Samsung Focus S Review

Introduction:

Showing their full support for Microsoft’s mobile platform, AT&T has been the most vigilant carrier domestically to take hold of Windows Phone so openly. Following through in a similar manner to what we saw last year when the platform exploded onto the scene, there has been nothing short of top-notch Mango filled devices of late for AT&T. Already, we’ve been tantalized by the compact Samsung Focus Flash and impressed with the mighty HTC Titan, but the Samsung Focus S seemingly fits the bill as being a premier offering that’s sure to melt the hearts of many with its Super AMOLED Plus display, slim figure, and HSPA+ connectivity. Can this possibly make the A grade and become the Windows Phone to own right now?

The package contains:

• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• Stereo Headset
• Quick Start Guide
• Health & Safety and Warranty Guide

Design:

Unequivocally, the handset is literally the Windows Phone version of the Samsung Galaxy S II – it bears many of the design characteristics that are prevalent with the beloved smartphone. Granted that it’s not necessarily a fresh look, we’re humble to the fact that it works out very well for the Focus S, as it clearly maintains a light figure (3.9 oz) and streamlined body (0.33” thick). However, seeing that it’s nothing more than the typical plastic construction we tend to see from Samsung, it doesn’t entirely come off as sturdy feeling compared to the metallic casing of the HTC Titan.



You can compare the Samsung Focus S with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

On one hand, the HTC Titan presented our eyes with a ginormous display, but despite its smaller size, the 4.3” WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED Plus display of the Samsung Focus S stands equally on the same pedestal. Well, that’s partly due to  the saturated color tones and wide viewing angles we’re presented with, which of course, combine together to enthrall anyone to its glistening glow. Moreover, its resolution is hardly flattering in this day and age, but it’s undoubtedly sufficient enough to keep our eyes content.


Unlike most of the Android phones out there, we’re hardly ever finding ourselves accidentally pressing any of the three capacitive buttons on the Focus S. Meanwhile, there’s a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera above the display to provide video chat functionality with the Tango app.

Looking around the body of the handset, it employs all the usuals we tend to see with Windows Phones – like a volume rocker, power button, two-level shutter key, 3.5mm headset jack, noise-cancellation microphone, standard microphone, and a microUSB port for charging/data connectivity.

In the rear, it’s sporting an 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash towards the top middle, while a couple of notches near the bottom right are used for its speakerphone. Pulling off the plastic rear cover, we’re instantly given access to the smartphone’s 1,650 mAh battery and SIM card slot.

Interface and Functionality:

Donning the same exact Windows Phone 7.5 Mango experience, there’s nothing extraordinarily different with the Samsung Focus S, as it retains all of the lovable qualities of the platform. However, just like the Focus and Focus Flash before, it features Samsung’s Now Hub, which aggregates data like the weather, news, and stock quotes. Visually, we absorb a lot of information on the home screen thanks to the various live tiles on there, which seemingly complements the Metro UI theme it has going on, but also dishes up plenty of eye candy to stand apart from the competition. Overall, we adore the iterative improvements found with it – like its improved social networking integration, multi-tasking elements, and universal inbox.


Uniformity is a good thing, and in the case of this specific Windows Phone, its performance is charismatically identical to any other device out there. Tucking away a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, it’s effective in providing the muscle power to deliver that usual peppy performance we’re accustomed to see with Windows Phones in general. From silky smooth scrolling to the instantaneous launch of apps, the handset is undeniably swift with its operations.

Increasing its display footprint over the original Samsung Focus, the messaging experience is obviously going to improve with the spacious layout of the keyboard. On top of that, the Windows Phone keyboard has one of the best auto-correct feature on any smartphone, thus, turning any mistake into a correct word.


With Mango’s presence, the email experience has been refined to offer a universal inbox system and threaded conversations. And of course, the setup process is simple as pie seeing that it essentially requires only our email address and password to automatically set up.

Not surprisingly, AT&T’s presence is felt yet again with apps like AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, AT&T U-verse Mobile, and myAT&T. Besides those carrier branded apps, the only third party one preloaded is YPmobile.

Internet and Connectivity:

Joining the ranks of being an HSPA+ enabled smartphone, we’re very content with the fast data speeds we’re exposed to on the Samsung Focus S – thus, giving us fast downloads in loading complex sites like ours. At this point, we’re not all that saddened with its lack of Flash support, but rather, we’re comforted by its consistent fluidity with common functions like kinetic scrolling and pinch zooming. So yeah, we dig the engaging web browsing experience available to us.


Naturally, you can pick up this GSM handset and go just about anywhere around the world – seeing it’s compatible with many networks. Likewise, you can obtain HSPA+ connectivity in many places too to satisfy your web surfing habits. Finally, it features aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, 802.11 b/g/n/a Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.

Camera:

Hooray for the photo enthusiast in all of us! Interestingly, we’re cheering because the Samsung Focus S is able to deliver some appealing snapshots with its 8-megapixel auto-focus camera. As a whole, we like the details it’s able to produce, and at the same time, it’s complemented by some saturated colors that reel in our eyes. However, low lighting shots are diminished somewhat due to some digital noise softening them – still, its LED flash seems to cast a decent lighting.

Likewise, we find its 720p video recording favorable seeing that we’re enticed by its smooth 29 frames per second capture rate, distinguishable details, and gradual exposure. However, audio recording is a teeny bit distorted, but still more than audible enough to comprehend. It’s not the sharpest thing to come around, but it’s plentiful with its balanced performance.

Samsung Focus S Sample Video:



Multimedia:

In our opinion, it’s one of the better music player interfaces out there, but the Zune experience is also soundly deep with its functionality. Matching the visual treat, its audio quality is actually rather average with its neutral tones.


At this point, it’s all too common to find contemporary handsets excelling in playing high-definition videos – like our test one that’s encoded in DivX 1920 x 1080 resolution. Rightfully so, the Samsung Focus S hits the mark, but above all, its Super AMOLED display tastefully stands tall for its polarizing color reproduction.

Lacking a microSD card slot for expanding its storage, you’ll have to manage content carefully since it only has 14.07GB of internal memory out of the box.

Performance:

Fortunately, voices are distinct and clear on both ends of the line to make long conversations easy on our ear – well, that’s despite the weak volume put out by the earpiece. Activating the speakerphone, it’s also potent in tuning our attention with its robust tones.

Displaying at least four bars in high coverage areas, we didn’t experience any rocky or fluctuating instances with signal strength.

Spending easily a solid one day with the Samsung Focus S on normal usage, its performance is undoubtedly average – yet, it’s something that would benefit from nightly charges. Conversely, talk time is sufficient enough seeing that it beats the manufacturer’s rating by obtaining 8 hours of talk on a single charge.

Conclusion:

Unlike its Android counterpart, the Samsung Focus S lacks the prestige and notoriety of its close sibling, but more importantly, it’s clearly fashioning a foundational core to set it apart from other Windows Phones. Impressively, it’s the best Mango filled device to own right now, edging out the HTC Titan just by a tiny bit, mostly because it snaps the better photos and videos between the two. Add in that it’s able to pique our interests thanks to its Super AMOLED Plus display, fast performance,  light weight feel, and thin profile construction, they all come together in greeting us with a lovable experience that showcases the beauty and wonders that are obtainable with Windows Phone Mango. To sum it all up, this is as good as it gets….for right now!

OS Version: 7.10.7720.68

Samsung Focus S video Review: