Samsung Diva S7070 Review

Introduction and Design:

We have finally managed to get our hands on the Samsung Diva S7070, a handset of the Diva Collection 2010. Actually, the device is so very womanly that we believe it should be stigmatized by all self-respecting feminists’ organizations worldwide. It is aimed at the fairer sex and people, enchanted by handsets with exquisite style and dainty appeal. At least that´s what the manufacturer says and demonstrates in every possible way. For an instance, the phone box is adorned with fake diamonds (that don´t quite look like the Real McCoy). So, what´s inside, except for the cell phone itself? There is a wall charger, headphone set, USB cable, CD and user guide. We tend to think that an elegant pouch to complement the accessory set would have been a great idea in this particular instance, although Samsung has decided this is irrelevant. Quite odd indeed, given previous models targeted at ladies, like the E500 and E530, did come with similar piece of accessory.

You might be thinking this is not a big deal really and while that´s exactly the case on many occasions, such an accessory is virtually mandatory for the Samsung Diva S7070, because the handset is almost entirely white and gets dirty fairly easy. Its back is one of the distinguishing features of the device, due to its unique, cool rugged (quilt-like) pattern that makes the handset truly hard to accidentally slip out of your hand. The diamond-shaped button that lends color to the front side is another, quite spectacular at that, design element. We do like the fact that you can press it just like any other key, because it features great travel and proved to be trouble-free to use.



You can compare the Samsung Diva S7070 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The screen measures 2.8 inches, comes with QVGA native resolution and utilizes capacitive technology. Sadly, its colors are rather thin and it is virtually unusable in direct sunlight. Still, the display sensitivity is decent and using it is relatively enjoyable on the overall.



The Samsung Diva S7070 integrates a microUSB port, but sadly, lacks 3.5mm headphone jack, meaning you won´t be able to just plug in your favourite earphone set right away.




Despite the fact Samsung believes the Diva S7070 is aimed at ladies only, we would rather define the device as „girlish”. Our personal impressions make us think most women would probably shun the overly glossy and shiny Diva in favour of more stylish phones, say the LG New Chocolate BL20. Still, we cannot deny the handset is likeable and does have its own charm and appeal, although it is not anything to write home about really.

Интерфейс и Functionality:

The Samsung Diva S7070 runs TouchWiz interface, albeit not its latest edition (the newest TouchWiz pack for feature phones can be found on the Samsung Monte S5620). The typical things like various widgets and main menu consisting of several pages are all here, although we evidenced annoying operational lagging.



In terms of software, there are two major aspects that differentiate this particular model from ordinary handsets running TouchWiz – a pink phone theme and Wish list. The latter is an application that allows users to categorize items they intend to buy and assign them relevant price, quantity and purchasing priority, meaning you can get a rough idea of the cash you are about to spend on your next shopping spree. Speaking from experience here, programs like this can hardly prevent a firmly dedicated woman from going over budget and spending three times more than initially planned. It´s not that we are complaining really... we tend to do the same when let loose in electronic gadget shops.



This is quite odd, but we could not find any function that even remotely resembles the „woman´s calendar” available on previous models targeted at the fairer sex. Just like with most other devices equipped with relatively small screens (3 inches or less), Samsung has decided not to integrate a portrait mode screen QWERTY, since the buttons would have been too tiny. Still, we would have liked to see such a keyboard layout. If anything, we would have preferred to have the option to be able to choose whether to use it, instead of being limited to a standard portrait layout only.



The Samsung Diva S7070 comes with decent, WebKit-based internet browser that opens complex websites without a hitch... if we disregard the long waiting that is. The phone lacks 3G and Wi-Fi and apparently, allowing users to take advantage of web-related services was not a major priority to the manufacturer. Obviously, the latest all the rage Diva is far more excited about other aspects of life. 



The handset is equipped with 3.2-megapixel camera without autofocus. The flash is conspicuous in its absence as well, meaning you better stick to shooting outdoors only, which yields relatively acceptable results. The device captures videos at the now antiquated QVGA resolution and 10 frames per second and they render the clips downright unusable.

Samsung Diva S7070 sample video at 320x240 pixels resolution





The Samsung Diva comes with capable player with quite a few filtering and audio processing options.  Fortunately, the boxed earphone set is really good, so listening to Lady Gaga´s latest hits is a truly enjoyable experience. This is a joke, of course (the part about the artist, not the quality).

Performance and Conclusion:

Unfortunately, the Samsung Diva S7070 does not offer exceptional in-call quality. During the tests, our callers sounded muted and voice clarity was plagued by excessive environmental noise that did not prevent us from being able to understand really, but proved to be most annoying indeed. People on the other end were not particularly happy either and stated they would have been unable to tell who called them if they had to rely on recognizing the voice only. It´s a good thing the handset shows you who the caller is.

According to the manufacturer, the battery is marvellously robust. It should be able to provide up to 10 hrs of continuous talk time and keep your handset operational for about 33 days in stand-by. We couldn’t test the battery after several full charging cycles, but all told, it´s true the handset doesn’t give up easily.

As a whole, there is nothing brilliant about the Samsung Diva... except for its spectacular, pearly back and „diamond” on the front side. The outward appearance of the handset is supposed to be its major strength, but all ladies we polled claimed they didn’t like it. Still, there is no accounting for taste and everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so we won´t pass any judgement here.

In terms of overall functionality, the Diva is pretty similar to the Samsung Corby S3650. This means the device delivers all the basics and should be able to meet the needs of people opting for a feature phone. Unfortunately, the Samsung Diva S7070 is substantially more expensive than the Corby, which does not make it irresistibly attractive from a financial standpoint and neither does it bode well for its future. Ultimately, we consider the Samsung Lindy M5650 and LG Pop GD510 better alternatives, unless you happen to be totally, utterly, fatally in love with its looks.

Samsung Diva S7070 Video Review: