Samsung To Launch Mid-range Monte S5620 Smartphone

Yet another mainstream smartphone from Samsung, the Monte S5620 joins the growing rank of touchscreen models that are likely to cost between £150 and £250 unlocked.

It comes with  a 3-inch display capable of displaying 480 X 272 pixels and is above the Genio range in the pecking order. As for most mainstream Samsung models, it has the TouchWiz user interface (no Bada yet) and offers customisable widgets combine with finger controls.

Throw in a 3.2-megapixel camera with smile & panorama shots as well as face detection and you have a decent if not exciting handset. You will also get HSDPA/3G connectivity with GPS and WiFi as well. There's only 200MB with a microSD reader that can bring the total onboard capacity to 16GB

As for all recent smartphones, the S5620 comes with an array of social networking tools including Twitter and Facebook interfaces. 

Samsung Mobile UK and Ireland VP, Mark Mitchinson, said of the Monte that "[it] is designed for those that appreciate beautiful design and outstanding performance but want it at an affordable price. The phone has a great set of features, such as the native social networking applications, an intelligent user interface and connectivity options to provide users with the performance they demand."

Expect it to face some tough competition from Nokia & LG though as well as Samsung's older/clearance models.