Samsung B2100 (GT-B2100)
Available
now 25th March 2009
Click
here to read our review
The Samsung B2100 is a very tough
candy bar phone that competes directly against the likes
of the Sonim
XP3 in the ultra-rugged market. To be sold under
various names including the B2100 SOLID and B2100
X-treme Edition, this phone is even tougher than
the Samsung B2700
that came out last year.
As
with its Sonim rival, the Samsung B2100 has IP57 certification.
This means that it has a high degree of dust protection
and can also be immersed in up to 1 metre of water,
in other words.. the B2100 is fully waterproof under
most practical conditions. Many other "tough"
phones only manage IP54 which can best be described
as "highly splash resistant". There is a full
explanation of IP codes here.
Samsung say that the B2100 can withstand
temperatures between -20 and +60 degrees celcius, and
the enclosure also protects against falls and shocks.
The rubberised coating maximises grip, and one other
highly practical feature is a built-in torch.
Underneath the resilient exterior, the
Samsung B2100 is a pretty simple device with a 1.8"
128 x 160 pixel display, 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio,
MP3 player, microSD expandable memory, Bluetooth and
USB connectivity. The radio and MP3 player should make
it a handy device to use when jogging, for example.
The large 1000 mAh battery provides
up to 9 hours of talktime and an impressive 25 days
maximum standby time. The Samsung B2100 is a quad-band
GSM phone with GPRS and EDGE data, but unlike the B2700
it does not support 3G. The phone measures 113 x 49
x 17mm and comes in at 103 grams, which is pretty good
considering how tough it is.
Samsung say that the B2100 should be
available from April in certain European countries (France,
Germany and probably most others) for a SIM-free price
of around €170.
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Samsung
B2100 at a glance
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Available:
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Q2
2008
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Network:
|
GSM
850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
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Data:
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GPRS
+ EDGE
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Screen:
|
128
x 160 pixels, 262k colours
|
Camera:
|
1.3
megapixels
|
Size:
|
Medium
monoblock 113 x 49 x
17mm / 103 grams
|
Bluetooth:
|
Yes
|
Memory
card:
|
microSD
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Infra-red:
|
No
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Polyphonic:
|
Yes
|
Java:
|
Yes
|
GPS:
|
No
|
Battery
life:
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9 hours talk / 25 days standby
|
|
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