SAMSUNG: Samsung E740

Saturday, 14 July 2012

Samsung E740

Exclusive to Vodafone, this stylish slider is similar in design to many previous Samsung handsets. Its compact frame feels reasonably well built and the glossy, mirror-style finish surrounding the display is a nice touch. The controls are fairly straightforward. They consist of a large five-way navigational pad, two selection buttons, answer/end call keys and a clear button. Conveniently, the navigational pad doubles as a scroll wheel that can be spun using a quick flick of your thumb. Despite the compact size of the unit, Samsung has still managed to include dedicated volume, camera and music buttons, negating the need to delve into the menu to access these applications.

Slid open, the E740 reveals a well-laid-out keypad. The keys are reasonably flat, though despite this they provide good tactility and are comfortable to type on for extended periods. The display is what we expected from a handset in this price range: it’s far from outstanding but it's definitely acceptable considering the feature set and limitations of a prepaid handset. Our main complaint is with its viewing angles and performance in direct sunlight; both are less than satisfactory.