Samsung U800 3G mobile phone

The central navpad – which delivers feature shortcuts as well as menu navigation - is large enough for comfortable thumbing, giving a well-ordered feel to the overall key set-up. Getting around the menus is uncomplicated. Samsung’s navigation system is constructed along fairly conventional lines, with an icon-grid main menu, and sub-menus with numbered options you can scroll through or select with a quick number press. Selecting and changing settings is straightforward too, and the phone controls are responsive as they zip you through the options.

Samsung hasn’t gone overboard with the display size though – it’s a 2in 320 x 240, 16m-colour screen which is suitably bright and clear but average-sized for a mid-tier device. Above this, there’s a secondary low-res camera for face-to-face video calls.

The central navpad is large enough for comfortable use

All-round dimensions are 111 x 46 x 9.9mm, but at 92g it’s reassuringly substantial. The skinny side panels still allow room for a Micro SD card slot, a camera button and volume keys, though predictably there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket – Samsung uses its customary charger/headphone/USB port. Amends are partially made with the in-box earphone set, a two-piece affair with a 3.5mm adaptor mid-way.

The U800 has a steady set of mid-tier features that cover most of the 3G multimedia standards without straying into gimmick territory. Anyone looking for GPS, Wi-Fi or smartphone customisation will have to look further up-range. Nonetheless, it has a fair amount of functionality on board.