Spin with the Samsung Beat DJ

With so may cell phones on the planet, it's hard to find a model with a design that stands out from the crowd. Yet, Samsung manages to do just that with its new Beat DJ. I caught up with it at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona.

With rounded edges and a bright blue trim, the Beat DJ offers a striking design that feels comfortable in the hand. As a touch-screen phone, the only physical controls on the front face are Talk and End controls and a back button. Over on the right side you'll find a memory card slot and a camera shutter, while a handset locking switch, a volume rocker and a Micro-USB port sit on the left spine.

I admit that the 2.6-inch display is a bit small for my tastes. It felt slightly cramped when browsing through the menu and tapping out messages and phone numbers. On the upside, the display is responsive but people with larger hands should give it a test-drive first.

The Beat DJ has its own look.

(Credit: Samsung)

The music player interface is quite unique. In the center of the display you'll find a large circle that is reminiscent of the curves on either end of the phone. By tracing your finger around the circle you can advance through a song. It's a tad gimmicky, but it's cool nonetheless.

You also get access to a whole menu of DJ effects such as a record scratch. The music player on the model we examined wasn't completely functional but the whole experience looks fairly promising. Sound quality from the stereo speakers was impressive thanks to the Bang & Olufsen amplifier.

Other features include an FM radio, a 3-megapixel camera with video recording, stereo Bluetooth, an external memory slot, a 3.5-mm headset jack, organizer features, and a speakerphone.

To get the full effect, check out the Samsung GSMA slide show.