Samsung S3500 preview: First look

The Samsung S3500 is a midrange phone that's dressed above its station. This Samsung Soul look-alike makes good use of metal and although it trades the touchpad for a regular D-pad, it still looks a notch or two above its price range. 

 
Samsung S3500 at a glance:
General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 10 
Form factor: Slide 
Dimensions: 99.9 x 48.0 x 14.3 mm 
Display: 2.2-inch TFT, QVGA resolution (240 x 320), 16M colors 
Memory: microSD card slot (up to 16GB) 
Camera: 2 megapixel camera with digital image stabilization and panorama shot, QVGA video 
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port 
Misc: FM radio 
Battery: 800 mAh battery 

The bottom line here is obviously the Soul connection. While the Samsung S3500 is clearly way down the portfolio ladder, it really tries to present itself favorably. Some of those Soul genes give Samsung S3500 a bit of an edge in the lower midrange. The brushed metallic look and the very same screen we saw in the original U900 Soul can only help it get noticed. Of course, the touchpad would’ve been a nuisance at this price point.