Vodafone 360 H1 review
We review Samsung's new H1 touch screen handset, exclusive to Vodafone and piloting its new 360 service.
With the added value of the built-in 360 social networking function - an area in which the iPhone is fast getting left behind - the H1 could be a winner, but only if Samsung and Vodafone sort out the glaring omissions and flaws in this device.Unfortunately though, the H1 isn’t the finished article and due to that it doesn’t score as highly as it could, and should, have.
The virtual keyboard also deserves mention. In the H1's case, Samsung have effectively copied the iPhone's tried and tested typing method. Each letter pops-up enlarged above each "key" as it is pressed. Having said this though, the H1 lacks Apple's intelligent text and instead uses T9, with the word selection displayed above the on-screen keyboard. Not as good as Blackberry's Suretype or Apple's intelligent keyboard, but functional and easy to use nonetheless.
The H1 runs a the LiMo operating system and both the OS and Vodafone 360 on a touch screen phone should add up to an winning combination. But sadly, the H1 is definitely not the finished article at the moment. Not just that it currently lacks the ever-popular Twitter in 360's repertoire, but also email syncing is hit and miss. Like the H1's other weaknesses, we hope this could be fixed by firmware updates sooner rather than later.
All-in-all, Samsung H1's is a very capable phone and, had it lived up to its potential, would have been an excellent choice for business users and those who enjoy the ever-growing number of ways one can inform those you know, and even those you don't, of your every move.
In the H1, Samsung and Vodafone have tried to provide almost everything one would expect and want from a touch screen handset in the current mobile phone market. We certainly wouldn't go as far as to use the somewhat trite "iPhone killer" bracket that seems to be the benchmark for all such devices, but the H1 should be serious contender for your money and affections. And, once the teething troubles are sorted, we're confident that will happen.
Verdict
With the added value of the built-in 360 social networking function - an area in which the iPhone is fast getting left behind - the H1 could be a winner, but only if Samsung and Vodafone sort out the glaring omissions and flaws in this device. Unfortunately though, the H1 isn’t the finished article and due to that it doesn’t score as highly as it could, and should, have.
Connectivity: 3G, HSDPA, GPRS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, built-in GPS Dimensions: 58x12.9x115.9 (WDH) Weight: 134 grams Battery: 7 hours talk time Display: 3.5in touch screen, 480x800 pixels Camera: 5MP camera Memory: 16GB
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