Samsung Shark S5350 Review

Introduction and Design:

Not all of us are willing to spend a fortune on a smartphone brimming with high-tech extra features. Most people need a device that simply works and looks appealing. That´s exactly the customer group Samsung´s Shark series is aimed at. Currently, there are three handsets in the line-up, the Shark S5350 that we are reviewing now, the Shark 2 S5550 and Shark 3 S3550. These are not entry-level cell phones, but come with unpretending functionality. In other words, they hit the golden medium or at least, they are expected to.

The box of the Samsung Shark S5350 contains a wall charger, stereo headset and user guide. The handset is equipped with microUSB port, but lacks 3.5mm jack and adapter to it, which is bad news for people who love to use proper earphones.

We do like the particular way Samsung has managed to come up with a unique design that reinvigorates the ageing, ordinary classic candybar form factor – with its gracefully rounded and curving shapes and spectacular, metal back cover the Shark S5350 is a real eye-catcher. The overall weight of the device isn’t low (99gr.) due to the great quality of materials it´s made from, plus they also give you the feeling there is something solid and reliable in your hand.




You can compare the Samsung Shark S5350 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The screen that the Samsung Shark S5350 is equipped with features a proper size for a handset of this device class – 2.2-inches with QVGA resolution. Unfortunately, things remain legible only in case you look at it directly and they quickly fade as the angle increases. 



All buttons are large enough and feature well-pronounced travel. Both their backlighting and overall size are proper, but they feel slightly harder to press than necessary. As a whole, however, they are totally usable. We need to point out that the microSD slot is located under the back panel and supports expansion cards of up to 8GB.

Interface and Functionality:

In terms of software, Samsung´s models without touch-sensitive screen evolve rather slowly and have not made much progress over the last two years. In other words, the interface of the Samsung Shark S5350 is almost identical to the version running on the Ultra B S7200 and Soulb U800. There are several cool things about it – it runs fast, you are able to create your own themes, the phonebook feels intuitive to use, you´ve got the option to search for names by entering digits, there is a dedicated chat client (Palringo) etc. The list of shortcomings includes things like lack of automated email setup and mediocre browser (loads pages fast, because the device comes with 3G support, but fails to visualize them properly).



You shouldn’t expect miracles from the 3.2-megapixel camera of the Samsung Shark S5350. It offers an ample number of options, including face detection and beauty shot (algorithm that tries to remove image flaws). The overall quality is decent – colors appear realistically represented, but pictures lack enough details. There is a slight noise in good lighting conditions, but the issue becomes overwhelming in pictures captured in places where there´s not enough light.






The Samsung Shark S5350 is equipped with a mighty loudspeaker (not as powerful as that of the Soulb U800 though), meaning you will not have any troubles hearing the ringtone at incoming calls. It produces clear, enjoyable sound, so it´s suitable for listening to music as well. The boxed headset is not as good, because everything sounds overly sharp and in order to fix it you would have to decrease the volume to the point where you will be able to distinctively perceive environmental noises, which is quite disagreeable really.  



Performance and Conclusion:

Good in-call quality is a feature of crucial importance to all handsets of the device class the Samsung Shark S5350 belongs to. Fortunately, the cell phone doesn’t disappoint and we encountered no issues during our tests. We were able to understand our callers and their voices sounded realistically. They complained about a slight metallic ring, but stated they were satisfied on the overall.

There are only good things we can say about the battery as well – it offers 10hrs of continuous talk time and keeps the device operational for 450hrs in stand-by.

The Samsung Shark S5350 comes with three distinguishing features to attract customers – great design, good sound quality and robust battery. Still, there are quite a few mainstream handsets with the same merits to their credit, so we guess the decisive factor would probably prove to be the overall look of the device – we find it appealing, but there is no accounting for taste. You might want to consider the Samsung Soulb U800 that we consider a great option as well – it features similar functionality, but is made of metal entirely and is slightly thinner. Samsung´s competitors also offer decent alternatives like the Sony Ericsson C510 and Nokia 6303. These are handsets that have been on the market for quite some time now, meaning they are available affordable prices. The Samsung Shark S5350 is a proper device and is expected to roll out with a price tag of $180, which is reasonable for a contract-free, brand new cell phone.

Samsung Shark S5350 Video Review: