Samsung has been releasing feature phones left and right, almost like they're taking a shotgun approach to stave off the financial problems plaguing most consumer electronics manufacturers. We're not complaining, though, since the releases are looking really solid, despite holding off a bit on bundled functionality. Earlier this month, they rolled out a few non-smartphones with TouchWiz UI on-board, along with a good number of other devices.
Sporting an attractive albeit bulky design, the Samsung U490 Trance is up next on the release block for the company, reportedly via Verizon Wireless. It's intended to replace the Juke, which was slimmer although packed with less features.
The Trance takes on a slider form factor, with a blank face hiding touch-sensitive phone buttons. It comes with basic 1.3 megapixel optics and a large speaker on the back, along with a 3.5 mm audio jack. It offers pretty good music playback for files stored on the on-board 1 GB of memory and microSDHC expansion slot (up to 16 GB). Mobile Web 2.0 comes with the device for internet browsing.
As with many of their current releases, Samsung is aiming the U490 Trance towards entry to mid-level consumers. It's set to hit Verizon customers in the 2nd quarter of the year and will likely make an appearance at the CTIA Wireless 2009.
Photo Credit: Phone Arena
[...] Physically, it features slim lines and a curvaceous design. We don't know if you'll love the look (you can judge for yourself in the pic), though I find it a bit too cheap-looking for my tastes. Do note we're talking about the one with the gray and blue color scheme, though – the black version actually looks much better. Overall aesthetic is very similar to the Samsung Trance. [...]