Features
The Trace has a solid feature set highlighted by compatibility with T-Mobile's new "
myFaves" service plan. myFaves allows for unlimited calling between you and your choice of any five numbers on any mobile networks, and is available as an optional add-on to standard T-Mobile rate plans. Only very recent release T-Mobile handsets are compatible with the service.
Samsung's standard digital audio player is also included on the Trace, and it performed well with mp3, AAC, and WMA files. Audio files may be played back from internal memory and/or microSD cards.
The phone has the common set of organizer applications, including a calendar with appointment alarms and to-do lists, and alarm clock, and a 1,000 entry contacts application with support for five phone numbers, email addresses, and other information for each entry. Contacts may also be organized into groups, and caller ID pictures and ringtones are supported. A voice memo application is also present, though voice commands are not.
The Trace supports J2ME Java games, and three titles came pre-installed. I spent some time playing "Bobby Carrot," an addictive puzzle game that you've likely seen before in a different skin. Additional games, ringtones, and wallpapers are available for download through T-Mobile's optional T-Zones service.
Samsung built the Trace with a 1.3 MP camera that's capable of taking both still images and movie clips. The camera wasn't the best, and images were often blurry under all lighting conditions. Also, there is neither a flash nor a self-portrait mirror on the phone. A wide range of user-controllable features are built-in, including six resolutions, three quality settings, night, mosaic and fun frame modes, and very useable digital zoom. One annoying aspect of the camera is that while multiple shutter sounds are available, the shutter can't be silenced altogether.
The camera yielded similar results in camcorder mode. Two resolutions and a number of options are available, and movies are recorded with sound. The Trace does feature a substantial 80 MB of internal memory to which images and movies may be stored, and optional microSD memory cards allow for further storage space. Videos meant for MMS messages are capped at 90 seconds in length while other videos can be as long as the available memory will accomodate.
Next: Display & Audio »
4.3
