Samsung Focus S

The Samsung Focus S is the top dog in the Korean company’s Windows Phone lineup. It is the bigger brother of the Samsung Focus Flash in AT&T’s smartphone lineup.
The term “bigger” is almost entirely related to size here. Due to Microsoft’s tight hardware restrictions for their Windows Phone platform, the line between a flagship and a budget device is quite thin. Thus, the Focus S and Focus Flash share chipsets and CPUs. The differences between the two are in the screen size, built-in memory, and the camera units – here the Focus S is better equipped.

Samsung Focus S press pics
The Samsung Focus S, despite being a new release, should look quite familiar to you. In a rather clever fashion, Samsung’s designers have decided to shape the device as a twin to the highly successful I9100 Galaxy S II – not a bad idea given the fact that the Android powered handset is still selling like hotcakes.
As always, we’ll kick the review off with the key features of the Samsung Focus S, followed by its main disadvantages.

Key Features

• 4.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus screen with WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA (14.4 Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
• Windows Phone 7.5 operating system
• Ability to uninstall wireless provider’s proprietary apps out of the box
• 1.4 GHz Scorpion CPU, 512MB RAM, Snapdragon chipset
• 8 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and geo-tagging; 1.3MP front unit
• 720p video recording (the OS does not allow higher resolution yet)
• A number of Samsung proprietary apps, including a capable photo editor
• Bing Maps with free navigation
• 16GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Wi-Fi b/g/n; DLNA support; Wi-Fi hotspot capable
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation
• FM radio with RDS
• Office document editor
• Built-in A-GPS receiver
• Voice-to-text functionality

Main disadvantages

• No system-wide file manager
• Non-expandable memory
• No Bluetooth file transfers
• No USB mass storage mode
• Limited third-party apps availability
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• Too dependent on Zune software for file management and syncing
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software, but lowers quality)

We’ve already encountered Windows Phone 7.5 Mango on several occasions. The OS has significantly matured with the latest update – it is now a viable alternative for those, who don’t want to go down the iOS or Android road.
Sadly however, Microsoft’s creation leaves no room for customization. You get the same experience, regarding of the device you’re using it on. This means that it is up to the hardware of the respective devices to win the potential consumer over – a welcome news for the Samsung Focus S, given its Galaxy S II pedigree.

Samsung Focus S live photos
Following next is unboxing of the Focus S, followed by an inspection of its design and build quality.
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Samsung Galaxy W I8150

The Galaxy S line gets all the attention, but troopers like the Samsung Galaxy W I8150 will see plenty of action too. With a 3.7" screen, it's more compact than the original Galaxy S, but it uses the same souped-up chipset that ticks inside the S Plus.

Samsung Galaxy W official photos
If you’re after SuperAMOLED, the Galaxy S and S Plus are the phones to go to. The LCD screen of the Samsung Galaxy W I8150 has the same WVGA resolution as the S-line, which means higher pixel density (252ppi vs. 233ppi). And, we're talking proper RGB pixels here, rather than PenTile.
The Galaxy W uses the Qualcomm MSM8255T chipset (1.4GHz CPU, Adreno 205 GPU), which has been used in several upgrades of popular phones - the Galaxy S Plus, obviously, but the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S too.
The Galaxy W is pretty high up Samsung's ladder, but unlike the S and R premium lines, the emphasis here is on value for money. And you do get quite a bit of features - here's the summary.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA; 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 1.4GHz Snapdragon CPU; Adreno 205 GPU; Qualcomm MSM 8255Т chipset; 512MB RAM; 1GB ROM
• 2GB storage (1.7GB user accessible), microSD card support (up to 32GB)
• 3.7” LCD display of WVGA (800 x 480) resolution; 252ppi pixel density
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with face detection, touch focus and image stabilization; HD (720p) video recording at 30fps, LED flash
• Front-facing VGA camera for video calls
• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0 launcher
• Rich video format support out of the box
• Wi-Fi b/g/n; Hot-spot and DLNA connectivity
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• GPS with A-GPS; Digital compass
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Stereo FM radio
• DivX/XviD/X264 video support
• Office document viewer/editor
• Web browser with Adobe Flash 11 support

Main disadvantages

• All plastic construction
• Display image quality worse than Galaxy S Plus
• No memory card enclosed and only 2GB of built-in storage
• No shutter key

We know what you're thinking - isn't this the Samsung Exhibit II 4G that was just recently reviewed? Close, but not quite. The Galaxy W is a worldwide phone and beats the US T-Mo’s Exhibit in terms of chipset and imaging. The two phones have the same data speeds: what T-Mobile USA misguidedly calls 4G is actually HSPA+.

Samsung Galaxy W live pictures
So, shake off that deja vu feeling and proceed to the next page to see what's in the box and what the phone's hardware is like.
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Samsung S8600 Wave 3

It's an easy one to miss. With Mango phones coming from far and wide and droids well at cruising speed, a new smartphone on an emerging platform is going to struggle to get noticed. Apparently, Samsung are in a mood for a fight. The third generation of the Wave is here to make a difference. The Samsung S8600 Wave 3 runs a completely redesigned Bada OS 2.0, and flaunts a bigger and better screen. It's blazing fast too on that 1.4 GHz Snapdragon.

Samsung S8600 Wave 3 official pictures
Bada OS has made the jump to a new major version and the interface can hold its own even against high-end Androids. It is gentle on the hardware too and runs glitch-free on the single-core processor. There's real multi-tasking and one of the best video players on a smartphone. All that in a remarkably solid and stylish metal shell.
No more teasing, here comes the complete feature list and the potential deal-breakers.

Key features

• 4" 16M-color SuperAMOLED capacitive touchscreen, WVGA (480 x 800 pixels), scratch-resistant
• Slim and solid metal body with innovative slide-up construction
• Bada OS 2.0 with Samsung Apps
• 1.4 GHz Scorpion single-core CPU
• Quad-band GSM support with dual-band HSPA
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, Wi-Fi Direct support, Wi-Fi tethering
• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, digital compass, Samsung LBS powered by ROUTE 66
• 5 MP autofocus camera with touch focus and LED flash, geotagging, face, smile and blink detection
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• 1GB storage for media, 2GB storage for apps, microSDHC card slot
• Standard microUSB port and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack, TV out
• Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM recording
• Webkit-based Samsung Dolphin Browser with Flash Lite support
• YouTube client, Facebook and Twitter integration
• DivX/XviD/H.264/MKV video support with subtitles, AC3 audio support
• Good audio quality
• Voice recognition for both dictation and commands

Main disadvantages

• Bada OS has comparatively limited number of available applications
• Card slot is not hot-swappable
• No proper Smart Dialling
• SatNav software only a 30-day trial

For people coming from Android, the limited supply in Samsung’s app store will be a major question mark. But the Bada app store has been building up content. It's still a long way from closing the gap but on the leaders but there's been enough progress to convince users to leave some of the prejudices at the door. Anyone looking at this new Wave with an open mind may find it fresh, efficient and friendly. But well, the Samsung S8600 Wave 3 will have to do its part too.

Samsung S8600 Wave 3 live pictures
To begin with, it certainly is an attention grabber. The compelling exterior is a promise for a solid performance. And we'll hold the Wave 3 to it. Follow us on the next page where we start with unboxing and the usual hardware tour.
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Samsung Exhibit II 4G

The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is aimed primarily at commitment-challenged consumers. Being one of the quickest product sequels we’ve seen in a while, the device is marketed mostly as a Pay as you go phone, which offers you the full Android functionality at the affordable price of $200 with no contract required.
Being only the fourth largest wireless provider in the United States, T-Mobile has always positioned itself as the budget alternative to its significantly larger competitors. This year, the magenta colored provider has become even more aggressive in its pricing by offering all-you-can-eat monthly plans, which require no contract.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G official photos
In case the device looks somewhat familiar to you, you’ve probably guessed it right. The Exhibit II 4G is essentially the U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy W. In order to fit its attractive price tag however, some of its hardware has been replaced with less capable options. The CPU of the Exhibit II is a 1GHz Snapdragon, compared to the 1.4 GHz Scorpion core of the Galaxy W. Its camera unit on the other hand, comes straight from 2008 with its 3.2MP resolution and VGA video recording.
As always, we will follow with the full breakdown of the Samsung Exhibit II 4G by going over its key features and main disadvantages.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA; 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 1GHz Snapdragon CPU; Adreno 205 GPU; Qualcomm MSM 8255 chipset
• 512MB RAM; 1GB ROM; microSD card support (up to 32GB)
• 3.7” LCD display with WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution; 252ppi pixel density
• Front-facing VGA camera for video calls
• Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with TouchWiz 4.0 launcher
• Rich video format support out of the box
• Wi-Fi calling enabled
• Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors

Main disadvantages

• Design is a bit dull
• 3.2MP camera with lowly VGA video recording; no dedicated key
• All plastic construction
• High amount of preloaded apps from T-Mobile
• No memory card enclosed

As you can notice above, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G will certainly not end up on your list of dream phones. It is not aiming for it though. With a decent spec sheet and software which comes straight from the top of the Samsung Android ranks, paired with a low price tag with non contract, the smartphone makes quite a lot of sense.

Samsung Exhibit II 4G live photos
We will kick things off with unboxing of the Exhibit II 4G, followed by a hardware inspection.
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Samsung Galaxy Y S5360

The Samsung Galaxy Y is a smartphone approved for all audiences. Perhaps in hindsight, our Galaxy Note review should've been rated PG. But well yeah, we're always wiser in hindsight. Anyway, you don’t just wake up one morning wanting a superphone like the Note. You need a place to start.
The Samsung Galaxy Y is one little step above dumbphones. It won’t be long before you know how big this step really was. Android is friendly, especially in a package like the Galaxy Y, and highly addictive. And there's plenty to explore.
The Samsung Galaxy Y is most likely someone's first smartphone. It comes on the cheap so you don't have to ask yourself if you really need all the extra features. Soon enough, you'll be wondering how you could live without them.

Samsung S5360 Galaxy Y official pictures
And no, the Galaxy Y isn't full of the latest tech. It keeps things neat and simple at a very reasonable price. There's a good package of preinstalled apps and a full connectivity set. The reasonably fast processor and the very recent Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread are a bit of surprise. This is a basic smartphone but one that looks up-to-date.

Key Features

• Quad-Band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
• 3” 256K-color QVGA TFT touchscreen
• ARMv6 830MHz processor, 290MB user available RAM
• Android OS v2.3.5 (Gingerbread) with TouchWiz UI
• 160MB of internal storage, hot-swappable MicroSD slot, 2GB card included
• 2MP fixed-focus camera with geotagging
• GPS receiver with A-GPS
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Document viewer
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Swype text input
• MicroUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth 3.0
• Social network integration

Main disadvantages

• Low screen resolution limits choice of apps
• No touchscreen haptics
• Fixed focus camera
• No secondary camera
• No camera flash, no dedicated camera key
• QVGA video recording @ 15fps
• No earphones in the bundle
• No Adobe Flash support

The Galaxy Y won't win any awards for innovation and performance but on the bright side, it does offer the full smartphone experience within budget. Aimed at the young and novice smartphone users, it focuses on the connectivity and good social skills. The screen resolution and sub-par imaging are the most prominent among the inevitable compromises.

The Galaxy Y live shots
With the holiday season fast approaching, a smartphone like this one might be right for teens who like to play Angry Birds and chat away on WhatsApp and Facebook. The Galaxy Y is released just in time to have an impact at the busiest shopping time of the year.
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Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket

We have the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is all set on the launch pad. Announced together with the HTC Vivid, the smartphone is among the first LTE enabled devices, compatible with AT&T’s all new LTE network. The smartphone is certainly a welcome addition to the U. S. Samsung Galaxy S II lineup, as LTE was the only connectivity flavor missing in the lineup so far.

If you find the device looks somewhat familiar, there is a good reason for it. The Skyrocket is almost 100% identical to the T-Mobile Galaxy S II, which we came to like quite a lot. The handset has the same size and uses the same hardware, save for two major differences. First, the Skyrocket does not have NFC connectivity out of the box, even though it is capable of it. The second is much easier to notice – it is the LTE radio on board.

   
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket official photos

While the Galaxy S II purists might scoff at the presence of the Qualcomm-made CPU on board (the Exynos is still the fastest dual-core silicon we have seen), we must point out that it is the reason why the smartphone is capable of working on 4G networks. As always, you will find the rest of the Skyrocket’s key features below.

Key Features

• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 HSUPA support
• LTE network connectivity
• 4.52" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution
• Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
• 1.5 GHz Scorpion dual-core CPU, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 chipset, 1GB of RAM
• 8 MP wide-angle lens autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
• 1080p HD video recording at 30fps
• Hot swappable SIM and microSD cards
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 16GB internal storage, microSD slot
• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Charging MHL microUSB port and TV-out (1080p) support
• Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• Great audio quality
• Slim waistline at only 9.5mm and low weight (130g)
• 2MP secondary video-call camera
• Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
• Document editor
• File manager comes preinstalled
• The richest video format support we have seen

Main disadvantages

• No dedicated camera key
• No NFC support out of the box (a future update should address this issue)
• WVGA screen resolution is not on par with the rest of the competition in this class

As you can probably notice above, the phone has more than one can possibly need in terms of sheer specs. The only major letdown we can think of is the WVGA resolution of the Skyrocket’s screen. At a time when HD screens begin to pop up with increasing frequency, we do believe that an Android flagship should be offering more than 800x480 pixels of resolution. The Super AMOLED Plus unit of the Skyrocket however, still trounces most of the competition with superior contrast and viewing angles.

  
Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket live shots

Traditionally, we are now going to kick things off with an unboxing and a hardware inspection of the Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

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Samsung Galaxy Note N7000

Tablets are cool. But they have a purpose too. Larger screens, higher resolution and more mileage out of the battery make them better suited for certain tasks. That’s why people are not only fascinated by them but do end up actually needing one. What’s not so cool is the need to carry two devices all the time, especially when one of them won’t fit into any reasonable pocket.

  
Samsung Galaxy Note official photos

That's where the Samsung Galaxy Note comes in. It aims to squeeze the high-res screen and battery longevity of a tablet into a package that is still pocketable. And it does - but success is by no means guaranteed. There's nothing between the Galaxy Note and 7" tablets. And while it sounds good to have all that room to themselves, Samsung need to fill it with meaning. The right kind of users will be easily convinced of the advantages of an enlarged Galaxy S II. Not so sure about a compressed tablet.

But there's no reason to go into this with a skeptical attitude. Just look at that specs sheet!

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support
• 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• 5.3" 16M-color Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of WXGA resolution (800 x 1280 pixels)
• Android OS v2.3.5 with TouchWiz 4 launcher
• 1.4 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, Exynos chipset, 1GB of RAM
• Pre-bundled with the S Pen active stylus
• 8 MP wide-angle autofocus camera with LED flash, face, smile and blink detection
• Video recording of up to 1080p@30fps
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g and n support; Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
• 16/32GB internal storage, microSD slot
• Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Charging MHL microUSB port with USB host and TV-out (1080p through optional adapter) support
• Stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• FM radio with RDS
• Great audio quality
• 9.7 mm slim and weighs a reasonable 178g
• 2MP secondary video-call camera
• Full Flash support and GPU-acceleration for the web browser permit 1080p flash video playback
• NFC support (optional)
• Document editor
• File manager comes preinstalled
• Extremely rich audio and video format support
• 2500 mAh battery

Main disadvantages

• Won’t fit comfortably in every pocket
• Much harder for one-handed use than a regular smartphone
• All-plastic body
• No dedicated camera key
• HD screen uses PenTile matrix lowering perceived resolution
• Non-hot-swappable microSD card
• Sub-par loudspeaker volume

There aren’t many smartphones around that can instill an inferiority complex in the Galaxy S II, but the Galaxy Note does a pretty good job of it. The Exynost chipset's got a faster CPU, the AMOLED screen has a million pixels and, most importantly, there’s more of it. And even the notoriously power-hungry Android will have a hard time pushing through the 2500 mAh battery in a day, which is what many modern-day smartphones will do more often than not.

   

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Samsung Wave Y

The Samsung Wave Y is not exactly the most notable handset to celebrate the launch of bada 2.0, as it mimics the lowly specs of previous entry-level bada phones like the Wave 575. 

The only tangible thing that seems upped except the version number of the operating system and the NFC chip addition, is the slightly higher screen resolution, but even at 320x480 it is only decent for the 3.2” screen. Moreover, the camera resolution has gone down from 3.2MP on the previous cheaper Waves to 2MP here, making you go “hmm”.

Having “Y” in the title is an indication that the phone is supposed to be priced sub-$200 without a contract, and is geared towards teens and emerging markets. Is the Samsung Wave Y just low-end, or low-end but with a twist that will justify its purchase over some affordable Android handset? Read on our preview to find out...


Design:

The Samsung Wave Y is actually a tad thicker and wider than the first batch of entry-level bada phones like the Wave 575, so it won't be winning any design contests in the compact department. The chassis takes a cue from the flagship Wave 3 bada phone with tapered edges and rounded corners, which is apparently the new look of bada phones. 

The tapered back battery cover is trying to mimic a brushed metal pattern, but the phone is all-around plastic, and in the uninspiring black/grey combination at that.

The 3.2” display sports 320x480 pixels, which finally puts bada on par with most of the low-end Androids, and the screen actually sports decent viewing angles and sunlight visibility. Small text still looks jagged and letters interrupted with such resolution, though.

Underneath the display we have a large physical home key, flanked by two capacitive buttons that light up, ready for action, which is the only contemporary feature around the phone's design.

There is no LED flash for the 2MP camera on the back, just a speaker grill next to it, but we like that the microSD card slot is taken out of the battery compartment, and placed on the right side for easier access.

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