Recently, while surfing the Web looking for a new phone I found Amazon Windows Phone sale and can’t but share what I’ve come up with. We all know that Android and Apple’s iOS are the two leading OS the majority of smart devices run on. But don’t forget about Windows Phone that doesn’t lag behind!
We have got used to Samsung as well as HTC phones running the latest Android versions. But today I’d like to pay your attention to Samsung 4G Windows Phones that you buy for the lowest price at Amazon.com.
Features |
Samsung Focus S |
Samsung Focus 2 |
Samsung ATIV S NEO |
Samsung ATIV Odyssey |
Dimensions |
126 x 66.8 x 8.5 mm | 121.7 x 62.7 x 11 mm | 135.4 x 69.1 x 9.1 mm | 122.4 x 63.8 x 10.9 mm |
Weight |
110.6 g | 122 g | 144 g | 125 g |
Color |
Black | White | Gray | Gray |
Battery |
1650 mAh | 1750 mAh | 2000 mAh | 2100 mAh |
OS |
WP 7.5 | WP 7.5 | WP 8 | WP 8 |
Display |
4.3″ 480 x 800 pixels | 4.0″ 480 x 800 pixels | 4.77″ 720 x 1280 pixels | 4.0″ 480 x 800 pixels |
Cameras |
8 MP rear + 1.3 MP front | 5 MP rear + VGA front | 8 MP rear + 1.2 MP front | 5 MP rear + 1.2 MP front |
Carrier |
Sprint | AT&T | Sprint | Verizon |
In this post I’d like to pay special atention to Samsung Focus S and Focus 2, check out their pros and cons, specs and the key reasons to choose these two handsets. So, let’s start from the Focus S.
Samsung Focus S for AT&T running Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) will fit those of you looking for a pocket friendly device stuffed with the best features smartphones currently boast.
Pros
- WP 7.5 synchronizes with Windows computer and Xbox Live
- Cool 4.3-inch display with rich colors
- Thin and fits in hand easily
- Great outdoor shooting experience
Cons
- Flimsy casing, pieces get loose easily
- No HD display
- Weak battery
Reasons to Choose Samsung Focus S
- Among the most outstanding Samsung Focus S specs I’d like to highlight multitasking, photo and video capture, Xbox LIVE gaming, Zune-powered music and videos and what not. Measuring 8.5 mm thin, the smartphone can be called the slimmest 4G Windows Phone ever.
- Another feature I’d like to highlight is the phone’s OS. Windows Phone 7.5 allows to connect to other Microsoft technologies with ease.
- The device will come in handy for businessmen that need to have 24/7 access to their mailbox and Internet. Samsung Focus S comes pre-loaded with such business productivity apps as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
- You will not miss any news from your social media friends owing to its high mobile broadband speeds with AT&T 4G HSPA+.
- The handset boasts an incredibly colorful 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display which delivers up to 50% more sub-pixels than the previous generation ones. You won’t face any problems while using the phone in the brightest sunlight.
Key Samsung Focus S Features
- Dimensions: 126 x 66.8 x 8.5 mm
- Weight: 110.6 g
- Color: Black
- Battery: 1650 mAh
- OS: Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
- Display: 4.3-inch 480 x 800 pixels
- Cameras: 8 MP rear + 1.3 MP front
Verdict
Samsung Focus S 4G will fit true Windows fans owing to its ability to connect to other Windows-powered devices as well as your personal Xbox Live accounts. If you don’t mind its minor imperfections like weak battery, the lack of HD display and limited storage space, you will be able to enjoy this device at full.
Customer Reviews
- “I’ve been an iPhone user since the original and have owned 7 of those beasts. For work I’ve been using a Gingerbread Android phone for the past six months and found it a very poor experience compared to the iPhone. It’s just not a very good mobile OS. Now I’ve gone down the path of trying Windows 7, and I am shocked that I like this so much. I feel weird for saying this, but the Windows Mango OS is just better than the iPhone. The Samsung Focus S appears to be the best hardware for the OS, so this is, in my mind, the best cell phone on the market today from AT&T.”
- “Ok I’ve tried and played with most of latest smartphones out there but everything about this phone is truly amazing! I seriously can’t even find a single thing I don’t like about this phone! Its incredibly thin, feels great in hand, amazing screen, simple to use, very reliable, fast, super smooth OS, and my favorite features and apps are all there. I heard some are complaining about phone being too plasticy but to be honest if you ever owned a iPhone 3GS this phone has very same build quality feel but even nicer since its 35% thinner and bigger screen.”
- “This phone is AWESOME! WP7.5 is intuitive, although its UI needs refinements still; which I was counting on MS for future upgrade when I bought it. Today’s WP8 announcement by MS confirmed ALL current WP7 devices CAN NOT upgrade to WP8, really Microsoft?! Talking about epic fail. Who in the right mind would code a OS without supporting legacy hardware? Microsoft would and did LOL. MS said WP7 device will get 7.8 upgrade which is WP8 like. That will be the last major update for all WP7 devices.”
Another phone I’d like to pay attention to is the Samsung Focus 2, which is the first 4G LTE Windows Phone ever. The handset is a follow-up version to the Samsung Focus S, which we spoke about a few lines above.
Pros
- 8 GB of user memory
- 11 mm thin
- 4G LTE support
Cons
- No HDMI connector
- Less popular WP 7.5
- Touchscreen is a capacitive model only
Reasons to Choose Samsung Focus 2
- Similar to the Focus S, the Focus 2 boasts a 4-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED display, which is rather standard for all WP devices. It has great viewing angles, great brightness with deep black. Typing on the screen QWERTY keyboard is easy and fast.
- Windows 7.5 is easy to use. You will hardly face any problem running 80.000+ third-party apps in the Windows Marketplace. However, it’s still unclear whether the phone will get updated to WP8.
- Are you fond of photography and want to share pictures with your friends? Not a problem! With super fast AT&T 4G LTE and quick processor you’ll be able to take photos and upload them in no time. That is where the phone’s two built-in cameras come in handy. The 5 MP rear-facing one with LED flash will let you take pictures even in the full dark, while with the front camera you are free to take self-portraits or shoot 720p videos.
Key Samsung Focus 2 Specs
- Dimensions: 121.7 x 62.7 x 11 mm
- Weight: 122 g
- Color: White
- Battery: Li-Ion 1750 mAh
- OS: WP 7.5
- Display: 4-inch 480 x 800 pixels
- Cameras: 5MP rear + VGA front
Verdict
The Samsung Focus 2 is a compact and user-friendly Windows Phone that offers 4G LTE speeds at an affordable price. However, it’s not the best deal AT&T customers may get.
Customer Reviews
- “I was very happy with this phone until it started alarming constantly. Alert #3 is the sound I had setup for texts, but there were no incoming texts, calls, messages, nothing. But the phone wouldn’t stop alarming. Found a lot a chatter on the web about this issue. Drains the battery within hours, because the phone/screen will not shut off. Makes the phone unusable.”
- “This is my first smart phone and since I always rely on the reviews on this site from others, I have to say how much I love this phone. Since it was my first smart phone, I didn’t want to spend a fortune and this one filled that bill. I also felt that since it was a windows operating system, it might be a good thing to try this since I’m familiar with windows. It’s very easy to use and really has a lot going for it.”
- “I was ready to upgrade to a smart phone, I researched and reviewed all of my options. I decided for my needs I wanted a Windows phone. I also had great luck with my previous Samsung phone. I also wanted a pocket size. I needed to stick with my familys carrier, so The Samsung Focus 2 fit perfectly. A very stylish looking phone. Easy to set up and get going. I only need a few apps so I am not worried about 8g of memory. I am happy with the Mango 7.5 but looking forward to the 7.8 update. When I feed my horses I carry my phone, well now I can listen to the FM radio ( includes earphones). I still have a few more things to learn about the phone such as multi-tasking, taking photos, and voice commands. I have not come across anything I dislike. This is a easy, fast, and fun phone do not hesitate.”
But for these two handsets, you may also order Samsung ATIV S NEO (Sprint) with/without contract and Samsung ATIV Odyssey with/without contract from Amazon.com.
Don’t seize the moment! Grab Amazon Windows Phone for yourself right away and get it shipped for FREE within 2 business days!