Introduction:

The first smartphone with Samsung's proprietary bada mobile OS  –  the Samsung Wave - had a thin aluminum chassis, the world's first Super AMOLED screen, and it was the handset where the 1GHz Hummingbird chipset made its debit. This was a lot of "firsts” to miss out on, be it only of curiosity. 

Samsung Wave 723 is the fourth bada phone announced (after the lowly Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro), and it is already coming to market. Now we have our own unit here to examine how bada feels without all the hardware bells and whistles of the original Wave. Samsung Wave 723 does have one unorthodox feature to be distinguished by, a permanently attached leather flap that covers the touchscreen completely, making you feel like you carry a small notepad around. Is this enough to compensate for the lack of a high-end chipset and a brilliant screen, like the ones in the Wave? Read on to find out...


Design:

The Samsung Wave 723 has a streamlined rectangular design with curvy edges, and the back is made of aluminum, like the body of the original Wave. It is smaller than the Wave, but slightly thicker at 4.31 x2.12 x0.46 inches (109.5 x 53.9 x 11.8 mm). The 3.2” capacitive LCD display is of WQVGA (240x400-pixel) resolution, and there are three physical buttons underneath it – menu key in the middle, flanked by the send and end buttons. Being LCD, the screen boasts a pretty decent visibility outdoors, even if you don't crank up the brightness.

The Samsung Wave 723 has a streamlined rectangular design with curvy edges, and the back is made of aluminum

 
You can compare the Samsung Wave 723 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The sides of the Samsung Wave 723 host the volume rocker on the left, and the lock/power button, plus the camera shutter key, on the right. The top houses the microUSB port with a sliding cover, and on the back we have the back panel made from light brushed aluminum, which certainly adds to the solid design feel of the phone. The 5MP camera on the back has an LED flash.