The Samsung S5560 Marvel is a mid-range touchscreen handset. While it doesn't look all that much different from the Korean company's stockpile of models, it does set itself apart in terms of features, bringing a specs sheet that sits between the entry-level Samsung Star and the more high-end Samsung Jet.
Physically, it doesn't veer far away from Samsung's tried and tested designs. There's a 3-inch WQVGA screen (excellent quality indoors, terrible under sunlight, impressive touch response for a resistive panel) and three front buttons (send, end and home). It's not much of a looker, but is adequately attractive with a good overall build.
As a phone, it only manages average quality calls. There's a feeling of the caller being distant through the earpiece, which was odd. Volume is fine, though, and people on the other end reported no issues. Battery life is extremely impressive. Rated at 9.5 hours, it lives up to the promise over regular use (three days and it's still alive).
It runs TouchWiz 2.0, which should be familiar to anyone who has handled one of the newer Samsung touchscreens. As we've said before, this particular UI is highly-usable and allows for a good range of expansion in terms of widgets and apps.
You'll get the usual range of features, such as a few default apps (lots of social networking stuff), PIM tools and messaging capabilities. The email setup isn't as brainless as it happens on Blackberry and Nokia phones, though, which is a tad disappointing. Overall, the basic features work well, especially the highly-responsive keyboards (both orientations).
For online connectivity, you're stuck with either Wi-Fi or EDGE as the Marvel doesn't support 3G. It's a shame since the Webkit-based browser is well-done, with decent loading speed, smooth scrolling and a useful zoom facility.
The 5.0 megapixel camera module is average, boasting excellent shutter speed, a good range of editing options and acceptable quality of images (a little oversaturated). Video capture is bad, though. Onboard music player is actually better than the one on the Samsung Jet, with the hardware managing good audio quality (provided you replace the bundled buds). Video is decent, too, with support for MPEG-4 and H.264 encoding.
Overall, there's nothing about the Samsung S5560 Marvel that really sets it apart from the mass of feature phones in terms of functionality. What it does bring is a solid touchscreen device with a good range of features and an extremely impressive battery life. If the latter is a critical requirement for you, then it could well be worth the price (which sits at between $450 to $500 unlocked, depending on where you buy).
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The Samsung Star w/ wi-fi has been w/me for along while so the SamsungMarvel was no stranger. I liked the 5Mgpixel cam w/c is far, far clearer than the 3.2Mgpix of the Star, and the weak battery of the Star will no longer br my worry. Both models have a lousy headset not suited for those who like music. I love the Nokia phones and I strongly dislike the iPhone but these have far better sound compared to 2 Samsung models. Their cam however are much better than any iPhone, old or new.