gadget #1 of 9, Samsung SGH-E730 – update on 8 gadgets in 8 weeks

ok so I got the first two gadgets last week, the Samsung SGH-E730 and the Olympus c-4000 Zoom.

The idea is that I would review these 9 products (turns out its 9 not 8 ) for the Lifestyle section of the Inquirer, in connection with a promo they’re doing for Digital Exchange, that great gadget geek’s area full of gizmo stores at the top floor of Glorietta 3, Ayala Malls. However, I have a second super-secret-hush-hush-shhhhh idea, and this super-secret-hush-hush-shhhhh idea was that I would put up another review of them here, so as to provide fodder for blog entries and maybe provide a deeper more indepth review as I would have had them longer, unlike the print version where I’ve only a few days with them until I’ve to write a review. So like this site’s slogan says, here’s my attempt:

I’ve only had the SGH-E730 for five days now, and my review is coming out tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26. If you read tomorrow’s paper I won’t make any surprise revelations here, it basically performs as advertised. Here’s the specs from the official samsung site:

And like many a similar situation before, it’s somewhat confusing, as although it makes mention of its important qualities like the 1.3megapixel CMOS camera, the site makes no mention of a built in FM Radio. I got the link from the mobile9 site, but the model on the site has a E730S, while I only have the ‘E730’. I don’t know what that S stands for.

At any rate, I won’t pre-empt my article tomorrow, except to repeat the highlights, which is to say that it’s very light, it’s fairly easy to learn and use, I like the radio and it’s downright handsome. I mean just look at it. Gwapo.

Well, ok, except for one major problem, which to be fair, I couldn’t put on the print artile because I only found out now and my deadline is yesterday: There might be a problem with the battery, because although the salesgirl at the Samsung store pointed out the 5 hour talk time and 260 hour standby time as one of it’s major selling points, I’ve had to plug it in almost daily since I got it, and last night out in far, far away Alabang late at night when one needs a phone most, it died on me. A big tsk tsk right there.

However, I’m willing to blame the fact I didn’t completely charge it overnight like one is supposed to (I think) for a new phone, so maybe that’s the trick.

At any rate, this is gonna be my last review of it as I’m gonna pack it up for two reasons, a. To avoid any possibility of breaking it and b. It’s about to be given away to someone by the paper and I don’t want to deny that person of the chance to hold and tinker with a brand new phone by smudging and drooling over it.

Getting a brand new anything is pretty special, so I’ve avoided even taking out the CDRom and PC Connectivity cable from their plastic cases so it remains fresh. I’m sure that a full review requires that though, but hey what the hell, the contest to winning it requires people to write why they want to own that phone and they’ll be judged by that, and whoever writes well enough surely deserves a fresh new phone.

Watch this space for the review like I said above, of the Olympus c-4000 Zoom, and the rest of the stuff when I get them next week. Likely another digital camera or two, an mp3 player and maybe a PDA or two and another phone. Or two.

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