The Samsung e700 is one of the most reliable phones I’ve used in years. It’s probably the longest standing phone I’ve ever owned!

When I bought the e700, all I really wanted was a camera phone that looked good and was small. Which is exactly what I got with this stylish clamshell phone.

With a light 85gm and small size (90 x 45 x 23mm), the e700 is pocket or purse sized. With just enough weight to remind you it’s there.

Unlike other phones with an internal antenna, the e700 has excellent range and doesn’t overheat.

The VGA camera is simple to use and takes pretty good pictures. Easily take self-portraits with a touch of the side button that turns the external screen into a viewfinder. This beats the ‘mirrors’ that other camera phones feature. The e700 also features some great camera special effects such as the multi-shot function which takes 9 or 15 continuous shots in high speed mode. It also has a night mode feature which doesn’t require a flash, however the pictures can come out quite grainy depending on how dark it is.

When viewed on a computer the pictures look good, but can sometimes be a bit grainy. Pictures can be taken at a maximum resolution of 640x480.

On the negative side, the Samsung e700 only comes with infra-red connectivity- no Bluetooth. This can make transferring your photos without a data cable very annoying. Another downside is that the e700 is Dual Band and not Tri-band which restricts using the phone when travelling.

The e700 comes with 9mb of built in memory, which is enough to allow you click away and take quite a few photos.

The battery life is excellent. With moderate use, it lasts about 2-3 days without a recharge. If you think you would need to charge the battery more often or would just like to have a backup, I highly recommend a desktop charger with a spare battery.

The internal screen is fantastic because of the large, clear display. When dialing out, the numbers are big and very easy to read. The white numbers on the black keypad, are illuminated by a blue backlight which is just bright enough to see the numbers clearly. These features are excellent if you have some difficulty with other models of mobile phones due to small screens and clunky keypads.

Overall, this is a great camera phone that’s easy to use and isn’t overloaded with too many bells and whistles. I highly recommend it!