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Have you noticed that all mobile phones, well at least the ones that I have used, always position the on/off key on the right side of the unit? This is not meant to be taken as a criticism, rather more of an observation. But it does go to show how technology is re-enforcing the dominance that the right hand has over the left in modern society. The Samsung SGH-P510 camera phone is no exception and, not surprisingly, positions the on/off key on the right.

Weighing 92g, this flip-top phone measures 105 x 45 x 25mm (H xW xD) which does include the antennae. When closed an external display window shows the current time along with icons representing signal strength and battery level. All fairly standard you might think and you would be right up to a point. By holding down a camera key situated, again, on the right of the unit will turn this display into a camera viewfinder enabling you to take self-portraits by using the same key. Once saved these images can be dispatched to all and sundry. In this mode you will be able to zoom in/out for a close up or wider view and turn the phone to move seamlessly between portrait and landscape orientation.

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If you want more control over the appearance of your photographs and take other types of view then you need to flip open the phone and use the main display as your view finder. Adding to the zoom and orientation controls, you can adjust the brightness plus flip the image vertically and horizontally. You can add frames and effects, change the size and quality of the capture plus select from normal, multi shot, matrix (when several stills will be saved as one frame) and night shot. Video clips, of up to twenty second, can be recorded.

Opening a flip top phone can hardly be considered a strenuous task but that hasn't stopped Samsung from introducing a labour saving option. Aimed directly at the couch potato brigade, many consider me as a fully paid up member, Samsung has added a side-mounted button (just above the camera key) to the phone that automatically opens and closes this device. In order to avoid this feature being accidentally activated, the key needs to be depressed for a second or so.

The Samsung SGH-P510 also offers a full range of telephony features. Its phone book allows images to form part of caller ID; groups to be set up; speed dialling; and searches by name or group. Records of calls dialled, missed and received are kept. Schedules and to do lists can be created and alarms set up to remind you of appointments. Other features include call diverting, barring and waiting; infrared connectivity; and a WAP browser.

As standard you get 30 polyphonic ring tones and a selection of animated wallpaper. Up to 240 minutes of talk time or 250 hours of standby time is promised from a single battery. As an added bonus Samsung include a second battery in the box that can be used in an emergency.

Pricing, as usual with a mobile phone, will depend on the type of contract. Pay-as-you-go price will be around £229.

http://uk.samsungmobile.com/mobile_phone/sgh-p510/feature.jsp