Screen

Measuring 176 x 220 px, the Samsung SGH-P777's top-of-the-line TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screen can display up to 262K colors, clear and vivid in both indoor and outdoor conditions.

Advanced functions, such as making calls and navigating the menu, can be accomplished with the use of the directional keypad and soft keys; allowing users to perform useful operations without ever opening the SGH-P777. Unfortunately the backlit is only activated when the phone is slid open, so in direct sunlight the screen may be hard to view when closed.

Being TFT, rather than STN (Super Twisted Nematic), circuit transistors are placed directly on the glass of the screen; technology allowing for faster refresh rates resulting from not having to scan each pixel location. Needed for fast changing applications, the SGH-P777's display is ideal for using it as a viewfinder when the camera is activated.

Audio

Supporting up to 64 chords, the Samsung SGH-P777 plays polyphonic ringtones beautifully. Conventional ringtones utilize the MIDI file format to recreate sounds by essentially playing "musical notes" through a local synthesizer. The more simultaneous chords that can be overlaid, the more realistic sounding the ringtones.

But the SGH-P777 also supports the much more advanced MP3 format. Fast becoming the new standard, MP3s are straight recordings from an audio source, resulting in an exact duplicate of the recorded source. Music with lyrics, recorded voice, or anything else users can play and record can now be turned into a ringtone.

Additionally a fully functional MP3 player is included. With the ample supply of internal memory, endless amounts of songs can be loaded onto the SGH-P777. Combined with the stereo headset jack, users have a portable MP3 player and can listen to music on the move. Unfortunately, the headset jack uses a proprietary Samsung format, so the supplied headset is needed to attach headphones and listen to music.

With such strong audio capabilities, it's surprising to find the lack of speakerphone functionality. Standard among most phones on the market, it is noticeably absent.

Messaging

The numeric keypad is revealed by sliding the SGH-P777 to the open position. Text messaging functions are standard nowadays, and the SGH-P777 supports SMS (Short Messaging Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), and MMS (Multimedia Message Service).

Aside from just using SMS to send words, EMS allows users to format their messages with attributes such as style, size, alignment, and paragraphs.

Going one step further, MMS lets users add graphics, sounds, videos, and time-based sequencing. Combined with the built-in camera, the SGH-P777 is great for sending multimedia birthday greetings or vacation postcard messages; giving users to ability to take photos and send them with text messaging creativity.

With T9 predictive text, messages can be typed quicker. Instead of having to press keys several times for a letter, the SGH-P777 chooses from a dictionary of words and phrases and anticipate what is being written. Additional words and phrases can be entered into dictionary as well.

Additionally, users can log onto AOL Instant Messenger or ICQ to chat with friends and family. Allowing users to quickly send instant messages, the SGH-P777 keeps users in touch with people no matter where they are in the world.

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