It is very difficult to assign the 2008 release label to Samsung L320. This is a budget device, painted in attractive colors. In other words, it is an inexpensive solution for the not demanding users.
The Design
On photos, the phone looks very attractive, but in life, the impression is worse. The adorable glossy inserts are spoiled by a multitude of fingerprints, the body looks thick, and the two halves are not very well joined.
The main part of the body is made of good quality purple plastic, covered with a special coating. The front and the rear panels are from black plastic, abundantly covered with lacquer, which is covered by a painting. The gloss surface is very easy to mark and difficult to clear after that.
We have tested an engineering sample, as close as possible to the commercial device. As in the case of L310, the halves binding mechanism proved to be loose. Most likely, after some time, the same thing would happen with a new phone. The most severely the loose is felt loose when the clamshell is closed. Otherwise, it is almost undetectable.
When the halves are closed, they do not scrub each other, fact prevented by a special rubber insert on the keyboard. However, a rubber gasket is not provided for the opened situation. After a while, the touching area may become scrubbed.
When it is opened, the upper side falls behind the lower one. This certainly looks a little bit rough and many may not like it.
Let’s look at the body from all sides. On the right side we find the volume keys, on the left – the charger socket and the memory cards slot. Slightly above, there is the strap fastening.
The clamshell is easy to be opened thanks to the convenient notch on the sides. The closing mechanism is well balanced, the halves do not slap each other.
The keyboard is comfortable in general. The keys have a slightly undefined short course, but it’s easy to adapt. They are big and well spread. Inconvenience can arise only with the soft keys that are slightly smaller than the rest and, on top of that, they are sunken into the body. When they are used, accidental pressings do happen. No problems with the navigation button, it is quite convenient.
The most unpleasant part of this phone - its display. Because of the very small vertical angles of view, the colors are beginning to be altered even with a small deviation from the direct angle. This deviation occurs, even if just conveniently to take the phone in opened condition. To see the screen in defined colors, you have to bend the phone forward to catch a right angle with the eyes. However, in this case, it’s inconvenient to use the keyboard. In the sun, the display fades, but the information remains visible.
Unlike older models, the L320 has an external display, but in the sun, it is absolutely useless. To see something, you have to look for an appropriate angle and shadow. It is easier to simply open the clamshell. If there is no sun, then you can see on the display the time, the date, the alarm and the battery levels. During the call, it displays the caller name or number.
The ringtone is played through the voice speaker. If the clamshell is closed, then the sound is deaf and quiet. In the opened position, there is sufficient volume. The sound of some melodies seemed to us too acute.
The Menu
The manufacturer, for whatever reason, set the previous version of software platform. With it, we are familiar from the Samsung X820 review.
The menu is a matrix of 3 × 3 (calls log, phone book, applications, browser, messages, my files, calendar, camera, settings), next to which an enlarged icon of the selected object is displayed. Additionally, the icon is emphasized with color. In most of the menu items and programs was found a place for the status line with the time and the battery charge.
The most new features of Samsung menu are not present. Of interesting: if there is only one sub menu field, its content is displayed when selected; along the lists of submenu items can move with the help of "forward" / "back" keys.
The menu and platform features of this device fully coincide with the X820. This includes the basic functions, and the player. There is a menu, Lifestyle, its content is similar to Samsung L310.
Conclusion
The fanciful bright Samsung L320, stronger draws the attention of the female audience. The gold-black clamshell with many decorations will be liked by gloss things lovers. However, the model is unfairly priced, this will be a stopping factor. If the manufacturer would have made a better body and display, the price could be somehow justified.
Source: GSMpress ®
