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Samsung's QWERTY-equipped Freeform 5 (pictures)

Heavy texters who want to avoid a smartphone's monthly data plan have a new ally in the Freeform 5's keyboard.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
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1 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung's compact Freeform 5 keyboard

Packing a lot of QWERTY into a small space, the Samsung Freeform 5 has a portable, pocketable build.
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2 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Glossy black all over

The phone's slick, high-gloss surface helps it slide into pockets.
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3 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Pocket-size

With its 2.4-inch screen and sub-5-inch height, it's considered a smaller phone by today's standards.
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4 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Keyboard close-up

Samsung did a nice job making the Freeform 5's buttons round, grippable, and fully separated. Despite that, the QWERTY's squeezed-in layout will simply be too closed in for some people's comfort.
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5 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Portrait-maker

A 3-megapixel camera with no flash won't wow anyone, but it is just fine for taking photo IDs.
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6 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

More room

A microSD card slot on the spine accepts cards with capacities up to 32GB.
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7 of 7 Josh Miller/CNET

Customization

You can change the wallpaper, backlight, and font size on the Freeform 5, but beyond the essentials, Samsung keeps this handset pretty simple.

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