Mobile Phone Reviews

Archive for the ‘Samsung’ Category

The Google Nexus S is a smartphone that was released in late 2010. It is co-produced by internet giants Google, and electronics giants Samsung, who manufacture the product. Famed for being the first smartphone to incorporate the Android 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ operating system, it also led the way in supporting Near Field Communication (NFC) in its hardware and software.   

The Super AMOLED version of the device (GT-19020) has hardware very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S, except the Nexus version has no SD card and has a near field chip. Another version of the phone is the Super Clear LCD, (GT-19023), which was predominantly sold in mainland Europe.

The Google Nexus S review pages on the internet tend to be very positive, and its prices can be competitive, as it is available on various popular UK networks.

One of the best features of the phone is the fact that it cannot be SIM locked to a carrier, plus its boot loader is unlockable, which allows for the installation of other operating systems.

The phone uses the Samsung Exynos 3110 processor, which has a 1 GHz ARM cortex A8 based CPU core and a powerVR SGX 540 GPU. It has 512 MB of RAM and 16 GB of NAND memory, which is split up as 1 GB of internal storage and 15 GB of USB storage. The screen is what Google calls a ‘contour display’, meaning it has slightly curved glass, is touchscreen and is four inches long.

A Google Nexus S review by The Register gave it a whopping 85% and called it: “a cool, innovative device with an eye to snatch Apple’s smartphone crown.” The display, NFC tag reader and the Android Gingerbread system was highly recommended by AnandTech and CNET gave a review giving their praise for the phone’s display, operating system and performance.

If you are in the market for an entry-level, reasonable priced smartphone, take a look at our new Samsung Galaxy Y review; the Android handset may be just what you are looking for.

The “Y” in the product name stands for Young, and that is who this handset is aimed at: a young teen audience, and it comes with a low price to match. 

So what do they get for their money?  The handset itself is small and light, perfect for the teen grip, and ideal for sliding into a jeans pocket.  It boasts simple good looks, with a black front piece but a shiny metallic back cover with a chrome-looking rim between the two.  The screen itself is on the small side compared to some smartphones, but this has the advantage for this market that even smaller hands can navigate the controls and apps one-handed. 

It comes with a 2 megapixel camera, ideal for snapping pictures on the go, and the internal 160mb of memory can be supplemented by inserting a microSD card under the back breastplate.  Talk time between charges is around 6 hours.  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS come built in, making web access on the move easy, as does Samsung’s Social Hub, ideal for young users who want to keep their social web presence constantly fresh. 

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Y is a good entry-level handset for a young teen that really just needs a phone for keeping in touch with family and friends as well as updating their social connections such as Facebook and Twitter.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a Google Android phone, supporting Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).  This Samsung Galaxy Nexus review will show both the pros and cons of the phone.

Considered by many to be the best Android-based handset currently on the market, the Nexus’ biggest and best feature is its OS.  Android 4.0, which is intended to unify the smartphone and tablet versions of the operating system, contains enhancements that users of the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be familiar with.

When it comes to design, the Galaxy Nexus leaves something to be desired.  Samsung is known for its plastic phones and, unfortunately, this hasn’t changed.  However, while plastic may not be as aesthetically pleasing, it does mean the unit is incredibly light, coming in at 135 grams.

Other than the cheap feel created by the plastic, the handset is a nice looking unit, looking a bit like a blown-up Nexus S combined with the back panel of the Galaxy S2.  The trademark Galaxy ‘bump’ is also present.

The screen features 720 x 1280 pixel high definition resolution with a pixel density of 316 pixels per inch.  Combined with the Super AMOLED technology, this phone offers one of the best screens found on a mobile phone.

When it comes to processing and storage, the Galaxy Nexus delivers 1.2 GHz dual core processor and internal storage of either 16 or 32 GB.  (The 32 GB version may not be available in Europe.) The camera is not extraordinary, but it isn’t bad – with snap and sensor making up for lack of megapixel count.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which has been promoted as the world’s first Ice Cream Sandwich phone for Android 4.0.

To support its reputation as an up to date phone for the modern age, users can multi-task using various message boxes and widgets. In addition, they can also take advantage of the technology from its ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ status, including the use of Cloud Syncing and Beam content sharing.

The detail that really makes the phone stand out above other Android phones is the build quality of the Samsung hardware. The company adheres closely to the Nexus S party line of sleek, sensual and with rounded edges and dark colour. 

Next, we should take a look under the hood. The Galaxy Nexus comes standard with a choice of either 16GB or 32GB of onboard memory, 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP4460 dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

The touch screen, a top of the line 4.65-inch, 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD, will definitely spoil the user with its clear, hyper-vibrant colours, superb definition and contrast capabilities.

The cameras are pretty much standard for this type of phone. There is 1,080p HD video capture and playback coupled with a five-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. Pretty standard stuff, except for the difference Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich’s much improved video and photographic enhancement capabilities and minimal to no shutter lag make.

With features such as 4G LTE, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC support, GPS, digital compass, barometer, custom apps for synching between other mobile devices, your PC, laptop or tablet, facial recognition, robust security and encryption, a long lasting 1,750mAh battery and there is little doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a winner.

Where To Find More

To find out more about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus review, online mobile phone news and reviews about cool mobile phone apps, accessories, pricing and where to buy, check out the array of review sites available online, including Recombu.

With Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy Nexus, mobile phone news sources are going crazy over the abundance of features usually found on a much more expensive phone. 

Samsung adheres closely to the Nexus S party line; sleek rounded edges engineered to hug the user’s cheek when deployed.   

The Galaxy Nexus comes with a choice of either 16GB or 32GB of onboard memory and a top of the line 4.65-inch, 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD touch screen, which features hyper-vibrant colours, superb definition and contrast capabilities.  

The camera, however, is standard for this type of phone. There is 1,080p HD video-capture and playback, coupled with a five-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, along with a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. 

Additional features include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC support, GPS, digital compass, facial recognition, robust security and encryption, a long lasting 1,750mAh battery. All these features are squeezed into a 5.33 x 2.67 x 0.35 inch package that weighs just 4.76 ounces.  

To find out more about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, online mobile phone news and reviews about mobile phone apps, accessories and where to buy, check out the Recombu website.

Manufactured by Samsung, the Google Nexus S features a super AMOLED display screen offering supersonic brightness and colour definition, a 1GHz processor,  5 mega pixel camera, rear facing camera and front facing VGA camera.  The Nexus S also boasts a gyroscope and accelerometer, compass, proximity and light sensors and has 16GB of internal memory.

The attractive Nexus S’s contoured and curvy design fits both hand and ear comfortably and, the Nexus is not just a pretty face, it is also practical and can match all other contemporary models.  The Nexus is slim, lightweight (127.5g) with dims of 63 x 123.9 x 10.88mm and although not the smallest smartphone on the market the ergonomic design of the Good Nexus S’s reinforces its contemporary appeal.

The Nexus S employs the QWERTY keyboard with additional fast features (cut, copy, paste et al) and, size notwithstanding; one could be forgiven for thinking that using the Google Nexus S is pretty similar to some laptops.

Fast and professional navigation and with apps launching at the speed of sound (well almost!), the Nexus S has many integrated features that are to be expected with a Google product; wi-fi, GPS, bluetooth – and some others that might surprise the user.  Social networking sites integrate with contacts and the super efficient sharing and transferring contacts, mail and calendar information, and Nexus S users are also first in line to receive Android updates and Flash video.

Another advantage with the Nexus S is that it comes open as standard, giving the user the opportunity to select the best provider so be sure to check out current deals when purchasing the Nexus S.

The Samsung Omnia 7 is the first Windows Phone 7 to be offered from Samsung mobile phones. Well designed with a slim casing and sensitive touch screen, this mobile phone from Samsung has an excellent four-inch Super AMOLED screen with superb pinch to zoom facility. The industrial chic design works brilliantly with its fabulous HyperReal screen with super-sharp graphics and picture quality. The Samsung Omnia 7 has a range of excellent features, including its Maps application, and the handset has a high quality feel.

The display quality of the Samsung Omnia 7 really elevates it to one of the best smartphones on the market. It also comes with all the standard Windows 7 features, such as GPS, 5-megapixel flash camera with many adjustable settings, an HD camcorder, and Wi-fi. The Samsung Omnia 7 also offers a user-friendly QWERTY style keyboard and a music player feature that enables the user to instantly transfer their favourite tunes onto their phone.

The touch sensitive buttons on the front of the Samsung Omnia 7 handset are extremely responsive, and integrated online messaging and social networking are easily accessible. It may not have the largest memory capacity on the market but the Samsung Omnia 7 makes up for this with its truly excellent display and fantastic high definition colour and picture quality. This is a highly recommended offering from Samsung mobile phones.

The Google Nexus S is like Marmite; some love it, while others hate it.  One example of this is the slightly curved screen that Google has employed for the Nexus S, its newest venture into the smartphone world.  Critics of the phone would say that the curvature of the screen is annoying and unnecessary, while fans would argue that it brings a touch of individuality to the sometimes monotonous aestheticism of the smartphone world.

In a time where Apple and HTC dominate the smartphone business it is only natural that any competitors will be compared to these giants.  Google has decided to team up with Samsung to try and break the dominance of these two and the Nexus S actually stands up well upon closer inspection.  The 4-inch super AMOLED display can be most obviously compared to the HTC Desire S and the 5-megapixel rear-facing camera is undeniably similar to the iPhone 4.

The 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor and the massive 16GB inbuilt memory mean the Nexus S is superior to many of its rivals with regards to memory, although by not including a MicroSD™ expansion slot the Nexus S seems rather inferior to the big smartphone powerhouses.

In regards to the look of the phone, one cannot help noticing the similarities between the Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy S.  Furthermore, the plastic chassis of the phone means it lacks a certain classy feel that its metallic counterparts possess.

While the Nexus S may not be the world’s best smartphone, Google’s foray into the market is still young and it surely won’t be long until the Google smartphone is perfected.

The Samsung Omnia 7 is a Samsung take on Windows Phone 7, featuring a high quality screen and responsive interface in an industrial-type design.

The best feature of this unit is the 4inch Super AMOLED screen. While the same type of screen as found on other Samsung handsets, there is something about its combination with Windows Phone 7 that makes the images really pop, providing deeper contrasts and more vivid colours than similar Android versions.

The physical layout of the Samsung Omnia 7 is a lot like the Galaxy S, while the interface provides nice-sized, easy to select icons. Hitting the Windows button activates the main screen and tiles can be customised and moved around. Favourite applications, contacts and bookmarks can be pinned to the Start Menu for easy access.

The downfall of the contact interface, at least in our eyes, is its auto link to Windows Live, which is hardwired into the programming. Unlike with Facebook and other social applications, you cannot opt to not see Windows Live contacts. They are there, whether you want them to be or not.

The email system is fantastic; you can interact with several accounts on multiple platforms. If you use Outlook, then set up is ridiculously easy. Default browsing is, of course, via Internet Explorer, but it does provide reactive pinch and zoom, double tap zoom and easy to read screens, so it is not all bad news.

Overall, the Samsung Omnia 7 is pretty decent, if not brilliant. It is the ease of Windows Phone 7 and that amazing screen that really make this phone.

Google’s Nexus project nearly came to an untimely end after the Google Nexus One was released and subsequently ignored by consumers.  The Google Nexus S is a second effort, and a sign that the Nexus project is still alive and well.  This is good news for tech lovers searching for Google Nexus S deals, as this phone has much to offer.

Many of the features on smartphones require Internet capability.  The Google Nexus S has been praised as being a very Internet-friendly phone with impressive features.  The interface can lag a bit at times, but is generally fast.  Features like Twitter, YouTube, email, and Bluetooth make the phone both practical and fun.  However, there has been some criticism of the zoom feature, which is unresponsive at times.

Many of the Google Nexus S consumer reviews have compared the Google Nexus S to the Samsung Galaxy S, noting the similarities in the two smartphones’ designs.  The Google Nexus S is actually a bit heavier, but otherwise, the two phones do look very similar to one another.  They both feel and look different from the typical iPhone or HTC smartphone, but rest comfortably in the palm and have a nice curved frame. 

One noticeable difference of the Nexus S from the iPhone in particular is the location of the headphone jack.  On an iPhone, the jack is located at the top.  On the Google Nexus S smartphone, it is on the bottom.  Google Nexus S reviews have generally looked upon this difference as a positive one.