Samsung SGH-ZX10 Review
Mobiledia has posted a review of the SGH-ZX10, a modern clamshell phone, with some decent features.
The Samsung ZX10 is a wonderful entertainment device for the road, integrating a 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 player, and TransFlash memory card slot. But for professionals who need to stay connected away from the office, the ZX10 proves equally capable, offering quad-band GSM with UMTS dual-band support, email access, and real-time chat on the leading instant messaging clients.
Unfortunately the ZX10 has some weaknesses. The external screen on a flagship device is baffling, especially on a video phone where it should have strengths in LCD technology. The lack of Bluetooth is also downside considering wireless headsets are gaining popularity.
In the end though they say its a fine phone for people looking for consumers who watch quick clips of information on the go, or those who need a fast device for data transfer and love the clamshell design.
Samsung’s 10MP SCH-B600
Mobile Burn looked at the SCH-B600 from Samsung, and while the model number does not sound all that interesting, the actual handset has an interesing feature, a digital camera.
You are probably thinking, “almost all of them have those now”, but do they have 10 megapixel sensors? My dedicated digital camera does not even have that high of a resolution sensor.
This new device for its home Korean market sports a massive 10 megapixel sensor mated to a 3x optical zoom auto-focus lens that telescopes out of the back of the phone when activated - just like a normal, dedicated point and shoot camera. The thing is, even dedicated point and shoot cameras aren’t using 10 megapixel sensors. A microMMC memory card slot offers plenty of expansion for those massive photos.
Even if you ignore the camera, the SCH-B600 still has what most of the world would consider a high-tech feature set. Its display is a 2.2″ QVGA unit that can generate a whopping 16 million colors. It supports the SDMB digital satellite TV system as well as Bluetooth. The media player is capable of playing MP3, AAC, and AAC+ files through the dual built-in stereo speakers. Photos and video clips recorded with the SCH-B600 can be viewed on a TV with the TV-out function.
Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to push this phone into the rest of the world, other than Korea, but I would not be surprised if this sparked other companies to include similar features in their phones.
Samsung SCH-A630 Review
Recently, I was able to get my hands on the Samsung SCH-A630, being in Canada, we don’t always get the latest technology first, but I am still pretty happy with this phone. I did not expect too much from it as it really does not have many of the fancy features that almost all cell phones have these days, but if you need a regular flip phone that does not have many annoyances or features, this might be the phone for you.
The design of the phone is a reasonable size, and it feels solidly built. There is no external display, meaning you have to open it if you want to see who is calling, or what time it is.
The call reception is a little limited as the antenna is built into the phone, and while that makes the phone look a little more slick, you may lose connection in some buildings. Most of the time, when you do have a connection, the sound quality is average. You can tell you are talking to a person on a cell phone, because their voice sounds a little like it is trying to pass through a sheet of tin.
So far the phone has lasted for a fair while, as long as you are not playing around on the phone making the backlight come on for extended periods of time. You can expect around three days between recharges if you don’t talk too much, and around three hours of talk time.
Text messaging with the phone is about on par with other phones I have tested. The key size is decent, and the responsiveness of the phone is rather good. I am able to zip through menus easily, and the phone does not feel slow at all.
The internal screen is really nice and bright. The colors seem rich, and the text is very easy to read. It is a shame that there are no animations or anything for this phone, as the screen feels a little wasted. There are no games on the phone by default, but it can support them. So basically the only thing taking advantage of the color screen is the default wallpapers, and the funky rainbow dialing that was enabled by default.
Samsung SCH-A630 Features
- Vivid 65K-color display (128 x 160)
- 64-chord polyphonic speaker supporting MIDI ringtones
- Enhanced T9 predictive text for messaging via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), and Short Messaging Service (SMS)
- Speaker-independent voice recognition with full-duplex speakerphone
- BREW for downloading games, wallpaper, screensavers, ringtones and applications
- WAP 2.0 compliant browser with cdma2000 1xRTT for high-speed data transmission
Would I recommend this phone? It really depends on what you want. If you are looking for something simple, cheap, and for the most part effective, this is the phone to get, but if you want any of the hundreds of newer features built into phones, you will be disappointed with the SCH-A630.
Samsung t309 Review
A quick review for the Samsung t309 thanks to Laptop Magazine. The phone manages to earn itself a three out of five on their review scale due to a nice look, decent camera and a nice display, but the actual audio quality of the phone is what helped knock it down by two points.
With its antenna-free design and two-tone black-and-charcoal body, the three-ounce t309 makes a good first impression. Open this clamshell and you’re greeted with a nicely spaced dialpad and a 65,000-color display that’s fairly easy to read. The screen doubles as a viewfinder for the reasonably sharp VGA camera, and we had no problem sending an image to an e-mail address.
They list the phone as being $99 with a one year contract from T-Mobile.
Samsung T809 Review
Phone Scoop looks at the T809 from Samsung. It is a really nice looking fasion slider phone.
Phone Scoop positions the phone as a RAZR alternative, and I would have to agree, but more so as a RAZR destroyer with its better display, larger camera sensor, and what many consider to be a better user interface, in an equally small and sleek form factor.
The Samsung t809 is T-Mobile’s gorgeous new fashion phone, and it certainly is the light around which people will crowd.
The t809’s display is hands-down one of the best we’ve seen, and particularly in such a svelte phone.
If you find yourself texting occasionally, sharing photos and video, or just using your phone as a flashlight, the t809 will surpass your expectations. However if you plan on using the t809 as heavy texting tool or a camera replacement, it won’t stand up to the job.
The display on the t809 is without a doubt one of the best we’ve seen in recent memory. The 18-bit 240×320 display provides five brightness settings, as well as controls for both when the backlight dims and when it shuts off completely, ranging from three minutes to fifteen seconds.
Samsung SGH-Z560 HSDPA Phone
Digital Tech News looks at the SGH-Z560 from Samsung. The phone is a HSDPA, or a High Speed Uplink Packet Access phone.
Samsung Electronics is on the scene with the launch of the new SGH-Z560 HSDPA phone for Europe. The launch of this handset will be combined with Europe’s first demonstration of HSDPA technology, reaching speeds up to 3.6 Mbps, at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.
The technologically advanced Z560 for Europe supports 1.8Mbps data rates and comes in an ultra slim design. With a depth of mere 16mm, the handset includes advanced features such as a 2 mega-pixel camera with auto focus, external touch music keys, 30 MB of internal memory and microSD external memory slot. The Z560 is slim yet has a wide display for the convenient use of multimedia functions at a very high speed data rate. It uses a 2.3” QVGA 262K LCD to ensure a clear, sharp screen image.
Those in Europe will be able to pick one up around the second quarter of 2006..
Samsung SGH-i300x 4GB Musicphone
Over on SamsungHQ they are taking a look at the announcement Samsung has made for its SGH-i300x, a move which increases the storage from 3GB to 4GB in comparison to the SGH-i300.
The SGH-i300x shares the same design and features as its predecessor - tri-band GSM, 1.3MP camera w/flash, QVGA TFT LCD display, MPEG-4 / H.263 / H.264 / WMV video recording and playback, MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / WMA / ASF / WAV / WMA audio playback, 3.5mm earphone jack, stereo Bluetooth, MS Office / PDF Picsel viewer, Bluetooth / USB / IrDA connectivity, flight mode, microSD storage, and running Windows Mobile for Smartphones.
Unless they have added something more than another gigabyte of storage, I don’t see it as an important step, and they must not have either if all they did was add an “x” at the end of the previous model number. I think the change was more to play up the 4 gigabyte number more than anything else, as phones try to do more, and be more to get users to buy their product over another.
New Interface for Samsung SPH-V6800 Mobile Phone
Capacitive MobileTouch Function Keys Create Sleek Interface Design
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Synaptics(R) Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYNA), a leading developer of interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, today announced the launch of a MobileTouch(TM) interface solution for Samsung’s SPH-V6800 mobile phone.
The Samsung SPH-V6800 is a slider phone featuring access to the cellular network as well as a WiFi 802.11b network. Synaptics provides a custom-designed capacitive keypad that is located beneath the LCD on the face of the phone. The keypad helps users to connect the internet easily via WiFi network, and to provide quick access to carrier services such as application downloads, streaming video, and live broadcasts. In addition, the keypad provides easy to use menu navigation and short cuts to the phone’s PIM applications.
“Our MobileTouch interface solution for the Samsung SPH-V6800 is an example of how Synaptics technology can enable advanced industrial design,” explains Clark Foy, vice president of marketing at Synaptics. “Our MobileTouch products replace the need for mechanical buttons by providing navigation and keypad functionality in a durable, ultra-thin touch sensor.”
“Samsung is focused on creating user-friendly interfaces and incorporating leading-edge features into our mobile phones,” explains Jake Park, Principal Engineer, Samsung. “With Synaptics, we were able to create an easy-to-use interface that provides quick access to the Internet and other phone features”
Availability:
The Samsung SPH-V6800 is currently available through KTF in Korea.
For more information on Synaptics’ MobileTouch interface solutions, visit us at http://www.synaptics.com/products/mobto.cfm .
Samsung and Verizon Wireless Announce the SCH-a950
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) today announced the re-release of its SCH-a950, which now features V CAST Music from Verizon Wireless, allowing consumers to download full songs over the air onto their phones. The a950’s fully-integrated music capabilities enable consumers to download their favorite music and digital audio content, while the phones intuitive design and external music controls give users complete control of their mobile entertainment experience. V CAST Music from Verizon Wireless is the only full-function mobile music service that lets you download music over the air, onto your Windows PC, and transfer your own digital music between your phone and your computer.
V CAST Music runs on Verizon Wireless’ broadband network, the most robust, award-winning wireless broadband network in the nation, available to 150 million people in 180 major metropolitan areas. The a950’s V CAST Music capabilities allow consumers to have their favorite tunes with them whether they’re at work, at play or on the go. The number of songs is limited only by the size of the TransFlash(TM) memory card (purchased separately) that slides into the phone’s memory slot.
V CAST Music customers can press the play key on the front of the phone to activate the music player and use the sleek jog wheel to scroll through their play list, while the hard keys on the phone’s exterior allow consumers to stop, start and skip around to find a tune to fit their mood.
“With its stereo sound and music playback capabilities, combined with the exciting content available through Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service, the a950 puts the power of mobile entertainment where it belongs — in consumers’ hands,” said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. “This product — through its design and multimedia capabilities — appeals to gadget lovers who want a sleek device that can seamlessly meet the desire for mobile entertainment and the need for constant communication.”
The V CAST Music-enabled a950 will be available January 16, 2006, in the 1,900 Verizon Wireless stores across the country and at Circuit City locations for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate with a two-year customer agreement. Customers with existing Samsung a950 handsets can bring their phones into a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to get a software upgrade on their phones to enable V CAST Music.
For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/.
*Bluetooth profile does not support object exchange (OBEX) profile.
Samsung Unveils First UMTS Phone in North America
Exclusive for Cingular Wireless, the zx10’s 3G Technology Enables Broadband- Like Data Connections
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) and Cingular Wireless today announced the upcoming market availability of the Samsung zx10, the first 3G/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) phone in North America. UMTS enables data connections similar to broadband speeds, making it possible for consumers using the Samsung zx10 via Cingular Wireless service to watch streaming video, download games and access email faster than ever before.
The zx10’s integrated multimedia features, including video streaming/audio streaming and 1.3 megapixel camera, make the most of the phone’s high-speed UMTS technology. When downloading content, the zx10 takes approximately 40 seconds to download a 1MB file, at speeds ranging from 220 to 320 kbps.
With the recent announcement of Cingular Video(TM), an on-demand streaming video service that delivers fast, personalized access to a variety of entertainment and information services, consumers using the zx10 will be able to quickly access exclusive content, including video clips, ringtones and 3D games. Using the phone’s internal 50MB of shared memory and microSD(TM) memory card slot, consumers can store volumes of digital entertainment to access anytime, anyplace.
“Samsung has incorporated cutting-edge UMTS technology into its zx10 giving consumers high-speed connectivity to access their favorite music and video content,” said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. “This device is another example of Samsung’s leadership in mobile entertainment. We’re making audio and video on demand a reality.”
The zx10’s GSM quad-band support also gives consumers one communication device while traveling around the world where GSM networks are supported, and a speakerphone allowing for easy, hands-free conversations. Key features of the zx10 include:
- Quad-Band: GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz; Dual-Band: 1900/850 UMTS
- 1.3 Megapixel Camera - 2X Digital Zoom, Multi-Shot, Self Timer, Brightness Adjustment
- Video Streaming and Audio Streaming - Record Up to Five Minutes of Audio, Up to One Hour of Video
- Media Player (MPEG4, RealOne, H.263, MP3, AAC)
- Multimedia Memory: 50MB Shared for MP3 Player and Camera
- MicroSD(TM) Memory Card Slot (card sold separately)
- Wireless Internet Support for MediaNet 3.0
- Displays: Internal: 262K-Color, TFT, 172×220 Pixel; External: B&W, 96×96 Pixel
- Java(TM) Support for Application and Games Download
- Messaging Services: SMS, MMS, AOL(R), ICQ, Yahoo!(R) Instant Messaging
- Speakerphone
- MP3 Music Tones/64 Note Polyphonic Music Tones
- Integrated games
- T-9(R) Easy Text Input
- Trilingual User Interface: English, Spanish and French
- Personal Organizer - Calendar, Calculator, To-Do List, Currency Converter, Alarm Clock, World Time
The zx10 will be available later this month at select Cingular Wireless retail stores or online at http://www.cingular.com/ . For more information, visit http://www.cingular.com/ or http://www.samsung.com/ .
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