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Today we got a chance to handle the advanced handset, an upcoming member of the electronic company's Ultra Smart series. The smartphone's looks and feel did not disapoint. While we couldn't tell how it would perform in real world, its specs tell a compelling story.

The device is, perhaps, the sleekest most attractive advanced Samsung developed yet, with a glossy and sleek reflective surface. In fact, the F700 is one of the nicest landscape-orientated QWERTY thumb-keyboard, touch-screen phone model we've every seen.

It is compact with a nice simple appearance when closed and narrower looking than most other tablet-style handhelds with now-you-see-it-now-you-don't keyboards. And yet the keyboard is roomy enough to type comfortably.

The F700 measures 4.09 x 1.9 x 0.6 inches (104 x 50 x 16.4 millimeters).

The touch display, largish 2.78 inches, takes up most of the front of the phone and supports 262,744 colors and a impressive 440 x 240 pixel resolution.

As a multimedia phone the Samsung supports a wide range of audio and video file formats.

       

It is a tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) handset with 2.5G EDGE and 3.5G HSDPA (of the astoundingly fast 7.2 Mbps kind) data networking support. When this type of HSDPA network are completely deployed, users will be able download an 4 MB MP3 file in about 4.4 seconds. It also, as all high-end phones do nowadays, supports Bluetooth for wireless access to handsfree car kits, headsets, etc.

VibeTonz technology, developed by Immersion Corporation which allows users feel responsive vibrations when touching the phone's buttons. And, according to Samsung, volume, audio play lists, brightness and other menus can be controlled through the touch screen.

To top it all off the F700 sports a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus.

       

And now time for a little bad news. The F700 won't be available until later this year, and then only in Europe, according to a Samsung spokesperson we spoke to at the CTIA Wireless show in Orlando. After that, who knows, maybe it'll make it over here. A U.S. introduction hasn't been ruled out and there's plenty of time before the F700 actually ships for an American carrier to pick it up.