MWC 2009
Samsung had another music-based phone on hand in its booth, the Beat Disk.
Unlike the Beat DJ, which is a touch-based phone with no key-pad, the Beat Disk is a slider and has a 12-key number pad. Rather than sport the oval shape of the DJ, the Beat has a flat top.
It is a solid little phone to hold, and felt good in the hand. The slider mechanism was very good, with a perfect amount of assist from the spring.
I like the dialpad. The keys were well spaced apart and they had good travel and feedback. Since there is no contour to the keys, they don't feel awkward.
The three buttons placed along the bottom of the phone felt cheap and didn't seem to work properly. They are the send and end keys, plus a back key. They did not have good travel and feedback.
The Beat Disk also runs the new TouchWiz platform from Samsung, and features everything that's seen on the DJ, minus the spinning DJ scratch wheel.
To replace that, it has stereo speakers from Bang & Olafson wedged into the back of the phone.
For those looking for a simpler music phone with a touch user interface and a regular keypad, the Beat Disk is the way to go.