The Samsung SGH-i620 Windows Mobile Smartphone Review, Part One

Gear Diary is independently owned and operated. We receive compensation through advertising and from the companies whose products we review, usually in the form of the reviewed product. We test the products supplied to us, and the opinions expressed are our own.

Gear Diary is also reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. You can learn more by clicking here.

The first time I saw the Samsung i620 in the flesh was in the lobby of the Amsterdam Hilton last November. Derek Snyder had brought a white one to Mobius, and Vincent and I couldn’t wait to play with it! Vincent is one of those guys who always has a video camera glued to his hands, and before I knew it, we were shooting.

Let me take a moment to say that one of the things I like most about V is that he doesn’t look at me like I’m an idiot when I get excited about a new device; nine times out of ten, he is just as excited. I really appreciate that in a friend. 🙂

I was intrigued by the i620 after playing with it, and so I asked John Starkweather if he could loan me one. Luckily, he was able to accommodate me. The SGH-i620 arrived yesterday.

geardiary_samsung_i620_01
all pictures are thumbnails, click to see full size

The device shown on the box is the milky white version, like the one Derek had, but I was warned ahead of time to expect the black.

geardiary_samsung_i620_02

I was actually glad that this would be the black version, because the white was a little too Milky; I guess I am not a big fan of white electronics – even my iPods have been black or green. 🙂

geardiary_samsung_i620_03

A slide-out tray inside the box contains all the cables, software, and the phone. There isn’t a super flashy presentation here, unlike opening something from some companies.

geardiary_samsung_i620_04

Granted, this phone has been used, so not everything was still wrapped in plastic.

geardiary_samsung_i620_05

This phone is aimed at the European and Asian markets, so there is a huge power plug inside.

geardiary_samsung_i620_06

Included in the box are the device, main power cable, USB power cable, extended and standard batteries with doors to fit each, the earphone headset which uses the proprietary (non-miniUSB) power port, an external battery charger / case, an application CD, and various bits of paperwork.

geardiary_samsung_i620_07

Let’s start with the battery charger / case. I suspect that like many Samsung phones, battery life will be an issue with this mode. This shouldn’t be too big of a deal because Samsung has thoughtfully provided both standard and extended versions. They’ve also include a charging / carrying case for keeping the spare.

geardiary_samsung_i620_08

Measuring approximately 3.5″ long x 2.25″ wide x 0.3″ thick, and composed of black textured plastic, the battery charger can charge and then store either battery for later use.

geardiary_samsung_i620_21

geardiary_samsung_i620_22

The proprietary charger plugs into the port on the charger’s end, and when its removed the charger becomes a protective carrying case.

geardiary_samsung_i620_23

geardiary_samsung_i620_26

Enough about the charger; I know you want to see the device…and here it is! The i620 measures exactly 3.73″ long x 2.34″ wide x 0.69″ thick (with extended battery installed) or 0.66″ (with standard battery in place). On the front upper right, there is a video camera for those who live in HDSPA enabled areas. The 320 x 240 screen measures approximately 2.1″ diagonally, and underneath is a different button cluster than we have seen before. Instead of typical buttons, these only activate when the phone is opened. They are backlit, and touch-sensitive; when your fingertip touches them, there is a sound response in the form of a “snap”, and its hard to describe, because it almost seems as if you can feel the snap; although I am almost positive that is just my imagination. Going clockwise, directly under the screen are two soft buttons, a back button, the hangup button, call button, and Home button. Bear in mind, I am using the term “button” very loosely – as they are not actual buttons, more like “areas”. In the center is a wheel that at first glance operates very similarly to the one on an iPod, but closer examination reveals that it is instead an actual revolving surface that moves with the user’s finger; there is a select button in its center. The case is composed of glossy black plastic rimmed with chrome covered plastic; all in all, this is one shiny fingerprint magnet – make no mistake about it.

geardiary_samsung_i620_10

The back of the phone has the battery door, which is removed by placing each thumb on either side and sliding up. Two external speakers are placed near the upper edge.

geardiary_samsung_i620_11

When the i620 is opened, the phone measures 5″ long, and the BlackJack-esque QWERTY keyboard is revealed.The sliding and locking action on the phone’s slider keeps the top half from popping down on the user while keying. The natural shelf formed by the back half of the device, situated behind the raised front, is a comfortable place for the user to rest their fingers while using both thumbs to type.

geardiary_samsung_i620_12

Here’s a better shot of that “shelf”, as well as a view of the 2.0 megapixel camera which is revealed when the slider is opened.

geardiary_samsung_i620_13

With the battery and door removed, you can see that the SIM card is located in the bottom right of the battery compartment.

geardiary_samsung_i620_27

Let’s ring around the device for a bit…

On the left side, there is a covered microSD slot. I can’t help but be very leery of this slot, as Vincent and managed to fry his 8GB microSD when we tried it in Derek’s i620. The deal was that we wanted to check and see if the phone would recognize the full 8GB, so we inserted the card…and then it would not come out…and when we finally got it out (with the help of Jason Dunn’s Swiss Army USB Flash Drive Knife), the card was dead. Totally not cool. But I digress…

Below the microSD door is a volume rocker.

geardiary_samsung_i620_14

On the right side of the phone is a QuickList button, and behind another hard plastic door is the charging /headphone port.

geardiary_samsung_i620_15

Drawing your attention to the bottom left corner of the phone, you can see the microphone.

geardiary_samsung_i620_17

On the top of the phone there is a power button, and this picture better shows the video conferencing camera. I would love to know how many people actually use this feature. Since it isn’t available here, I can only speculate on how I would or wouldn’t use it, but it doesn’t seem like something I would want – I don’t even use the built-in video camera on my laptop!

geardiary_samsung_i620_18

Here’s a close-up of the front panel, which really shows how smooth the front of the phone is, and how the backlit panel doesn’t really have “buttons”.

geardiary_samsung_i620_19

I really like the short and stubby design of the phone, but it feels like it might be just a tad too wide for my hand. I’ll decide whether that was a snap judgement over the coming weeks.

geardiary_samsung_i620_20

The last thing I want to mention the memory. The i620 is listed as having 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM, but when I looked at the memory management screen on a wiped device, it only showed 46.3 RAM / 22.1MB available and 33.9 ROM / 11.8MB available. Is it just me, or does that seem really low?

Here are the main specifications:

• Network: HSDPA / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
• OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard Edition
• Display – Type TFT, 65K colors; Size 320 x 240 pixels
• Memory – 46.3 RAM / 22.1MB available, and 33.9 ROM / 11.8MB available; Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall; Call records 30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls; Card slot microSD (TransFlash)
• Data – GPRS: Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps; HSCSD: No; EDGE: Yes; 3G: HSDPA, 1.8 Mbps; Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 with A2DP; Infrared port:No;
USB:Yes, v1.1 miniUSB
• Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
• Camera: 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary VGA videocall camera
• Additional Features – Java MIDP 2.0; WMV/3GP/H.263/MPEG4 player; WMA/MP3/AAC/AAC+/OGG/ASF player; Organiser; Document viewer (MS Word, Excel, PPT, PDF); Built-in handsfree

In a few weeks I will write the second half of this review, which will include my impressions after actually using the i620. If you have any specific questions, be sure to let me know. 🙂

Read part two here.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!

About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.

3 Comments on "The Samsung SGH-i620 Windows Mobile Smartphone Review, Part One"

  1. Judie,

    Being an iPhone owner I have to say, this is a neat looking device! I am not a fan of sliders after using the Samsung i730 for almost 2 years but it looks like Samsung shrunk this puppie down to a more pocket friendly size. Is it more pocketable than the i730? How comfortable does it feel in your pocket vs your iPhone?

  2. Stan, it is almost twice as thick as the iPhone without a case, but I think it is probably more pocketable than the i730. 🙂

  3. Didn’t like the look of it when I first saw press photos of it a while back, and I still don’t like it today. I think the sleek BlackJack design was both more functional and better looking.

Comments are closed.