First things first… THAT is NOT a picture of the Samsung SGH C210! Please visit the samsung.co.in website to see the actual phone before reading this review; this is a stunningly compact and subtly stylish instrument. This candy-bar phone is just a shade longer than your credit card, way thinner, and only slightly heavier!
Within these pocket-friendly dimensions, Samsung’s engineers have managed to fit a very ergonomic keypad (I stand six feet, with fingers to match!) and a high-quality 65K color screen. The central four-way navi key supports shortcuts and the entire menu is numbered (reminded me of my old friend, the Nokia 3310) for easy access to your favourite functions. The C210 also feels built to last; I had half-expected a creaking plastic fascia, yet my grey and black phone has a reassuring solid feel to it.
Sound quality and signal reception have been great—I have used this phone at speeds of up to 100 kmph on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and it has not let me down. The Samsung even gives me a clear signal in my bedroom, a place where I have seen many phones loose all interest in staying connected to the network.
The C210 is also tri-band enabled, which means you can use this nifty phone with any GSM-supported network around the globe. In addition, Samsung has provided users with generous phonebook (up to 200 numbers) and SMS (storage for 1000 messages) memories. Basic functions like an alarm, calender, GPRS, etc. are all there.
Of course, for a market price below 4K, please don’t expect cameras of any kind. But do you really need one in your phone? It may be a better deal to buy a dedicated mega-pixel camera with the money you save by choosing this value-for-money marvel.
Six months into the ownership experience, I can confidently say that this is the first non-Nokia phone I’ve owned that does not make me nostalgic for my out-dated 3310.
From me, that is high praise indeed.