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Bringing a full QWERTY keyboard to the budget mobile market, the Samsung Genio QWERTY is device that will interest a particular type of buyer rather than have mass appeal.
The relatively cheap QWERTY keyboard is the chief draw, with a sprinkling of messaging functionality in that's aimed to grab the cash-strapped youth market.
A decent music player and colourful swappable casings add to the attraction.
However, it is a limited handset. The email messaging functionality is budget rather than top drawer, its browser is run of the mill and there's no 3G.
It doesn't have the largest or most detailed display and its camerawork is mediocre. Its social networking credentials aren't as well integrated either as a device such as the INQ Chat 3G, which costs a bit extra but delivers a better all-round package.
We liked
The QWERTY keyboard is small but perfectly manageable, even with our large fingers typing away.
The conventional menu layout is easy to follow and intuitive to operate, so newcomers should have no problems using it.
The music player offers a decent audio performance, with higher grade than average earphones supplied plus a standard 3.5mm headphone socket for easy upgrading to higher quality headphones, should you prefer to.
Colourful casings offer something a bit different to the normal business orientated BlackBerry look most QWERTY-equipped handsets adopt. Battery life was good too.
We disliked
The display was disappointingly low resolution. The lack of 3G hampers the connection speeds for browsing and online services – some of the supposed attractions of the handset.
The browser, too, is standard issue average mobile browser that's functional but limited.
We were surprised that the email client wasn't more sophisticated for a messaging-centric handset.
It'll disappoint those expecting a near-desktop style experience. A lack of a USB cable and software reflects its budget status though we'd have liked to have them in-box for syncing.
The camera is a mediocre entry-level 2-megapixel shooter, with a poor video capture performance.
Verdict
Samsung is aiming at a particular type of youthful buyer with its colourful, QWERTY keyboard-packing Genio QWERTY.
It does the basics well and its compact keyboard has a fast enough action for speedy mobile typing.
It offers some decent features, such as a good music player, though others, such as the camera, are limited and down-range.
Its messaging credentials are reasonably good for a budget model, if not the best around, and it is one of the cheapest models you can get if a QWERTY keyboard-equipped handset is what you're after.
