This device is completely different from its predecessors, the Beat 450 and Beat 270, which were dual slider phones. Whereas, the Beat M3510 is a slim bar phone and has a black scratch-proof slim rubber body, so it is more comfortable to use. The powerful speaker is placed just above the 2.0-inch screen which is surrounded by a golden strip from three sides. Just below the screen you will find the dedicated metallic music keys with a steel finish.
The D-pad is surrounded by a thin steel strip that looks very elegant, also the selection key in the middle of the D-pad is highlighted by metallic finish too. The keypad is comfortable to use but due to its small size, the user will find it a bit difficult to type messages.
The Beat M3510 includes a 2.0 mega pixel camera on the back panel and the shortcut key for the camera has been shifted to the down key on the D-pad. The camera produces good images if clicked in natural light, however, the camera doesn't have flash. This device also includes in-built image editing tools. The M3510 records good videos with clear sound.
Just like its predecessor the Beat 3510 gives good sound quality (hence the name "music phone"), because as with its predecessors Samsung has again included DNS e-sound technology in the device which gives clear and impressive audio quality. The phone also has an auto equalizer feature which selects the music genre automatically, and the users can also set the sound as per their liking via the ability to select from eight preset graphic equalizers. The sound in the loudspeaker mode is more impressive than in the earphone mode which is a bit strange as Samsung usually provides much better headphones.
The Beat M3510 includes a music player and an FM radio with a good reception and comes bundled with a charger, earphone and a 1 GB microSD memory card. The shortcut for the music player is placed just below the screen with three keys denoting play/pause in the centre and previous and next on its either sides. There is another option to access music player and that is from the shortcut key on the left just below the charger and earphone slot. The device can store up to 20 radio channels and can also record your favorite tracks.
The Beat M3510 also offers to record sound with its sound recorder enabling users to record music and also the voice of the person they are talking to. You will be surprised with the excellent sound clarity in the recording mode.
The Samsung Beat M3510 is a multimedia rich device and comes preloaded with many interesting games, including games based on the motion sensor concept. It has in-built trial versions of Asphalt 4, Harry Potter game and Olympics.
The GPRS reception is amazingly good and it connects automatically. However with the 2.0-inch screen the Web browsing experience is not that exciting and one feels that the screen size should have been a little bigger.
This device supports Bluetooth and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) feature.
With loads of features and an impressive performance the M3510 lacks something that is a very important criterion for mobile phone that is its battery. The battery life is poor and a single charge lasts for around two hours. The Company claims that the phone has a back up of 19.5 hours when all the features including Bluetooth and the music player are being used, which is not completely right. I got a maximum of 6 hours of battery life with all these features running.
One more positive feature of M3510 is that it includes a mobile tracker feature which enables the users to store up to two numbers for getting alerts in case the phone gets stolen. It also has the distance remote handling feature, which allows users to lock clear and access all personal data on the stolen phone.
The M3510 is priced at USD 429.99, which is a little too much as you can find many good phones (like Nokia Express music 5220) for a much lower price, yet its still feature rich and offers some impressive features which help at least partly justify the cost.
Apart from its price and battery life the M3510 is a good music phone with lots of excellent features and a wonderful performance to go with it. You just have to fight with your pockets to be a proud owner of this device.