Samsung Solid Immerse review

The Google option is actually a choice between Google search, Gmail and Google Maps. The Gmail option just takes you to Gmail in the browser, which is disappointing, but the Maps option is a dedicated client, which uses the phone’s GPS chip to pinpoint your location. The Facebook and Twitter apps are pretty basic, as might be expected, but it’s still good to have access to these services.

Pressing the menu button brings up an icon view which lists a few extra apps. A Communications app holds call logs as well as the Palringo instant messenger and Facebook and Twitter, and a Communities app lets you upload files from the phone to a number of online services, including Flickr, Picasa and YouTube. A separate Apps icon leads to a useful collection of small utilities, such as a compass, pedometer, stopwatch and voice recorder. There’s also a browser and file manager. The USB port doubles as the headphone port, unfortunately, so you can’t replace the supplied set with your favourite pair.

Once we got used to typing messages on a numeric keypad again, we found it quite usable, and Samsung has included useful apps for keeping in touch and keeping on track. It won’t replace a dedicated GPS device, and it’s not for really extreme sports – for example Samsung makes no claims about use in extreme temperatures or altitudes – but if you do a lot of trekking, biking or camping and don’t want to risk dropping your expensive smartphone into a river, it’s a useful addition to your luggage. At £103 SIM-free, it’s not that expensive either, and we think the utility it offers makes it good value.