If you thought the Corby brand was strictly for budget feature phones, then you're in for a surprise. The Samsung Corby Smartphone was just announced for Italy today, running a full build of Google's Android OS.

Earlier rumored to be the Samsung i5500 Galaxy 5 (and might actually be named that way in other markets), the handset gets Android 2.1 at the helm. It retains the same compact size (56 x 108 x 12.3 mm) that's been the Corby's calling card, along with the excessively round corners and rather playful accents.

Details of the Corby Smartphone include a 2.8-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with Google Maps Navigation), stereo Bluetooth, DLNA support, 100MB of onboard storage and microSD card expansion up to 16GB (1GB is included in the box). Well-connected, it gets both 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA and WiFi for fast broadband speeds. A modest 600Mhz processor powers the whole thing, juicing via a 1,200mAh battery.

All Android niceties are included, from the extensive messaging to the slew of Google apps. Anyone looking for a capable, compact and budget-friendly smartphone should definitely give this a serious look - it sounds terrific on paper.

The Samsung Corby Smartphone (gotta love the straightforward name, by the way) will hit Italian shelves within one week. From what we gather, price without contract is 199 Euros ($238), which sounds seriously amazing.

[via CellularMania]

One of the freshest-looking phones to come out of late, the Samsung B3310 (aka the Corby Mate) is a definite attention-getter.  If nothing else, people are bound to fawn over the unusual positioning for the T9-style keypad, which sees its keys lined up along one side.

Physically, it's a good-looking compact phone, with a youthful design.  The decision to place the number keys on the left hand side makes it possible to use them when you pull down the side-sliding QWERTY keyboard.  It sounds like a functional and novel idea, but the actual implementation isn't very comfortable.  In fact, it made typing numbers a bit cumbersome unless you've got the phone on landscape mode (and even then, it's not the best).  Build is entirely plastic, although construction feels solid.  The screen is a little too small at only 2 inches, but it does offer good resolution (320 x 240) and bright colors.

As a phone, the Corby Mate manages excellent calls, making for clear conversations and natural-sounding voices.  Those on the other end reported a similar pleasantly performance.  Speakerphone sounded a bit too tinny, but it could have been a problem on the unit.  Battery life is rated for five hours of talk time, which should be good for two or three days of normal use on a non-3G handset.

Considered a budget messaging phone, it does come with a small but tidy range of features.  It has the basics covered well, with a 1,000-entry phone book, messaging (SMS, MMS and email - no IM) and standard PIM tools.  There's also stereo Bluetooth, a web browser (strictly GPRS/EDGE, though) and an FM radio.

The music player (which you can load up with songs via SD card) is just average, but the big letdown is the lack of a 3.5mm jack.  It can be a real issue with "cheaper" phones and this one is no exception - the bundled buds are quite unappetizing.  The 2.0 megapixel camera manages decent-looking shots, however.

Overall, the Samsung B3310 is a slider with a very pronounced selling point - an unusual keypad configuration that you're likely to either love or hate.  It comes in a bevy of very bright colors, so the young ones should find it affable.  If you can get used to the slightly cramped keyboard (it's a compact phone, after all), it could be worth the $150 or so price (exact retail pricing depends on where you are).

A new flip phone just went up on Samsung's South Korean website under the ever-growing Corby line.  Called the Samsung CorbyF (the F stands for Folder), the handset bundles a fun, playful design, along with smooth, curvy lines.

Intended for mid-range to low-end markets, the device borrows the youthful style available from previous cellphones in the series, making it a bit more attractive than the form you usually find on flip-style phones.  Otherwise, it seems like a conventional clamshell, with regular, non-touchscreen displays.

The 15.9mm-thick Samsung CorbyF features a 2.6-inch internal LCD (QVGA resolution), an external LED display (unspecified size), a 3.0 megapixel camera module, a video-calling front camera, DMB TV, SOS calling, subway maps and microSD card extension (up to 16GB).  It supports HSDPA 3.6Mbps (for SK Telecom and KT, not sure for non-Korean versions).

From the looks of it, this will be running Samsung's default non-touch interface, which isn't really anything special, despite being quite easy to use.   The device will come in Candy Pink, Lime Green and Blue Black colors.

There's no exact pricing nor availability date, but Samsung says the CorbyF should come to South Korea soon.  Since it's coming out with the the usually-affordable Corby branding, expect it to be generally inexpensive.

[via Samsung Hub]

The Samsung Corby has easily proved to be one of the most successful entry-level touchscreen handsets aimed at younger users.  With the new Samsung CorbyTXT B3210, the company is hoping to replicate the same results in an adjacent category: candybar messagers.

Physically, the new handset  sports that familiar Blackberry design with a screen on top and a full QWERTY keypad at the lower half.  The rear panel embraces the customizable spirit of the Corby, though,  and can be replaced with other colorful snap-on cases.  It's slightly bulkier than its touchscreen brethren but remains easily pocketable and comfortable in hand.

The screen is quite small at 2.2 inches, with a rather low resolution of only 220 x 176 pixels.  As you can imagine, much of the images can appear pixelated with such low amount of details.  The keyboard is a little cramped, but should be comfortable once you get the hang of it (and that slanted style does require some getting used to).

As a phone, the CorbyTXT manages average quality of calls, with good volume and easily-discernible voices.   Speakerphone has plenty of loudness, though the resulting audio is a little too sharp.  Battery is good for up to 7.5 hours of talk time, which should see it last at least two days under normal use.

Geared towards young users, the UI is simple but attractive.  It sports a customizable homescreen that you can fill with up to 15 of your most often-used icons.  All basic phone features are here, including PIM tools, a few preloaded apps and solid messaging capabilities.  Notable messaging niceties include threaded views, automatic email setup and push support.

Since it lacks support for either 3G or Wi-Fi, web surfing isn't the most ideal use for this device.  That's why there's barely any integration with social networks too.  If you want a Facebook or Twitter phone, better find something else.

It comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera that takes average quality shots without a lot of editing options.  The music player is pretty good, though, with above average audio quality.  Other features include stereo Bluetooth, FM radio and microSD expansion.

Overall, the Samsung CorbyTXT B3210 isn't anything to get excited about.  In fact, we believe Samsung should overhaul their UI for non-touchscreen feature phones - it's just not that good.  Just get it somewhere near what they're doing with TouchWiz and we'll be happy.  At its price (around $230 unlocked), it's not a bad offer - just not a very satisfying one.