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Samsung hasn't exactly been shouting from the rooftops about its C6625 Windows-powered smartphone, but that doesn't mean that the handset isn't worthy of consideration. In fact, on the surface at least, it looks like a pretty decent messaging phone, thanks to its sturdy build quality, full QWERTY keyboard and onboard GPS. In the UK this phone was originally exclusively available on BT's rather obscure Talk Time tariff which is targeted at small businesses, but it can now be picked up on a range of networks or bought SIM-free for around £150.

The C6625 is clearly aimed at those who would traditionally buy a BlackBerry-type device as it follows the standard messaging phone layout - with a large screen at the top and a full QWERTY keyboard sitting beneath - quite closely.

The phone's 2.6in display has a widescreen aspect ratio, but it only has a resolution of 320 x 240, which is disappointing by today's standards. We're used to seeing much higher resolution displays on the likes of the BlackBerry 8900. The low resolution is especially noticeable in applications such as the mobile versions of Excel and Internet Explorer where you find yourself having to do a lot of scrolling because not all that much of the page is visible at any one time. That said, the screen is reasonably bright and produces good, strong colours so pictures and videos look somewhat better than you'd expect.

Rather than opting for fancy touch buttons or an optical track pad, Samsung has stuck with mechanical keys and a standard four-way D-pad on this model, but that's no bad thing as these more tactile buttons feel much better to use in our opinion. Along with the traditional, centre-mounted D-pad there are two software keys positioned directly below the screen, plus a home button, back button and two call control keys. The only other buttons on the handset are the volume rocker switch on the left hand edge and the power button that sits on the top left hand corner.

Of course, one of the most important aspects of any messaging phone is its keyboard. Here Samsung has done a reasonable job, but we have to say that the keyboard isn't up to the standards of the ones found on the HTC Snap or BlackBerry's range of devices. The keys are reasonably large, nicely spaced and the general layout is pretty good. However, they just don't feel as responsive as those on some other models we've used. Nevertheless, we did get used to them quickly and after a while, we found ourselves tapping out emails and text messages at a decent speed.

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