It takes a level of confidence in one’s product to call it ‘smarter than smartphone’, and yet that is exactly what Samsung claims about their new handset, the Jet.

The somewhat generic touchscreen design belies a handset rich with innovative and interesting features, all powered by a superfast processor. Let’s see whether the Samsung Jet gives us the need for speed, or is in need of a boost...

Design

If there is one department that the Samsung Jet could have benefitted with some ingenuity, it’s the looks. The handset bears a remarkable similarity to a number of Samsung phones released in recent months, albeit in the prepay sector of the market.

The Jet’s slight frame and plasticky finish would place this firmly alongside the Samsung Preston and Tocco Lite in our estimations - both good phones, but decidedly entry-level.

The only flourishes in the slightly curved yet typical touchphone design are on the back, which has a shimmering lenticular effect similar to the precious ‘shiny’ stickers from childhood, and a cubic effect on the central of the three buttons on the face, possibly alluding to the revamped TouchWiz 2.0 interface (more on that later).

Aside from this, it is a case of packing a great deal into a small space as the Jet manages a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB port on the top of the phone, a volume rocker on the left and a camera button on the right.

It is just a phone lacking in that initial ‘wow’ factor when looking at it, but turning it on tells a different story...

Specs

Any assumptions of the Jet languishing in the lower divisions are immediately dismissed when looking at the specs. The 3.1” AMOLED display pops with a colour and clarity which is hard to match, particularly in such a diminuitive device, and the camera credentials are strong as a 5 megapixel with LED flash performs paparazzi duties.

Connectivity is sewn up with 3G HSDPA connectivity, A-GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 support, whilst the media player can hold host to an array of formats, that is, if the stereo FM radio becomes a bore.

The TouchWiz 2.0 interface expands upon the same widget-based homescreen seen in various guises since the Samsung Tocco, but is a joy to use on the Jet thanks to an industry-leading 800Mhz internal processor.  Transitions are quick and easy between menus and accessing applications, whilst the slow down associated with multiple programs running is nowhere to be seen.

The TouchWiz interface is taken into the third dimension with this handset, allowing you to access features through a swirling cube in 3D space, showing off the power of the Jet as well as their accelerometer-based Motion Gate system.

Using a series of shakes, taps and flicks, functions can be accessed on the phone quickly and easily...at least in theory. From the 3D menu being accessed on a curious side button shared with the camera key (rather than the obvious cubic zirconia glinting on the front of the phone) to the inconsistent response from the gestures, this aspect of the handset smacked a little more of a tech demo than a genuine enhancement to the device.

Nevertheless, it is an insight into where Samsung is going with user interfaces, is perfectly displayed on the Jet’s gorgeous screen, and is a competent foil for LG’s S-Class. We just wish that the early murmurs that the Jet would ship with a real next generation platform like Google’s Android were borne out...

Calls and Connectivity

Samsung handsets do not often disappoint on the essentials, and we are happy to report that the Jet at no point forgets that it is a mobile phone first and foremost. The 3G connectivity allows for quick and easy browsing, and an interesting one finger zoom allows webpages to be handled easily on the fly.

 It is a shame then, that the ‘Dolfin’ proprietary browser feels a little behind the times. Able to render most sites in a fairly decent fashion, the Jet’s browser is good enough to find out train times or who scored the winner in the Derby, but won’t have you hurling your laptop from the nearest car park roof.

The calling menus are clear and straight forward, the messaging is competent, except someone had the crazy idea to place raised letters to the left and right when depressed, as opposed to above as seen on the iPhone. This then obscures the keys, often hiding the next button to press and takes a great deal of getting used to!

The call quality was better than expected, and e-mails are easy to set up, provided you have the nous to jump through the usual POP and IMAP hoops.

The productivity suite consists of the usual calculator, calendar and a simplistic document viewer. Games are an altogether more jovial affair, with a number of games taking advantage of the accelerometer, and also fun games that make full use of the Jet’s pretty touchscreen.

The GPS was fairly decent, as it took an eternity to get a signal, and whilst we think the walls are not lined with lead at Omio Towers, outside the Jet did not fare much better. One we did get connected, it was all gravy and Google Maps was off on a merry tour of Camden.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have a cool way of connecting, with all of the available recipients viewed as satellites around the Jet in the centre. A few password key presses and we were on the network, and thankfully any satellites are remembered, enabling a repeat connection with minimal hassle.

Verdict

Whilst the Jet is a lot of things – faster, cheaper, a little more gimmicky – the jury is still out on whether Samsung’s supersonic handset is in fact smarter than a smartphone. It certainly doesn’t perform enough of the more intensive tasks like providing applications or customisation to worry the likes of the iPhone 3GS, but those looking for something sleek and easy to use, the Samsung Jet will be just their speed.