Samsung ATIV S Neo Specs

Please note: This review is for the AT&T version, not the Sprint version.

In this day and age, it is not hard to find an inexpensive Windows Phone device. Nearly 99% of WP's sold are Nokia/Microsoft branded devices, and the vast majority of them are low to mid range WPs. But I had to find a replacement for my HTC One for Windows when I gave up on HTC, and my Lumia 920 just would not take a charge. So I found one of these on EBay for 120$. I remember liking them when I played with them in the stores and I have had good luck with Samsung branded WP's in the past. So I took a flier.

Overall, I am pleased. It updated to WP 8.1 as soon as I initiated the updates. It really does perform well. I have had no lag or stutter, something some underpowered WP's have problems with on 8.1. The screen is large enough at 4.8" to enjoy. It is bright and I have a decent time with reading it outside. I bought an SD card and have all the storage I want.

However, Samsung sold the Neo short in a few areas. It's camera is mediocre, and I am not demanding at all. The build quality is very cheap. You need a case for it, as it is so slippery plastic and light drops are a thing. Also, call quality and audio quality are just bad.

However, it is light years ahead of some of these dirt cheap WP's. I do think it is worth the price they are going at right now. I do not want a monster like the 1520, I did not want another 920. Samsung has supported this, and features like ATIV Beam and a dozen other WP apps work well. While the camera is underwhelming, there are 2 loaded apps for editing which are fun and full featured.

It does work like a charm. The build appears to be durable even if the plastic is annoying. I would say for a WP fan: Get it if you want a decent device to get you through until Hero Windows 10 mobile devices hit in late 2015.