: Samsung’s CDMA/GSM
February 12, 2010 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
While many people have been comparing the new Samsung SGH-i325 Ace to the SGH-i607 BlackJack that AT&T sold, I feel that this device actually has much more in common with a lesser known black, GSM Samsung smartphone: the SGH-i320. Either way, the Ace packs a lot of functionality into a very solid smartphone design, and its dual-mode CDMA/GSM capabilities are sure to draw interest from a lot of die-hard Sprint fans.
Like the i320 before it, Samsung’s new Ace for Sprint sports a very familiar QWERTY equipped block form factor. The device is taller than similar Samsung handsets, but otherwise has typical dimensions of 118mm x 59mm x 12mm (4.6″ x 2.3″ x .5″), though it has a 4mm bulge where the camera is located. This makes the Ace comfortable to hold and use for phone conversations, but perhaps a we bit top heavy for some when using the QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard itself, taken almost directly from the SGH-i320, has dual sided keys that are fairly large and very easy to locate by touch alone. The design of the Ace’s keyboard is far superior to that of either generation of the Samsung BlackJack, even if it is a millimeter or two narrower.
The rest of the design of the Ace is equally good. The trapezoidal d-pad has a very good feel to it, but the chrome on it started to chip off after a few days of use. The keys that surround the d-pad worked very well, and are a bit better laid out than those on the BlackJack or BlackJack II, in my opinion. For scrolling, the Ace uses a pressable scroll wheel that is located on its right edge, directly above a secondary back key and below the covered microSD card slot. A volume rocker switch and the covered Samsung proprietary power/data/headset port are located on the left edge.
The back of the SPH-i325 Ace has a very nice matte finish that feels vaguely soft-touch in nature. It is not very grippy, but is comfortable none the less. The bulge at the top of the rear panel houses a rather dated 1.3 megapixel camera, and underneath the battery cover are found the user swappable battery and the GSM SIM card socket. The only other items of note on the Ace are the somewhat small, but otherwise fine, 2.3″ QVGA resolution display, and the Ace’s power button, which resides on the top of the phone.
While the Ace might lack the BlackJack II’s spinnable d-pad controller, otherwise I find that its physical design bests both BlackJacks as well as the SGH-i320. It is rock solid all around, and still only weighs 113g (4.0oz).Core Functions
While we were unable to test the SPH-i325 Ace’s 900/1800MHz GSM capabilities in our brief review time, we were able to use the device on Sprint’s EV-DO network, which is where most Aces will spend the vast majority of their lives. Audio quality on phone calls is somewhat of a problem for the Ace, it seems. The audio is clear enough to be understood, but sounds a bit muddled at times and also suffers from what appears to be a pretty aggressive squelch function, causing some minor audio clipping at times. The speakerphone function performed decently, though, which is somewhat surprising. Overall reception on the Ace seemed good, and the battery managed to work for a very solid 4.5 hours in our talk time test.Like all Windows Mobile 6 smartphones, the Ace has a very good contacts system that can store all sorts of data – pretty much anything that an application like Microsoft Outlook can throw at it. The freely downloadable Microsoft ActiveSync can be used to sync the device with a desktop copy of Outlook, or the Ace can synchronize over the air with most Microsoft Exchange servers. Contact searching on the Ace is very good thanks to the QWERTY keyboard, which lets users search for contacts simply by typing their name from the standby screen. A space can be added to search on first and last name at the same time, such as “J D” to find John Doe. The profiles system on the Ace is also very good, and even includes an automatic mode that changes between the normal and meeting profiles depending on your calendar schedule. The power key that is located at the top of the Ace brings up the Quick List menu, which is the easiest way to change profiles.
The Samsung Ace comes equipped with the speaker independent Voice Command voice dialing application. It worked very well for me for phone calls, and in general does an OK job of controlling music playback. I also like how it can announce caller names and even speak out appointment reminders and details about inbound messages. The Ace has speed dials that can be set to contacts or applications, but only work for the keypad’s number keys.
The Samsung SPH-i325 Ace for Sprint supports both text and email messaging, but has no built-in support for picture or instant messaging. Email support ranges from traditional POP and IMAP servers to the fully integrated Exchange support for corporate email accounts, which includes Microsoft’s Direct Push and remote server search abilities.
As an EV-DO device, the Samsung Ace is capable of decently speedy downloads over Sprint’s CDMA network. The Ace even has the Windows Mobile Internet Sharing application available, which makes it easy to use the Ace as a laptop modem over either Bluetooth or a USB connection – a USB cable is included in the package. Bluetooth support extends beyond modem duties and includes use with mono or stereo headsets, as well.Core Functions
While we were unable to test the SPH-i325 Ace’s 900/1800MHz GSM capabilities in our brief review time, we were able to use the device on Sprint’s EV-DO network, which is where most Aces will spend the vast majority of their lives. Audio quality on phone calls is somewhat of a problem for the Ace, it seems. The audio is clear enough to be understood, but sounds a bit muddled at times and also suffers from what appears to be a pretty aggressive squelch function, causing some minor audio clipping at times. The speakerphone function performed decently, though, which is somewhat surprising. Overall reception on the Ace seemed good, and the battery managed to work for a very solid 4.5 hours in our talk time test.Multimedia / Applications
While the 1.3 megapixel camera in the Samsung SPH-i325 lacks the resolution that many smartphone cameras have today, it takes a decent photo and has a very nice user interface. Also, it seems that the camera starts up faster than we have come to expect from past Samsung devices, which is nice. Settings range from the typical white balance and resolution controls to a self timer and a configurable shutter sound, which can be disabled completely. The camera can also be quickly switched into video mode, which lets it record QVGA resolution video clips.As is the case with all Windows Mobile devices, the Samsung Ace comes equipped with Windows Media Player to handle the playback of music and video files. It is not the best media player found on a phone, but it is certainly capable enough to satisfy most people. The Ace can be synchronized with any MTP compatible PC based music app, such as Windows Media Player or WinAmp, which gives it the same kind of functionality one finds on dedicated MP3 players. A wired stereo headset is included in the box, so no additional money has to be spent before the Ace can be used for music.
The Pocket IE web browser that Windows Mobile 6 uses is not my favorite browser, but it gets the job done for most sites designed with mobile users in mind. The included Samsung RSS feed reader is my favorite news reader application available on the Windows Mobile platform. It’s that nice.
The Samsung Ace has great PIM functionality since it is based on the WM6 platform. While its Samsung authored notes application can not be synchronized via ActiveSync, its wonderful calendar and task list can. Samsung also includes a number of other nice applications, like a world clock, unit converter, task manager, and stopwatch. The task manager is particularly handy when set as a speed dial for quick access. The Ace also ships with support for the Sprint TV application as well as Sprint’s On Demand system for things like TV listings, sports scores, maps and directions, and local weather.
The Samsung Ace has less than 20MB of internal storage space available, but can have that augmented with microSD memory cards. The microSD slot on the Ace does not support the newer, high capacity cards like one of the 8GB units I tested with. I assume that it supports cards no larger than 2GB, but have not tested 4GB cards in the device.User Interface
As a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, the Samsung Ace’s user interface should be quite familiar to anybody who has used any other WM6 or WM5 device in the past. Like all Windows Mobile 6 Standard cell phones, the Ace has no touch screen. Instead, WM6 relies on the d-pad and scroll-wheel, a pair of softkeys, and the dedicated home and back buttons for navigation. Most applications are launched either from the Start menu, which can be viewed as a list or icon grid, or from shortcuts provided on the home screen by most of the available home screen layouts. Most of these layouts provide a decent amount of basic information at a glance, such as the current day’s appointments and counts of any unread messages or missed calls. Samsung has provided a number of its own layouts with custom plug-ins that I also like very much. As is always the case with WM6 devices, the color scheme used by the UI can be changed to suit the user’s preference.
The main menu of a WM6 device is accessed by pressing the left softkey from the home screen. The icons in the start menu are arranged somewhat haphazardly and can’t be reordered by the user. The system supports folders, but there is no simple mechanism for the user to create them without resorting to manual changes made with the included File Explorer app. As is the case in most all parts of the WM6 user interface, the right softkey brings up a pop-up list of additional options, the left is associated with the most common task for the given screen or currently highlighted item, and the d-pad’s center button acts as the select key to activate the currently selected program or item.
From anywhere in the system, users can press the dedicated home key to get back to the home screen (the red call end key serves the same function when there is no active call). Either of the two back keys can be used during navigation to move back a screen or two without having to start over again from the home screen. While there are a few situations where the back key will not work as expected, the situation has been much improved over that which Windows Mobile 5 users experienced.Beyond the custom home screen layouts, Samsung has included a few additional tweaks to the Ace’s user interface. To start with, Samsung equipped the phone with user configurable application shortcuts, which are accessed with the Fn key. Additionally, the message key on the keyboard can be configured for different tasks for short and long presses, and the back button that is located under the scroll-wheel can also be configured for long presses. It defaults to activating the camera.
Conclusion
The Samsung Ace has pretty much everything that a good business phone needs to have these days. It has a nice keyboard, a good form factor, and the ability to run all sorts of specialized, 3rd party applications. The fact that it can easily be used as a wired or Bluetooth 3G modem for a laptop certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
While it might lack some of the sex appeal that a wine red BlackJack II has, Samsung’s SPH-i325 Ace is probably going to please an awful lot of people because of all the things it does well, and the fact that it appears to have no real shortcomings at all. While I am a bit concerned about how easily the chrome on the d-pad started coming off, I still give it an enthusiastic “Highly Recommended” rating.
You’ll find some sample photos shot by the Samsung SPH-i325 Ace’s 1.3 megapixel camera on the following page.
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: Samsung’s CDMA/GSM
July 1, 2008 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
While many people have been comparing the new Samsung SGH-i325 Ace to the SGH-i607 BlackJack that AT&T sold, I feel that this device actually has much more in common with a lesser known black, GSM Samsung smartphone: the SGH-i320. Either way, the Ace packs a lot of functionality into a very solid smartphone design, and its dual-mode CDMA/GSM capabilities are sure to draw interest from a lot of die-hard Sprint fans.
Like the i320 before it, Samsung’s new Ace for Sprint sports a very familiar QWERTY equipped block form factor. The device is taller than similar Samsung handsets, but otherwise has typical dimensions of 118mm x 59mm x 12mm (4.6″ x 2.3″ x .5″), though it has a 4mm bulge where the camera is located. This makes the Ace comfortable to hold and use for phone conversations, but perhaps a we bit top heavy for some when using the QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard itself, taken almost directly from the SGH-i320, has dual sided keys that are fairly large and very easy to locate by touch alone. The design of the Ace’s keyboard is far superior to that of either generation of the Samsung BlackJack, even if it is a millimeter or two narrower.
The rest of the design of the Ace is equally good. The trapezoidal d-pad has a very good feel to it, but the chrome on it started to chip off after a few days of use. The keys that surround the d-pad worked very well, and are a bit better laid out than those on the BlackJack or BlackJack II, in my opinion. For scrolling, the Ace uses a pressable scroll wheel that is located on its right edge, directly above a secondary back key and below the covered microSD card slot. A volume rocker switch and the covered Samsung proprietary power/data/headset port are located on the left edge.
The back of the SPH-i325 Ace has a very nice matte finish that feels vaguely soft-touch in nature. It is not very grippy, but is comfortable none the less. The bulge at the top of the rear panel houses a rather dated 1.3 megapixel camera, and underneath the battery cover are found the user swappable battery and the GSM SIM card socket. The only other items of note on the Ace are the somewhat small, but otherwise fine, 2.3″ QVGA resolution display, and the Ace’s power button, which resides on the top of the phone.
While the Ace might lack the BlackJack II’s spinnable d-pad controller, otherwise I find that its physical design bests both BlackJacks as well as the SGH-i320. It is rock solid all around, and still only weighs 113g (4.0oz).Core Functions
While we were unable to test the SPH-i325 Ace’s 900/1800MHz GSM capabilities in our brief review time, we were able to use the device on Sprint’s EV-DO network, which is where most Aces will spend the vast majority of their lives. Audio quality on phone calls is somewhat of a problem for the Ace, it seems. The audio is clear enough to be understood, but sounds a bit muddled at times and also suffers from what appears to be a pretty aggressive squelch function, causing some minor audio clipping at times. The speakerphone function performed decently, though, which is somewhat surprising. Overall reception on the Ace seemed good, and the battery managed to work for a very solid 4.5 hours in our talk time test.Like all Windows Mobile 6 smartphones, the Ace has a very good contacts system that can store all sorts of data – pretty much anything that an application like Microsoft Outlook can throw at it. The freely downloadable Microsoft ActiveSync can be used to sync the device with a desktop copy of Outlook, or the Ace can synchronize over the air with most Microsoft Exchange servers. Contact searching on the Ace is very good thanks to the QWERTY keyboard, which lets users search for contacts simply by typing their name from the standby screen. A space can be added to search on first and last name at the same time, such as “J D” to find John Doe. The profiles system on the Ace is also very good, and even includes an automatic mode that changes between the normal and meeting profiles depending on your calendar schedule. The power key that is located at the top of the Ace brings up the Quick List menu, which is the easiest way to change profiles.
The Samsung Ace comes equipped with the speaker independent Voice Command voice dialing application. It worked very well for me for phone calls, and in general does an OK job of controlling music playback. I also like how it can announce caller names and even speak out appointment reminders and details about inbound messages. The Ace has speed dials that can be set to contacts or applications, but only work for the keypad’s number keys.
The Samsung SPH-i325 Ace for Sprint supports both text and email messaging, but has no built-in support for picture or instant messaging. Email support ranges from traditional POP and IMAP servers to the fully integrated Exchange support for corporate email accounts, which includes Microsoft’s Direct Push and remote server search abilities.
As an EV-DO device, the Samsung Ace is capable of decently speedy downloads over Sprint’s CDMA network. The Ace even has the Windows Mobile Internet Sharing application available, which makes it easy to use the Ace as a laptop modem over either Bluetooth or a USB connection – a USB cable is included in the package. Bluetooth support extends beyond modem duties and includes use with mono or stereo headsets, as well.Core Functions
While we were unable to test the SPH-i325 Ace’s 900/1800MHz GSM capabilities in our brief review time, we were able to use the device on Sprint’s EV-DO network, which is where most Aces will spend the vast majority of their lives. Audio quality on phone calls is somewhat of a problem for the Ace, it seems. The audio is clear enough to be understood, but sounds a bit muddled at times and also suffers from what appears to be a pretty aggressive squelch function, causing some minor audio clipping at times. The speakerphone function performed decently, though, which is somewhat surprising. Overall reception on the Ace seemed good, and the battery managed to work for a very solid 4.5 hours in our talk time test.Multimedia / Applications
While the 1.3 megapixel camera in the Samsung SPH-i325 lacks the resolution that many smartphone cameras have today, it takes a decent photo and has a very nice user interface. Also, it seems that the camera starts up faster than we have come to expect from past Samsung devices, which is nice. Settings range from the typical white balance and resolution controls to a self timer and a configurable shutter sound, which can be disabled completely. The camera can also be quickly switched into video mode, which lets it record QVGA resolution video clips.As is the case with all Windows Mobile devices, the Samsung Ace comes equipped with Windows Media Player to handle the playback of music and video files. It is not the best media player found on a phone, but it is certainly capable enough to satisfy most people. The Ace can be synchronized with any MTP compatible PC based music app, such as Windows Media Player or WinAmp, which gives it the same kind of functionality one finds on dedicated MP3 players. A wired stereo headset is included in the box, so no additional money has to be spent before the Ace can be used for music.
The Pocket IE web browser that Windows Mobile 6 uses is not my favorite browser, but it gets the job done for most sites designed with mobile users in mind. The included Samsung RSS feed reader is my favorite news reader application available on the Windows Mobile platform. It’s that nice.
The Samsung Ace has great PIM functionality since it is based on the WM6 platform. While its Samsung authored notes application can not be synchronized via ActiveSync, its wonderful calendar and task list can. Samsung also includes a number of other nice applications, like a world clock, unit converter, task manager, and stopwatch. The task manager is particularly handy when set as a speed dial for quick access. The Ace also ships with support for the Sprint TV application as well as Sprint’s On Demand system for things like TV listings, sports scores, maps and directions, and local weather.
The Samsung Ace has less than 20MB of internal storage space available, but can have that augmented with microSD memory cards. The microSD slot on the Ace does not support the newer, high capacity cards like one of the 8GB units I tested with. I assume that it supports cards no larger than 2GB, but have not tested 4GB cards in the device.User Interface
As a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, the Samsung Ace’s user interface should be quite familiar to anybody who has used any other WM6 or WM5 device in the past. Like all Windows Mobile 6 Standard cell phones, the Ace has no touch screen. Instead, WM6 relies on the d-pad and scroll-wheel, a pair of softkeys, and the dedicated home and back buttons for navigation. Most applications are launched either from the Start menu, which can be viewed as a list or icon grid, or from shortcuts provided on the home screen by most of the available home screen layouts. Most of these layouts provide a decent amount of basic information at a glance, such as the current day’s appointments and counts of any unread messages or missed calls. Samsung has provided a number of its own layouts with custom plug-ins that I also like very much. As is always the case with WM6 devices, the color scheme used by the UI can be changed to suit the user’s preference.
The main menu of a WM6 device is accessed by pressing the left softkey from the home screen. The icons in the start menu are arranged somewhat haphazardly and can’t be reordered by the user. The system supports folders, but there is no simple mechanism for the user to create them without resorting to manual changes made with the included File Explorer app. As is the case in most all parts of the WM6 user interface, the right softkey brings up a pop-up list of additional options, the left is associated with the most common task for the given screen or currently highlighted item, and the d-pad’s center button acts as the select key to activate the currently selected program or item.
From anywhere in the system, users can press the dedicated home key to get back to the home screen (the red call end key serves the same function when there is no active call). Either of the two back keys can be used during navigation to move back a screen or two without having to start over again from the home screen. While there are a few situations where the back key will not work as expected, the situation has been much improved over that which Windows Mobile 5 users experienced.Beyond the custom home screen layouts, Samsung has included a few additional tweaks to the Ace’s user interface. To start with, Samsung equipped the phone with user configurable application shortcuts, which are accessed with the Fn key. Additionally, the message key on the keyboard can be configured for different tasks for short and long presses, and the back button that is located under the scroll-wheel can also be configured for long presses. It defaults to activating the camera.
Conclusion
The Samsung Ace has pretty much everything that a good business phone needs to have these days. It has a nice keyboard, a good form factor, and the ability to run all sorts of specialized, 3rd party applications. The fact that it can easily be used as a wired or Bluetooth 3G modem for a laptop certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
While it might lack some of the sex appeal that a wine red BlackJack II has, Samsung’s SPH-i325 Ace is probably going to please an awful lot of people because of all the things it does well, and the fact that it appears to have no real shortcomings at all. While I am a bit concerned about how easily the chrome on the d-pad started coming off, I still give it an enthusiastic “Highly Recommended” rating.
You’ll find some sample photos shot by the Samsung SPH-i325 Ace’s 1.3 megapixel camera on the following page.
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