Samsung Soul

Available exclusively from the Carphone Warehouse, the Soul marks a departure for Samsung from its usual number-based nomenclature (D500, D600, U600 and so on). Whether it has “soul” is a moot point, but the U900 (to use its more prosaic title) has an undeniably great body: all brushed metal and just 12.9mm thick at that. As you’d expect from Samsung’s flagship handset for 2008, the Soul has some nifty tricks up its super-thin sleeve, not least its “Magic Touch” interface on which the icons change depending on whether you’re playing music or composing a text. Touch-screen interfaces will infuriate as many as they impress, but Samsung’s goes one better by vibrating when pressed, making it feel much more responsive than most. The 5-megapixel camera, meanwhile, is more than serviceable, with face recognition, anti-shake and ISO settings. The Soul also boasts fast 3.5G connectivity with download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps but alas, no WiFi, and it’s tri- rather than quad-band. But it’s about the whole package with a phone like this, and let’s face it: it’s the looks of said package that will determine whether or not you’re a Soul man