Samsung Focus Rated 4 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News Review of Reviews
Reviewers of the Samsung Focus all raved about the Super AMOLED touchscreen, excellent Zune media player and great camera with flash. Call quality was highly rated and considered by one reviewer to be better than the phone on the iPhone. The speaker phone and battery life are good. Web browsing was fast with pinch-to-zoom, and the processor did not lag.
The Samsung Focus features a 4" super AMOLED touchscreen, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of ROM and 256MB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage (expandable to 40 GB with microSD), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 5-megapixel camera with HD video capture.
Reviewers in general did not like that Windows Phone 7 lacks copy/paste (coming in 2011) and lacks support of most apps, including the keyboard in landscape mode. The Windows Phone 7 operating system was built from scratch and has simplified screens for displaying information. This style of smartphone will be useful for new smartphone users and those who already know Windows on their PC. Syncing for multimedia works well. Social networking and email sync is very good. Voice commands also work well. Windows Phone 7 lacks universal search of everything on the phone.
Power users will be disappointed that the Samsung Focus doesn't support use as a tethered modem or Wi-Fi hotspot.
As we pointed out in our Review of Reviews of the Windows Phone 7 operating system, new Windows Phone 7 smartphones warrant a test drive to see if they fit your needs. The Samsung Focus is especially desirable for Xbox Live game players, music/video fans, heavy photo-takers and Microsoft Office users. The Super AMOLED touchscreen is very bright, and the chassis is the lightest Windows Phone 7 yet.
The Samsung Focus is priced at $199 with a contract after rebate. If you are new to AT&T, use the AT&T Coupon-Link $50 Off AT&T Wireless with Plan for new customers with a contract (details).
Update 12/17/10 - Amazon Wireless already has discounted the price for the Samsung Focus to next to nothing with a contract. Wirefly is offering the Samsung Focus at a super discounted Wirefly price with free activation. Offers may be available for a limited time only.
See Windows Phone 7 Comparison Chart.
Bonnie Cha of CNET rated the Samsung Focus 4 out of 5 stars for its brilliant Super AMOLED touchscreen, excellent photos/video, UI, great multimedia and really good browser. She didn't like that it lacked copy/paste, has limited landscape support, the plastic feel, and no sync for non-MS Exchange Outlook accounts. She thought it is a good alternative to the iPhone for better multimedia, and it is more organized than Android. The onscreen-keyboard was easy to use on par with Android. She liked the consistency of the OS and that it was organized to be able to start everything from one place. The newly built Windows Phone 7 is something fresh, fun, and functional. She liked that you can choose how Facebook contacts are added and synced in contacts. Contact sync supports Facebook, Windows Live, Exchange and other POP3/IMAP email accounts. It helps to have Windows Live ID. Music and media syncs well with Zune desktop. All carrier bloatware can be uninstalled if you don't like.it. The speaker phone was good. Battery life was also good.
Sascha Segan at PCMAG rated the Samsung Focus 4 out of 5, calling it slim and light with a gorgeous Super AMOLED touchscreen. He didn't like that there are few apps, and the software looks new and incomplete. He called the Samsung Focus a great Windows Phone experience. It's a world phone with HSPA 7.2 and tested at 1.3 Mbps down. You can't use it as a tethered modem or Wi-Fi hotspot. Voice reception and speaker phone quality was good. The Samsung Focus is the first Windows Phone with memory that is expandable to with a microSD up to 40GB. It works best in portrait mode because Windows 7 is not designed for landscape; most apps don't work in landscape except the web browser, video player, a few games, and email. The camera is good but not as good as the iPhone camera. The Samsung Focus is most similar to the Samsung Galaxy Samsung Captivate and a better choice if you prefer the Zune media player. He liked the phone voice quality better than iPhone's reception.
Ginny Miles at PC World rated the Samsung Focus 4 out of 5 for a great camera, Super AMOLED touchscreen and beautiful design. She didn't like the call quality and that the OS lacks copy/paste and multitasking. The dedicated camera key is a great feature. The screen is so bright that it sometimes gives off a blinding glare. The processor was fast and web browser speedy. The Samsung Captivate has more apps and features.
Mark Spoonauer at LaptopMag rated the Samsung Focus 3.5 out of 5. He liked the "eye-popping" screen, UI, HD camcorder and loud speakers. He didn't like the few apps and that it only has 8GB of built-in memory. Outlook mobile looks great, and text is easy-to-read. Call quality and battery life was good. The keyboard doesn't fill the whole screen in landscape mode. The browser was slower than the iPhone browser on the same network, while pinch-to-zoom worked well. The search feature worked well for local and contextual search. Voice commands via the Windows key powered by TellMe was accurate. It lacks universal search. Zune makes the Samsung Focus a compelling music/media player. The camera button works even when the phone is locked and uploads photos to SkyDrive for safe-keeping. He thought new smartphone users would prefer the snazzier interface to Android, but iPhone still rules. It is one of the 3 best smartphones on AT&T.