Samsung i7110 preview: First look, first scoop

Samsung i7110 puts the latest Symbian in proper attire courtesy of the Soul. Last time we checked, metal still scored high in the fashion stakes, while 5MP camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and the latest Symbian OS promise a lot of action. The large display, the FM transmitter and optical trackpad sure round off a great spec sheet. It seems that we have quite an interesting package in our hands so let's get going - we bet there's plenty to see.

   
Samsung i7110 official photos
Samsung i7110 at a glance:
Symbian 9.3 OS, S60 3.2 UI (FP 2) 
5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash 
Camera wide dynamic range, anti-shake, geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection 
VGA video recording at 30 fps and two slow motion video recording modes 
Wi-Fi connectivity with DLNA support 
GPS receiver with A-GPS 
2.6" 262K-color display of QVGA resolution 
FM transmitter 
Optical trackpad navigation 
microSD card slot 
Dimensions: 118 x 52 x 12.9mm 
Weight: 125g 
1200 mAh Li-Ion battery 
3G with HSDPA support 
DivX and XviD playback out of the box 

Samsung i7110 is taking the plunge in the swarming pool of all-in-one Symbian monsters. There are virtually no gaps in the spec sheet but the mere count of similar handsets puts the i7110 up against a daunting task. Picking up where the i550 left off and staking on multimedia, the new Samsung Symbian totes up FP 2, 5 megapixel camera, better video recording and much, much better looks. Those seem to give it a good enough chance but the performance has to be there or all effort will be in vain.

   
Samsung i7110 in our office

Since this is only a preview we are making here, there's no in-depth look at the market rivals of Samsung i7110. We are only going to mention a few Symbian relations that seem to put the i7110 in the right kind of context.

The bar-shaped alternatives are Nokia N82 and the upcoming Nokia N79. The sliders that come to mind are Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8GB and the no-mercy-on-the-wallet Nokia N96 and Samsung INNOV8. Those who aren't looking to spend a fortune on their next handset may cheer Samsung i550.

   
Nokia N79 • Nokia N95 8GB • Samsung i8510 INNOV8

One last thing to tell you, before we get to the actual review. Our Samsung i7110 is a pre-release unit, so some changes and bug-fixes are to be expected in the final retail version.

We only have a short while to spend with Samsung i7110 so let's waste no more time and get to business. Hardware, looks and handling are coming up.