Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Samsung L170 (SGH-L170)

Just in case you thought Samsung were getting a bit predictable, they come out with the rather unusual Samsung L170 - an ultra-lightweight 3G phone that looks like nothing else on the market.


Let's start with the SGH-L170's looks. There's a fashionable glossy finish with metal highlights, a discrete widescreen display, large navigation pad and an unusual touch-sensitive keypad. We say unusual, because most touch sensitive keypads are flat, but the one on the L170 is actually raised and looks quite conventional at first.

The display is unusual too - Samsung have opted for a widescreen 1.6" 220 x 176 pixel panel on the L170. Presumably Samsung have gone for this arrangement to try to make the most of what is a relatively small screen size.

On the back is a basic 2 megapixel camera, and the SGH-L170 has microSD expandable memory, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 connectivity. Inbuilt software includes a blogging application, RSS reader, web browser and a multimedia player. On top of all that, the Samsung L170 has an FM radio and video calling too.

We think that any 3G handset that comes in at less that 100 grams is pretty lightweight - and the Samsung L170 weighs just 86 grams, making it one of the lightest 3G handsets on the market. There are a few compromises to get it down to this weight - the display is a little on the small size, and maximum talktime is just 2.7 hours.

This is an attractive and unusual handset, and it looks ideal for anyone who wants a sleek and light 3G device. As far as we can tell, the L170 will be available during Q1 2008, although no pricing information is currently available.

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