Mobile Phone Reviews

Archive for the ‘Samsung’ Category

The Google Nexus is one of the most popular phones on the market, and since it was released to the public Google Nexus S reviews have been mostly positive.  One of its greatest advantages of this phone is that it incorporates all of the popular Google features, along with a large number of other programs and applications.  Users will find that the phone has some of the most advanced specifications available.

Helpful Applications and Tools

This phone supports over 100,000 apps, allowing you to use your favourites with ease.  GPS navigation is built in, and the phone works well with Google Earth as well.  Social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, are easily accessed using the phone’s Android 2.3 operating system.  The built-in camera has a resolution of 5-megapixels, as well as video functions.  You can effortlessly share any video or pictures through your email or social networking account.

High Performance Hardware

16 MB of memory comes installed with this phone, ensuring fast performance.  The Hummingbird processor works at a speed of 1 GHz, one of the fastest in the mobile device industry.  The internet connect capability of this device can be easily compared to that of a computer, with a 7.2mps download speed and Wi-Fi capability.  Near Field Communication technology is also supported by this model.  This allows the phone to read some embedded chips.  A 4-inch screen displays all content with good resolution, and makes the phone a good choice for media sharing.

Samsung Omnia 7 deals are out there in the marketplace for consumers savvy enough to snap them up.  However, it may take more than a simple click or clip of a coupon to make the most of the deals available for this phone.

Cash back is not a phrase that all consumers are comfortable with.  However, for those willing to put in the work, cash back can net shoppers huge savings on the Samsung Omnia 7.  T-Mobile offers a deal that involves getting £122.56 in cash back.  This will earn consumers a free phone.  All that needs to be purchased is the T-Mobile contract that goes along with the mobile device.  This contract spans 18 months and costs £30.64 a month.  It includes 600 minutes and unlimited texts.

Looking for internet access?  The same deal described above can be applied to a data plan.  The cash back is still £122.56 and the phone itself is still free, but the 18-month contract now includes 600 internet minutes and 500 texts, rather than unlimited texts.

Many people do not like cash back because it can be a time consuming process involving mailing forms back and forth.  For such people, an instant cash back deal may be a better option.  T-Mobile also offers instant cash back to the tune of £55.  This is for an 18-month contract at £30.64 a month with 600 minutes and unlimited texts.

While there are many high-spec smart phones on the market, many people need to think about their budgets and look at cheap mobile phones.  One that is very affordable is the Samsung Google Nexus S.  This is the second of Google’s ‘branded’ phones and uses the very latest version of Android.

The handset features a slightly curved display and the shape of the base helps it to fit neatly into the hand.  The clarity of the screen makes viewing messages, websites, images, and videos very easy and a handy screen lock switches it off if you do not need it.  The keyboard is a virtual one and it is easy to use.

One of the main features of the phone is the speed with which apps load and websites with a great deal of content are no problem for the phone, even if it does fall into the category of cheap mobile phones.  Those who use the internet regularly will appreciate the speed with which features load.  Adding new apps is a breeze and Google Maps is a strong feature of the phone, with cached maps that allow you to check directions and locations even if you are unable to get online.

Battery life is good and so is the call quality, with the handset offering noise-reducing technology from Google, so you can make calls even in a noisy environment.  The lightweight handset is perfect for carrying around in a bag or pocket.

The Samsung Omnia 7 is a mobile phone that uses the Windows 7 operating system.  The 4-inch screen compares well with rivals, HTC HD7 and the Galaxy S in particular.  The phone is a worthy competitor of the Android phones in terms of design but it is functionality that is most important.

Windows phones do not support removable memory so you have to be content with the supplied 8GB of internal memory.  However, you can avoid cluttering up your phone by smart use of the SkyDrive, which comes with your Windows Live account, in the same way that Android phones support virtual expansion through using your Google account.  It is a solution to lack of memory, but not an ideal one.

Integration of the Samsung Omnia 7 with Facebook works well and you can also import your Google contacts, diary, and emails.  It supports the use of Exchange and Outlook since they are also Microsoft applications.  These mobile phones operate through the Orange network so they come with the Orange Wednesday’s application pre-installed, through which you can watch movie trailers and discover cinema ticket deals.  A few other Orange applications are available free but the company have thankfully avoided adding too many other unnecessary applications, probably due to the memory limitations.

The reception and GPS solution on the Samsung Omnia 7 works well.  You can also easily use the provided headphones to listen to the built-in Zune player.  The phone is also voice enabled for handsfree usage.

The 5-megapixel autofocus camera has an LED, but not a flash, and is also capable of recording video.  The camera software allows you to implement a range of effects such as sepia, negative or mono.  Video quality is not great and the fixed focus causes some issues on playback.

Overall, a quality phone but with memory limitations that may discourage power users or those who want more from the camera.

The Samsung Monte is a great mobile phone at a great price.  This handset can be used on a monthly contract or pay-as-you-go plan, making it very versatile as well as affordable. When you first set your eyes on this mobile phone, you will notice its shiny black design that is smaller than many other Smartphones.

Samsung Monte mobile phone has three homepages, which you can customize with different apps and widgets.  Many consumers love the Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, and MySpace widgets that let you easily view you and your friend’s status and send updates. The Samsung Monte also has the capability to play iPlayer content over a Wi-Fi connection, which streams wonderfully.  Palringo IM allows the owner to talk to friends with Yahoo messenger and Google Chat. The Monte also has Microsoft Exchange, a camera and a GPS.

Another great characteristic of the Samsung Monte phone is the fun photo editor, with the ability to change colours and add clip art and text to you pictures.  The Samsung Monte mobile phone produces decent photos, but not superior. Google Maps works great with the GPS on this phone.

There are a few things that the Samsung Monte phone could be improved upon, such as lag time with the touch screen responsiveness, which is a bit slow at times; and the 12-key layout makes it frustrating to text on and works poorly with the browser.  The reviewer also received many error messages that said the phone had run out of memory, even though this browser is better than most.

The Samsung Wave is almost identical to its predecessor, the Samsung Wave 525.  Both offer a 3.2 inch touch screen, GPS for when you’re on the go, and a 3.2 megapixel camera.  Both phones come in either grey or black.  The main addition to the Samsung Wave 533 is the slide out QWERTY keyboard, designed to make internet surfing and text messaging that little bit more efficient.  There are a multitude of deals available if you’re after the Samsung Wave 533.  This article gives a brief overview of such deals.

Cheaper Deals
If you’re a ‘texter’ and want unlimited text messaging every month for as little as possible then you can get an 18 month contract on O2 for as little as £15 per month.  You will get unlimited texting; 50 minutes talk time and a free handset.  This deal reduces to just £10 per month if you take a 24 month contract.

More Expensive Deals
For those of you who rely on your mobile phones for everything: talking, texting, using the internet, then you might require something slightly pricier.  For around £40 per month you can get either an 18 or 24 month contract with vodaphone.  Such contracts offer unlimited text messaging, 900 minutes, a free handset, and 15GB of internet usage.

Want a free Gift?
Some of the more expensive contracts offer free gifts to people who sign up.  An example of this is the 24 month contract with O2.  For £50 per month you get unlimited minutes and texting, internet usage, a free handset and a free laptop.

Samsung says the Monte is a high-end smartphone at a reasonable price.  Well, priced at £80 sans contract, and £10 and up with a contract, it is definitely not going to break the bank.  Yet will it be enough to perform better than Vodafone’s 845 cut price Android handset?

The first cause for concern in a Samsung Monte review is the OS: it uses a Samsung proprietary OS which does not offer the wealth of apps that you can get with, say, Android or iOS.  However, Samsung has done a decent job of equipping the Monte with many more apps than you would find on other cheap mobile phones.

There is decent integration with Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, plus chat support for Google Chat, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.  For the business minded, Microsoft Exchange is built in, too.  However, typing on the phone is somewhat frustrating as the phone’s software uses a 12 key layout, and not a QWERTY layout.

Hardware-wise the Samsung Monte does reasonably well, starting off with a capacitive touch-screen, a big improvement over the slow response of resistive touch-screens included in cheap mobile phones such as the Vodafone 845.  A decent GPS receiver is also a plus, and so is the 3.5 mm headphone jack. There is the option of upgrading available memory using a microSD card.

All in all it is a pretty decent light-weight touch-screen multimedia phone with most of the essential apps.  It may not be as flexible as the Vodafone 845 apps-wise, but it feels more expensive and has a better screen.  If you compare mobile phones on the budget side of things, you can do a lot worse than the Monte.

The Samsung Lucido S7220 is a classic slim line phone; it is a high spec phone with a mid-band price tag.  It may not be the lightest phone on the market but it’s still slim enough to fit discreetly into a shirt or trouser pocket.

It’s a nice shape and the anti-scratch metal casing gives a classy look to this phone.  In fact, it may even beat the previous year’s Samsung Soul on several counts.  It’s as Goldilocks discovered – not too big, not too small but just the right size.

The screen is 2.2 inches with a clear and bright OLED display.  The keys are evenly spaced making texting a pleasure.

The camera is good, with five megapixels and a powerful LED flash, smile detector and auto focus.  It won’t compete with a dedicated digital camera but for a phone camera it is more than adequate.

The phone also has video facility and it records in 3GPP and MPEG4 formats.  It also has the ability for video conferencing.

The Lucido S7220 comes with an MP3 player that supports all the usual formats and an FM radio with RDS installed.  The 110 MB internal memory can be increased using a memory card.  The audio sound is good but you are restricted by the headphones that you can use due to a lack of a 3.5 mm jack.

The handset comes equipped with GPS, which allows you to Google and navigate your way around the country.

This little bundle is proof that cheap mobile phones can be classy as well as inexpensive. The S5600 is Samsung’s latest twist on the highly popular Tocco Lite, upgrading to HSDPA to enable much quicker downloads – a big bonus if you want to download music or video files.

The casing may be made of plastic, but it feels satisfyingly sturdy to the touch and the flush-mounted screen and glossy finish lend it a real touch of panache, making it appear distinctly high-end for a budget phone. Samsung mobile phones all use the company’s trademark TouchWiz interface, which is a real pleasure to play around with. Just swipe your fingers over any of the three panels on the home screen to access them. You can also open a ‘pull-out’ widget tab on screen which displays icons for all the widgets on the phone, which include an RSS newsreader and an instant messenger.

Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to remember that this is a budget phone: the highly responsive touch screen makes it feel decidedly speedy, even though it’s a resistive type rather than the more popular (and sensitive) capacitative version. And don’t be too put off by the relatively small display – it makes the relatively low resolution (240×320 pixels) look crisp and vivid, and it’s impressively bright, too. Add to this a good battery life – you’ll easily get two days out of a single charge-up – and, whilst it can’t compete with the ‘upper crust’ of the mobile phone world (like the iPhone or the Hero), its price tag tells you that it never set out to do so anyway. Available SIM-free for around £140, you can pick the handset up free if you opt for the £15-per-month two-year contract from either Orange of Vodaphone.

The Samsung B3310 is an innovative, quirky looking handset which is trying to compete with the many other cheap mobile phones on the market, usually as a pay as you go option.

The most striking feature of the B3310 is its unorthodox shape and design, with a vertical number pad straddling the left hand side of the screen. The fonts, too, are not what are usually found on the latest mobile phones, with a handwritten, child like style being chosen as the default setting.

The Samsung B3310 does have a full QWERTY keyboard, though, which slides out from underneath the vertical number pad for easy typing. A large D pad is also present on the front of the phone, making for quick navigation. However, this large D pad does limit the size of the screen, which is small enough to make reading long texts and emails a chore.

The music player on the Samsung B3310 is very basic, while the lack of a standard 3.5 mm input for headphones means that users have to either buy an adaptor or use the low quality earphones which come as standard.

Although this budget mobile phone is easy to use, with social networking and email options especially easy to set up and operate, the small screen, strange design and low quality 2-megapixel camera leave it lagging behind its rivals. It is still a nice cheap and cheerful alternative for those who are just looking for a very basic handset, though.