This October, Samsung is launching its new flagship for GSM networks, the D600 device, which is the direct successor to the one that has been on the market for quite some time. The announcement of the D600 took place almost simultaneously with the release of the D500 to the market, which shows that Samsung already has a well-functioning release and development system. Since the D600 is a flagship, Samsung has equipped it with a huge arsenal of functions; the device is perhaps the market leader in this regard. Naturally, comparison with the current and w800i (the strongest so far in terms of functionality on the market) cannot be avoided, since the D600 is their direct competitor. Samsung now firmly occupies the image niche, but now it is actively moving into the business segment, the segment of technocrats. And he does it well.
In addition to the device itself and the charger, the kit includes a TV-Out cord, a wired headset, a wrist strap, and, of course, a full set of instructions. The device, as you might guess, is made in a “slider” form factor. Outwardly, he is very similar to budget model, which does not add any advantages to its image component. Of course, an experienced eye will immediately distinguish between the D600 and E630 in size; the D600 is more massive, larger, and heavier. This device has a clearly more masculine slant, unlike the D500, which looked good against the backdrop of a business men's suit and in a small woman's hand. Some may consider this a plus, while others will refuse to purchase the device because of this, choosing a more compact solution. The device is equipped with an auto-finishing mechanism as in the D500, E800/E820/E850, D410 series. You just need to start opening the device, then it will expand itself. The situation is the same with closure. This mechanism It performed well, there are practically no complaints about it, it continues to be introduced by Samsung into sliders in the upper price range. The battery is immediately connected to the device, performing the role back cover, it does not have the slightest backlash. Implemented here new system fastening the battery - the latch is located at the bottom and is recessed inside, then the battery is released and removed. When installing the battery, the latch snaps back and the battery snaps firmly into place. It is worth noting that the two halves of the device have a slight play relative to themselves, but these are problems with the test sample; in Samsung's commercial samples, everything is always in order with the assembly. The display of the device is located under a special “glass” that is protected from scratches. A similar “glass” was also used in the k750i and w800i. Rear end The body of the device has a “rubberized” coating in the style of , it fits very well in the hand and does not slip. The front part below the display is made of high-quality plastic. A few words about ergonomics. The device can be used in an open or closed state, the functionality is not reduced. If in the D500, for example, the camera was located in the upper half of the device, and it was impossible to use it when closed, then here the camera is located in the lower half, so taking a photograph of something when closed is not a problem. The charging slot is tightly covered with a plug; it is attached to the body of the device and slides down. On the left side of the device there is a slot for T-flash memory cards; it is also covered with a plug attached to the body. Opening it is not a problem, so hot-swapping of memory cards in the phone is implemented perfectly. Also on the left side there are volume keys, everything is standard here. On right side There is a slot for a wired headset and a camera call/shutter button. There is a speaker on each side of the device. There is a hole at the top for a neck lanyard. The keyboard is very well made, the keys are large and well spaced. Subjectively she better keyboard in the D500, although the navigation key is recessed too deep, which sometimes causes difficulties.
The display in the device has a resolution of 240x320 pixels, 262,000 colors. If these indicators are not enough for you, then I will say that the display is simply amazing. In terms of display quality, the D600 is head and shoulders above its main competitor, the k750i and its music version, the w800i. The D600 display is extremely clear, you can see the smallest detail in every picture, the color transition is very smooth, the picture is simply pleasing to the eye. Screen fonts look great, readability is excellent. In terms of screen quality, the device is a clear leader in the market and, moreover, in its segment. Adding a fly in the ointment, let's say that the screen gives off a slight blue tint, but this is rather nit-picking. Thanks to high resolution device, a 70-character SMS fits in large font on the entire display, so you don’t have to scroll through anything. The menu in the device is drawn to match the resolution, everything is very colorful, clear, simply beautiful. A slightly new menu display system has been used here. It is implemented on a standard 3x3 grid, but as soon as you select an item, its icon enlarges by half the display and appears in all its glory. The solution is undoubtedly interesting and fashionable. However, this can be disabled and then the menu will be displayed as a normal 3x3.
Regarding the battery, the device has surpassed the D500; with very active use, the device's battery is discharged in two days, with normal use it lasts for four or more days. Most likely, a similar situation will occur in commercial samples. Sound The device is worth a separate story. It has two side speakers and supports 3D sound. To demonstrate the capabilities of the sound part of the device, in the “music” section there is an “Acoustic quality” item, where there are four demo “atmospheres”. If you listen to them in a closed, quiet room, the quality is simply mesmerizing. The 3D effect has been achieved, it seems to you that the sound is coming to you from different directions, not a single detail escapes your hearing. The device is head and shoulders above today's leader in mobile sound, . In that device there were still extraneous noise, vibrations, many sounds were cut off. The D600 gives the purest sound, just a feast for the ears. You can test several mp3 melodies on the D600, each of them will sound excellent. In general, we can say that in terms of sound quality there is a new leader on the market, and this is not unfounded.
The Samsung SGH-D500 model was a kind of breakthrough among Samsung devices, as evidenced by the characteristics of the handset and numerous positive reviews users. Less than a year has passed since the company released its next model? Samsung SGH-D600. The device has a 2 megapixel camera, bluetooth module, map support T-Flash memory, and looks very similar to its predecessor: the same stylish black slider, only less potbellied. In addition to the obvious differences, there are also some that are less noticeable at first glance? both in the interface and in work. There are many pleasant improvements, but if you ask the question: is it worth changing the 500 to the D600??, you can’t immediately give a definite answer. Let's try to figure this out...
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Design
The D600 model is made in a "slider" form factor? The company has a lot of devices of this type: D500 (and its version D500E), E800/820, D720, E630, etc. Does the auto-finishing mechanism work for everyone? automatic opening after some initial shift. Does this device have an opening/closing mechanism that works very well? no squeaks, rustles, jams or the like. In general, you can receive and make calls without opening the handset. To make it convenient to open the device, there is a metal bracket (with the Samsung inscription apparently engraved)? finger rest. Is it true that if you press hard, the navigation key (up) is almost always pressed? This is perhaps the only not entirely pleasant point regarding the design.
The material used in the body of the device is plastic: matte (feels like hard rubber) black on the back panel, and glossy on the display outline, as well as anthracite along the contours of the keyboard and sides. In general, the device is made of high quality, there is no play or loose parts, but when talking, the case creaks slightly. The dimensions of the D600 are quite compact: 96x46x21 mm, 95 g. This handset is comfortable to talk with and does not weigh down your hand. Is the phone generally very pleasant to use? we are talking exactly pleasant, but not convenient: questions of convenience are purely personal, and everyone is able to solve them for themselves if there are no obvious ones? (general type) inconvenience.
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Display
The device's display is made using TFT technology, is capable of displaying 256 K (262,144) colors and has a resolution of 320x240 (QVGA). In terms of picture quality, the display should be recognized as one of the best: bright, vibrant colors, barely noticeable pixels and a very clear picture. We had two samples for testing: a prototype and a commercial version. To our regret, we discovered a greater whitishness of the flowers on the commercial sample. However, perhaps this is a sign of one party, and nothing more.
The device menu is a matrix of 9 icons, with 2 types of presentation: “block” - well-drawn animated pictures, and a flash menu? - much larger highlighted items, and the rest are moved to the edges. The second menu option slows down a bit. Internal menu items are presented in a standard way - vertical scrolling of the available options, digital navigation is available.
Are there 2 color schemes? blue and red. In principle, it’s a bit of a pity that the number of schemes was reduced to two. Both, of course, are very nicely drawn, without any special color refinements for colorblind people, but still there is not enough choice. And for aesthetes there is a very interesting setting - choosing the size and color of the numbers, as well as the background color when dialing a number. Themes not supported? Samsung has not yet introduced this for its devices.
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Interface
The device's keyboard is standard for slider models: a block of control and letter keys are located on different surfaces. The control buttons are represented by a 5-position key, the various deviations of which in standby mode activate user-configured functions, and in the center is a confirmation key (function? OK?), which activates the wap browser in standby mode. Around it there are soft keys united along the contour, buttons for receiving and rejecting calls, as well as the ?C? key. (erasing a character, deleting, etc.).
Classic alphanumeric block - 4 rows of 3 keys. The keys are pressed quite tightly against each other, so to eliminate pressing of adjacent ones when typing, the manufacturer has provided grooves. between adjacent rows. The entire unit is noticeably recessed into the body and has a small stroke, which makes pressing slightly tight. The problem with many sliders? inconvenient pressing of buttons?1?,?2? and ?3? because of their close location to the top panel? here it is expressed very weakly. The keyboard backlight is white, uniform and moderately bright.
Let's look at the ends of the device and the side edges: on the left there is a volume rocker and a compartment for TransFlash (microSD) cards, covered with a non-removable and rotating (which is very convenient) plastic plug. On the right is the camera shutter button and a connector for connecting a headset and TV cable, protected by a movable curtain (as in the D500 model). At the bottom there is a standard interface connector, covered with a plastic plug on rubber feet. And finally, at the top we see a hole for attaching a strap or cord. Holes for a music speaker? two: one on each side.
The rear panel of the device is the back of the battery, not counting the block that the camera occupies, surrounded by a flash and a mirror. The battery is mounted on 2 grooves in the top recess of the case and an impressive bracket at the bottom: even with this type of fastening, it has no play, and is very easy to remove and install.
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Messages
The messaging service is presented in full: here you can find SMS, MMS (up to 295 KB) and E-mail (receiving/sending letters up to 300 KB). Initially, when you select the item ?new message? the user is prompted to select the type of message and then begin editing. For quick input, a T9 dictionary is provided (learning dictionary).
The "My Messages" item contains incoming, draft, outgoing, sent messages, as well as access to your email inbox. Message templates are empty by default and the user is prompted to add up to 10 frequently used phrases, while templates for MMS already have 12 phrases, such as “question”, “thank you”, etc. The item also contains settings for all types of messages and the current state of the message memory. Is there also a kind of archive? ?My folder?. Mailboxes You can create up to five pieces, the mail for each of them will be stored in a separate folder. With encodings inside messages? is standard, but only understands Unicode in headers.
Is EMS supported? Pictures, animations and ringtones in short messages, as well as changing text style, letter size and alignment. Changing text and background colors is not supported.
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Memory and data transfer
The browser supports WAP version 2.0, and is presented, as usual, as a separate item in the main menu, although it can also be accessed by pressing the center navigation key. Internet access available CSD connections and GPRS (class 10). In terms of content, these are standard options: bookmarks, go to address, clear cache and settings. Very easy to use, one of the most convenient.
The D600 is another Bluetooth phone from Samsung. Among the Bluetooth services, the device supports: wireless headsets, transferring files and objects, printing, as well as access to the network. During testing, the device was tested with a desktop PC, a Bluetooth headset, a PDA with a Bluetooth module and other devices: there were no complaints about the operation, the device was correctly seen by devices, allowed to be added to the list of visible ones, and transmitted data correctly. Is there a function to view files? - allows you to see (and download to your phone) files in shared folders on a device connected to the D600 via BT. In general, considering that the D600 does not have an IR port (in the place where it was on the D500, there is now a slot for memory cards), the correct operation of the Bluetooth module cannot but rejoice.
For communication with a desktop PC (synchronization with MS Outlook, content transfer, etc.), the manufacturer offers Samsung program PC Studio, which is quite convenient and works very well. Compared to previous Samsung programs for connecting to a PC, this one? like heaven and earth. The program works with the phone both via a USB cable and via Bluetooth. By the way, two more options are planned for using the cable: the first? strictly for transferring files (the connected phone is defined as a disk drive), the second? work with the phone as with some digital cameras (the connected phone is defined as a digital camera). To switch modes, there is an item in the menu? USB Settings?.
The device's internal content manager provides access to downloaded data, sorted into appropriate folders. Images, videos, music, sounds and other files are available. Are there items within content-centric folders that allow you to speed up working with a specific type of data? very comfortably. Speed of memory explorer? average.
In addition, the item is provided with information about the current state of memory and the occupied space of each component. Is everything done quite conveniently and clearly? in contrast to all sorts of percentage types of memory representation. The total memory capacity of the device is about 90 MB, not counting the capacity of the memory card.
Samsung SGH-D600:: Review:: Multimedia
Item?Appendices? here consists of organizer and entertainment applications lumped together, and includes such items as:
- Mp3 player
- Dictaphone
- Graphics editor
- JAVA applications
- World time
- Calculator
- Converter
- Timer
- Stopwatch
The last 2 points are clear: support for “circles” and work in the background, respectively, and we’ll dwell on the rest in more detail. The MP3 player has a rather interesting interface and a visual equalizer. Among the settings, I will note the possibility of repeating, setting up playlists (you can use 4 playlists in total? Here they are called “albums?”), random playback and equalizer selection (only customized modes). Control is carried out by the main key of the device, due to which you can listen to music even when the device is closed. But here background mode no work: close the player? the music starts playing. The recorder visually resembles an MP3 player, supports up to 60 minutes of recording, but, unfortunately, does not work during a conversation.
Built-in graphics editor will allow the user to edit the captured photographic material. Available options:
- Effects (black and white, negative, sepia, blur, sharp, solarize, polarize and sketch)
- Possibility of changing contrast and illumination, as well as white balance.
- Transform and rotate a photo
- Inserting frames, emotions and downloaded clip art
Thus, everything that you didn’t have time to do or forgot to do when shooting can be obtained in the Image editor.
Item?JAVA applications? - access to applications written in JAVA language. By default, the device has 3 games: Forgotten Warior (adventure game), Freekick (scoring a goal), Arch Angel (space flying game), but the user can always expand the set, because memory for JAVA applications - 4MB.
Table ?JAVA? Samsung SGH-D600 |
|
| Characteristics | |
| Platform | MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 |
| Tests | |
| JBenchmark 1.1.1 |
(Display - 240x286) 1324; Text/341, 2D/335, 3D/215, FillRate/156, Animation/277 |
| JBenchmark 2.1.1 |
(Display - 240x286) 116; Image/72, Text/168, Sprites/127, 3D/138, UI/97 |
| Installation of new | WAP |
| Memory | Up to 4 MB in phone memory |
World time? will be useful for travelers: the function will show home time and time in the selected country or city. ?Signal? includes 3 alarms, customizable for the days they are triggered, and a setting for auto-shutdown of the device.
The device's calculator is quite simple, supports the most basic actions and is controlled by the main key, but it is assisted by a unit converter that supports conversions of currencies, lengths, weights, volume, area and temperature.
The musical capabilities of the device are impressive: in addition to supporting MP3 (and AAC) for calls, the device is capable of reproducing 64-tone polyphony (only MIDI, and MMF is not supported). In addition to this, the D600 is equipped with a fairly powerful vibration alert.
Premium design, a sleek sliding design and a full range of features make the D600 the ultimate business tool. The 2.0 megapixel camera of the D600 allows you to take high-quality pictures with a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. These characteristics are enough to print photographs in the usual size of 10x15. For achievement High Quality images and viewing comfort The D600 is equipped with a large TFT display with 262,144 colors and a resolution of 240x320 pixels.
MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Nutrition
Battery capacity: 950 mAh Battery type: Li-Ion Talk time: 3 h Standby time: 220 hAdditional Information
Features: video recording up to an hour; semi-automatic opening; Announcement date: 2005-03-10 Sales start date: 2005-06-01 Equipment: telephone, Charger, standard battery, wired headset, cable for synchronization with PC, CD with software, instructionsGeneral characteristics
Type: phone Weight: 95 g Control: navigation key Case type: slider Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 46x96x21 mm SIM card type: regularScreen
Screen type: color TFT, 262.14 thousand colors Image size: number of lines - 13, 320x240Calls
Type of melodies: 64-voice polyphony, MP3 melodies Vibrate alert: yes Number of melodies: 30Multimedia capabilities
Camera: 2 million pixels, 1600x1200, led flash Camera functions: digital Zoom 4x Video recording: yes (3GP, MPEG4) Audio: MP3 Voice recorder: 60 min Headphone jack: yes Max. video frame rate: 24 fps Games: yes Java applications: yesConnection
Interfaces: Bluetooth, USB Access to the Internet: WAP 2.0, GPRS Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900 Synchronization with a computer: yes Modem: yes Protocol support: POP/SMTP, HTMLMemory and processor
Number of processor cores: 1 Built-in memory capacity: 72 MB Memory card slot: yes, up to 1 GBMessages
Additional functions SMS: text input with dictionary, message templates MMS: yes EMS: yesOther features
Speakerphone(built-in speaker): yes A2DP profile: yes Auto redial: yes Audio indication of talk time: yes Audio coding modes HR, FR, EFR: yesNotebook and organizer
Organizer: alarm clock, calculator, task planner Notebook in the device: 1000 numbers Direct (flash) dialing: 9 numbers| Screen | |
|---|---|
| Screen | TFT |
| Diagonal | 2 " |
| Color rendition | 262000 colors |
| Permission | 240 x 320 pixels |
| Memory | |
| Built-in memory | 88 MB |
| Call and multimedia | |
| FM tuner | No |
| Data transfer | |
| Bluetooth | |
| WiFi | 19307 |
| Email client | |
| GPRS | Class 12 |
| MMS | |
| Camera and video | |
| Number of pixels | 2 million pixels |
| Permission | 1600 x 1200 |
| Battery | |
| Talk mode | 3 hours |
| Standby mode | 220 h |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Width | 46.5 mm |
| Height | 96 mm |
| Thickness | 21.5 mm |
| Weight | 99 g |
D600 test: the long-awaited sequel from Samsung
The market popularity of the Samsung D500 business slider gave every reason to assume that the Koreans would make an attempt to repeat the success. And so it happened: new model, D600, retained the main features of its predecessor, while gaining expanded functionality.At the end of last year, we wrote about the new Samsung SGH-D500 phone, in fact the first product of this brand that claims to belong to the business class. The level of functionality unusual for Korean phones really made this model interesting and attractive to buyers.
Since then, the D500 has turned out to be an even more successful model than we expected. And today this phone is one of the most functional Korean-made products; competitors, in most cases, are just beginning to approach its level of equipment. The D500 became the ancestor of a whole host of products on the same software and hardware platform, but in different form factors and design options. These moves by Samsung were so strong that competitors today can only oppose a whole series of its products with single models with similar functionality, and in the emerging multimedia phone market, a significant share almost automatically goes to Samsung. An unprecedentedly rapid price reduction for this company (from less than $600 during the skimming period to $350 now - despite the fact that sales began in November 2004, that is, in ten months) made this slider also popular. Related models such as the E720, E730, E530 make a fairly significant contribution (especially the latter) to the overall sales of phones based on the new Suwon platform, and several more interesting products based on it are on the way, featuring a number of additional functions.
Samsung presented a replacement for the D500 a little faster than we expected. This is also a very smart move: having raised the level of equipment for Korean-made models, the company immediately raises it again, to a height even more difficult to achieve for competitors.
What Samsung really masters is the exploitation of the principle of model continuity. The company very clearly distinguishes strengths of their products, and once discovered, will repeat and develop them, extracting maximum benefit for themselves. The SGH-D600 uses absolutely all the successful developments of the previous model: form factor, auto-finishing system, design, color scheme, successful innovations in the software, etc.
The specifications of the D600 are amazing. There is a 2-megapixel camera, a screen with a resolution of 320×240 pixels, and support external memory. In general, the phone looks cutting-edge and seems to be an order of magnitude better than its predecessor. Is it really?
Design and Construction
Samsung SGH-D600 is a medium-sized slider. Compared to the D500, it is somewhat larger in plan (especially in height), but its thickness is at least no greater - at least, due to the increased frontal dimensions and flat profile, the D600 seems thinner than the somewhat “bloated” D500. The geometric solutions of these two models, with the exception of the indicated differences, are very similar, the same design idea is used, the continuity in the appearance of the models can be traced very well. 
The slider design is slightly different from that of the D500. The base of the sliding module, visible from the rear when opened, is not metal, but plastic; only two circular guides are made of iron, along which the slider moves during opening. As in previous Samsung models in this form factor, there is an auto-finishing mechanism that independently completes the movement started by the user. In both directions, the slider needs to be moved only halfway, overcoming the resistance of the spring (however, not very strong), then the phone opens itself. There is practically no play in the design; the minimum movement with a rotating force applied to the sliding part in the horizontal plane is either design feature mechanism (the sliding units in this case move along the guides at different distances), or will be eliminated when additional settings assembly machines after the release of the first series. Other parts are calculated and fitted perfectly, the joints are thin, almost invisible. The quality of the plastic is very high.
The phone is available in only one color option - black. Unlike the D500, most of the body panels are matte, with a velvety, pleasant-to-touch finish, although harder than, say, the Motorola V535 or Samsung SGH-E760. The overlay on the screen has a glossy surface, while the keys have a semi-glossy surface, which is typical for plastic. The phone looks solid and noble, its appearance is enlivened to the required extent by inserts of metal and plastic, finished in chrome.
Under the screen, where the D500 had a rubber threshold for resting your finger when opening the case, there is a relief metal insert that has the same purpose. It copes with its duties somewhat worse, since it is smoother and slippery. So working with the opening mechanism in the new model is somewhat more difficult. The pressure on the joystick is quite high, which periodically leads to unnecessary clicks.
The keyboard in the D600 is the same as in the D500, and in almost any other Samsung. The digital group is located on the base unit; the buttons in it are installed together, but have a convex profile, although not high due to the limitations imposed by the slider design. The keyboard is quite easy to use, the buttons are confident, typing is fast enough, but, like all phones of this kind, the keyboard is not fully suitable for touch typing. IN management group includes a four-way joystick with a built-in confirmation key, a pair of soft keys, call and end buttons, and an erase key. All of them are quite large, so that they are easily distinguishable tactilely, but the shape and ratio of the forces of pressing the joystick and the C key are not very well chosen - sometimes the erase button is pressed instead of the downward direction, which can be very inappropriate. However, this does not happen often, so this shortcoming is quite forgivable.
In addition to the main keyboard, the phone is equipped with a rocking volume key on the left side of the base unit and a Photo button on the right. Both buttons have good shape, pressing force, and are quite convenient to use.
The phone is equipped with a T-Flash expansion slot (TransFlash, microSD), located on the left side of the base unit, at the bottom. The slot is closed with a plastic cover on a retractable flexible “axis” at the lower end. The lid opens and closes without problems and holds well. You can hot-swap memory cards without turning off the phone's power.
The two-megapixel camera lens is located on the back side of the base unit, on the sides of it there are LED lights(“flash”) and a convex mirror for self-portrait photography. The lens is not protected in any way, and is located in a small recess, so it is susceptible to both scratches and dust accumulation. But the biggest problem is that it is constantly under your finger while the phone is being held in your hand. This means an additional (and impressive) portion of contamination, and also the fact that when shooting, your fingers constantly get into the frame, you have to specially ensure that you are holding the phone correctly. The camera placement in the upper part of the sliding block used in the D500 was much more successful in all respects.
The Samsung D600 has stereo speakers for playing ringtones. We have already written more than once that with such a stereo base, the spatial sound effect is minimal, but the very fact of having two fairly powerful speakers directed at an angle to each other means improved audibility of a polyphonic call: two speakers, as a rule, are not simultaneously covered by clothing or material bags.
The connector for connecting a stereo headset with a new flat plug is located on the right side of the base unit and is closed by a sliding plastic curtain located on the inside of the case. At the bottom end there is a connector for connecting a charger and a data cable, covered with a plug on a retractable loop made of flexible plastic. 
Samsung SGH-D600 is equipped with a new generation screen, with a slightly larger diagonal than the D500, it has a resolution of 320x240 pixels. At first glance, the display makes a stunning impression - the picture is absolutely smooth, the pixels are invisible to the naked eye. Photographic screensavers look no worse than those printed on glossy paper. The color balance is very accurate, brightness and contrast are high. The screen is slightly smaller than the display installed in Sony Ericsson S700i, and at the same time significantly benefits from image quality; the competitor’s image is grainier, less bright and saturated. Like all Samsung displays, the matrix in the D600 does not have a transreflective structure, so it gradually dims in the sun, although the high absolute value of brightness allows you to “interrupt” solar illumination in almost any weather, except for cloudless weather.
The phone is equipped lithium-ion battery, in the Samsung tradition, made in one piece with the battery compartment cover. It is secured with hooks at the top and a snap button at the bottom. The key is located at the bottom end of the case and is pressed quite easily, so there are no difficulties in disassembling the device.
Menu and functions
Let's note right away: the Samsung SGH-D600 is based on the same software platform as the D500, there are no fundamental changes in functionality. Only support for the capabilities provided by new hardware components has been added; there have also been changes in the phone interface. It is the latter that constitute the main software difference between the D600 and its predecessor; the updates are aimed at improving the ease of use of the phone. 
The main menu is a two-dimensional 3x3 matrix of icons, which is navigated using a joystick. Horizontal scrolling is line-by-line cyclical (with a transition to the next/previous line when reaching the extreme point in a row), vertically - circular. The menu structure is similar to that used in the D500; the differences between them are purely cosmetic. Works in the main menu fast control, it is all the more convenient because the arrangement of the icons corresponds to the key layout.
Nested text menus are one-dimensional, navigation in them is carried out by vertical movement of the joystick, but in most cases an additional option is added to them - the ability to directly move to adjacent items of a higher level using the horizontal movement of the joystick. In the D500, this option was indicated by symbols in the menu name, but here there is no such indication; the option is already well known enough that there is no need for such a reminder. Nested menus also have quick navigation; all items are numbered, so it’s easy to navigate. 
The phone is equipped extended address book, designed to store 1000 records. Each of them is signed with the subscriber’s first and last name, which are entered separately in two different fields - First Name and Last Name. Next, you can enter 3 phone numbers (mobile, home, work), a fax number, another number (Etc field), e-mail address, an individual ringtone, a picture displayed on the screen for an incoming call, group membership and a text note ( Here you can enter, for example, a postal address). Entries from the phone memory and SIM card are displayed in a single list. There are also a few extra nice touches, including choosing a default action when saving a new contact.
The D600's contact list displays not only the sequence of names, but also the default number for each one. This display method first appeared on the E720, the second phone on the new Suwon platform.
Entries in the address book can be sorted by first and last name, the desired option can be selected in the menu Phone book -> Settings.
The contacts menu, called up by the right soft key from the standby mode, now only serves to view and search for subscribers and related operations. Full control is carried out from the main menu.
From the contact context menu, you can immediately make a voice call to the selected number, send SMS or MMS, and also transfer the contact via Bluetooth, or as part of SMS messages, MMS or e-mail.
The address book capabilities in the new model, in general, remained at the same level; Samsung considered them sufficient for the modern user. In general, this is how it is, today’s users are moderately demanding about the details of their address book; 3-5 numbers and a couple of additional fields are quite enough for them. Those for whom this is not enough, as a rule, when choosing from the very beginning, reject traditional phones, focusing on smartphones and communicators.
Menu Call log has not undergone any special changes - it contains a register of calls broken down by type.
Menu Phone book allows you to view the list of contacts and perform operations with them, as well as perform other actions with the address book; here there are options for adding new contacts, setting group properties, speed dialing, designing the owner’s business card, etc.
On the menu Applications collected utilities for business and entertainment purposes. 
MP3 player- software player for music files in MP3 format. The phone allows you to play music in MP3 and MP3Pro formats with constant (including the maximum - 320 kbps) and variable bitrate. From the files available in memory, you can create a playlist with a given order of playing songs, which, however, cannot be saved, imported or exported. You can listen to music both on your phone speakers and using a stereo headset. In general, the functionality of the player is the same as in the previous generation models. 
Dictaphone allows you to record audio fragments of a predetermined maximum duration - 1 hour or for transmission via MMS (with a file size limitation). Of course, you can interrupt recording at any time, so the optimal setting is hourly. Unfortunately for professional use The voice recorder is not very suitable, the 1 hour limit still prevents the recording of long interviews, lectures, etc. The voice recorder does not work during a conversation. 
Image Editor - new program, which allows you to perform simple operations with drawings - applying pre-programmed effects, cropping, geometric transformations, color correction, changing brightness and contrast. If you have a good screen, these functions can allow you to quickly correct the photo. The program's capabilities are optimal for the device on which it runs: drawing functions, which are difficult to use due to control and screen limitations, are not here, but automatic filters are very easy to use, and the result of their work is clearly visible on the D600's screen. 
Java World- access to Java programs installed on the phone. Initially, it contains three games - the 3D arcade flying game ArchAngel, the platform arcade game Forgotten Warrior, and the penalty shootout simulator Freekick. All games are made to a very high standard high level, and the first two also have very good playability, so they are quite interesting. Attentive readers have already realized that the content of the games in the D500 and D600 is the same, but in the new model they are all redrawn for high screen resolution, which adds to their attractiveness. 
World time- a world time clock with a traditional graphic display of your destination and quite normal functionality. The applet is exactly the same as in the D500. 
Signal- an alarm clock that allows you to program three signals, each of which can be one-time or repeated, repetition in turn can be either daily or on specified days of the week. The D600 has a slightly redesigned alarm clock programming interface; it has become more convenient. 
Calculator- a traditional Samsung calculator, quite simple, but allowing you to calculate the value of expressions in brackets. The interface has been redrawn once again. 
The physical unit converter allows you to convert values of currencies, length, weight, volume, area and temperature. The applet's capabilities have not changed, there is only an error in the Russian translation of the item Length, it is called Duration instead of Length. 
Timer- simple countdown timer. 
Stopwatch- also very easy to use. A special feature of this implementation is the ability to store 4 intermediate values in memory.
WAP browser- the content of this paragraph corresponds exactly to the title. WAP 2.0 supported. Everything here is standard and works without problems. 
Menu Messages contains commands for working with messages and setting their parameters. The phone supports SMS, MMS and e-mail. 
Paragraph Dispatcher previously called Funbox. It contains browsers for photos, videos, MP3 files, ring tones, as well as an applet for determining the degree of memory load with data various types. In each case, the selected file can be viewed or played using the appropriate program, which is called automatically. 
Menu Organizer opens access to the calendar organizer. In the D500 this element was significantly modified; in the D600 it migrated unchanged. When selecting this item, you must first determine the calendar viewing mode - monthly, weekly and daily - and only then the program will display the desired table. Modes can also be changed directly while working with the calendar using the context menu. The total number of reminders has been increased to 400, but they can still be of four types ( Schedule- a simple reminder, Anniversary- works once a year, Task- the record includes a completion mark, Other- unclassified reminders). IN new version platform, private restrictions on the number of reminders of each type have been removed - recall that previously it was possible to save 25 reminders of each type (100 in total), but now the ratio of the number of notes can be arbitrary. 
Menu Camera includes options for working with the built-in camera. Let us remind you that the phone has a built-in camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels, it allows you to record both static photos and videos. In viewfinder mode, immediately after switching on, in addition to the image, the current resolution, flash mode, and sensor sensitivity value are displayed in the camera’s field of view. After a couple of seconds they disappear from the screen. Using the joystick, you can adjust the exposure (horizontal deflection), digital zoom (vertical deflection, does not work at maximum resolution), and with the side scroller you can turn on the mirror image of the image relative to the vertical axis - the horizontal “flip” has been removed as unnecessary.
The following options are available from the shooting settings. Setting the shooting mode allows you to choose a single or continuous exposure (in series of 6, 9 or 15 frames with normal or high speed), as well as the “mosaic” mode, in which a sequence of frames with the same parameters is shot, from which you can subsequently stitch together an image of a larger size than the camera resolution allows. This mode is expanded in the D 600; you can shoot a simple two-dimensional array of 2x2 or 3x3 frames, or randomly arranged views, from which you can then create an artistic composition. You can also enable or disable automatic saving of the captured frame. If desired, you can set the use of artistic effects (black and white shooting, negative, sepia, relief, hand-drawn sketch, shooting in blue or brown tones, as well as with imitation fog), artistic frames (30 options), timer shooting and flash mode ( constant light, triggered when the shutter is released, off). From additional options you can select the resolution (UXGA 1600×1200 pixels, megapixel 1152×864, SVGA 800×600, VGA 640×480, QVGA 320×240, full screen 320×240 pixels or for the screen saver 240×180 pixels), the degree of JPEG compression ( 4 gradations), viewfinder display mode (window size and display of various service elements), night mode, metering method (matrix, center-weighted, spot), white balance (auto, daylight, incandescent and fluorescent, cloudy, sunset), matrix sensitivity (auto, ISO 100, 200, 400). Service settings Allows you to select a shutter sound (5 options), a zoom sound, a signal for brightness, and a default name for new frames. As you can see, the set of settings is quite impressive, it has expanded slightly compared to the D500, but the changes are almost all cosmetic.
In movie mode, the viewfinder displays the same data, just arranged differently, and the same adjustments are possible. The same set of artistic effects is available, a timer with a delay of the start of shooting up to 10 s, flash operating modes (here only the on or off state). The video can be shot in normal mode (without duration limitation), or with a size limit corresponding to the size limit of the MMS message. The resolution can be 352×288, 176×144 or 128×96 pixels, and you can also choose one of four quality gradations.
The videos look quite decent; the white balance and exposure parameters are determined more or less correctly. The phone provides smooth images and sufficient high frequency personnel changes. However, the quality of the recorded sound leaves much to be desired.
Also from the menu Camera You can access photo and video browsers. 
Finally on the menu Settings you can set the date and time, phone settings, display, sound signals, network services and data transfer. Bluetooth control is also carried out here. Using this interface, you can not only connect your phone to a PC or wireless headset hands-free, but also directly receive and transfer files between the D500 and any devices that support OBEX. If a connection is established, the phone can view the structure of folders on the target device that are open to public access, and download files from there in playable formats. To transfer information, you can use the option Forward -> via Bluetooth, which appears in context menu when viewing files in the phone's photo, video or audio browser.
The phone has about 80 MB of memory available, it is distributed dynamically. In addition to this, TransFlash expansion cards are supported, the maximum capacity of which today is 256 MB, and 512 MB modules are being prepared for release.
The SGH-D600 has two more interesting opportunities, not included in the description of menu items that I would like to dwell on in more detail. 
The first innovation is the Picsel File Viewer application, which allows you to view files from MS Office applications and other computer formats on your phone. Individual applets in this package work with XLS, WMF, TXT, PPT, PNG, PDF, JPG, GIF, DOC, BMP and AGIF. The programs are not called up as separate applications from the menu, but are automatically turned on if you try to open a document of the appropriate format from the file browser. The application is not perfect yet, the biggest problems are the size of the phone screen (its resolution for viewing documents can be considered minimally sufficient, but the size is too small, texts are very often not readable) and the limited capabilities of enlarging images in the program. For now, it only makes it possible to visually determine what is approximately in a file, for example, received by e-mail as an attachment. However, the feature is very interesting, precisely from the point of view of the business use of the phone, so it is likely that it will be further developed in future Samsung models. 
The second innovation is the display of images on the TV screen; for this, a corresponding cable is supplied with the phone. It is designed to be connected to a headset jack, and not to an information jack, as one might assume, and is equipped with three tulip-type connectors, which allows you to transmit stereo sound to your TV. In TV connection mode, the phone behaves like a digital camera - the image on the display disappears, and a regular phone desktop appears on the TV screen, which can be controlled in the usual way via keys. This feature is extremely useful for quickly viewing captured photos and video clips, as well as for playing games. However, this was not without some problems. The system for outputting a signal to TV has a number of errors, because of this the performance of the interface is reduced, and in some cases freezes or errors occur in the display of the picture. Video can be played on full size TV screen (this is really impressive), but photos cannot be viewed in this form, their format is limited to the virtual phone display. The same applies to games that do not run in mode full screen. However, this is the first time such a feature has been implemented, so some shortcomings are quite acceptable, and besides, this function has many more advantages.
Impressions and conclusions
Samsung SGH-D600 provides normal call quality, and the speaker power is also quite sufficient. On a full battery charge, the phone lasts up to four days with not a very large number of conversations.
64-voice polyphony sounds loud and pleasant, stereo speakers significantly improve audibility. The vibration alert is very strong, with an average frequency and a very large amplitude of vibrations, felt on all surfaces of the case. In our sample, the slider mechanism made a strong rattling sound when the vibration alert was turned on.
From a technical point of view, Samsung very cleverly used the boxing principle of “hit - add” when releasing the D600. With the release of the D500, it seriously declared itself as a serious player in the functional class, and after the D600 model it lays claim to the title of technological leader. In the D500, the main area of improvement was the software part, the capabilities of which were brought into line with the requirements of the time and users. Now these requirements have not yet changed, and the D600 is actually an implementation of the same software platform on new hardware. As a result, not a single Korean phone currently has such capabilities; direct competitors simply have nothing to oppose the D600, and among other GSM phones of popular brands in our country, only the Sony Ericsson K750/W800 can successfully compete with it. And even then, in a number of parameters, the Samsung phone is stronger - it has better screen, wider possibilities for working with documents, and the function of displaying images on TV is unique and at times really useful.
The weakest point of the D600 can only be called the ergonomics of the camera; any intensive photographic practice reveals poor placement of the lens, due to which it is quite possible to lose interesting shots - either due to direct contact with fingers, or due to flesh-colored reflexes from the skin .
We can expect very high popularity of the Samsung SGH-D600 even at fairly high prices ($600-700 at launch, $500-550 in the first months of sales). The phone is quite justifiable as a replacement for the D500 - the improved camera, memory card support and a significantly better screen are sufficient arguments for this. However, it is most preferable in cases where it is necessary to replace a functional-image or business phone of previous generations, especially if the previous model belonged to the “Far Eastern” school. It is noteworthy that the D600 is the best option for an upgrade from Nokia products - in this case, switching to Sony Ericsson products means a sharp and rather painful “breaking” of established habits in working with the phone, and Samsung provides a management style more similar to Nokia. Of course, the recently announced Nokia sliders can give the D600 very serious competition, but it will still be some time before they go on sale.
As we have already said, there is only one direct competitor to the Samsung SGH-D600 - Sony Ericsson K750/W800. If we talk about the K750, it is cheaper, in some cases it is more functional (this concerns voice dialing, the ability to control a computer via Bluetooth, convenient and fast data transfer to a PC, an autofocus camera), but the D600 can boast best screen, the ability to connect to a TV and more convenient control. In the near future, these models will divide different market segments among themselves without direct competition - the mass segment will go to the K750, the image-status segment to the D600, and the music segment to the W800. The emergence of new models with similar characteristics, primarily from Nokia, will spur competition and will likely change the market situation. However, all this is still in the relatively distant future.
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