1st gen iPod, now 5 years old, looks better than any non-iPod out there.

Like I said before, I wish it were different. At least in the mobile market it looks like they are getting some stiff competition, and I am glad for that. I didn't mention the N95 - the N95 is cool but can't compete in the looks dept. The entire N-series design is bland and boring. I have an N73, for the record.

[BT Hathaway @ Feb 8th 2007 10:18AM]

I have never gasped when I saw a phone (not even the iPhone). This one made me gasp. WOW. I WANT one.

What's the chance (slim to none I suppose) that Verizon would pick it up.

I Want This Phone!

[yayme21 @ Apr 20th 2008 1:39PM]

Actually, PhoneArena says it should release on Verizon. Praise the lord!!!

[StevO @ Feb 8th 2007 10:20AM]

I hope this device can have an integrated GPS and possibly Windows Mobile 6 (x-fingers that it won't freeze as much...) and I will be a happy camper. Although, packing in Wi-Fi (for free internet use at home or anywhere where the service is free)will add more benefit! and yeah...like many hae mentioned...should be quad-band.....lol...asking too much??

[hesh @ Feb 8th 2007 10:22AM]

Would this phone be considered a smartphone or pdaphone? That really doesn't look like WM5 or WM6. Is that a Samsung "OS" or something else?

[Thomas @ Feb 8th 2007 10:23AM]

There are some inconsistencies with the photos on the link. The calendar says its the 29th but the clock says its the 12th. Also, I don't think its possible for it to be Saturday in NY and Friday in Berlin. Earth doesn't spin that direction.

[Phoenix @ Dec 16th 2007 11:49AM]

the calender could have a a different day selected, i.e. for adding appointments...

[Jonathan Allen @ Feb 8th 2007 10:33AM]

Incredible specs! 7.2 Mpbs would never happen in the US though (even if it worked on our towers) What's the fastest now? A click over 3?

Oh Korea..... why can't you sell more of your stuff here? I promise to eat lots of kimchi if you send me one.

[Daniel Eire @ Nov 27th 2007 3:08PM]

and 3Mbps is all it offers and not 5Mgp camera but 3 storage is just under 4Gbps

[nachX @ Feb 8th 2007 10:51AM]

When will Samsung realize that their oversized logo make they really good designs look ugly! Whats wrong with them?! Do they need to make sure you know that there's a Sammy phone in your hand?

[Brian Sugarman @ Feb 8th 2007 11:26AM]

I'm so f-ing sick of phones lacking US bands. Why can't these manuafactures include 850/1900 for phone and data??? I'm just gonna pick up and move to the other side of the globe pretty soon. Also what OS is this thing running, it looks like something totally new?

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Feb 8th 2007 11:38AM]

OK, let's be honest, this phone seems to have better specs than the iPhone, no question. However, it seems that the user interface (or rather, the user experience) is inferior, although one cannot judge until after having tried both phones. User experience is key. Lastly, the Samsung is beautiful but the iPhone is even more so, at least in my opinion. And I think more moving parts (keys, slider, etc.) means faster wear and tear. So I am still looking to get the iPhone (while crossing my fingers that they will upgrade the specs before launch), but I am glad that Samsung is gonna give them worthy competition. Even Apple fanboys should be, as it will mean better iPhones sooner. There is no question that Apple is a newcomer in the mobile phone industry, while Samsung is a heavyweight. But Apple just wants 1% of the market to be happy... at least for now.