Samsung X460

Samsung has an impressive lineup of both GSM and CDMA phones. The SGH-X460 is available in either black or silver and offers support for the GSM network.

The small silver flip phone features a screen on the front to show time, date, signal strength and battery life when the clam shell is closed and a stunning 65,000-colour screen when open. The X460 offers all the standard features found in the current crop of ultra small mobiles, including polyphonic ring tones, support for MMS and Java games, and WAP 2.0 for surfing the net.

One issue with the current crop of ultra-small mobile phones is that the earpiece and microphone rarely line up with your ears and mouth, which can make them somewhat difficult to talk on. Though it only measures 85 x 43 x 23mm, the SGH-X460 pivots in the centre to provide a comfortable usable handset with earpiece and microphone at perfect locations. A built-in antenna also helps keep the dimensions down, and we found signal strength didn't suffer from lack of an external aerial. The only potential problem is that the small size limits the room for keys. Those with big fingers could find typing SMS messages a tricky task.

In testing, the SGH-X460, managed to kick on full 200 hours of standby time of regular usage (Samsung quotes a 3.8-hour talk time), which will prove adequate for all but the most demanding and talkative of users - especially considering the tiny size of the battery. Better yet, at less than 80g, the featherweight unit isn't tiring to hold for extended conversations.

All up, the Samsung SGH-X460 is a great choice for anyone after a small phone not packed with bells and whistles. The unit is well designed, offers solid features for most users, and is a delight to use. A standard one-year warranty and room for 1000 phonebook entries rounds out a capable product.