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Samsung E2121 Bar Mobile Phone

Samsung's latest low-cost mobile, the E2121, takes the same stance as its cheap predecessors and adds some impressive functionality, offering budget buyers music playback, expandable storage and limited photographic opportunities.

Build to conquer

Constructed entirely from plastic, the E2121's exterior has obviously been made on the cheap, but just like Samsung's other low-cost phones, this hasn't resulted in a loss of quality. It feels sturdy, with no annoying creakiness during handling. The coloured areas of plastic at the top and bottom of the phone do come across a little tacky, but they're not overpowering. Another element that doesn't exactly scream sophistication is the one-piece rubberised key mat, but we can appreciate that it makes sense from a cost perspective. It will also prevent unwelcome dust and grime from reaching the innards of the device. There's an awful lot to like about the aesthetics of the E2121, from the recessed camera lens to the friendly and inviting music player control button, which is situated in the middle of the direction pad. Granted, this isn't a product that is destined to stride down the technological catwalks of the mobile phone industry, but you have to admire the amount of effort that's gone into its appearance.

Music to your ears

Compared to its rather stunted relatives, the E2121 packs in an impressive amount of functionality. The presence of dedicated music controls are some indication of the phone's key selling point -- this is a music-playing mobile for the thousands of people out there who don't fall within Apple's great plan, simply because they can't afford an iPhone or iPod touch. MicroSD card support (up to 2GB) is on hand to further bolster the E2121's audio credentials, although the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack does rain on the parade ever so slightly. Unlike so many cheap and cheerful handsets, the E2121 is capable of going online, albeit via a painfully slow GPRS connection. There's no 3G, so don't expect your surfing to be super-speedy. Many data-intensive websites won't play ball with the phone's rather primitive Web-browsing software, either. The inclusion of Bluetooth file transfer softens the blow a little, as you can at least download files onto your PC and share them wirelessly with the phone itself. When you look past the numerous enhancements, the E2121 is actually a very similar phone to the likes of the E1080 and E1170. The operating system is near-identical, and the 128x128-pixel colour super-twist nematic (CSTN) display is washed out, suffering from a considerable amount of blurriness. It's a long way from the gorgeous Super AMOLED screen we've recently been blessed with on the Samsung Omnia 7, but it's a necessary evil when you consider the low price.

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