Samsung Focus 2 Review

Introduction:

As we all know, the Nokia Lumia 900 kicked Windows Phones into the stratosphere by bringing 4G LTE into the mix with the platform, and soon after that, HTC brought to the table its offering in the Titan II. Strangely though, Samsung’s presence was absent as its competitors moved up one step ahead of them. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait much longer as the Samsung Focus 2 is set for arrival, bringing the Korean based company up to snuff, but more importantly, it’s aiming to stiff arm the competition with its tantalizing $49.99 on-contract price. Will its tempting price point be enough to sway consumers to it?

The package contains:

• microUSB cable
• Wall Charger
• Stereo Headphones
• Quick Start Guide
• Safety & Warranty Guide

Design:

At its core, the Samsung Focus 2 follows firmly to the design principles found with previous Samsung devices, since it sports that all too conspicuous sturdy all-plastic body that makes it lightweight. However, we find its design on the adorable side thanks to its pristine white paint job and rounded curves. Adding more love to its design, we really like how its slick feel enables it to maintain a clean appearance at all times – meaning, it doesn’t exhibit any smudges or fingerprints. Having to compete against the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II, we’re happy to see the Focus 2 finding a sweet spot with its balanced approach.


Donning the typical trio of Windows Phone buttons, they’re able to catch a lot of attention due to their piercing backlighting. Meanwhile, above the display, we find its earpiece, front-facing VGA camera, ambient light, and the proximity sensors.

Peeking around the sides, there is nothing out of the ordinary as we spot its 3.5mm headset jack, noise cancellation mic, shutter key, microUSB port, volume controls, and power button. With the latter two, however, we don’t like they’re rather indistinct to the touch.

Around the rear, we’re greeted to its 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, LED flash, and two notches for its internal speaker. Prying off the plastic rear cover from one side, we’re able to gain access to its 1,750 mAh battery and microSIM slot.


Display:

Neither too large or too small, the Samsung Focus 2 actually employs the same identical display found with its predecessor. Specifically, it’s a 4” WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED display, which is nothing to write home about nowadays, but it’s still nevertheless a pleasant looking thing. WVGA resolution is hardly a surprise, even more when it’s used by all Windows Phones thus far, but it’s enough to make out some fine details thanks to its 223 ppi pixel density. Without a doubt, its high-contrast, wide viewing angles, and luscious color production all combine together to provide us with a visual treat.

Interface and Functionality:

Lookie here folks! The Samsung Focus 2 is running Windows Phone Mango, which is exactly the same experience we get on other recent Windows Phones – so yeah, there’s nothing out of place with this one. Much like other Samsung made Windows Phones, the Focus 2 features the “Daily Briefing” hub to somewhat differentiate the experience from other phone vendors. Still, its usefulness isn’t drastic, as it provides us with relevant information relating to the weather, stocks, and world news. Naturally, we can lament about finding nothing new with the core experience, but from a consumer standpoint, its visual appeal, extensive productivity functionality, and ease of use will undoubtedly attract people.


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.


After our finger got comfy typing on the larger displays of the Nokia Lumia 900 and HTC Titan II, there’s just a little bit of adjustment with the Focus 2, mainly due to its slightly more cramped layout. Once we’re able to overcome it, we find ourselves typing away with breeze thanks partly to its responsiveness and wicked auto-correct feature.


Bound to be a part of AT&T’s lineup, we find the carrier’s presence in preloaded apps such as AT&T Code Scanner, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Navigator, AT&T U-verse Mobile, and myAT&T. Interestingly, the sole third party app found with the handset is YPmobile.



Processor and Memory:

As we’ve come to expect out of all Windows Phones, knowing the kind of processor being employed isn’t necessarily important – since they all run nearly identical to one another. Rightfully so, that’s exactly the name of the game with the Samsung Focus 2, as its single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU is able to deliver plenty of responsiveness with all of its actions. Making an even bolder statement, we didn’t experience a single instance of slowdown or lag during our testing.

Before you start piling on the multimedia content, you’ll probably want to be choosy in what you select – that’s because the handset only has 6.6GB of free storage out of the box. And of course, there’s no way of increasing it whatsoever.


Internet and Connectivity:

One of the darlings about the Samsung Focus 2, is the fact that it’s sporting support for AT&T’s next-generation 4G LTE network, which enables it to get data speeds that are vastly superior. Speed aside, the web browsing experience with Internet Explorer is typically satisfying – thanks in part to its fluidity and responsiveness when it comes to navigating through complex web sites. Sure, it doesn’t have Adobe Flash support, but to tell you the truth, we’re not all that saddened by it. Therefore, if you live and breathe web browsing, you’ll surely appreciate the performance of the Samsung Focus 2.


Do you travel a lot? Well, if you do, the Samsung Focus 2 is a wonderful companion seeing that it’s compatible to work with most networks around the world. Furthermore, its set of connectivity features consist of aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and mobile hotspot functionality.

Camera:

Unfortunately, we can’t classify the handset as being a replacement for your point and shoot, mainly because the results aren’t the best. Frankly, it produces some pleasing looking outdoor shots, but it’s undeniable that it doesn’t handle dynamic range that well. Even worse, low lighting shots are a jumbled mess, as the quality is drastically diminished by noise, graininess, and soft details. Obviously, the LED flash manages to counteract some of its flaws, but colors tend to look washed out.



It’s not downright horrid per se, but we wouldn’t recommend capturing some memories you want to remember forever with the Samsung Focus 2. So what’s the good in its 720p video recording? For starters, it captures video smoothly at 30 frames per second, and the fact that it records clear audio. However, that’s pretty much the extent of its lovable qualities, as details appear extremely soft and indistinct. Taking it indoors or under low lighting, you can forget about it, as we’re horrified by its poor quality.

Samsung Focus 2 Sample Video:



Multimedia:

Being a Windows Phone and all, we’re naturally greeted to the Zune experience when it comes to listening to music, which we still feel to be a pleasant looking interface when compared to others. With the audio quality from its internal speaker, its volume tones are average at best – with a tiny bit of screechiness at the highest setting.


We can’t complain, especially when other devices with larger display seem to be more optimal for watching videos, but the Samsung Focus 2 is adequate enough to please our inner needs. Using our test video that’s encoded in XviD 1920 x 1080 resolution, the handset has no problem playing it at all, as we’re presented with smooth playback and iridescent colors.

Performance:

Comprehending conversations might be a tough thing with the Samsung Focus 2, mainly because its earpiece is rather weak in tone, and that voices on both ends of the line have a robotic sound. Switching to the speakerphone, it exhibits a little bit of muffling with its output.

In high coverage areas, the smartphone retains 3 to 4 bars out 5 on the average, but luckily, it didn’t drop any calls during our testing.

Strictly using it with HSPA+ connectivity, we’re very happy with the battery life we’re able to get out of the phone’s 1,750 mAh battery. In fact, after a day of normal usage, we find its capacity at the 40% mark. Clearly, the results are going to lessen once it’s on 4G LTE – since we all know how much of a drain it is to the battery.

Conclusion:

We have to say, at $49.99 with a 2-year contract, the Samsung Focus 2 isn’t that bad of a smartphone – even more when this is a brand spanking new device we’re talking about! Strengthening its value, we love that it sports an adorable design, equipped with 4G LTE connectivity, and offers that casual Windows Phone experience like everything else before it. Thinking more about it more, the Focus 2 is able to compete well against its rival, but looking at the overall picture, the Nokia Lumia 900 still seems to have a tiny bit more polish to its offering. Nonetheless, it’s a valiant effort for Samsung, as they’re finally in the game with a 4G LTE enabled Windows Phone.

Software version of the reviewed unit:
OS Version: 7.10.8112.7

Samsung Focus 2 Review: