gnassar
11-03-2005, 08:19 PM
This is my first review of a phone so bear with me as it'll take a couple days to complete.
It's set up into parts, use your browsers find button, or the links below to see them.
1. Looks
2. Operating Sytem, Or Commonly Called User Interface
3. Features
-- 3.1 Bluetooth
-- 3.2 Media Player
-- 3.3 Games
-- 3.4 Camera
-- 3.5 Caller ID
-- 3.6 Phonebook
-- 3.7 On Demand
-- 3.8 Usb Functionality
4. Memory Card
5. Downsides
6. Conclusion
[Looks]
====
The phone is sleak and nice looking. Very professional. It is rather bulky and heavy for a conventional cellular phone but for what it packs it's workable. It can't be compared to a RAZOR phone as it'd take a stack of them to equal the phone. The phone comes with a metallic alluminum body, an outer displaye and 8 outer buttons. It's got stereo speakers on the front with a giant camera on the pivit point. Please see pictures below to see what the phone looks like:
Low Res
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=2a4_Front.jpg (http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=2a4_Front.jpg)
http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9ae_Side.jpg (http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9ae_Side.jpg)
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9d3_SideA.jpg (http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9d3_SideA.jpg)
http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=62e_Open.jpg (http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=62e_Open.jpg)
Hi Res
http://img22.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc170&image=138_HBase.jpg
(http://img22.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc170&image=138_HBase.jpg)
http://img12.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc21&image=52f_HFront.jpg (http://img12.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc21&image=52f_HFront.jpg)
[OS]
====
Without a doubt the os is over simplified, and created to flaunt the use of EVDO or any type of vision service. Without the web at least 60% of the functions of the phone are completely useless. Which begs the question what about the other features? The Main keys (up/left/right/down and ok) act as shortcut keys, with "ok" meaning "menu". Traversing the menu isn't all that hard but phone response time is rather low. You'll find yourself in more than one case hitting the same button twice or three times hoping it'll do something just to find out it's done it a little delayed more than once.
Overall there's no difficulty in doing what you want and some of the graphics of the phone make nice enough to waste hours just staring at.
(Pictures Comming Up)
Specific options of the OS have either been mangled, broken, or as Samsung Tech Suport told me, are there only because they were used on software in beta testing and since been removed for one reason or another. I'll get to those later.
[Features]
====
Summary: EVDO, 2.0MP Camera, Video as Well as Audio Capabilities (Mp3), Photo Album, Pict Bridge, 300+ Phone Book Entries, ~70MB Space, and Bluetooth, and a Transflash (32-512MB) Memory card reader. Since I don't have EVDO, and am not planning on getting it, I suggest you read up on another review for that service. (When I decide to use my Free Vision trial, I'll finish this part of the review for you.) What I want to focus on is the features I do have and use.
=Bluetooth=
After tearing apart the box, I instantly dived into the Bluetooth capabilities. I have a keyboard that's bluetooth and was eager to start loading the phone with mp3's background pictures and whatnot. I instantly tried to connect it with the keyboard. That took no more than 5 minutes and it recognized the profiles and functions that the phone could do. Wonderful Samsung!! After which I was able to get files from the computer to the phone via it's interface. After that, the problems ensued. After you send files to the phone, you can not do anything with those files. Transfer time was painfully slow and copying data on the card itself is an impossibility. Even if you have the space the phone will report that there is no space available. On top of that no data can be sent to the phone itself. Even if you have the room data can only be sent to the card. You may ask whats the purpose of sending files then? I couldn't figure out the answer myself.
Bluetooth is made for headsets I assume. I think that is the only reason it's there as the os is crippled. You cant do anything with the data.
Also note: ALL DATA IS ON THE CARD AFTER TRANSFERRING. IT'S IN A BLUETOOTH FOLDER. THIS FOLDER CAN NOT BE ACCESSED OUTSIDE OF THE BLUETOOTH AREA IN THE FILE MANAGER. SINCE IT CAN NOT BE ACCESSED, OR COPIED/MOVED, IT MAKES THE DATA INACCESSIBLE.
=Media Player=
The media player is nice. It's got features like repeat one, repeat all, play once, and playlist features. The audio levels are quantized a bit too high, but it's fine. (Meaning that level right before Mute is too loud.) The speakers on the front are nice but tend to have an effect where the ambient or background music will always play louder than the mid level music. Not it's fault I don't think. The headsets really nice. Music plays gracefully through there making the phone an instant ipod competitor. The Media Player is very picky. On the card itself, there's a media folder. Data (mp3's) *must* go there otherwise the player will not find the files. You may say, well if I transfer the files from a computer using bluetooth, can I specify that to be the folder I'd like it to go there? No, I'm sorry you cant.
=Games=
Included games are all demos. Nothing special here.
=Camera=
The camera is nice. I will post some pictures taken from the camera within a couple hours. The pictures can be sized accordingly with an immense amount of options for a cell phone camera. You can choose to have flash or not, boarders, sharpness, timer, multishot, brightness, shutter sound, where you want to save it to, resolution, autofocus, and camcorder mode. The pictures are pretty good looking as well. The rotatable head really makes it nice. In either direction makes taking shots rather easy from almost any angle. The button to take the picture is located on the other end of the camera which is a nice place in my opinion.
(Pictures Comming Soon)
=Caller ID=
Caller id can have pictures associated with the user. This is an older feature of most phones but I still think it's great.
=Phone book=
The phonebook can store:
*Name
*Number (Grouped As: Mobile / Home / Work / Pager / Others)
*Email
*Url
*Nickname
*Memo
*Group
*Custom Ringer
=On Demand=
A service that uses the web to show things about your area. This is a nice service and I believe is one of the things that makes me wish I had the internet but being the person I am cant afford the upgrade.
=Usb Functionality=
Sprint meant for people to use their phones as a modem. They wouldn't have included a usb cable with it. Since I don't have the web yet I can't comment here, but you'd think that samsung would have acted alot like Sanyo did in this case regarding the memory. Users CAN NOT access the card's memory through the usb cable You may be asking, well then how do I store mp3's on the card? This is where you get a memory card reader. Otherwise the card and the phone can't be accessed. The USB cable was meant for using the phone as a modem and, until better software is released, nothing else.
Memory Card
====
The memory card is used as space. A user can stor anything he or she wished into it. It's divided into different folders where different areas of the phone will access. For example I have these folders: BT_FTP, DCIM, filestore, FILEVIEWER, MEDIA. Please note, unless your media is in the right folder the phone won't find it! So, if you'd like to store mp3's. Place the mp3 in the media folder. Currently since nothing can be moved anything received from bluetooth ends up in the BT_FTP folder. Then can't be moved unless you have a card reader.
DownSides
====
I'd like, no I'd love to say the phone is the greatest thing since sliced bread but I can't say that. I'm dissapointed such an expensive phone does not come with a crippled OS when it comes to bluetooth. They have the ability to send data to the phone (to the card in the phone) why cripple the phone by not allowing anyone to copy the data to the respectable folders within the phone? Bluetooth is painfully slow, so sending data is impracticle. Furthermore the usb cable becomes useless to the regular user and anyone who tries to use this phone as a multimedia phone. (Please note, I spent hours with Samsung Tech Support discussing the feasibility of an os adition to fixing the above issues, and it was deemed highly unlikely unless heavy action (by end users) proved these problems to be accross the board.
Conclusions
====
(comming soon)
I will update this post tomorrow and saturday. Thats when I get my full service and can comment more.
** AM I WRONG? PLEASE PM ME WITH WHERE I AM WRONG, AND WHY AND I'LL CHANGE THIS IMMEDIATELY. **
It's set up into parts, use your browsers find button, or the links below to see them.
1. Looks
2. Operating Sytem, Or Commonly Called User Interface
3. Features
-- 3.1 Bluetooth
-- 3.2 Media Player
-- 3.3 Games
-- 3.4 Camera
-- 3.5 Caller ID
-- 3.6 Phonebook
-- 3.7 On Demand
-- 3.8 Usb Functionality
4. Memory Card
5. Downsides
6. Conclusion
[Looks]
====
The phone is sleak and nice looking. Very professional. It is rather bulky and heavy for a conventional cellular phone but for what it packs it's workable. It can't be compared to a RAZOR phone as it'd take a stack of them to equal the phone. The phone comes with a metallic alluminum body, an outer displaye and 8 outer buttons. It's got stereo speakers on the front with a giant camera on the pivit point. Please see pictures below to see what the phone looks like:
Low Res
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=2a4_Front.jpg (http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=2a4_Front.jpg)
http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9ae_Side.jpg (http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9ae_Side.jpg)
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9d3_SideA.jpg (http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=9d3_SideA.jpg)
http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=62e_Open.jpg (http://img103.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc24&image=62e_Open.jpg)
Hi Res
http://img22.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc170&image=138_HBase.jpg
(http://img22.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc170&image=138_HBase.jpg)
http://img12.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc21&image=52f_HFront.jpg (http://img12.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc21&image=52f_HFront.jpg)
[OS]
====
Without a doubt the os is over simplified, and created to flaunt the use of EVDO or any type of vision service. Without the web at least 60% of the functions of the phone are completely useless. Which begs the question what about the other features? The Main keys (up/left/right/down and ok) act as shortcut keys, with "ok" meaning "menu". Traversing the menu isn't all that hard but phone response time is rather low. You'll find yourself in more than one case hitting the same button twice or three times hoping it'll do something just to find out it's done it a little delayed more than once.
Overall there's no difficulty in doing what you want and some of the graphics of the phone make nice enough to waste hours just staring at.
(Pictures Comming Up)
Specific options of the OS have either been mangled, broken, or as Samsung Tech Suport told me, are there only because they were used on software in beta testing and since been removed for one reason or another. I'll get to those later.
[Features]
====
Summary: EVDO, 2.0MP Camera, Video as Well as Audio Capabilities (Mp3), Photo Album, Pict Bridge, 300+ Phone Book Entries, ~70MB Space, and Bluetooth, and a Transflash (32-512MB) Memory card reader. Since I don't have EVDO, and am not planning on getting it, I suggest you read up on another review for that service. (When I decide to use my Free Vision trial, I'll finish this part of the review for you.) What I want to focus on is the features I do have and use.
=Bluetooth=
After tearing apart the box, I instantly dived into the Bluetooth capabilities. I have a keyboard that's bluetooth and was eager to start loading the phone with mp3's background pictures and whatnot. I instantly tried to connect it with the keyboard. That took no more than 5 minutes and it recognized the profiles and functions that the phone could do. Wonderful Samsung!! After which I was able to get files from the computer to the phone via it's interface. After that, the problems ensued. After you send files to the phone, you can not do anything with those files. Transfer time was painfully slow and copying data on the card itself is an impossibility. Even if you have the space the phone will report that there is no space available. On top of that no data can be sent to the phone itself. Even if you have the room data can only be sent to the card. You may ask whats the purpose of sending files then? I couldn't figure out the answer myself.
Bluetooth is made for headsets I assume. I think that is the only reason it's there as the os is crippled. You cant do anything with the data.
Also note: ALL DATA IS ON THE CARD AFTER TRANSFERRING. IT'S IN A BLUETOOTH FOLDER. THIS FOLDER CAN NOT BE ACCESSED OUTSIDE OF THE BLUETOOTH AREA IN THE FILE MANAGER. SINCE IT CAN NOT BE ACCESSED, OR COPIED/MOVED, IT MAKES THE DATA INACCESSIBLE.
=Media Player=
The media player is nice. It's got features like repeat one, repeat all, play once, and playlist features. The audio levels are quantized a bit too high, but it's fine. (Meaning that level right before Mute is too loud.) The speakers on the front are nice but tend to have an effect where the ambient or background music will always play louder than the mid level music. Not it's fault I don't think. The headsets really nice. Music plays gracefully through there making the phone an instant ipod competitor. The Media Player is very picky. On the card itself, there's a media folder. Data (mp3's) *must* go there otherwise the player will not find the files. You may say, well if I transfer the files from a computer using bluetooth, can I specify that to be the folder I'd like it to go there? No, I'm sorry you cant.
=Games=
Included games are all demos. Nothing special here.
=Camera=
The camera is nice. I will post some pictures taken from the camera within a couple hours. The pictures can be sized accordingly with an immense amount of options for a cell phone camera. You can choose to have flash or not, boarders, sharpness, timer, multishot, brightness, shutter sound, where you want to save it to, resolution, autofocus, and camcorder mode. The pictures are pretty good looking as well. The rotatable head really makes it nice. In either direction makes taking shots rather easy from almost any angle. The button to take the picture is located on the other end of the camera which is a nice place in my opinion.
(Pictures Comming Soon)
=Caller ID=
Caller id can have pictures associated with the user. This is an older feature of most phones but I still think it's great.
=Phone book=
The phonebook can store:
*Name
*Number (Grouped As: Mobile / Home / Work / Pager / Others)
*Url
*Nickname
*Memo
*Group
*Custom Ringer
=On Demand=
A service that uses the web to show things about your area. This is a nice service and I believe is one of the things that makes me wish I had the internet but being the person I am cant afford the upgrade.
=Usb Functionality=
Sprint meant for people to use their phones as a modem. They wouldn't have included a usb cable with it. Since I don't have the web yet I can't comment here, but you'd think that samsung would have acted alot like Sanyo did in this case regarding the memory. Users CAN NOT access the card's memory through the usb cable You may be asking, well then how do I store mp3's on the card? This is where you get a memory card reader. Otherwise the card and the phone can't be accessed. The USB cable was meant for using the phone as a modem and, until better software is released, nothing else.
Memory Card
====
The memory card is used as space. A user can stor anything he or she wished into it. It's divided into different folders where different areas of the phone will access. For example I have these folders: BT_FTP, DCIM, filestore, FILEVIEWER, MEDIA. Please note, unless your media is in the right folder the phone won't find it! So, if you'd like to store mp3's. Place the mp3 in the media folder. Currently since nothing can be moved anything received from bluetooth ends up in the BT_FTP folder. Then can't be moved unless you have a card reader.
DownSides
====
I'd like, no I'd love to say the phone is the greatest thing since sliced bread but I can't say that. I'm dissapointed such an expensive phone does not come with a crippled OS when it comes to bluetooth. They have the ability to send data to the phone (to the card in the phone) why cripple the phone by not allowing anyone to copy the data to the respectable folders within the phone? Bluetooth is painfully slow, so sending data is impracticle. Furthermore the usb cable becomes useless to the regular user and anyone who tries to use this phone as a multimedia phone. (Please note, I spent hours with Samsung Tech Support discussing the feasibility of an os adition to fixing the above issues, and it was deemed highly unlikely unless heavy action (by end users) proved these problems to be accross the board.
Conclusions
====
(comming soon)
I will update this post tomorrow and saturday. Thats when I get my full service and can comment more.
** AM I WRONG? PLEASE PM ME WITH WHERE I AM WRONG, AND WHY AND I'LL CHANGE THIS IMMEDIATELY. **