Introduction The Samsung E250 is an entry level phone which was released in released in late 2006. The phone has a very basic range of features but was actually one of the best entry level phones available at the time of its release. The phone is equipped with a camera, video recorder and an mp3 player as well as having both USB and Bluetooth connections. The phone also has internet capabilities which may seem rather slow these days but are actually pretty standard for a non 3G phone and are fast enough for the occasional browsing of websites and sending of emails. Specifications As I’ve already said, this phone is very basic so don’t expect anything too exciting when it comes to the features on this phone. Everything is very entry level and 2006 entry level at that so we’re talking over 2 years a go. The features are good enough for very basic users and I think a lot of people will like this phone if they literally want a phone that’ll make calls, send texts and allow them to listen to a few tracks of music here and there. If you want more than that then I’d suggest you look elsewhere. The phone is equipped with a 0.3 mega pixel camera which can record video and although this may seem shockingly bad – it’s not actually as bad as you’d think. It does work and you can get some good shots if you’re patient. The phone also has a good internet connection using GPRS and EDGE technology which means you can browse the web, send and receive emails and download the occasional ringtone or what have you. The phone’s mp3 player is probably its best feature and the internal memory allows you to save about 4 songs in mp3 format – the phone can also play AAC and AAC+ files. You can expand the memory using a Micro SD card if you want to save more songs on this phone and I’d say that you’ll probably get a lot of use out of the mp3 player on this phone – as it is the only major feature. All in all, the Samsung E250 is a great phone and was a leader in the entry level market of 2006 and is definitely worth purchasing if you’re looking for an “old skool” and rather basic mobile phone. If you are looking for something more than basic features in a mobile phone then you should definitely look elsewhere. Looks In terms of looks, the Samsung E250 is a great looking phone and is actually still of a popular design today (December 2008). The phone has a nice look and feel to it and is very lightweight and relatively slim line for a phone of this age and design. The phone measures in at 99.5mm by 49.5mm by 14.1mm and only weighs 80 grams. It’s a great phone if you’re looking for that sleek and simple look. The slide design is something Samsung are very good at and I think a lot of people will find this phone very easy to use as well as being fun to operate. Overall, the look and feel of this phone is very similar to the D600 which was another very popular phone from Samsung around the same time; although the D600 had a lot more features than the E250 has. The phone is available in silver and black and in my opinion is a very good looking phone. It has a sleek look to it and is probably one of the most famous Samsung designs. All in all, the Samsung E250 may not be the best looking phone available but it definitely isn’t an ugly phone by any means. Design As with almost all older Samsung’s there are no problems in terms of software design and in fact, this phone is very similar to the D600 in terms of its layout and user interface. The applications and features appear to work seamlessly together and there are no problems with anything on this phone. The only comment I will make is that the battery could do with a longer life but apart from that there is really nothing wrong with any design aspect of this phone. Everything works well together and appears to be of high quality for an entry level phone and I’m impressed with how it runs even today. Overall All in all, the Samsung E250 is a great entry level phone that was released in late 2006 and although it won’t stand up to the competition from high end phones of today it could definitely give some of the latest entry level phones a run for their money. Just like the D600 the E250 proves why Samsung are a leader in the mobile phone market. A phone that is nearly 2 and a half years old can still compete in today’s market. It has basic features but is still a very useable phone and I think it’ll still sell quite well today. I think the best features of this phone are its music player and its exterior design which are both very good. The slide design is still used today and is a very popular choice for a lot of people. The mechanism in the old Samsung phones is still very strong in today’s market and I think a lot of people would happily purchase this phone. At the time of its release the phone was available for under £50 on PAYG so is likely to be very cheap today and with a set of features that can rival some of the latest entry level phones you’d be mad to pass some of the Samsung E250 offers up. Overall, the Samsung E250 was a great phone when it was originally released and in my opinion is still a great phone even in today’s market. There may be a lot of better phones available but there were in 2006 and this phone still did very well. I think that for users who are looking for a very cheap basic mobile phone this could be the only safe option. Samsung are great at making cheap and useable phones and this is one of their best.