Samsung SGH-G600 mobile phone

Video footage is recorded at higher resolution than many cameraphones, and is good enough for the likes of YouTube. It shoots at 30 frames per second (fps) to give a smoother performance. But like most cameraphones, it's not really up to camcorder quality.

The G600 does deliver on the audio front, however. With software that looks like it's come straight off a standalone Samsung MP3 player, the phone supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA files and can also sync easily with Windows Media Player on a PC by hooking up via the supplied USB cable.

Samsung's G600: provides all-round reliable performance

The music player arranges track options in familiar MP3 player territory, allowing you to organise and select tunes by artists, genres, albums, composers, playlists, podcasts and most played, as well as a shuffle option. Should you wish to, you can add - some dubious - sound effects to replicate various environments, such as concert hall, stadium and surround sound.

You can share your music/annoy fellow citizens on the bus with the speaker or opt for solitary listening via supplied stereo headphones. These plug in via the dual-purpose charger socket so there's no listening while charging - unless you choose the Bluetooth streaming option.

Usefully, though, Samsung has again supplied a two-piece headset with a 3.5mm jack socket mid-way for plugging in a standard pair of decent 'phones. We'd highly recommend fixing in your own as the supplied ones are very poor and do the music player no justice - they're tinny with a distinct lack of bass. A good set of 'phones reveals instead a more than acceptable mobile MP3 player. With 1GB of memory card available in-box, trying to get the best performance possible out of the music player seems a no-brainer.

The G600 allows you to share tunes via Bluetooth. You can stream sound in stereo to two sets of Bluetooth headphones or speakers simultaneously. The FM radio further adds to the audio attractions. You can also record tunes from the radio as MP3s.

Among the G600's other features, the NetFront Browser V3.4 offers options for full website viewing or Smart-Fit rendering of images in mobile screen-friendly columns. Other standard Samsung features include email support, calendar, voice recorder, world clock and memo pad and a selection of Java games.

Verdict

The Samsung’s G600's five-megapiaxel camera will be an attractive feature for some buyers. The quality snapper doesn't dominate the phone's design, though. The handet's slim, elegant, understated and solid in the hand. Taking and making calls, the quality of the G600 is top-class too. We experienced clear calls, good reception and an all-round very reliable performance. The on-board music player ticks the right boxes - as long as decent headphones are used - and Samsung provides a generous bundle.

If you're an attention seeker looking for a phone to spin heads your way, the G600 isn't it. But what you do get is a great quality cameraphone in a very pocketable, stylish package. It's a shame there's no 3G connectivity in this model – we like the idea of higher speed image uploading as well as all the other 3G multimedia gadgetry - but we're sure it will arrive presently in the usual rolling-upgrade Samsung kind of way.