With a design aimed at consumers interested in photography, the Samsung FlipShot SCH-U900 is one of the best camera phones on the market. From the moment that you look at this device, it is apparent that the camera is the focus for most of the features. If viewed from the rear, the FlipShot looks exactly like a digital camera. As opposed to the usual button-sized optic, the lens here is large, taking up almost the entire right half of the phone. However, once you open up flip cover, a large LCD is revealed. And here lies the interesting twist: you can swivel the screen around to act as a viewfinder. So, gone are the days of using the tiny mirror to take self-portraits. Instead you have a 2-1/4-inch screen that shows you the image that your camera is about to snap. This may seem like a gimmicky feature, but if you're a photo enthusiast, you'll be surprised at how often you'll be snapping group and solo shots with the screen beaming back at you.

But how does the camera perform? Exceptionally well, fortunately. You have a choice of eight resolutions to choose from, the option to adjust color and white-balance as well, and color clarity is superb. Meanwhile, the camera also has a host of other features including digital zoom, self-timer, multi-shot, and flash. There are even some fancier options for taking shots when lighting is unusual. For instance, when there is backlighting to your subject, if it is nighttime, or if it is exceptionally bright out. In short, the FlipShot makes sure that you can snap a great photo under any condition. The device also has a very handy feature that allows you to monitor the remaining space, so you don't have to worry about filling up your microSD card with simple snapshots or video, thereby losing the opportunity to take the photo that you really wanted.

In addition to the camera, the device has a camcorder that makes excellent use of the optics. Video quality is very good for a mobile phone, and clips can be taken in two different resolutions. The camcorder also has access to features normally reserved for the camera. It has a self-timer, and you can adjust such things as white balance, brightness, and color effects.

Because so much is dedicated to the multimedia aspects of this phone, it is a relief to discover that the device supports 3G networks. This means that photos and movies can be quickly uploaded and downloaded, or they can be swiftly sent via MMS. The FlipShot also puts the high-speed network to use with its music player. You'd think that a phone that focused so much on the visual aspects might let you down in the audio arena. Not so. For starters, the FlipShot has excellent stereo speakers for playback. Sound is robust and the volume levels are remarkable. Overall, these speakers are one of the best sets found on mobile phones today. Furthermore, music playback is a breeze due to the dedicated buttons on the exterior of the phone. By pressing just below the LCD, you can scroll through your songs without having to access buried menus.

Opening the phone reveals an excellent 262K-color screen. Measuring 2.25 inches diagonally, the screen does a brilliant job of displaying web pages, photos, and video. And, as mentioned before, because the screen can swivel, you can turn the cover around so that the screen faces outward when the phone is closed. The display itself also has a lot of versatility, as you can adjust many settings such as backlighting timer, font size, font type, and contrast.

Navigating menus on the FlipShot is relatively intuitive, with the usual multi-directional toggle and a few soft keys serving as the means of getting around. Beneath these is the dial pad, which is spacious and has exceptionally good backlighting. Ridges between the numbers make for fairly straightforward dialing-by-feel, and the ample size of the buttons are welcome to those with larger thumbs.

The FlipShot also has some more regular features, such as a phonebook that can store up to 500 entries. The contacts can also be paired with distinctive ringers or photo ID. Other features include: voice recorder, vibrating ringer, voice-activated dialing, and optional GPS.

Call quality for the phone is quite good when using the speakerphone, but the speaker in the earpiece unfortunately performed with less fanfare. Specifically, the sound was tinny. Otherwise, the microphone did a good job of eliminating ambient noise and volume levels were great. Meanwhile, the battery offered about 4 hours of talk time and a week of standby.

Pros: Excellent camera, swiveling LCD, EV-DO network, great speakers
Cons: Earpiece speaker is unexceptional

Warranty
1 year