Samsung Tocco Ultra

“The Samsung S8300 is an excellent looking device with novel design and if we are to pinpoint a stand-out feature, that has to be the camera. Still photographs are among the best, videos are excellent and we were left with nothing but positive impressions of it.The rest was a mixed bag. TouchWiz is a nice touch interfaces and offers a lot of functionality. However, the hardware really struggles at times to run the software. Plus the LG S-class UI that is already on the market is better and more fluid.Other than that everything about the S8300 is spot on - the AMOLED display is stunning, the browser is as good as it gets on feature phones (flash support is quite rare) while the music and video players perform superbly. There's even a document viewer.But the slow hardware hampers the overall experience, and the lack of Wi-Fi means no chance to use free internet from public hotspots. We could live with not having full-version games, but the decision to take away the navigation software removes what could have been one of the phone's greatest assets.Competition-wise, if it's a point & shoot camera with telephony you're after, you should have a look at our 8 megapixel shootout. The contenders there are all aging gracefully, and their prices are falling. Just keep in mind that the camera on the S8300 is slightly better than the one on the Pixon. We also cannot miss the LG GD900 Crystal. Its unique transparent touch keypad is a great novelty and it throws in Wi-Fi to the already potent mix, while upping the display to larger WVGA proportions. Add to that multitouch, the excellent S-class interface, the TV out and the FM transmitter and you have a truly portable media station. In the end, price is likely to be the deciding factor when choosing between these two.”

“The Samsung Tocco Ultra is a big bundle of features packed into a sexy silhouette, crowned with a stunning AMOLED touchscreen. The user interface isn't as easy to use as it could have been, but it's flexible and fun to customise, thanks to the widgets on the home screen.”

“I have to admit that I am quite enamored with the Samsung S8300 Ultra Touch / Tocco Ultra Edition. It is a beautiful device to hold, look at, and use. It does have a few flaws, though. GSM reception is pretty weak, and the CPU seems to be overtaxed all too often. I really love the 8 megapixel camera, the AMOLED display, and the solid video support, though. And having a hardware keypad to back up the touchscreen is never a bad idea.In the end, as much as I love the phone, it still only earns a Recommended rating for practical purposes. If the user interface could be sped up a notch or two, that would be all that was needed to earn it a top rating. But as is, its just good, not great. If you are looking for a good camera with an even better display, though, it is hard to find a phone with more to offer than the S8300.”