Samsung G800 3G Phone Overview
Expected UK Release Date: AvailableKey Features
3G HSDPA Technology
Bluetooth® A2DP Technology
5 Megapixel Camera with 3 x Optical Zoom & Xenon Flash
2.4 Inch TFT 262 Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Stereo FM Radio
160 Mbytes plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Option
Our Summary
The G800 is a luxurious & sophisticated 3G camera phone which comes with a tactile slide opening system, good quality features & technologies. The Samsung G800 comes with a large 2.4 Inch colour screen, FM radio, music player & an amazing 5 megapixel camera complete with two flash options.
The above ratings are average figures, which have been generated from submitted mobile phone reviews.
Samsung G800 3G Phone Review
The built in camera lens is situated on the back of the handset & comes with a protective lens cover which covers the lens when it is not in use to avoid damage & scratches occurring on the lens. The camera is a 5 megapixel camera feature complete with 3 x optical zoom which is a high quality zoom which provides a beautifully clear zoom for the user to enjoy. The camera comes with a xenon flash & an auto focus which makes the photo results so clear & well focused for the user when they are taking a shot. The user will find that the camera features on their new Samsung G800 are as good if not better than their standard digital camera, it truly provides impressive results. The camera feature allows the user to record moving video footage as well as capturing still photos with their 5 megapixel camera. The G800 comes with photo & video setting which allow the user to capture & record just the way they want to.



The built in phone book supports up to one thousand entries which will suit most business or personal user's demands. The G800 comes with a SMS text messaging service complete with predictive text for easy text messaging. The user can create & send a MMS multimedia message to any MMS compatible contact which can contain either a photo or video recording complete with text & sound. The phone comes with an email service which allows the user to stay in contact with the office, their business contacts, family or friends using their mobile email service. The Samsung G800 comes with a music player & FM radio feature which allows the user to enjoy all their favourite music when they are on the move. The user can change their ringtones & alerts to suit their personal taste & the phone supports MP3 ringtones. The user can enjoy mobile printing, document viewing & handsfree talking using the handsfree speaker phone feature. The Samsung G800 will attract both business & personal mobile phone users who like a bit of style in their life & want to capture their memories perfectly on this high quality camera phone.
Samsung G800 Specifications & Features
Screen
2.4 Inch TFT 262 Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
5 Megapixel Camera
3 x Optical Zoom
Xenon Flash
Auto Focus
Camera Settings
Video Player
Video Record
Video Streaming
Wallpapers
Screensavers
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Email
Predictive Text
Sound
Music Player
Stereo FM Radio
Polyphonic & MP3 Ringtones
Downloadable Ringtones
Vibration Alert
Entertainment
Java™ Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
2.4 Inch TFT 262 Colour Screen (240 x 320 Pixels)
Imaging
5 Megapixel Camera
3 x Optical Zoom
Xenon Flash
Auto Focus
Camera Settings
Video Player
Video Record
Video Streaming
Wallpapers
Screensavers
Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Predictive Text
Sound
Music Player
Stereo FM Radio
Polyphonic & MP3 Ringtones
Downloadable Ringtones
Vibration Alert
Entertainment
Java™ Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
Organiser
Phonebook (1000 Contacts)
Calendar
To Do List
Clock
Timer
Alarm
Calculator
Mobile Printing
Document Viewer
Call Management
TV Out
Handsfree Speaker Phone
Connectivity
3G HSDPA
Bluetooth® A2DP
USB
GPRS
EDGE
Network
Tri Band (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
UMTS
Internet
WAP 2.0 XHTML
HTML
RSS Feeds
Memory & Talk Time
160 Mbytes plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Option
3 Hours Talk Time
220 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
134g
101 x 51.1 x 18.8 mm
Phonebook (1000 Contacts)
Calendar
To Do List
Clock
Timer
Alarm
Calculator
Mobile Printing
Document Viewer
Call Management
TV Out
Handsfree Speaker Phone
Connectivity
3G HSDPA
Bluetooth® A2DP
USB
GPRS
EDGE
Network
Tri Band (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)
UMTS
Internet
WAP 2.0 XHTML
HTML
RSS Feeds
Memory & Talk Time
160 Mbytes plus MicroSD™ Memory Card Option
3 Hours Talk Time
220 Hours Standby
Weight & Size
134g
101 x 51.1 x 18.8 mm
Samsung Phones Best Buys
Your Samsung G800 Reviews
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Reviewer: Maggiemay - UK
Date: 20th May 2010
DON'T BUY THIS PHONE! I loved this phone but it soon developed software problems when texting but I put up with it. 02 had stopped stocking it & as I liked the phone so much I bought another off eBay. Oh dear what a mistake that was. This one too has software problems & after only a few months of use it has now lost half the LCD screen. I haven't dropped it nor has it been near any water etc, so no reason for it. I will leave it in the airing cupboard just in case it can be revived. I have tried removing battery & SIM card wiping contacts etc. But to no avail. I've always loved Samsung phones but I too will now be looking at other makes. What a pity Samsung, I used to love your phones!
Reviewer: Bellypork - Nottinghamshire, UK
Date: 9th Aug 2009
I have just been given this phone as a gift & I am amazed at its versatility, as a long time user of Sony Ericsson phones I regard my g800 as being on par with any previous phones I have had (better in some respects) I can't believe that with the amount of features the G800 has, it is so easy to use, everything about this phone smacks of quality, I am definitely recommending the Samsung G800 alongside any Nokia or Sony Ericsson phones, although I didn't pay for my G800 I would have had no regrets buying this phone had I done so, most definitely highly recommended for anybody wanting a good alternative to Nokia or Ericsson mobile phones.
Reviewer: Are Apatu - South Africa
Date: 18th Jun 2009
I like Samsung phones in general. I have gone through D820, D820i, D920, D920i which all served me well in their time. The G800 is a BIG letdown. Its picture quality is bad. It links badly with other Bluetooth devices.
I hope any other high end Samsung I can afford redeems the brand!
Reviewer: Declan - Dublin, Ireland
Date: 17th Jun 2009
Hi, Can you record from the FM radio like the G600 & the J700? Also, can you use MP3's as Text Message Alerts. The G600 won't for instance. Thanks in advance.
Reviewer: Michael - Jo Berg, Spain
Date: 30th Apr 2009
This is a very good phone but it doesn't have enough features. If it had features like for example the E250, it would be a very very very good phone.
Reviewer: Vanisha - Essex, UK
Date: 19th Feb 2009
I had my first G800 in November 2008. After 3 weeks of using it the phone kept cutting out when using this. T mobile replaced the phone for me for ANOTHER G800. Things only got worse.
The sound does not work. When you make or receive a phone call the person on the other end can hear you but you cannot hear anyone. The screen is distorted & the images double.
The buttons above the number keypad do not work. Having one faulty Samsung G800 might be bad luck but a 2 in a row? Hmm, I am not convinced.
I've gone back to using my 5 year old Sony Ericsson. I will never touch a Samsung again. I am so put off by the phone I won't even get it repaired.
Reviewer: Bvc - UK
Date: 22nd Jan 2009
Camera is really bad, not auto focus, not good enough & it is hard to text. I took it to Spain it all worked fine until I get back to England, screen is half working & it went black one day, I took it back to the shop for repair, I got Sony c902.
Reviewer: P Hendry - Aberdeen, UK
Date: 4th Jan 2009
I have had my phone for a few months now. Some reviews say do NOT get this phone. If you like a solid feeling phone, that looks good, has great screen & easy keyboard, then I would disagree. HOWEVER, I have been so disappointed with the G800, that not only would I never have another Samsung mobile, I would never buy another Samsung product.
It has poor battery life (after bedding in, first 6 charges gave 26, 25, 7, 36, 50 & 15 half hours of low usage). Compared with my ancient Nokia, the reception is much poorer, & it won't work in places my Nokia will.
The camera is fine outdoors (but the focussing takes a long time to stabilise)though indoors, the flash is all but useless.
The internal programming does not allow you to customise very much, & texting is illogical. In summary, my experience is that this phone, together with the Samsung mobile website, is a triumph of marketing over function, & I have gone back to using my old Nokia. It is a real pity it has been put on the market so half baked, as it could so easily have been a great product!
Reviewer: Dean Nguyen - Melbourne, Australia
Date: 15th Sep 2008
I have this phone for one month & I had to get it repaired! The reception is really bad & I had people complaining that it had continuously broken up, & they could not hear me speaking properly. The phone signal indicator showed merely zero! It is now over a month & I still have not received it back from dealer's repairer. I will never buy a Samsung again.
Reviewer: Sam - Essex, UK
Date: 29th Aug 2008
I received the G800 today after having the new Sony Ericsson C902 & I am extremely pleased with it some of the reviews say about the camera being dark I have found that changing the ISO to 400 instead of auto makes the camera produce much brighter shots which is the only problem I have found. There is only 1 more thing I am disappointed with this is the lack of games on the handset even 1 game would be better than none at all apart from this I feel that Samsung have shone through with this phone & I am happy with it so far. Buy it!
Reviewer: Kingy - UK
Date: 29th Aug 2008
How do you get the ringtone volume up? It is on maximum & I cannot hear it when it is in my bag a foot away. Any tips?
Reviewer: Kristina - Bedfordshire, UK
Date: 29th Aug 2008
I've had this phone nearly a year now & so far have had no major problems with it. The phone is easy to use & the camera is pretty good, the 3 x optical zoom has come in handy quite a lot.
I would say that the only bad point about this phone like quite a few others that have been on the market is the size, I would say if you were looking for a more stylish phone don't go for this one. If you are not wearing baggy jeans it always sticks out a mile!
Reviewer: Samson George - Bangalore, India
Date: 28th Aug 2008
I bought this mobile phone couple of months ago. I am pretty happy because it has more positives than negatives.
Positives.
- Found the pictures really good compared to nearest 2 other competitors. Video Clarity, OK good.
- Voice clarity really good. Voice volume is bit low when not on speaker phone or earplugs mode.
- Music sounds good. Thanks to Bang & Olufsen ICE power.
- Built quality is good. Did not splatter into 3 pieces from a 5.5 ft drop.
- 2 Stereo Speaker bit tinny but OK good volume.
- Screen clarity pretty good, but shiny, problems when viewing in direct sunlight.
- Bluetooth, Friends with other Samsung models; not so with the competitors.
- Internet, good connectivity.
- In built applications & profiles has got all settings you can think of. Means good attention to details.
Negatives.
- NO good games, need to download from Internet. Cannot copy java files to games folder & run it.
- Cannot change themes. NO customised themes other than 3 diff, preset types in the model.
- Photo size pretty big (1.7 Mb avg).
- Screen, problems when viewing in direct sunlight.
Reviewer: Frank - Glasgow, UK
Date: 24th Aug 2008
Had this phone 3 months now the screen just keeps going blank, not user friendly once repaired going to change soon as possible, maybe go back to Nokia, never had any problems with any of their phones.
Reviewer: Paul - Manchester, UK
Date: 22nd Aug 2008
Overall the G800 has everything you want but the camera options do require some getting used to. Also I have now noticed you are not able to use the flash with the video recorder? G600 seems better option unless you wish to have a top range camera phone.
Reviewer: Helen - Leeds, UK
Date: 12th Aug 2008
I bought this phone 5 days ago as I was taking the kids to London for the weekend & thought the 5mg camera would be a great advantage. My last phone was a Samsung & I stupidly thought it would be easy to use as all Samsungs have similar features. The camera quality is poor compared to my old phone & as for texting, it's a nightmare! The keypad has a slight curve to it on the edges & I found using the space key difficult to hit, & slowed down my texting a lot. I was so sick of the phone after the weekend I have exchanged it today to a Sony Ericsson T650i & you can see the quality straight away. I have also noticed that I can now get a far stronger reception signal anywhere in the house, which after owning 2 Samsungs over the last 2 years & failing to get 1 bar is fantastic. Never again will I buy a Samsung.
Reviewer: Robert - UK
Date: 7th Aug 2008
Absolutely useless camera & without the camera functions it is an oversized brick. Painfully slow autofocus & image capture software make it almost impossible to get a decent picture, the flash has a range of about 2 feet & it takes an age to delete anything (then the screen locks for a couple of seconds with a pointless message that the item has been deleted).
Reviewer: Tania - UK
Date: 24th Jul 2008
I have had my G800 since Christmas, the design was a hit with me straight away, I have had two other Samsung's before this, I was ready to give up on my previous model which was the E900, touch sensitive screen far too sensitive especially when texting! But I loved how the G800 looked so didn't quite give up on Samsungs! My only gripe is the amount of times I have had to have repairs! The first one was within a week of getting it, it just decided to not charge when connected to the mains, luckily the Network provider exchanged it no problems, but I have never had to do this before so soon into having a new phone, then in May, the display decided to stop working so again went in for repair, this time the handset was replaced, apart from back cover & battery. A month on & I am having problems again, I am sat at work & I notice that my screen is flickering, flicking through the menu the icons stick & white strips or blocks flash on the screen as well as the whole display going into negative. Because of the sleek finish I have been careful with this phone, I have been a fan of Samsung phones for about 3 years, but this has really put me off.
Reviewer: Sophie - Liverpool, UK
Date: 12th Jul 2008
I am going to get this phone today, do you reckon I should get it? or is it a waste of time? Let me know please.
Reviewer: Dan - Northants, UK
Date: 11th Jul 2008
I have had the G800 for some time now, around 6 months & it has been very reliable. My big problem with this phone & supposed groundbreaking camera with optical zoom & posh flash etc, is that it takes awful photos. When set to automatic, the flash ruins pictures by making them too dark or to bright & the anti shake function has to be switched on each time you take a photo, this requires extensive scrolling through menus.
I have taken far less photos with this camera due to most of the ones I have taken being blurred or dark. The photo's I took with my previous phone, a Sony Ericsson with a 3MP camera were far more consistent, the extra megapixels only really make any difference if you print your photo's, something I never do.
Don't buy this phone on the strength of the camera, its rubbish.
Reviewer: Lynsey - Aberdeen, UK
Date: 9th Jul 2008
Yes this phone is a bit fiddly to get used to but once you have it is very simple to use. If like me you just want a simple non fancy functioned phone this is great. & yes it's easy to change ringtones & SMS alerts to MP3 here's how.
Go to Settings, Phone Profiles, Normal & click options, edit, scroll across to the message symbol & change message alert tone!
It a bit chunky & a bit heavy but overall this is a great phone I just upgraded from a Sony Ericsson 850i & I hated that phone!
Reviewer: Carl - Liverpool, UK
Date: 28th Jun 2008
I am on my second G800 now. I sent mine in to get fixed but it got lost so they had to order me a new one, I am just hoping it doesn't do the same again. Mine was a software problem, my screen kept fading & flickering so I couldn't do anything with my phone. Even my wallpapers would go back to front or even upside down! I've not had any other problems touch wood but I've got it for another 14 months so I don't like my chances! I've had two Samsungs & there's never been a problem either, I've always liked them.
Reviewer: Helen Smith - UK
Date: 25th Jun 2008
Hi, I have had this phone for about a week now, once you get used to it it's great. Like anything new it takes a while. I have just loaded PC studio 3.2 & cannot connect via usb. Device is working OK & phone set to studio but unable to make a connection, if you can help I'd be grateful. I have even tried re downloading from net & disc.
Reviewer: Davina - London, UK
Date: 24th Jun 2008
I've never been as disappointed with a mobile phone as with this one. I am a real Samsung fan & my last three handsets have been Samsung. They were great, until this one, the G800. I am on my third one & have had two so called repairs. The sound comes & goes. I can often hear people very clearly, but they can't hear me, or vice versa. It's not the signal as there's no distortion. The sound literally just fades until it's gone. It's ridiculous.
The handset looks very sleek, but is far too bulky. The keys are also a little awkward when texting as the buttons are so indented.
The camera is OK.
I'd just like to have a conversation lasting longer than seconds where both parties can hear.
Poor effort Samsung.
Has anyone else had such problems?
Reviewer: Andy - Nottingham, UK
Date: 16th Jun 2008
I would Go for the G800 Vicky, it has more features then the G600.
The shape & size of the G600 is slightly better but the camera & features on the G800 are better.
Reviewer: Miss X - Australia
Date: 10th Jun 2008
For the people still unable to change the different message tones. When we say scroll across, we mean use the RIGHT ARROW on your keypad. There are more options if you notice the tabs at the top of the page which you can access if you press left or right.
Reviewer: Vicki - Crawley, UK
Date: 8th Jun 2008
Been offered a choice between the G600 or the G800 for my upgrade. What a dilemma! Such mixed reviews! Anyone else been faced with the choice?
Do I assume the most recent (G800) is the better option? Or do I accept the G600 based on the fabulous reviews it has, despite its lower price band & the fact that it is obviously an older model.
Both 5 megapixel camera. The G600 is more streamlined handset, seems a good bet. But the G800 is wooing me with the more expensive price tag! Am I being blinded by expense & extravagance? Should I opt for the old faithful or take a risk on the new yet chunky G800?
Which would you choose?
Reviewer: Chloe - Manchester, UK
Date: 1st Jun 2008
I can't comment yet, I pick it up tomorrow. It might sound bizarre as I have never even seen the phone but I have wanted it for months. After reading many reviews I feel I may have a few problems but not all are negative.
For people saying about the lack of good tones etc, is it not possible to Bluetooth & use those? That's what I plan to do. I presume it would work.
Wish me luck.
Reviewer: Chris - Sydney, Australia
Date: 29th May 2008
Hi, I have just tried to personalise SMS messages but can't, I would even be happy with just a different tone for SMS messages, how do I do this.
I have tried Andy's method but can't seem to find the scroll across until you get to Message tone. Help needed.
Reviewer: Andy - Nottingham, UK
Date: 14th May 2008
Hi, For those people who want to personalise SMS message tones for different people in their phone book. Please follow the following instructions.
- Select Contacts.
- Highlight one of your contacts.
- Select options.
- Select Edit.
- Select Add more fields.
- Scroll across until you get to Message tone.
- Select message tone.
- Then press select.
- Select the tone you want.
- Select options.
- Select Save.
You will have to do this for each contact that you want to personalise.
THERE YOU GO! THAT'S HOW YOU CAN PERSONALISE DIFFERENT MESSAGE TONES FOR DIFFERENT CONTACTS.
HOPE THIS HELPS.
Reviewer: Maz - London, UK
Date: 11th May 2008
CAN anyone TELL ME HOW TO TAKE the COVER OF THIS PHONE TO PUT IN the BATTERY & SIM CARD?
Reviewer: Alex - UK
Date: 10th May 2008
This is a reply to Andy from Dawley, UK
Just to let you know I had exactly the same problem, & it is really annoying, but I now know why! You need to change the format of the videos you record to 3GP in the camcorder settings. This will then work on your computer. I hope this helps!
I have had my G800 since Christmas & I like it! The camera is good & it is easy to use. I just wish you could change the skin & menu!
Reviewer: Miss X - Western Australia, Australia
Date: 8th May 2008
Oh & I have a question. The Samsung website says you can add a memory card up to 2GB, but I have seen places selling ones that suit for 4GB & someone on this review page mentioned having an 8GB memory card. Can someone explain this? Does the phone operate slower if you have more memory, & does it definitely accept higher then 2GB memory cards?
Awesome phone. Yes it really has everything (personalised call & message tones included), you just have to fiddle around with it. Like everyone has established, the manual is useless. I've given it a 90% usability rating because of the user unfriendliness. Options are hidden in menu titles that we're not familiar with, which I would say is the main cause of everyone's problems. But once you get used to it, it's not a problem & it has, in my opinion, pretty much every conceivable option.
The phone in comparison to other phones is a little heavier & a little bigger. But I've come from using a teeny phone, & yet the size & weight doesn't bother me, so it's size can't be that bad & to the people who complained about it, try reading the specs of something before you buy it, rather than buying it blindly & then complaining about it later.
This review page has helped me so much, just in terms of how to use my phone, & how to change options. The only thing that I haven't seen answered is whether the skin can be changed from black & Orange. & to respond to the person who asked how to change the word selections when using predictive, you type in the word & then press 0+ to change it (unlike previous Samsungs where you use the down arrow). & I want to add, that when changing tone alert for messages, after choosing a phone profile (as mentioned in detail in an earlier post) & selecting edit, you will be shown the ring tone change. You need to press the right arrow to bring up the MESSAGE TONE options.
Love the phone!
Reviewer: Rob - UK
Date: 7th May 2008
I read hundreds of reviews about different phones before choosing one & it still didn't help! I've had Sony Ericsson's for years & upgraded to the Samsung, G800. I've had it 1 hour & have already phoned Vodafone to send it back. It's a huge chunk of a phone that looks pretty cheap to the eye & really is a brick (if it was a PDA I'd accept the size & weight, but it isn't! ) Playing around with it, is like going back 10 yrs in phone technology, the features have the look of being really dated. I've used the camera a couple of times & this did seem really good, so I disagree with all the reviews that slate it. I am really surprised that anyone would buy this & be happy with it, maybe I just don't like the switch between makes of phone, perhaps a hardened Samsung fan would be happy with it but I'll let you into a secret, there's better phones out there!
Reviewer: Andy - Dawley, UK
Date: 3rd May 2008
Best Samsung so far for me, having just the one problem, my g600 played my videos from the memory card OK, however when I took the memory card from the g600 & placed it in the g800, & tried playing videos, it keeps saying unsupported resolution & won't play ! I have to click edit then preview to watch videos from memory card! Any ideas how to fix this? I must say though that I can't understand why people are complaining about the camera, it's the best I have seen for years.
Reviewer: Bunny - London, UK
Date: 3rd May 2008
I received my phone today & struggled to remove the back cover, very disappointed with that particular part of the design however the features are very good very user friendly & the best phone from Samsung so far, the battery is good do not charge more than 4 hours for the first time to keep your battery life.
Well recommended no other complain so far! Well done Samsung hope your next upgrade even better this is the best.
Reviewer: Carmi - Surrey, UK
Date: 2nd May 2008
Hi guys I've just ordered the g800 from Vodafone. I have a few questions I am upgrading from the g600 which allowed you to create & edit your own pictures to use as themes, does anyone know if the g800 does this? Also from using Nokia & Sony Ericsson previously you can set different message tones to different contacts in your phone book, I know my last Samsung didn't do this, just wondered if they'd added this option to the g800?
Reviewer: L Pizle - US
Date: 1st May 2008
I haven't got this phone yet but should be with me in 2 to 3 days from an online store brand new for 190 pounds. Also I think to change the message tone & T9 is just common sense.
Reviewer: Jaco - Capetown, South Africa
Date: 29th Apr 2008
It looks cool & that's about it. Really if you're thinking about buying a new phone go for a Nokia, especially the Nokia N82. This phone REALLY doesn't have a good camera, honestly, it is more like a 1.3 megapixel camera. So if you want a phone with great camera, cool games, much more themes & that's quicker, really then this phone is not for you!
At the moment I have a Nokia N82 & Samsung G800 & the Nokia beats the Samsung hands down with everything, & I am not just saying it, it is really true. Actually I prefer Samsung but at the moment Nokia walks away with the trophy.
Reviewer: Andrew Moore - Nottingham, UK
Date: 28th Apr 2008
I got this phone on a 12 month contract with 02, £30 a month, I would say that it's worth getting.
The best contract I found was through dial a phone website. £30 a month, 400 minutes 500 texts. 10 months half price. You can't moan at that!
Reviewer: Paul - Towyn, UK
Date: 27th Apr 2008
All in all better than phones of the same price.
Reviewer: E Knight - Lydbrook, UK
Date: 27th Apr 2008
It a weighty mobile, little hard working out texting & the camera colours are a bit dull.
Reviewer: Peter - York, UK
Date: 26th Apr 2008
This phone is not up to scratch. Those who say it's awesome are using media speak. It's not. Look at the reviews.
I sent it back almost on receipt.
It's too big. If it's for photos you can get many smaller better cams. It's too heavy. It weighs a ton. What have they put in it?
It's supposed to be a mobile & as such falls short the only people happy to cart this around will carry it in a handbag.
That's not the sort of people who want a big heavy chunky phone. If it's in your pocket people will look at you funny!
The marketing of this phone like many others has tried to get it accepted when really its appeal is limited. Don't fall for it. If you want video conferencing OK, otherwise it's not even a consideration.
Get the G600 a much better mobile.
Reviewer: Norton - Lancashire, UK
Date: 26th Apr 2008
I have had this phone for a week now, I haven't charged it up yet it's still going! & I use it almost every day! The features on it are great, it's easy to use, signals great, TV is excellent, basically I would recommend anyone to buy it! Mine is on contract with t mobile, definitely the best signal. Camera is awesome, yes it is a 5 megapixel camera unlike other phones that lie!
Excellent purchase.
Reviewer: Yas - UK
Date: 19th Apr 2008
I have had this phone for a few months now & it is great. I love it.
It has an excellent camera. My only fault with this phone is that I have problems when people try to find me on Bluetooth but I can't find them. Does anyone know anything or can help me.
Also the ringing volume is very low. If somebody can help me please let me know, thanks a lot.
Reviewer: Joey - North Wales, UK
Date: 19th Apr 2008
Do I get this phone or not, what do you think guys?
I was thinking of getting it on contract, just wondered if you lot think it's worth it for £30 month.
Get back to me, Thanks.
Reviewer: Lloyd - Reading, UK
Date: 16th Apr 2008
I have had my G800 for about 4 months now, & although having had initial issues with it, specifically the battery life, I am now growing to love it. I am no longer looking longingly at what I could have had instead.
With regard to the battery, I now have an in car charger, & also bought myself a spare battery which is kept fully charged up, just in case.
John in Bristol, once you are on predictive text, you use the bottom centre key (0 +) to scroll through the alternatives. For symbols, press & hold the bottom right hand key (#) to access them. It takes a little while to get used to especially if you have been used to Nokia as I was, but you soon get used to it.
The G800 is a very nice looking phone, & really does not make me envious of any other phone out there on the market at present. It offers most things that you would reasonably expect in a camera phone, apart from sat nav.
Reviewer: Frank - UK
Date: 16th Apr 2008
My only fault with this phone is that I had it for two weeks & it had a technical fault with the screen! The screen would not light up, & had an internal crack! Even worse, Samsung do not cover screen damages in the guarantee, so now I have to pay up to £150 t get it fixed! But other than that quality phone!
Reviewer: Molly - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 14th Apr 2008
I love my little phone, I just would really like to change the skin colour from Orange & Black to something else! Can anyone help me please I would be grateful.
Reviewer: Lorraine - Bristol, UK
Date: 12th Apr 2008
Can anyone tell me if this phone automatically saves sent messages? Thank you.
Reviewer: John - Bristol, UK
Date: 7th Apr 2008
This is a wicked phone with wicked capabilities & I am very happy with it so far & very glad that I brought it.
Reviewer: Emma - Aberdeen, UK
Date: 5th Apr 2008
Can anyone help? I have had this phone for 2 months now & still can't work predictive text. I can get it on the setting but I can't work out how to change the word if it's not the right one. Does anyone know? Thanks!
Reviewer: Martin - Glasgow, UK
Date: 4th Apr 2008
Looks good but in reality, Dreadful! I can't find a way of switching off predictive text every time & too many things to go wrong. Texting is not easy compared to Nokia or even Motorola. It has virtually no wallpapers with phone & not a good selection of tones.
I wouldn't go for this, go for Nokia.
Reviewer: Frank Pogorzelec - Dundee, UK
Date: 3rd Apr 2008
Had the phone 2 months now, like its chunky, solid feel, don't know what all the fuss about the camera side of it is about, I have had no problems after playing with it & taking the guy Thomson's advice. The only bug bear I have is the same as someone else's in this forum, HOW do you change the colour of the display banners, mines opens with Orange only, can't find any default path to get this sorted, would appreciate your help, Thanks lots.
Reviewer: Stella - Singapore
Date: 2nd Apr 2008
Well, I love it! It's elegant too. The only thing I dislike is the lack of theme & games!
Reviewer: Snow - Philippines
Date: 31st Mar 2008
I've got a question. How do you use or turn on the WDR OPTIMISATION on your g800? Does it only work on camcorder mode or on camera also? It wouldn't let me turn on the WDR on settings if it's on camera mode. Please help me.
Reviewer: Andy - UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008
Reply to James, It doesn't matter which network operator you choose. You won't get any more ringtones, memory, games or screen savers. It's the same for which ever operator you choose. There are no games on the Samsung G800, you have to buy your own.
I used to be on 3 mobile but I came off it because the signal is rubbish, I am now on O2 & it's a lot better. With O2 you can also use as many video call minutes as you want because these are included in your Voice minutes. In 3 mobile you have to pay extra for video call minutes.
Reviewer: Cathy - Belfast, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008
I have just upgraded from the Samsung E900 to this, & am really pleased with it. I was considering having a G600 as I was already on a really decent contract with O2 but decided to give this a go.
First impressions when I opened the box were like many in the fact it was a bit bigger & very chunky. It's something you simply get used to & is not bigger than the Nokia N95 & is a lot more attractive. It's very sleek & for once makeup doesn't rub off easily on this phone! The display is very bright too, unlike the E900 in which you had to switch it the white skin to be able to see it in the sunlight.
As for the camera, I was really very impressed. I am not sure why people are complaining about the blurriness of the camera. Even my fiancé has said it is a much better camera than his Nokia N73 which is also 5 MP. If a picture is lacking in the wow factor, use the built in image editor to increase the exposure & the lighting or the sharpness. Makes them look twice as good. This is a better feature than in my previous Samsung, as it was a curse for resizing & distorting the pictures whereas this leaves the sizes as they are!
Changing the message tone to a song of your choice is another novelty on this phone in comparison to my previous & is easy to do if you read the manual. Just go in to edit profiles & it's in there somewhere. Also like the fact you can now have the phone ring & vibrate at the same time which I haven't seen on a Samsung before.
I am severely annoyed at the manual that came with this, it's pathetic. It's about 20 pages long & really, if you played about with the phone for at least 5 minutes, you could write it yourself.
This is also the first phone I've had with 3G, & it really excels. Bit hard to find it at some points over in NI but that's because of the vast amount of farmland, not Samsung's fault, & it only affects video calling. The Internet is top notch, it's fast & reliable & I am well chuffed I got the unlimited web bolt on from O2 because now I can go & win all the pub quizzes in the area!
The reason the phone didn't get 100% with me is because Samsung have moved things about with the menu features. I can't find ANYWHERE how to access your memory card & it's driving me nuts because I am using one from my last phone, with a lot of memories on it. Can someone please help me out if they know?
If you want an amazing phone camera, get this. If you want an amazing camera in general, buy a digital camera. Really excels for 5MP.
Reviewer: Derek - Newcastle, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008
I have just ordered this phone even after all the negatives on the camera side of things but I think Samsung phones have some of the best security features on the market I have had Samsung phones for about 4 years now after all they are a phone first camera is just an added bonus if you need a decent camera buy a one that is built for the job.
Reviewer: James - UK
Date: 28th Mar 2008
Does anyone know what is the best phone operator for this phone E.G.
- More games.
- More ringtones.
- More memory.
- Better signal.
- More wallpaper& screensavers (how many wallpapers or screensavers are there in this phone).
If anyone could tell me I would be grateful or even tell me more about this phone. Thanks :).
Reviewer: Pavo - Croatia
Date: 25th Mar 2008
I got this phone & I am really disappointed with the screen quality, I compared pictures with d600 & they are much better on d600 than on g800.
Reviewer: James Bowen - UK
Date: 23rd Mar 2008
Well I might have this phone for my birthday, can anyone tell me about this phone.
- Has it got games?
- Is the keypad good or bad?
- Themes?
- Wallpaper?
- Screensaver?
- Messaging?
Reviewer: Becky - Norwich, UK
Date: 23rd Mar 2008
Overall it's a good a phone. Took me a while to find out how to change the message tone & stuff, but all you have to do is go settings, phone profile, click edit.
The camera is blurred if flash isn't used which I find disappointing for a 5 megapixel phone.
It's also heavy & chunky, which I am not very keen on, although I find it easy to text. But it doesn't fit in my pocket, which is irritating.
Apart from that it's a good phone. Not as a good I hoped paying almost 300 pounds for, I don't think it should be priced that much because the camera isn't that amazing.
Reviewer: Carol - Barnsley, UK
Date: 22nd Mar 2008
Being a devoted Samsung user, I am not disappointed with the G800. However, does anyone know how to change the menu screen from the current black & grey. I find it very difficult to see.
Reviewer: Simon - Beckenham, UK
Date: 22nd Mar 2008
First new phone in ages & I am happy with the look & feel.
I never use predictive texting & the phone came with this feature switched off & so it is possible to change. Key layout is different from Nokia & I tend to miss the space key quite a lot but this should be just a case of getting used to the phone.
Took the phone abroad recently to Spain & was all that happy with the default light settings (having to switch to ISO 50 manually). However my camera phone seems to be OK in lower light settings. In saying that I agree with the comments about time delay in both taking the photo & also when using the flash. However, this is my first camera phone & so only comparing against my digital camera.
Reviewer: Andy - Nottingham, UK
Date: 19th Mar 2008
Yes you can personalise your SMS tones! Why do people keep on asking this question? What you have to do is the following:
- Select settings.
- Select the profile you want & select edit.
- Go across to the new message selection.
- Highlight message alert tone.
- Press options & select change.
- Press right & select use my alert tone.
- Select sounds.
- Select music.
- Highlight the song you want.
- Press options.
- Press select.
There you go! Hope you can now all use your songs as SMS tones.
Reviewer: Kerry - Portsmouth, UK
Date: 18th Mar 2008
I got this phone as an upgrade. I have been using Samsung phones for a couple of years now. Really like the design & the fact it's got a bit of weight. Haven't been able to change message tone or colours so if anyone can tell me how to I would appreciate it. Not fussed about the camera but compared to some phones it is better.
Reviewer: Maggie - East London, South Africa
Date: 17th Mar 2008
I got this phone 4 days ago. I cannot believe all the negative reviews. Yes it might be a bit more bulky than other Samsung Models, but wow what a terrific phone. It was interesting reading all the opinions, & as for most of them, there is a solution. The phone's features lacks little, it is definitely a user problem. SMS alert can be changed, the camera in the right settings if terrific, just remember you cannot just snap & expect a perfect picture, change settings according to conditions. The keys are easy to use, the right volume load enough.
All in all, I highly recommend this phone, it feels & looks great.
Reviewer: Paul - Sheffield, UK
Date: 16th Mar 2008
Good phone. But can't change message alert tone to a music tone.
Reviewer: Andrea - Northampton, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008
I haven't bought the phone yet but am just about to. Can someone let me know the following please.
- When you slide the cover down & the keypad locks, can it be accidentally unlocked whilst in your pocket for instance?
- Can you definitely personalise your SMS tones?
- When you receive a text message, does it tell you the time it was sent or the time you read it?
- What is the sound like during calls?
- What is the music volume like? Can it be easily adjusted or is it stuck on one level?
Reviewer: Andy - Nottingham, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008
My slider top on my Samsung G800 has become slightly loose, has anyone else noticed this problem?
Reviewer: Ron Clark - London, UK
Date: 13th Mar 2008
Really, like the phone. It feels nice in your hand & is a real head turner! Camera is OK & not as bad as everybody claims. Remember, this is phone, not a digital camera! Has anybody had any joy as to how to take the back cover off? Mine refuses to budge, & I don't want to force it off! If anybody wants to know how to set your own message tone then let me know. It's simple once you know how!
Reviewer: Nicky - Poole, Uk, UK
Date: 12th Mar 2008
My phone only arrived a few hours ago, so I haven't had the chance to find many problems yet. The manual is rubbish, as people have said, but I noticed people asking how to remove predictive text as the standard default setting, here's how it's done.
- In SETTINGS, select option 7 is APPLICATION SETTINGS.
- Then option 3 is MESSAGES SETTINGS.
- Then option 1 is TEXT MESSAGES.
- Then option 1 is SENDING OPTIONS.
From this screen, go into CHARACTER SUPPORT, & select AUTOMATIC. (mine was on GSM ALPHABET as a default setting! ) Save AUTOMATIC setting, this should remove predictive text.
So far I have no complaints with the phone, apart from the next to useless manual, & the position of the WAP button, as I keep pressing it by mistake! Guess this will just take a bit of getting used to, as it's different from my last 3 Samsungs!
Reviewer: Dave Ayre - Hull, UK
Date: 8th Mar 2008
This seems to be a pretty awesome phone. The design is slick & classy. The size & weight are good, so you're always aware it's in your pocket, but not so it's pulling your pants round your ankles! The features have increased from the U600, my previous phone, including a better music player, an RSS reader, better Bluetooth etc. The usability is as you would expect from a Samsung, straight forward & very manageable, as previous Samsung models have been. My main problems are with the camera. I found with previous Samsung models that when taking photos, the duration of time between pressing the button, & then seeing the photo you have taken is quite long. I had hoped that Samsung would have sorted this problem out by now. The duration is quicker but not by much. Not so good for reactive pictures really. My other problem is the fact that there are no games whatsoever, or none that I can actually find anyway. Generally it's a better phone than its predecessors & certainly worth investing in.
Reviewer: Lee - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Date: 7th Mar 2008
Marks very easily & the when the slide is open the top half isn't straight.
Reviewer: Ash - Trowbridge, UK
Date: 29th Feb 2008
Just had this phone delivered today & what can I say what a phone this is apart from 2 things.
- The weight is not great but the phone makes up for it in all other areas & most importantly.
- How do your change the message tone to one of your songs you have put on, my mind is truly been boggled I have no idea & desperately need 2 change it please can someone1 help?
Other than that a great phone 10 out of 10.
Reviewer: Amy - Wolvo, UK
Date: 27th Feb 2008
I love it get it now before it goes shhhh keep it to yourself lot of love Amy.
Reviewer: Anon - Cyprus
Date: 25th Feb 2008
Does anyone know how to switch off the keypad sounds without turning off all phone sounds?
Reviewer: Andy Moore - Nottingham, UK
Date: 25th Feb 2008
I am slightly disappointed in this phone. I have had this phone for 3 weeks, I like the look & feel of the phone but I am not very impressed with certain things.
- the camera is very dark when you take indoor pictures. The person who commented on this before seems to know a lot about this problem. To say this is meant to be the best camera phone on the market I am very disappointed with the quality of indoor pictures.
- When sending text messages it can take ages because the buttons are not very user friendly & you can make mistakes easily. I much preferred my Nokia N80 for texting.
- the volume on the phone is not very loud, you may not always hear your phone ringing.
- Battery life isn't great, doesn't last that long when you use the camera & to say this is a brand new phone you would think that they would provide a longer life battery.
- No games on phone.
- Hardly any decent wall papers to choose from.
I am just glad I have only got this phone on a 12 month contract & not an 18 month contract.!
Reviewer: Alan M - Chesterfield, UK
Date: 24th Feb 2008
I played with it in the shop against a veiwty. I liked this phone the best but the viewty had a better image on the photo's I took in the shop. After reading the reviews it would seem that the Camera is not all it's cracked up to be, as I found.
I have a K800i at the moment & have been very pleased with it. They have spoilt it with the K850i, & that is why I am looking around for a better upgrade. Does anyone in the companies that make these phones, ever check with a real member of the general public before releasing it? Still undecided & may have to go for a less than perfect phone, but this seems to be the norm these days. Phone companies please check the public's response before releasing a less than perfect model. It will ruin your credibility in the long run if you don't!
Reviewer: Dee - Dunstable, UK
Date: 22nd Feb 2008
This is a proper phone. Yes it's a little larger, yes it's a little heavier but it feels good in your hand, strong, sturdy & classy. I have had no problems with the camera, & I found it easy to work out. The radio's clear & not tinny sounding like some makes are. The keypads a better size for those of us with slightly bigger fingers, or long nails, again no problems. The screen is a good size, & for a change the text is clear even without my reading glasses :@).
As for the battery, I haven't had a problem with it. But I have the charger on the desk or table by the bed, so when I sleep it charges then its fine all day, so I don't see a problem there. I might get another battery & dual charger for when I am on holiday. I've changed my ringtone to my Nickelback favourite, & the message tone was changed too! The vibration is fine, the sound is louder than my last Samsung, & I like that I can choose the volume of the keypad, the ring tone, the message tone, all independently of each other.
The only thing I haven't fathomed out yet is how to change the Orange & black theme, but I'll suss it out soon & if I can't fathom it out, then question. It's the only fault I can find. So enjoy!
Reviewer: Gary - Newport, UK
Date: 22nd Feb 2008
I like the look & styling of this phone & although some people have said that it's a bit bulky & heavy I don't find it an issue. It's about the same size as the Nokia N95.Trying to get my head around the features at the moment & sending messages are tricky as I am used to a Nokia, it's only a matter of getting used to different keys. I've read some reviews & people have said they're disappointed that you can't change message tones. You can, in phone profiles, select normal & edit. Although I have found that you can only select certain music tracks, maybe due to the download or copyright.
I also like the security features, locking the phone when you turn it on & also individual locking for keys, phonebook, messages, call log etc. Not had a Samsung for years but impressed with it so far. Battery life I haven't found too bad but then again if you use all features all the time you'll be charging it up all the time. Only had it 3 days, will check camera out fully when I get chance. I would like more info on Camera either on enclosed disc or in user manual. It would be helpful. My brother wants to swop his N95 for mine, he couldn't get the G800 free on his network. No Chance.
Reviewer: Really Frustrated - Turkey
Date: 21st Feb 2008
HOW DO I GET the BATTERY COVER OFF TO INSERT MY SIM CARD?
GETTING VERY IRRATED SOMEONE please TELL ME!
I would love to review it but as I can't actually get into it I can't! Please reply someone in the next half hour so I don't throw it through the window! Thank.
Reviewer: Jenny - UK
Date: 20th Feb 2008
I have had this phone for about 3 months & I am very impressed with it. The battery is quite good not brilliant but not absolutely rubbish. The sound is also very good & the storage for pictures, sounds, videos is also quite good. The downsides are the camera isn't that good. For 5MP, it isn't brilliant. Also I am more of a texter but on this phone I hate it. The number of mistakes I make is a lot. This pone is simply not a texting phone. Another downside is that you can't permanently turn off predictive text. Every time I start a new message, I have to turn predictive text off, which is REALLY annoying. Hope this helps.
Reviewer: Jen - Glasgow, UK
Date: 20th Feb 2008
Can't decide whether to buy the samsung g800 or Nokia n95. Any suggestions?
Reviewer: Chris - Notts, UK
Date: 18th Feb 2008
I love this phone.
Reviewer: Terry Byford - Birmingham, UK
Date: 15th Feb 2008
I got this phone for its advertised camera capabilities, so extras such as music player, FM radio etc, whilst welcome, weren't high on my list. I'd never even thought, or knew, about web'n'walk, but think this is an excellent feature, especially being able to pull in emails without going anywhere near my PC! My comments will, therefore, be limited to the camera function. I hope users will find it useful.
Initially, I found it exasperating using the camera, coming across many of the problems experienced by others. However, with 48 years experience of being a hands-on hobbyist photographer, I could at least experiment to find out exactly what was going on & why the images were not coming out as one might expect. Nothing in the Samsung User Manual to help me here!
Despite having a reasonable number of user adjustments, such as white balance, contrast, saturation, sharpness, macro, etc, there is no published information regarding shutter speeds or apertures & this becomes an issue with pics taken indoors with flash or under low level ambient lighting. Again, it is a pain to remember that image stabilisation & wide dynamic range are cancelled when the phone is switched off or the sliding lens cover is simply closed, to protect the lens, but with the phone still switched on! Oh dear.
The problem with indoor shots is that (a) the flash isn't very powerful (how can it be, have you seen how small it is? ) (b) x-synchronisation (should be at least 1/30 sec but Samsung aren't letting on) only occurs when the ISO is set to Auto, & in Auto it doesn't use the whole ISO range so the flash is still pretty much ineffective beyond 3ft (c) setting ISO's other than Auto mode cancels x-synch so when the flash goes off it acts as a fill-in flash to the shutter which now reads & responds to ambient light only. Try handholding an exposure of 1/2 second, say, it can't be done, so you end up with a very nice blurred photo. Nice one, Samsung, for not pointing this out to your customers. Use a tripod, you ask? Nope, no tripod bush!
Then there is the aperture range of the zoom lens, which given the physical size restrictions of the camera it is put in, means it will be quite small at 3x max optical zoom. I am guessing at least f5.6, may even be smaller, but there is no way of knowing as no EXIF data is captured when transferring images to a computer.
So, all this conspires to make the G800 pretty useless as a fun point & shoot indoors camera, which I guess is what a lot of youngsters will want to use if for. Now this is a great shame, as the quality of images taken outdoors in reasonable lighting conditions, is very respectable indeed for a camera phone.
To summarise: great looking cameraphone (to my eyes), fairly user friendly once you delve into the menu structure to find the myriad user settings, to be highly recommended for outdoor & macro photography only, but a lemon if you want to do a lot with it indoors, say further than about three feet away. So, all in all, a bit of a Curate's egg.
Now for those of you looking for a spare battery. They are available. Try Mobilefun or m-99.
Reviewer: Sarah - London, UK
Date: 14th Feb 2008
I am looking to get a new phone & am very interested in the G800. I don't want it to make breakfast for me or anything & I am used to Samsung so it seems perfect. One question I have though, could someone tell me if you can password your text messages, pictures etc as I work with a lot big jokers who like to send entertaining text messages if you accidentally leave your mobile on the desk!
Any help would be gratefully received.
Reviewer: Darren - UK
Date: 10th Feb 2008
This phone is currently the best on the market. The battery life is not anything like as bad as some people on here claim, if you do happen to be worried about it you can buy a genuine Samsung spare for less than £20. The transfer of pictures & music is easy just use the micro SD card & the adapter to transfer files if your PC does not have a card reader I suggest buying one you can buy a card reader to read standard SD cards (which is what you need as the adapter which the micro SD card fits into is) from various websites for less than £10 & it's much faster than either the USB cable or a Bluetooth transfer. The camera is amazing again it's a case of what you prefer if you are not sure about the phone go to one of the phone stores & have one of the assistants demonstrate it to you. There will never be a product created that everyone everywhere loves but most of the people I showed my G800 loved it & two are going to go out & get one. I would say to anyone who is thinking of buying this phone take into account my review & the others but try it out for yourself to see if it's right for you.
Reviewer: Nick - Burnley, UK
Date: 7th Feb 2008
I've had a Samsung D600 for some time now & when I was offered an upgrade I looked at a Nokia 6500 & a Sony W910i but for me the G800 is a quality phone with all the features that I need & a simple to use menu. I always used to use Nokia's but I think they have fallen way behind the quality of Samsung.
Reviewer: Amy - Manchester, UK
Date: 6th Feb 2008
I would just like to say a huge thank you to Barrie from Bradford. He has solved the mystery of changing the message tone on my new Samsung G800! Hurrah I will be eternally grateful.
I too had the Sony K850i before I switched to the Samsung G800 & after months of the hassle of my phone being constantly replaced (for what seems to be a common problem) of the software freezing. I am pleased to say the Samsung G800 has been a dream. It is a great looking phone & very easy to use (apart from the message tone issue! ) & I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a new phone.
Reviewer: Jackie - Hertfordshire, UK
Date: 6th Feb 2008
I love this phone! It's much better than other phone's I've had, although it's a little large it still looks stylish, & it's no bigger than the Nokia N95.
The camera is good, & video quality is very good too. It's easy to use too.
Overall I think this phone is very good! & I am picky about what phone I get, having been a manager in mobile phone shop myself.
Reviewer: Jt - Sheffield, UK
Date: 3rd Feb 2008
Few misleading comments on this page, but in short this is an excellent phone with some serious drawbacks.
On the plus side.
- It looks good (albeit like a camera).
- the screen is decent, both in size & resolution.
- the sound quality on calls is notably better than many others.
- MP3 playback through the earphones is excellent.
You can get accessories, I bought the in car charger with it from Carphone Warehouse.
On the downside.
- It is big & heavy, think about whether you'd be happy carrying a small camera about.
- the camera is very poor indeed, which is shocking considering the marketing. You can get the blur sorted out (if you turn the anti shake function on, which you have to do every time) & stand very still, with a very stationary subject, but the quality & tone of the photos is terrible. If you're struggling with dark photos indoors turn the flash off, seriously, it's ten times better!
- Ringtones & wallpapers are very limited & games aren't included (have to buy them).
Reviewer: Barrie - Bradford, UK
Date: 2nd Feb 2008
Both my wife & I had Sony k850i since its launch Nov/07 & had nothing but problems with software. Freezing, crashing the lot. I ordered 2 G800 & then read the reviews & wondered whether I had done the right thing.
The answer is definitely yes!
Overall size is only a fraction bigger than K850i but looks so much better. My real concern was functionality as after 4 years with Sony's excellent usability I was worried the G800 would disappoint. Wrong again! The G800 is easy to use, easy to set up & better than the k850i for transferring files & music. The message tone I found easy to change by going into settings, phone profiles, options, edit, scroll right to message symbol & then scroll down to message alert tone. Go into options again & select change, then 'use my alert tone' & select the tone from your files. No big issue really.
I agree with the comments about night time photos being a bit dark but my phone is not a replacement for my digital camera. The overall quality of picture is good for day to day photos.
Sending a text has a few more steps to take than the Sony & takes some getting used to.
Overall I am delighted with the G800, the way it works. Oh, & the fact it doesn't freeze or crash!
Reviewer: Keith - London, UK
Date: 28th Jan 2008
I have had this phone for 2 days, & I think so far so good, the only thing I can't get it to do, is to be able to transfer music onto the phone, I have 3 computers in the house & I can't seem to find the whereabouts the icon is, can anyone.help please, many thanks.
Reviewer: Lloyd - Reading, UK
Date: 28th Jan 2008
Having kept away from Samsung since their first clamshell, the only phone I found remotely attractive was the G600. It wasn't enough to win me over though. So there I was waiting for the W960i to appear, & I would have had, had they not keep delaying it. I came across the shiny new Samsung G800. Waited in anticipation for its arrival.
Yes a bit bulky, but let us use the term substantial instead, which is not a bad thing. Now I've been used to either Nokia's or Sony Ericsson's, I like the functionality of the Nokia's, but they there is not a lot in it. Sony Ericsson tend to provide an ideal balance between functionality, looks & battery life.
Please potential buyers beware, if you like to use your phone the quoted battery talk time for the Samsung G800 is 90mins, that is one & half hours. Pathetic! It's now too late for me to return my phone having had it for longer than 14 days, because I was trying to get used to it & to rub salt in the wound, Sony Ericsson then release their W960 with 9hrs of talk time.
At present there are no accessories available, like a spare battery, in car charger, more useable headset.
Think twice before you allow yourself to be seduced by the looks of this phone, it's totally lacking in substance.
Reviewer: Eric - Singapore
Date: 28th Jan 2008
I am having the same problems with the camera as many others have mentioned. Other than that, I am happy with the phone. However, my main reason to change brands, Nokia to Samsung was because of the phone features. But now it's a letdown. Is there anyone who knows how to work the camera features & can share the information, thanks.
Reviewer: Kelly Robinson - Lodon, UK
Date: 25th Jan 2008
Quick heads up on this phone, I bought it to replace my ageing N75 & am totally disappointed by the camera, Phone wise it's a bit clunky but that's me getting used to Samsung. So back to the camera there are two issues these being.
- The flash is just not good enough & any indoor pictures will come out dark.
- You cannot default the anti shake option, so you have to select it from the camera options panel every time you take a picture.
For these reasons alone if you want a decent camera phone don't get this one. Only had mine a week & it's getting binned.
Also one other thing in case someone from Samsung design reads this could we have a normal display with small fonts & plain backgrounds, not all of us like big LETTERS, with gradient colours. Reminds me of Fisher Price toys. Please, please give me a plain background & small fonts.
Reviewer: Nick - Norwich, UK
Date: 24th Jan 2008
Overall, this phone is superb.
Yes there are a couple of little niggles, the camera is a bit hit & miss, battery life is a little below par (compared to my old Sony, but not much worse) & the slider has ever such a tiny amount of 'wobble' in the down position.
However, I really rate this handset. It's easy to use, logical & YES, you CAN change alerts to those of your choice (including message tones) as Paul below has said.
Go get it.
Reviewer: Ash - London, UK
Date: 23rd Jan 2008
Great phone, if you don't mind carrying a brick in your pocket. I made arrangements to send it back, as soon as I opened the box when it arrived. Going to try the G600 instead! Wish me luck.
Reviewer: Anon - Preston, UK
Date: 22nd Jan 2008
I had this phone replaced for the g600 as that kept turning off, but I found this hard to use due to the ridge round the side making it hard to text. I also like small phones & this is very bulky compared to the d900 or the g600.
To the previous person who asked about changing to your own message tone. Samsung have finally taken on board the comments that every review has had you can change the message tone if I recall it was in the message tone selection, think it said customise but it is definitely in there just fiddle around.
This phone is def not for me but is a solid phone that would probably survive any trauma!
Reviewer: Susan Boyce - Swansea, UK
Date: 22nd Jan 2008
Hi had this phone for a few days now I think it's great only thing I can't seem to work is transferring pictures from phone to PC do anyone know how to do this otherwise I love this phone have had a few Samsung but this one is a lot louder than what I have had before.
Reviewer: Sara - York, UK
Date: 21st Jan 2008
Does this phone only have predictive text, or can you turn it off?
Reviewer: Andrea - UK
Date: 20th Jan 2008
Great phone so far, but does anyone know how & if you can change your skin on this G800 handset? I am getting bored of the black & Orange, I want it nice & bright not dull. You could change from black to white on the Samsung D900. HELP. Please.
Reviewer: David - London, UK
Date: 18th Jan 2008
I am a big fun of Samsung but this phone is a brick. I brought it after reading some reviews, but really it's not good, I had the G600 but decided to return it & get this brick, wrong choice. I am now returning this phone & getting a W960i from Sony Ericsson.
Reviewer: David - Glasgowish, UK
Date: 18th Jan 2008
After waiting a while since my upgrade date (October) I was torn between this & the w960i. I gave into the G800 as it was free on selected tariff on O2. This is my first Samsung & have been used to Sony Ericsson for past few upgrades, the layout is fairly easy to get around & the big screen display is awesome.
I like the number entry fonts, nice touch. I can't change the message tone either! LOL can't for the life of me find a way how! The phone is big, but it being a camera phone at 5MP you can see the need for it. Have taken a few pictures & have to say not that impressed. This has been the main selling feature & that's the coolest thing about it for me I am afraid but it's not enough to make me keep it. It is a good phone but I feel like I am forcing myself to like it.
Memory wise, mine has 120MB internal memory but you can only insert up to a 2GB Micro SD which isn't much when you couple your MP3's & pictures together.
In conclusion it is a great phone if you like the Samsung brand but having used Sony Ericsson for so long I do miss the familiarity, I am going to be sending this back at the start of next week for the W960i.
Reviewer: Tony - UK
Date: 18th Jan 2008
It's true, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that phone is certainly eye catching & that the specs (on paper) are impressive. It's also true the phone does have some weight to it. I am not in favour of phones that are minuscule, weigh nothing & require the manual dexterity of a research scientist to use the keypad. So I was glad when I could at least 'feel' this phone in my pocket.
As a phone it performs very well. It seems that Samsung has this sorted. I read other reviews before purchasing the phone that there were issues with signal strength. Well, so far that's all untrue. So no signal problems.
So OK, the phone has no pre installed games. What were Samsung thinking? Well they were probably thinking that you could pay for a game download on the Samsung website for the proprietary operating software. THIS is where the phone falls over. The proprietary software is limited (really terrible! ). In fact it so limited I am wondering if old programming code was rehashed & squeezed into a new exterior to operate this handset.
A REALLY annoying bug is that not all buttons are configurable as on virtually every other phone available (including the 20 quid jobs in Tesco! ). If you are used to the freedom of the Symbian software phones then you WILL be disappointed by this phone & camera. I also read somewhere that it's hard to decide if this is indeed a camera or a phone. Well I would have to admit that it's really a jack of both trades & not really mastering either.
The camera is a disappointing to say the least. I could bash on about the unintuitive menu system, the annoying changes made by the software to you're previously 'saved' changes or I could just cut to the chase & describe the 5 mega pixel shots as, terrible. The anti shake didn't really do much at any time & I actually thought that the shots were better without the anti shake enabled. The colours are poor, the hues have no vibrancy, & the saturation disappoints yet again. So hands up who has ever purchased a Samsung digital camera? Hands up who has purchased a second Samsung digital camera? (I didn't either). I think to close out this point, my wife's 2MP phone on a Sony phone outshines the G800 every time.
When you open the box & have that air of expected excitement build around you make sure you're ready for an anticlimax. The packaging looks as if a team of shaved chimps have been used to construct the box & indeed write the 'user guide'. This user guide is 45 pages of sheer rubbish. It does not explain all the features of the phone & it certainly doesn't tell you anything you don't already know. Let's face it, most of us have had mobiles for years & used enough to use a box fresh out of the box. In my opinion the compilation of the manual sets the trend for the phone itself. It's empty! Very nice looking yes, but so BLAH! More content please Mr Samsung (maybe stop designing cutting edge military weapons for 5 minutes). I've seen better (& more instructive) advice written on the toilet walls in pubs!
So what does this phone have going for it? Hmm tricky.
OK its looks. Read any review & the writer will bash on the looks. But in comparison, the Sony, Nokia & the LG 5MP phones are also very appealing.
The software is terrible, it's limited, un configurable & will not provide anywhere near the same level of custom changes that other platforms use.
The signal strength of the phone is good. In fact I would way it was better than my Nokia & Palm.
The weight of the phone is reassuring. It's nice to feel something that might just be robust enough to last a year! (Certainly more than some others! )
The keypad is a nice size & will suit long finger nailed ladies & men alike.
Did I mention the looks?
SO my advice. Well it is a phone & its works OK. If you're used to Samsung's then you will no doubt love this. If you want to play around with software & expect a little more from your handset than just phone calls, Internet & an 'OK' camera don't get it.
Reviewer: John - UK
Date: 17th Jan 2008
Quality feel. Larger than my last phone but can live with that. Not impressed though with indoor pictures. Always dark.
Reviewer: Sarah - UK
Date: 17th Jan 2008
I had this phone for under one week before I sent it back. I am used to Sony Ericsson's, so it took a bit to get used to the features.
I couldn't get the software set up on my computer & I couldn't get the mobile connected.
Every time I text I had to turn off predictive text which gets really annoying, then there were not many characters when texting, a standard text would take up 2 or more messages.
As the keypad is flat it's tricky to type.
I found the camera quality pretty good, but didn't see much difference with the optical zoom.
This phone is supposed to be the upgrade of the G600, but is double the size, it's very bulky handset.
Reviewer: Chloecloclo - UK
Date: 16th Jan 2008
If I find out how to put my own ringtone on it & get rid of those rubbish standard ones then I would say this phone is 100 percent, someone please help.
Reviewer: Len - Southend, UK
Date: 15th Jan 2008
I was quite disappointed with this phone as a whole, 1st with the size, 2nd with the camera, & third the features, thankfully I was able to send it back & order a new one.
Reviewer: Paul Counsell - Cwmbran, UK
Date: 15th Jan 2008
I have been reading all these reviews some I agree with, others are talking rubbish. I think it's an amazing phone, & for all of you asking how to change your message tone because your quite right nothing in the handbook, not even on the Samsung tutorial. Anyway you need to go to settings select phone profiles, press select its highlighted normal, press options, dropdown box at bottom scroll down to edit, press select, at the very top of the screen there are three symbols it will be highlighting the first one, scroll right & it will move across to the mailbox, message alert type will be highlighted, scroll down one to message alert tone, options select change drop down box select number 2 use my alert tone, that will take you into you files & you can select whatever you want out of there.
Reviewer: Jack - Alhaurin El Grande, Spain
Date: 15th Jan 2008
Great Phone cost me £340 sim free from the UK, BUT! The charger plug is naff, the earphones plug is naff, the flash is a joke would have liked a cradle for charging & a mini USB for the computer, the file transfers from phone to computer are to slow music & photos, tried to send a photo to UK was told the file was too large to send so not much point having a 5 mega pixel camera.
Apart from my complaints I do like the phone a lot, not too big for me, feels sturdy good sound I have ordered an 8 gig memory card & car charger as I use it for music & photos more than the phone. Does anyone want to buy a 5 mega pixel camera & a 20 gig MP3 player?
Reviewer: Mark - Smethwick, UK
Date: 15th Jan 2008
Camera is a BIG BIG BIG letdown needs a software update only works from time to time think it needs to go back.
Reviewer: Kal - Birmingham, UK
Date: 15th Jan 2008
I really wanted this phone for the camera & because it looks good. What I don't get it if these companies such as Samsung keep making good looking phones, why don't they make proper firmware or software updates to rectify the problems with their new releases?
Is there some government body to complain to? If enough people address their complaints, they'll surely have to do something. Right or am I being too naive?
Reviewer: Tanya - Liverpool, UK
Date: 13th Jan 2008
I have had the phone for nearly a week, I didn't use it at first because I was used to the Sony Ericsson cyber shot a very capable phone. The G800 is nearly all singing & dancing but am not 100% with it. I also cannot change the text message alert tone. The handset is a little bulky though sleek looking. I have not decided what to do with it yet. I was more interested in the camera but as Sony Ericsson now have a camera phone with same mega pixel a change might be in order.
Reviewer: Gemma - Blackpool, UK
Date: 13th Jan 2008
I was really looking forward to this phone coming out. From looking at the technical specs I was really excited about it & felt that it could have been such a good phone. When it actually arrived I was bitterly disappointed. Yes it's a big phone, but I was prepared to sacrifice that for everything it was supposedly capable of doing. The box is the biggest joke, it outside says the photographers choice. The camera just isn't good enough. The shutter speed is too slow & nearly all the photos come out blurry. The flash is very weak. I've currently got a k800i & the photos are much clearer. Also, I found the interface to run as slow & as bug ridden as that of a smart phone. Very poor design & build quality.
Reviewer: Panayiota - Nicosia, Cyprus
Date: 12th Jan 2008
When will it come to Cyprus?
Reviewer: Olive - UK
Date: 11th Jan 2008
I love this phone, I was nearly put off after reading all the reviews below, but thought I would give it a try this is my 4th Samsung phone. So I know the lay out quite well & the changes that they have made are for the better. & yes the phone is big, but that's one of the things I like about it, a good solid phone easy to use & a great camera.
If this is the first time you have bought a Samsung phone stick with it.
Reviewer: Christine - UK
Date: 11th Jan 2008
I have one fault with this phone which is driving me mad. I put songs from my computer onto my phone, & they are saved in 'files' but when I go to select them for my ringtone it says there are none:S HELP.
Reviewer: Terry - Hull, UK
Date: 10th Jan 2008
The predictive text & the fact you can't set Abc as default is plain silly. The feel is too heavy & chunk, the D500 feels better. NO GAMES? What were they thinking! I don't like the menu to complicated. Wish I had gone for another phone!
Reviewer: Debs - UK
Date: 10th Jan 2008
I have had the phone for 2 days but have decided to return it as the phone is so bulky. It also does not come with much on it which I was surprised about. I found the keypad quite hard to use as well.
I did not buy the phone for the camera but after using it I was so surprised as it always produces a very dull picture & blurry. I have decided to get the Samsung G600 as this is a much smaller version & I do like the function display of the Samsung.
Reviewer: Amy Riddett - UK
Date: 10th Jan 2008
I got this phone just under a week ago & I really like it, at first I found it quite bulky as I used to have the D900.
Just wondered if anyone wondered if you can get the anti shake to stay on all the time, every time I turn it on & go back to the menu its turned off.
Also does anyone know how I can remove the T Mobile writing on the screen, I used to be able to do it on my old phone but there is no sign of being able to do it on this phone.
If anyone knows that would be great! Thanks.
Reviewer: Sudhir - Cardiff, UK
Date: 10th Jan 2008
I still don't have it but strongly thinking of buying it. I need enter lot of confidential & non confidential data into it. Is this possible with this phone? Also can one use normal Internet (as found in PC) on the go. My marks are based on your reviews.
Reviewer: Rach - Northern Ireland, UK
Date: 9th Jan 2008
Well after reading this review for a few days, I decided to upgrade my phone from the Samsung e900 to the Samsung g800 after swearing when I had gotten the e900 that I would never get another Samsung phone again I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. Samsung have without a doubt upped their game with this phone!
Took me little over an hour to get used to some of the new ways of doing things on the phone, but I have to say that the phone is superb in contrast to the e900. I can now choose MP3's as my message tones & FINALLY I can now make my phone ring & vibrate at the same time. This is fantastic as I work in a noisy environment.
Love this new phone & hopefully Samsung will have even better things to come! 9 out of 10 on this one Samsung!
Reviewer: Saoirse - UK
Date: 9th Jan 2008
I have pay & go as well & that sound its driving me nuts! I need to find out how to get it off because when you put it on silent it's still there! Any ideas?
Reviewer: Julie - UK
Date: 8th Jan 2008
I have only one complaint about this & would be grateful if someone could let me know if it can be rectified as its driving me nuts. I have a pay & go sim card in & every time I send a message the balance pops up with an annoying sound that I can't get rid of even when phone is in silent mode! Help?
Reviewer: Andrew - UK
Date: 8th Jan 2008
I had this phone for a day & took it back. Purely & simply because the camera is rubbish. Every time I take a picture it comes out blurry. I sell cameras for a living & I have changed every possible setting to try & fix the problem but nothing seems to work.
The reason I bought the phone was for the optical zoom & the 5 megapixels because I can never be bothered to carry my camera around with me & I was so disappointed with it.
I love the design even though it is a little bulky. I've been used to Sony Ericsson for the last four years I've always upgraded to a Sony Ericsson & fancied a change & wish I hadn't.
There weren't even any games on it & the manual is too basic, it doesn't actually tell you anything you don't already know & the predictive text is a nightmare to use.
Don't buy this phone, the camera is supposed to be its big selling point & it thoroughly disappoints.
Reviewer: Les Robbo - Worcester, UK
Date: 8th Jan 2008
Very durable, nice looking, quality pictures, all round good phone.
Reviewer: Andrew - Singapore
Date: 7th Jan 2008
Has anyone had any problems with the quality of the photos by the g800?
Over the last 5 days I've had this phone, I've had a few problems:
1. Very sensitive to hand movement. Worked out a technique to hold the phone in my palm rather than with finger tips. But still can't take zoomed (optical) pics without them being blurry. Supposed anti shake function doesn't help.
2. Took close up of some people's face- camera about 1 metre away. The skin has all these black dots, which makes them look like pits. The 3 pics I took look like that & it's only skin which is like that. Everything else (e.g. Plants, buildings, cars, tables etc) is dull, but otherwise normal.
I really like this phone. It's a real beauty. But I fear it's just skin deep.
anyone else have any comments of their pics? Perhaps compared to their experience with n95 or k850?
Reviewer: Josh - Huddersfield, UK
Date: 7th Jan 2008
This phone has a smooth, stylish design. Although it is quite large it looks good & isn't too heavy so it's not a problem. Was a bit annoyed that it didn't have any games but that's the only thing wrong with it. If you want a good camera phone then this is the one for you.
Reviewer: Liz - Birmingham, UK
Date: 4th Jan 2008
I've had the G800 for about 3 weeks now & I absolutely love it! It is so much better than my old phone (D900)! I found it a bit hard to get use to at the start but now I am use to it I love it. I defiantly think this phone is one of the best out there & you must be silly to choose a different phone!
Reviewer: Tracie - UK
Date: 2nd Jan 2008
OK! I have been reading all the reviews & I have now made my own mind up. My hubby bought this phone for me for Christmas. I love it. Only problem I have with it is, that the booklet that you get with it is too basic. It doesn't tell you enough about the phone & the working of it. We all know how to turn it on & off!
Could someone tell me how to change the text message tone? It's driving me crazy!
Other than that it is a cool phone.
Reviewer: Gen - London, UK
Date: 1st Jan 2008
I was persuaded into buying this phone from a T-Mobile shop yesterday. At first I was going to buy the U600, & was told that was 'rubbish', so then it was down to the G600 & G800. First day already & I am not 100% impressed. The phone is too bulky, especially for a female like myself who previously had the Nokia 6111, & when you open it, it looks like a remote control!
The predictive text is A PAIN IN the bits, especially as I hate texting in this way & have to keep changing it every time.
Yes the camera is sharp & has optical zoom but if you already have a digital camera, as I do, then this isn't the best selling point.
I've got till Sat till make up my mind & being a first time Samsung user I am not that impressed & so will switch to the sleeker, slimmer G600.
Reviewer: Tony - Manchester, UK
Date: 30th Dec 2007
This phone rocks, it may be a little chunky monkey but it actually feels like you have a phone instead of a flimsy piece of plastic that'll snap as soon as you look at it.
Quite a few people have said that they've changed the message tone, how have you done this?
All those of you that don't like as they say it's too thick, it's not.
Reviewer: Jock - Netherlands
Date: 28th Dec 2007
Phone looks cool but the predictive text is a pain, having to keep turning it off every time you write a text. No games either which is a bit cheap on Samsungs part.
Reviewer: Jimmy - UK
Date: 27th Dec 2007
G600 looks totally awful. Let's be honest now. G800 looks nice & smooth, maybe a bit big, but the G600 is nothing in comparison & pictures quality for the G800 is much better!
Reviewer: Leo Matthews - UK
Date: 27th Dec 2007
Disappointed
Although I knew that this phone would be a bit of a chunkster, I had been counting down the days until this phone had been made available. Whilst there are very good features on the phone, it has sadly fallen short of my expectations. I've had a good play with the phone & all its various settings & this is what I think:
The GOOD
- First Samsung phone I've had that will now let you use mp3s as the alarm tone & message alert tone.
- Excellent MP3 player, sounds as good as my Creative Zen through headphones (however, there are no EQ settings).
- Phone feels durable, nice metallic feel.
- Good quality video, mic pics up good sound.
- Very attractive looking phone.
The BAD
- the camera. Every time I take a picture indoors the photo comes out slightly blurred. I have the subject in the cross hairs, the auto focus adjusts so that it is just right, then the moment I take the picture it comes out slightly blurry, despite having a steady hand, switching on anti-shake & trying the various different scene settings. Such a pity, as the optical zoom is very good.
- the apostrophe symbol is awkward to get to if not using predictive text (not just a case of pressing 1 or 0 many times).
- Cannot use predictive text when surfing Internet.
- Phone takes up a lot of pocket space!
I've returned the phone & am going to wait a couple of months or so to upgrade to something else.
Reviewer: Haylieleigh - UK
Date: 26th Dec 2007
Well I have had this phone since Christmas 2007 (2 days) & I can honestly say it's the best phone I have ever had & one of the most easiest before this phone I had a Nokia n73 but would not advise getting it to anyone this phone is truly amazing anyone looking for a good camera & easy to use phone this is for you.
Reviewer: Mangas - UK
Date: 26th Dec 2007
I have only used the phone for a few days & so am not all that familiar with it yet. But here goes. When creating a text message I can't find a way to default it to standard (Abc) input. It always defaults to the T9 thing. If I don't find a way to change this, the phone goes back! I also don't like that the apostrophe is so awkward to get to. I have to play a little more before giving a fuller conclusion but so far I have found the software a little inflexible; a few odd little things with this gives this phone a dated (read backward) feel. On the other hand, shouldn't I be able to get on with it fairly quickly?
When I enter the menu screen I get a black background with Orange highlighting, is it possible to change this? Had a quick look & can't see how. This might be a simple request but.
I got this phone through T Mobile. I can change the message alert tone. Also, the volumes adjust works in adjusting keypad tone volume without affecting the ringtone. I understand that the firmware each company puts on it can affect certain features. Cos if so, then perhaps Samsung might be good enough to give us all a software update to sort out some of them out. Less than perfect aspects of this phone.
I have not been impressed greatly by the camera. Sure I may not be the best photographer around but when set a digital camera to auto & take an indoor shot I expect to see my subject, not just a dim impression of them. Even outdoor, I point & click at what seems a pretty brightly lit subject & end up with a very different result to the preview. OK, I might be doing something wrong, but like I said, I have never had this problem before: not even with fairly simple camera phones (Sony's, Nokia's). Oh another very annoying thing, the video is a below par. Why have Samsung bothered to make this phone & not give it VGA resolution? Mind boggling! Another backward step. It seems as though Samsung have placed a highly polished looking product on the market without polishing the bits that really count.
As for looks, well, that is all down to the beholder, isn't it?
Reviewer: Anon - Afghanistan
Date: 25th Dec 2007
Your all wrong I am afraid, good phone.
Reviewer: Adam - Nr Bath, UK
Date: 24th Dec 2007
Is this one Wi-Fi?
Reviewer: Anon - UK
Date: 24th Dec 2007
Amazing. Much better looking than N95. If I combine it with my iphone (for Wi-Fi) they make the ultimate phone duo.
Reviewer: Mical - UK
Date: 22nd Dec 2007
This is the worst looking phone I have ever seen there is so much steel on it you can't hardly carry it.
The design is 5% why isn't there zero?
Easy to use not! The keypad is OK but it is the steel that makes this phone flip back.
Usability 5% pity there isn't zero.
Good camera & MP3 that is all it is good at.
The g600 has a better flash & quality images compared to this piece of junk I am going to change it back to the Samsung g600.
Reviewer: Robbie - UK
Date: 20th Dec 2007
I may rate usability higher after a few more days usage but 3 days with G800 v 3 years + with Sony Ericsson's & its brain training time. I think the manual with phone is pretty thin both in pages & info :-) Having now said that could someone please tell me how you turn the predictive text OFF! Unlike my Sony's the text doesn't show you all your choices without entering more menu's which is very painful & probably me being blonde.
Any tips on what I am doing wrong much appreciated
Reviewer: Ali - UK
Date: 20th Dec 2007
How do you get the battery cover off? It's driving me mad!
Reviewer: Vikki N - Motherwell, UK
Date: 19th Dec 2007
Hey just got this phone as an upgrade on the D900 from T Mobile 3 days ago. So far I am really impressed with the features, haven't stopped playing with the camera yet! Need to have a look through the manual to make sure I get the best from the phone but it's been really easy to work without looking anything up. You can make your own slideshow type wallpaper which is just gorgeous if you put loads of pictures together with different effects (black & white etc) haven't been able to get an awful lot of music onto it yet but the songs I have put on sound great. I picked this as a replacement for both my phone & digital camera & I think it definitely lives up to the hype!
Reviewer: Wendy - Croydon, UK
Date: 19th Dec 2007
I got this phone 4 days ago & I am really impressed with it. It looks stylish & I although I know some people have felt it is too big I personally prefer a chunkier phone that I can hold onto! It's not THAT huge for a phone which has so many features on it.
I had an old Nokia 6230i before & I was concerned in case I'd find this phone too difficult to use (I am a dunce with new technology) but I needn't have worried because it is so easy!
I was looking for a phone with lots of features & was originally planning to get the Nokia N95, but was put off as it has had such a bad press, so that's why I went for the Samsung. The camera takes wonderful quality pictures & the music sounds great! I received a video call & that was clear too.
The only drawback is that battery life seems quite poor (I've had to charge up every night). I've also got a couple of questions, is there any way of making the text font size smaller? Because I can't see how to do it!
Has anyone noticed you can't get an apostrophe from key 1 when you do not use predictive text? (the only way I've found to do it is to go to the symbols menu & select an apostrophe that way, which is so long winded! )
In general I am very happy with this new phone so far, let's hope it's reliable as I intend to keep it for a long time!
Reviewer: Michelle - Preston, UK
Date: 18th Dec 2007
Great phone, received today after 2 broken g600 having to be returned to O2. To previous reviewer you can silence the keys by using the side volume buttons when the phone is on standby.
Bit chunky but will get used to that after a few days, & this phone is a lot better quality than the previous g600.
Reviewer: Luis - Gijon, Spain
Date: 17th Dec 2007
The phone is not small but the quality of the metal casing is excellent & beautiful! Today it fell down to the floor in the lift & not a single scratch.
My one also came with the 1GB expansion card.
Worst thing is the flash is not very powerful & photos look a bit dark. I had much better photos in the dark & indoors with my Sony Ericsson 800 cybershot cos of the flash being much powerful.
Also I don't know how to stop the noise when using the phone which is very annoying especially in the office.
Reviewer: Kirstie - UK
Date: 17th Dec 2007
I have just got this phone on a t-mobile contract & I love it!
I would have to disagree with the phone size being too big, it's a great size for everything that is stored in it. Battery life is excellent, I charged it Friday, & now it's Monday & it still has battery! Not sure how many songs it can hold but I've started loading mine up & there still seems lots of memory left. The camera is really good better then my digital, takes excellent pictures in dark or light.
Another thing that is really good about this phone is that on all other Samsung it doesn't seem possible to change your message alert to anything apart from Samsungs ring tones but. On this phone you can! I read a review on here saying you couldn't but you defo can.
I would definitely recommend this phone, it is really good, not too big at all.
Overall: 10/10
Reviewer: Robin - Wellingborough, UK
Date: 16th Dec 2007
The answers to some of the questions.
Leni: You can silence the keys without turning the ringtone off. Just use the volume buttons at the side of the phone.
Terry: the battery life appears to be very poor. Needs charging nearly everyday on my phone.
The memory is very good with a 1GB card. The keypad seems fine to me, & doesn't hurt my fingers. The built in ringtones are awful, & I immediately put my own in. The ringtone volume can be loud depending on what setting. I find the FM radio to be of fantastic sound with the supplied headphones, & even sounds OK through the built in speakers. Yes, the phone is bulkier & heavier than most, but with a superb camera, I don't find that a problem. I also like the built in hands-free speaker. I think that Samsung could have put some preinstalled games onto the phone. This is the first phone I have had that doesn't have any games on it. Anyway, I would recommend this phone, & I would give this 80 out of 100 overall, even more if it had games.
Reviewer: Marc - Pembroke, UK
Date: 16th Dec 2007
The bloke below clearly confused because I have had the g600 its not even 5 megapixel. The flash is rubbish I now have the g800 this is a true 5 megapixel phone xeon flash v.good the yes the phone is slightly big & chunky but so's the n95 n 1 with question didn't hesitate to ask!
Reviewer: Are - Northants, UK
Date: 16th Dec 2007
I have upgraded from the Samsung D900 to the G800, & I don't know what the criticism is all about. Yes, the phone is thick & heavy, but I don't have a problem with that, as the camera is the best I have seen on any phone, & the quality is brilliant. The only problem I have, is that the battery needs charging nearly everyday, even when not making many calls. Someone mentioned that you can't turn the keytones off without turning the ring sound off. All I can say to that person is, try turning the key volume down using the side buttons on the phone. It stops the keytone, but still lets the phone ring.
Reviewer: Tash - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 14th Dec 2007
I got this phone as an upgrade last week & I love it. Admittedly it is on the large side, but I tend to prefer that to a slimmer phone like the u600 cos I am a bit of a klutz!
Too many positive aspects to this phone to list them all here. As for negatives, the only thing I can find wrong with it is that the flat keys are quite awkward to use & give me cramp in my thumb when I am texting!
All in all, a fantastic phone from Samsung.
Reviewer: Cheeky - UK
Date: 12th Dec 2007
ONLY TOOK the PHONE OUT OF the PACKAGING YESTERDAY MORNING, SENT IT BACK the SAME DAY. The DESIGN IS HORRIBLE, TOO BIG & FRUMPY. CHANGED FOR the G600 SAME SIZE CAMERA BUT SLIMMER!
Reviewer: Leni - Airdrie, UK
Date: 12th Dec 2007
Just got the phone today & the design cannot be questioned however the buttons should be slightly more raised for texts as your fingers slip onto the different keys also you cannot silence the keys without having your ringtone turned off other than that this phone is stylish & smart not for Celtic fans.
Reviewer: Anon - Bangladesh
Date: 10th Dec 2007
So gorgeous.
Reviewer: Josh - UK
Date: 9th Dec 2007
I just purchased this phone from a Vodafone store & I have to say I have never been happier with a phone. Although it rather big & bulky its shape & sleek finish makes up for it. The internal memory is good & it comes with a 1GB memory card anyway.
I think this is a great phone but at £300 it's not the cheapest buy
Reviewer: Terry - London, UK
Date: 8th Dec 2007
Most phones nowadays have so many features that they can't be slim. If you want a slim phone you should buy the Samsung g800 or u800. There's no point complaining that this phone is fat, because with all the features it has on here, it's probably not possible to make it slim. Every phone has bad features about it & this one is that it's chunky, but think about the good features:
- 5 megapixel camera
- Flash
- Battery life
- Design etc
Reviewer: John - Manchester, UK
Date: 7th Dec 2007
Pretty poor in my opinion, all this high tempo for a silver block, which, the camera isn't that too different to the g600, in my opinion, for the same price contract, another Samsung would be the F700, great looking, not bad camera, excellent features!
Reviewer: Michael Arnold - UK
Date: 6th Dec 2007
Hi, I just got my phone today & I am waiting for it to charge. I was anxious to see the design of the phone as it had caused much hype, so when I saw the thickness I was a little disappointed. However, if you think about the features that are included it is surprising to think they can fit it all in there. I got my G800 with Orange & this is what I received, phone, earphones, charger, battery, USB link to computer & User Manual.
Reviewer: Louise - Dunfermline, UK
Date: 6th Dec 2007
Yes it is big & heavy, but I love the look & feel of it. After having many slim flimsy light phones break, I feel confident when holding this that it can withstand everyday life & stay looking new for a long time.
The camera quality is excellent, & I now don't need to carry a phone & a camera as I have them both in one & I love that. A few people have mentioned the lens cover being too big. At least it's not like the older S.E. K800 cyber shot where the lens cover breaks off as it's too small & light.
It has all the functions I could ever need. Better than its rival Sony Ericsson new cyber shot in that you don't have to touch the actual screen to get into your menus etc, because that just gets fingerprints all over the screen & makes it look dirty.
The only problem I have with mine is the text size is bloody massive & I can't work out how to change that! P.S. You can have customised text alerts on the G800, I have one on mine.
Reviewer: Sue - UK
Date: 5th Dec 2007
Could anyone please tell me how to access the memory card it does not come up anywhere in phone menu. Thanks.
Reviewer: Rejaul Hussain - London, UK
Date: 4th Dec 2007
OK I'll be honest first of all G600 is way better it handles the same picture quality except G800 doesn't have ISO 800 it only has IS0 400 & the video supports 340 x 240 MP4 when G600 supports 640 x 340 & you can't change themes on the phone, which is really bad LOL. ID PREFER G600 OR N95.
Reviewer: Meh - US
Date: 4th Dec 2007
Kami from UK, I don't think that it very true to say that the design & all are 5% just because the phone is thick. Sure, the phone is thick but it doesn't mean that it has really bad features. Plus the phone's front side is very sleek looking (& with a big screen) & the back even has a cover to the camera.
So that is not a good review. But I ordered this phone & receiving it in the next few days, I'll let you know how the phone is.
Reviewer: Anon - UK
Date: 3rd Dec 2007
G800 superb, a little large yes but very swanky. Does come with a USB data & charge cable. Mine did come with a 1Gig micro SD transflash & adaptor to make it SD sized. Excellent was looking at buying the card too.
Reviewer: Lisa - Sheffield, UK
Date: 3rd Dec 2007
I've had this sleek little number for just a couple of days, but already I love it! I admit to being a bit of a luddite when it comes to technology & tend to rely on my 3 kids to navigate the features for me, but I was immediately impressed by how easy this phone is to use. OK, it's not the smallest, or the lightest, but it looks & feels great, it's stylish & has a better camera than my. Erm camera! So far the only drawback is that it could be a little slimmer & a little lighter, but then couldn't we all! All in all, this phone is FAB!
Reviewer: Cheesy Feet - UK
Date: 3rd Dec 2007
I think this phone is great best phone ever.
Reviewer: Bob Wren - Manchester, UK
Date: 2nd Dec 2007
It is a very good phone. It also has a very good 5 megapixel camera. Bob wren.
Reviewer: Rachel - UK
Date: 1st Dec 2007
Hey, looking at these comments, the phone seems quite big. Is it? What sets it apart from the G600?
Reviewer: Damo - Portsmouth, UK
Date: 1st Dec 2007
Hi I got phone imported SIM free its identical to UK model & is not locked to Vodafone (wonderful) yes I agree with everyone the phone is a chunky monkey but when you have phone in your hand & look at camera lens you will see why it's fat. Yes you can change your sms tone on this phone & yes it comes with a usb cable & yes again its 3G with a camera on the front have not had it long enough to test battery life so can't help there. Has similar UI to U600 without touch sensitive buttons loud speaker is very loud has 140MB memory on board its great so far but is a little fat if it had lost 2mm it would have been perfect.
Reviewer: Stu - UK
Date: 1st Dec 2007
I got my G800 from Vodafone in the UK & I got USB Lead & a software CD for my computer, the Software is also Vista Compatible. This is a fantastic phone. I am well impressed with the quality of the camera.
Reviewer: James - UK
Date: 29th Nov 2007
Sleek phone, A BIT BIG BUT CAMERA IS AS good AS MY OWN DIGITAL CAMERA, A MUST GET PHONE.
Reviewer: Jimmy - UK
Date: 28th Nov 2007
Received the phone yesterday, but am quite disappointed as the phone is like a silver brick. Too fat compared to my U600 & am going to send it back unless I get convinced otherwise but don't think so. It is a heavy weight in my pocket & can't be carrying that around. I've got 13 days left to decide, & I am sure I know what I will do before then.
Reviewer: Terry - UK
Date: 26th Nov 2007
Hello, I have set up a sort of questionnaire for anyone who has this phone. Please comment & help people like myself to decide whether I should get the phone,
- Is the battery life on the phone good?
- Is the memory good?
- Is the keypad soft or does it hurt your fingers when you text?
- Are the ringtones or message tones, that already come on the phone good?
- Is the music or ringtone volume loud?
- Do you find the phone bulky, big, slim, heavy, light?
- What's the total mark out of 10 overall?
- What feature or features besides the camera do you like best?
- Are there any disadvantages to the phone?
- Do you recommend the phone? If not, please state why & which phone you prefer?
Thank you.
Reviewer: Elana - UK
Date: 26th Nov 2007
Hi can anyone tell me if this phone comes with a USB cable so that you can get songs from your computer to the phone, also how good is the battery & what's the memory like on the phone.
Reviewer: Jessy - UK
Date: 26th Nov 2007
Hi just wondering did you get a USB cable so you can transfer pictures & music to your phone from computer.
Reviewer: Kami - London, UK
Date: 25th Nov 2007
This is not a good phone, it is simply too fat.
Reviewer: Martin Richards - Rochester, UK
Date: 23rd Nov 2007
Fantastic looking phone, had it delivered today (Friday), unfortunately pocket which is more important to me.
Reviewer: Dg - UK
Date: 22nd Nov 2007
The G800 does not support customisable SMS alerts which is so common now on other brands. A real shame!
Reviewer: Ian D - Cornwall, UK
Date: 21st Nov 2007
This phone has fantastic features but looks like a silver brick. It's not as good looking as the N95 but the features are great. Not sure if I am going to keep as it's a much larger phone than I had before. If size isn't an object, then this phone is fantastic.
Reviewer: Kaka Bhinvala - Russian Federation
Date: 20th Nov 2007
This is the best phone ever.
Reviewer: Nick - Sal, Syrian Arab Republic
Date: 20th Nov 2007
It's a very good phone I like it. It's a high end phone camera, maybe it's not final version, but I love it.
Reviewer: Kika - Sarrasay, Anguilla
Date: 17th Nov 2007
When does it come out?
Reviewer: Sheikh - Luton, UK
Date: 16th Nov 2007
All round I believe this phone will be very popular for all users as it has a lot of features that most buyers would be looking for. It's a shame the built in memory is only 160MB, which is a lot but for a phone that can take brilliant pictures it should have come with at least 1GB that would have set it apart from its competitors. Samsung do make truly stylish phones & this is no different.
Reviewer: Kyle Burke - Port Talbot, UK
Date: 11th Nov 2007
Needs a the lens cover on the back could be a bit smaller & thinner, 3G camera on the front & Quad Band.
Reviewer: Sean - UK
Date: 10th Nov 2007
This phone looks well cool.
Reviewer: Pista - Pakistan
Date: 9th Nov 2007
This is a very good phone.
Reviewer: Steven - Sidney, Australia
Date: 4th Nov 2007
Why the g800? g600 rocks.
Reviewer: Nafs - Sheffield, UK
Date: 2nd Nov 2007
Is it a good phone? Is it too heavy? Is the battery life good? How many songs can you put on it? Is it really 5 mega pix camera phone? Is it cool & sleek? Please let me know. I hope this is a good phone & not a waste of money.
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