We gave Samsung's first attempt at a budget BlackBerry, the Genio Qwerty, a bit of a thumbs down. But the ch@t is something altogether different. Although it retails as a budget pay as you go phone, Samsung have styled it as if it really were the BlackBerry-beater it yearns to be. It's pretty much the same size as the BlackBerry 8520, but noticeably slimmer, being ultraslim at just 11.9mm. Yet it doesn't feel like it's about to snap in half. It has a metal finish and a quality feel about it. The QWERTY keyboard has been completely re-engineered and is much easier to use. The keys aren't huge, especially the space bar, but they're as big as they can be in a phone this size and they respond nicely to the touch. You can program shortcuts into the QWERTY keyboard for fast access to favourite apps.
The display is completely standard for this kind of phone: 2.4 inches, 320 x 240 pixels, LCD. It's the "correct" display for the phone. Between the display and the keyboard sits the optical trackpad, which differentiates between normal finger movement and fast swipes, helping you to move around the screen and scroll up and down easily. We have to say that QWERTY keyboard + trackpad + slim design = superb ergonomics.
So, we've got a great keyboard, let's start typing. The Ch@t is great for texts, emails and instant messaging, and equally handy if you like to tweet or catch up on facebook. The Chat may not be a 3G phone, but it's about the only sub-£50 phone that comes with Wi-Fi, so it's pretty nippy getting on to the net. As well as Wi-Fi, there's Bluetooth and USB connectivity too.
The Ch@t is no smartphone, but there are a few apps you can install and it comes with 5 embedded Java games. You won't get bored on the bus either, because it has a music player and an FM radio, with the ability to record songs from the radio. The 3.5mm audio connector lets you plug in any standard-fit headphones for the best audio quality.
Like most other phones in this price range, the camera is very limited, being just 2 megapixels and with no autofocus or flash. It can record video, if you really push it, but don't expect much from it. It's fair to say that imaging is not the Chat's strong point, but then the BlackBerry 8520 and the Nokia C3 are no better.
The memory of the phone isn't huge, but is adequate for the job at 60MB. If you're going to use the Ch@t as your music player, you'll want to buy a microSD memory card, and the Ch@t can take cards up to 8GB. The battery isn't very high powered, but the phone manages to eke out enough juice to last a couple of days between charges, even if you use it quite heavily.
We've been quite charmed by the Ch@t 335, despite its silly n@me. It sets out to deliver the power of a BlackBerry for half the money, and we think it succeeds. Corners have been cut in certain places, but not in core functionality, nor in build quality or aesthetics. As a result, we really can't find fault with this phone. If you want to spend more money and get the real thing, then the BlackBerry 8520 is the one to choose, and you might also like to check out the Nokia C3.
Features of the Samsung Chat 335 include:
- 2 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom
- Video camera (15fps, QCIF)
- Display: TFT, 240 x 320 pixels (2.4 inches)
- QWERTY keyboard with optical trackpad
- Music player with DNSe 3D sound
- FM radio RDS
- Ringtones: MP3 ringtones, 64 voice polyphonic ringtones
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, email, IM
- Voice memo & voice mail
- Speakerphone
- 5 embedded Java games
- Offline mode
- WAP 2.0, GPRS, EDGE, web browser
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB, 3.5mm jack
- Memory: 60MB plus microSD memory card slot (up to 8GB supported)
- Personal organiser functions
- Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
- Size: 111 x 61 x 11.9 mm
- Weight: 100g
- Battery: 1000mAh
- Talktime: 720 minutes
- Battery standby: 520 hours
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