Samsung SGH-D600 mobile phone

Review Just like Chelsea Football Club's manager, the D600 is a suave and sophisticated phone that comes across as one cool cucumber. But does the phone have the features to match or is it all style and no substance?

We have to admit it, we love the D600. Its black curvy lines, the large screen and the sliding motion ensure this phone oozes with style. The slider has to be one of the best balanced we've seen and you won't be able to stop yourself sliding it backwards and forwards even when you're not making a call. The nearest thing we can relate it to is trying to push two repelling magnets together. Lovely.

Get past the sliding action and the keypad is just as lovely to use. In recent experiences with some handsets we've tested we found that once you reveal the keypad inside, it all goes rather downhill. Not here. The keys are well spaced and a back light makes finding the right number in a darkened pub very easy.

Closing the model automatically locks the keys on the top, but can read texts, access the menu system, view images and listen to MP3s without the need to open the phone up.

The phone isn't just about a great keypad - there are other features here too. The phone also features a two-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity to connect a headset, quad-band support for global travel, a 240 x 320 262,000-colour screen and the ability to drive a television to display videos and images you've captured. Considering the scaling that has to be done from the small screen to the TV, the results are very impressive.

The menu system is very easy to use, and we liked the attention to detail. Numbers when punched-in are large and clear, and anyone who normally needs to wear glasses to see what is going on with their mobile phone will be happy to know that they won't need them here. Likewise an additional feature we loved was the ability to automatically text multiple people in one hit - ideal if you're trying to arrange a night out or merely have something to share.

So what's the catch? Well the D600 is still only GSM rather than 3G and it's not really big on the email functions or mobile office working. Additionally, we were disappointed by Samsung's choice to move the camera from under the slider, where it was on the D500. Placing it under the slider kept it safe and free from scratches when the unit was closed. Perhaps the two-megapixel camera's technology forced the move, and it's one of the very few disappointments for this model.

Verdict

This is a great handset that should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a good GSM handset without a focus on mobile office working.

What the D600 is good at is just being a stylish-looking phone for those not fussed with being connected to the office every waking minute or turning their mobile into a home entertainment system.

It's small size will certainly appeal and rightly so. We love it.

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