Terrier Tech: Samsung Focus
A sleek and vibrant experience for the intermediate user
In the video above, “Terrier Tech” cohosts Warren Towers and Courtney Bogard review the Samsung Shift from AT&T. Photo by Vernon Doucette
This week, “Terrier Tech” reviews the Samsung Focus. The first thing you notice about this smartphone is its beautiful design. The phone’s lightweight construction and vibrant four-inch AMOLED touchscreen perfectly complement the sleek and intuitive Windows Phone 7 OS, which is becoming a legitimate alternative to Google Android and Apple iOS. Users looking for a simpler experience on their smartphones will appreciate WP7’s menus and two-page layout.
While we enjoyed the Samsung Focus’ user interface and the 5.0 megapixel camera, the phone is not without its quirks. Its dedicated buttons are a tad too sensitive, often leading to abrupt application mishaps. Photo and video quality are only decent, and perhaps most notably, there is currently no way to send video from the phone. While not deal breakers, these kinks left us feeling like the Focus is not yet ready to compete against other big smartphones currently on the market.
And it looks like AT&T may be agreeing with us. During the period we were testing the Samsung Focus, the price point changed three times: beginning at just $.01, then jumping to $99.99, before hitting its current price tag of $49.99, which comes with a two-year contract or qualifying upgrade.
“It sounds like AT&T is trying to find a price to rope you into a data plan,” says “Terrier Tech” host Warren Towers. “At $50 or a penny, you’re going to be spending money on the same data plans that you would with an iPhone or an Android. Why not upgrade to a phone you’ll be happy with for the next two years?”
But while it may not provide all of the bells and whistles a savvier user would want, the Samsung Focus does provide a decent smartphone experience packaged with a stellar touchscreen and a solid operating system.
Want “Terrier Tech” to review a gadget? Post it in the comments section below or DM us @BUToday.
Alan Wong can be reached at alanwong@bu.edu. Joseph Chan can be reached at joechan@bu.edu.
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