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PDA Cell phones-the new generation of wireless phones

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It's time you know what the latest technological gadget is. In fact, this new toy is buzzing everywhere nowadays. PDA cell phones are popping up more and more in the market place. Young or old, maybe you should be asking yourself whether this new cellular phone is something you should consider owning? Well, if you're unsure about whether a PDA cell phone is the right piece of hardware for you, don't be. Read on and find out everything you need to know about these great cell phones!

Many consumers understand the value of owning a mobile phone today. They are really convenient and easy to use. We almost take them for granted because they're extremely affordable to own and maintain. They come with tons of loaded features to help make our lives that much easier. They store phone numbers and addresses, can link you to the Internet, can download your email on a whim, and allow you to chat on Instant Messenger with your closest loved ones whenever you want. Bored? Not when you own a cellular phone, equipped with the latest games, cool polyphonic ring tones, and picture messaging. Use it to take notes, and keep you up to date with important meetings. There is simply nothing that a cell phone cannot do nowadays. They even take pictures and video images - and to think, these nifty little toys can be held, literally, in the palm of your hand.

Well, the newest trend to hit our palms is the PDA wireless phone - better known as a personal digital assistant. Imagine combining the convenience of a cell phone with the reliability of a PDA - it's a match made in heaven! Here's why. First of all, PDA's are very portable. You can take them anywhere! They fit in your purse, briefcase, even your own pocket. They're also very durable, so they're built to last! PDA's are also pretty inexpensive these days. You can get yourself a pretty decent and affordable personal digital assistant for about $150. Once you get one, you'll realize just how amazing these devices really are! These awesome gadgets store your personal and professional information, at the touch of a button!

PDA's are also programmable. You can run the most popular of applications on a palm pilot, allowing you to interact with your home or office computer. You can store documents, graphics, notes - the possibilities are endless, and transferring information from one medium to another is a breeze! What does it mean when you combine the power of a PDA with a mobile phone? Pure magic! There are many companies offering this innovative product. Check it out! PalmOne makes a PDA cell phone that makes it easier than ever for consumers to keep their business and personal life in order without all the excess bulk! Remember, these phones are compatible with either Macs or PCs, making it simple for you to download information when you need it the most. Key features on these types of phones include a mini "qwerty" keyboard for typing notes, Bluetooth technology, USB capability, and lithium powered batteries. Many of these PDA mobiles also include MP3 features! It's all you'll ever need to get through your day with ease!

Many people may even consider getting rid of their mobile phones and replacing it with these new PDA cell phones. If you think about it, you really don't need much else! Tons of Americans walk around with briefcases or purses full of gadgets that only store a certain type of information. At one time, a cell phone was used primarily to make or receive calls. Now, times have changed. Long gone are the days when mobiles were bulky, heavy, and inadequate. As you may know, cell phones have marked their way into the world today, helping millions of people get what they need in their professional and personal lives. Not only do cell phones help us when we're in a bind, they keep us well in tuned with the world. We can access the daily news, read our horoscopes, check movie listings, and so much more. Keep your address book updated with your contacts. Store email addresses, contact names, phone numbers - the sky is the limit! In fact, there's nothing a cell phone can't do these days! Without a doubt, cellular phones definitely enhance our lives. They can notify us when we have an important meeting or date coming up. You'll never forget a friend or loved one's birthday again! They come equipped with cool features, such as unique ring tones, games, and colour screens. Want to get online? No problem! You can picture message your friends, send text messages on the fly, even go online and download your email messages. These features come in handy, especially when travelling. In fact, many mobiles today are designed to be used anywhere around the world! So, there's no need to worry about bringing a day planner or agenda to keep track of your to do list. A cell phone is all you need!

Now, you can enjoy the convenience and affordability of combining your heavily used and much needed cell phone with a practicality of a PDA or portable hand held system. Look around - you'll soon see that many popular cellular phone carriers are carrying PDA cell phones, all equipped with different, but important features. In fact, customers can pick and choose which PDA phone best suits their needs. It's all too simple! However, one thing is clear - owning a PDA mobile is an effective way to keep your business sorted. Imagine just how much information these powerful tools store! Cell phones are extremely practical but their downside is that they can only store so much information! For example, most mobile phones come with phone books that store between 100-500 contact entries. Certainly not enough when you're building a list of personal and professional contacts. Having a PDA cell phone is like carrying around a mini computer in your pocket and the possibilities are surely endless! While it can't fix your family meals every night or make the kids go to bed, it will keep you and your family extremely organized and in tune with what's going on day to day!

While a PDA cellular phone is used primarily for professional use, take advantage of the many fun features it has to offer. If you ever wanted to own an MP3 player, there's no need to buy one on its own! Some PDA mobiles come with a Windows Media Player device to keep you occupied with your favourite tunes during the day! If you're travelling and are looking to maximize your time, surf the Internet. Even better, catch up on your emails! It's like taking your office on the road, wherever you go, whenever you go!

If you're worried about using your PDA too much - don't! Many PDA cell phones will give you somewhere along the lines of 250 minutes of talk time and 240 hours of standby time. Keeping spare chargers and a base charger is always convenient to ensure that you'll never go without your phone when you need it the most! You'll enjoy typical features, such as a speakerphone, vibrating ringers, text capability, and Internet options. Connect using Outlook, and you'll never have to search for a phone number or email address again! Store it once and forget about it!

For those individuals who are constantly travelling and on the road or in the sky, a PDA mobile phone makes sense. It's the perfect gift and travel companion! Sometimes, it can be difficult to take a break from your day to find an Internet café or office that will allow you to connect and check your email and important messages. Now, imagine being able to access your information from anywhere in the world! You could be having dinner, in a car, or in between meetings, and you'll never miss those important messages ever again! It's important to note, your PDA cell phone contains the Internet, which will allow you to surf the web. So, now you can book your hotel reservations, find a phone number for a taxi, look for a restaurant in your area - it's all possible without having to exhaust other options! Sync your phone with your laptop, and access your work, no matter where you are. Access flight information with the touch of a button! Get movie listings and find out where some of the best attractions are when you're visiting a new town. It's obvious that owning a PDA cell phone has its advantages. Remember, PDA phones are extremely lightweight and portable. So much power for such a tiny device - and to think, many phones will give you the option to add more memory if you need it, for additional storage!

It's also good to know that many companies will also throw in extra accessories, such as a headset, leather case, belt clip or hand strap. These always come in handy to protect and maintain the look of your equipment. They're also very suitable when on the road. Having a headset allows you to use your phone while on the road keeping you safe as you drive with both hands on the wheel! If you're going to use your phone on the road while driving, at least be safe! Be conscious of yourself and the other drivers around you! It doesn't stop there! You can upgrade to a Bluetooth headset, or consider buying an extra adapter, charger, or magnet mount antenna set. You could also consider getting a starter kit that comes with the essentials to make the most out of your PDA cellular phone.

One thing is for sure. The rave about PDA cell phones is sweeping the nation. Stop and think for a moment. Many people carry around more than one of the following - a cell phone, an agenda or journal, a PDA system, a camera, an MP3 player. Well, all you need is the PDA mobile! It will replace all of these rather expensive items and provide for its consumers the convenience of owning the best all-in-one device to ever hit the market!

©Copyright 2005. Caitlin Crosain is a successful writer and publisher of cell phone related information such as where to find the best Free Cellular Phones, Wireless Plans, mobile accessories and MP3 players [http://www.get-free-cellular-phones.com/Cell-accessories.html].

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RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 (AT&T)

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Torch combines both a touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry OS 6 brings such improvements as a better user interface, universal search, and an improved browser and multimedia experience.

The bad: The smartphone can be sluggish. The Torch has a lower-resolution screen. Applications can be saved only to the phone's main memory. Camera shoots only VGA video.

The bottom line: Though performance could be better and it could stand for some hardware upgrades, the RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 and BlackBerry OS 6 offer much-needed improvements to stay in step with the competition, and keep BlackBerry enthusiasts happy.

Though BlackBerrys continue to be extremely popular, it's no secret that RIM needed to step up its game and really work on improving and advancing its operating system. Over the past few months, the company has given us previews of a refreshed OS, but now, we've finally had a chance to put it to the test.

The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the first device to ship running BlackBerry OS 6 and will be available starting August 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. We actually got the smartphone a few ... Expand full review

Though BlackBerrys continue to be extremely popular, it's no secret that RIM needed to step up its game and really work on improving and advancing its operating system. Over the past few months, the company has given us previews of a refreshed OS, but now, we've finally had a chance to put it to the test.

The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 is the first device to ship running BlackBerry OS 6 and will be available starting August 12 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. We actually got the smartphone a few days before the official unveiling to put it through its paces, and we found a lot to like about it. The slider phone--a first for RIM--brings together a touch screen and a physical keyboard into a solid, compact design. The new OS brings some much-needed and welcome additions, including a better browser, an enhanced multimedia experience, and improved user interface. Sure, in the grand scheme of things, none of this is new but at least it puts RIM back on track. It's just unfortunate that RIM didn't upgrade other parts of the phone, such as the display and processor, as the Torch doesn't quite stack up to some of the latest smartphones. Still, there's enough there to keep BlackBerry fans happy.

Design
The BlackBerry Torch marks new territory for RIM. It's the company's first slider phone and isn't meant to be a one-off design, but rather, the start of a new series. RIM and AT&T actually began work on the device about a year and a half ago, and when creating the phone part of the goal was to offer a design that not only combined the best of all worlds--touch screen, full keyboard, and track pad--but also a familiar experience to previous and current BlackBerry users. For the most part, we think RIM was successful in doing so.

The BlackBerry Torch is the first slider phone for RIM.

The Torch's shape is a little bit BlackBerry Storm and a little bit BlackBerry Bold. We wouldn't call it sexy but the look is certainly appropriate for the corporate scene, where BlackBerrys still dominate. In its closed state, the Torch measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and weighs 5.7 ounces. It's a rather hefty handset, but it feels very solid, with a textured soft-touch finish on back. It's also thin and short enough to comfortably slip into a pant pocket.

On front, the Torch features a 3.2-inch half-VGA (480x360 at 188 pixels per inch) capacitive touch screen. Overall, the display is clear and bright enough for reading text and viewing Web pages, photos, and video. However, compared with many of today's smartphones, such as the HTC Droid Incredible and Samsung Captivate, the difference in resolution is noticeable and Torch's screen falls a bit flat.

What's noteworthy about the touch screen, however, is that it doesn't use SurePress technology like the BlackBerry Storm models, so you don't have to "click" on the display to register touches. Funnily enough, though, when we first started using the Torch, our instinct was to press down on the screen like it was the Storm, so we had to get out of that mindset.

For the most part, the touch screen is responsive. Apps launched as soon as we touched the icons, but the scrolling experience, as well as the pinch-to-zoom gesture, isn't quite as smooth or fast as some other systems. The display has a proximity sensor, so you won't have to worry about an errant press while on a phone call, and the built-in accelerometer was quick to change the screen orientation when we rotated the phone.

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We found the Torch's keyboard pretty easy to use. It came in particularly handy when typing longer e-mails.

The Torch offers both portrait and landscape onscreen keyboards, which is suitable if you're writing a quick text message. However, if you're doing any more than that, it'd be a good time to slide the phone open and make good use of the full QWERTY keyboard.

The slider mechanism to expose the keyboard is smooth, and the screen locks into place securely. There's a pretty good distribution of weight when the phone is open, so it doesn't feel too top heavy when you're typing out messages. The Torch's keyboard is actually the thinnest one on a BlackBerry yet. As such, the buttons don't feel quite as good as the Bold, but the keys are still solid and a decent size. We also appreciate that there's a good amount of space between the top row of keys and the bottom edge of the screen, to prevent your thumbs from mashing up against the edge. Overall, the Torch provided a comfortable typing experience, though people with larger thumbs might need some time to acclimate. Still, it's certainly a roomier solution than the Palm Pre Plus, and came in quite handy for composing e-mails.

Below the display, you'll find some of the familiar BlackBerry parts, such as the standard navigation controls--Talk and End keys, BlackBerry menu button, back, and an optical trackpad below the display, and the lock and a mute buttons on top of the device. As with other BlackBerry devices, holding down the menu key will bring up a task switcher so you can easily toggle to a recently used app.

The right spine features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a volume rocker, and a customizable convenience key, which is set as the camera activation/capture button by default. There's a Micro-USB port on the left, and the camera and flash are located on back with the microSD card slot behind the battery door.

AT&T packages the Torch with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a 4GB microSD card, a wired stereo headset, a polishing cloth, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

User interface and software
The RIM BlackBerry Torch is the first model to ship running BlackBerry OS 6, and much like the phone's design, when revamping the BlackBerry platform, RIM wanted to present something both fresh and familiar. There's a good bit of the familiar but a greater amount that's new, so this is definitely a major overhaul of the platform and not just a few added features.

Right off the bat, you'll notice a new home screen. On top, there's a Quick Access area where you can see the date, time, signal strength, battery life, and where you can manage your wireless connections. Below that is a new notification bar that includes one-touch access to change your phone's profile and to conduct searches. It will also alert you to new messages, missed calls, upcoming appointments, and so forth. Tapping on the bar will expand the tray so you can view more details and go directly to the appropriate app.

Most of the action, however, takes place at the bottom of the screen, where you'll find a new navigation bar. It makes good use of the touch screen, as you can swipe from left to right and vice versa to access apps and content based on five categories: All, Favorites, Media, Downloads, and Frequent. In addition to swiping sideways, you can tap on a category to expand it and see the full list of associated apps.

The categories themselves are fairly self-explanatory, but we should note that Favorites isn't restricted to apps. You can also add contacts and Web sites by going to an individual address book entry or Web site, pressing the menu key, and then selecting Add to Home Screen and selecting Mark as Favorite (should be checked off by default). Meanwhile, the process for adding favorite apps simply requires you do a long-press and then select Mark as Favorite from the contextual menu.

Overall, this system does a good job of making it easier to access and manage apps, and improves the user experience on the whole. With the contextual menus and improvements to the Web browser and multimedia features (more on this below), we got a sense that RIM really took advantage of touch-screen capabilities this time around, whereas the Storm models felt a little half-baked.

Yet, despite all this, one of our favorite things about BlackBerry OS 6 came down to a simple thing like universal search. RIM makes good on the "universal" part, as the search function scans nearly the entire contents of your phone, including contacts, messages, calendar, music, and pictures. In addition, you can extend your search to Google, YouTube, BlackBerry App World, and third-party apps, so you're getting a very robust search experience here. It was rare that we weren't able to find what we were looking for using universal search on the Torch.

Features
The RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a quad-band world phone featuring 3G support, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Other phone features include speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, visual voice mail, and text and multimedia messaging. Text and multimedia messages are now combined into a single in-box and supports threaded chat view, inline addressing and group chat. You can also instantly connect with friends through BlackBerry Messenger as well as through standard instant messaging clients like Windows Live, Yahoo, Google Talk, and AIM, all of which are preloaded on the phone.

Of course, what's a BlackBerry without e-mail? The Torch can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. Recently, RIM also released BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express, a free but limited version of BES, that allows individuals and small businesses to sync their Exchange Calendar, contacts, and tasks and access files store on your company's network.

With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts, with both separate and combined in-boxes. There's a setup wizard to help you sync your accounts, and it's usually just a matter of entering your log-in ID and password. We were able to sync our Gmail and Yahoo accounts with no problem, but did run into two-way synchronization issues with Gmail over BIS. Though RIM rolled out this feature this summer, it didn't work on our device. For example, if we read or delete an e-mail from Gmail on our PC, this was not reflected on the Torch, so we were constantly cleaning up our smartphone's in-box, which got to be pretty annoying.

Nowadays, e-mail isn't enough. People also want access to their social networks, and the BlackBerry Torch is up to the task. The smartphone not only comes preloaded with Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter clients, but also a new Social Feeds app, which aggregates updates from these sites, as well as instant-messaging clients, into one spot. You can pick and choose which sites you want pulled into the feed, and also adjust notification and display settings. In addition, the app also acts as an RSS feed aggregator.

The BlackBerry Torch comes preloaded with a number of other apps and games, such as DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition, a memopad, a calculator, BrickBreaker, Word Mole, and Bejeweled. You'll also find AT&T services and apps on the device as well, including AT&T Map, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Music, Yellow Pages Mobile, and Where.

You can download additional apps from the new BlackBerry App World 2.0. The store offers more than 9,000 apps, which pales in comparison to iTunes and the Android Market, but the upside is that the store now supports carrier billing (AT&T will be the first to offer this) and the new BlackBerry ID service, which keeps track of your downloads and purchases so the next time you get a new BlackBerry, you can enter your BlackBerry ID and password and automatically reload your apps to the new device.

RIM said most existing apps should work with BlackBerry OS 6, but initially, there might be some variation on how well all the features of an app work with the new platform. Also, keep in mind that you can save apps only to the phone's main memory (512MB Flash memory).

Web browsing and multimedia
It's no secret that the BlackBerry browser has been RIM's Achilles' heel. Sluggish and limited in functionality, Web browsing on a BlackBerry was no walk in the park. To its credit, the company acknowledged the problem and acquired Torch Mobile in August 2009 (it's no coincidence that the phone is called the BlackBerry Torch) to develop a WebKit-based browser for the BlackBerry platform, and we're finally seeing the fruits of that labor.

The result is a combination of simplified processes, such as a cleaner start page and easier bookmarking, and new and improved features like tabbed browsing and enhanced URL sharing. There's also support for pinch-to-zoom and text reflow, so if you double-tap on a part of page to zoom in, the browser will automatically adjust the text to fit the screen. Another improvement is better HTML and JavaScript rendering, and partial support for HTML5 and CSS3, which might be a too much techno jargon for some, but it's important as it improves the speed and performance of the browser. Unfortunately, there is no Flash support and RIM would not comment on whether it would be added in the future.

In real-world use, we definitely felt the browser was much more functional than the previous version. We really liked the tabbed browsing setup, as it minimizes your current page and brings up thumbnails versions of all your open pages at which point you can swipe through until you find your desired page. For the most part, the text reflow function works as advertised, but if there's any type of in-line tables or graphics, some scrolling might be involved; there's also a slight redraw delay when you zoom in using the pinch-to-zoom gesture.

We saw a bump in speed, too, but there is still room for improvement, as the BlackBerry browser wasn't quite as fast as some of the other mobile browsers. Over a Wi-Fi connection, the Huffington Post's full site loaded in 50 seconds on the Torch, while the mobile sites for CNN and ESPN came up in 7 seconds and 6 seconds respectively. By comparison, the Android browser on the Nexus One brought up the same sites in 15 seconds, 3 seconds, and 4 seconds, respectively and the Safari browser on the iPhone 3GS delivered in 35 seconds, 6 seconds, and 5 seconds.

Moving on to the multimedia features. Much like Android, BlackBerry always provided an acceptable multimedia experience, but provided a rather lackluster user interface. This all changes with the Torch and BlackBerry OS 6, as you now get a Cover Flow-like presentation that utilizes the touch screen for navigating through tracks and playback. The video player also gives you more playback options, ranging from actual size to full screen.

The Torch supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, FLAC, and OGG music files and MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and WMV video codecs. To get files on the phone, you can use the Torch as a mass-storage device and simply drag and drop files. Alternatively, the new BlackBerry Desktop Software 6 can sync your media libraries from Windows Media Player or iTunes, and there's also a Wi-Fi Music Sync feature that, among other things, will allow you to download songs to your smartphone over your home's Wi-Fi network. The Torch has 4GB on onboard memory and comes with a 4GB microSD card, though the expansion slot can accept up to 32GB cards.

Other entertainment goodies include a dedicated YouTube player, Slacker Radio, MobiTV, and a new podcast app that offers content from the QuickPlay podcast catalog.

The Torch features a 5-megapixel camera with auto focus, 2X zoom, and an LED flash. It's the highest camera RIM has ever put on a BlackBerry but the company says it's not about the megapixels. It's about little details like providing the right tools for taking pictures indoors and capturing action shots. As a result, the company added new camera options such as face detection, additional scene modes, and a simplified camera interface.

The new camera options did a good job capturing images in different environments, but indoor shots came out a bit soft.

We appreciated all the new camera options, and most of the scene modes did their job. For our standard indoor shot, we switched the scene mode to Party, which is recommended for "dim, indoor environments," and the setting definitely helped in terms of lighting and color performance. However picture quality was a bit soft. Outdoor shots came out nice, and we were able to capture fast-moving subjects using Sports mode. You can check out some image samples in our photo gallery. What's disappointing, though, is that the camera only records VGA video, whereas phones like the HTC Evo 4G and Motorola Droid X now offer HD video recording. That said, recorded clips on the Torch were pretty decent.

Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) RIM BlackBerry Torch in New York using AT&T service and call quality was generally good. On our side, the audio was clear with minimal background noise. Occasionally, there was a bit of voice distortion, making callers sound slightly robotic, but it didn't stop us from continuing our conversation. Meanwhile, our friends reported good results and didn't have any major complaints.

Speakerphone quality definitely could be better. Calls sounded hollow and several friends said they could hear an echo. Also, even at the highest level, the volume was low, making it quite difficult to hold a conversation in a louder environment. We had no problem pairing the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset or the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active headphones.

We had pretty good 3G coverage throughout Manhattan, but we did have two dropped calls in Midtown. Data speeds were decent. CNET's mobile site loaded in 15 seconds, and we were able to download a 1.5MB app from BlackBerry App World in less than a minute. YouTube videos buffered within several seconds, and played back continuously. However, audio and video weren't always synced up. Videos from our own media library played back nicely with no synchronization problems, but we were definitely pining for a better screen.

If there's one area where the Torch trips up, it's general performance. Armed with a 624MHz Marvell processor, the smartphone can be sluggish at times. Though most applications launched pretty quickly, we encountered delays when switching between tasks. There were a couple of times they were significant enough that we thought the system might have frozen, but eventually it came back to life.

The BlackBerry Torch's battery has a rated talk time of 5.5 hours (2G)/5.8 hours (3G) and up to 17 days (2G)/13 days (3G) of standby time. In our battery drain tests, the smartphone was able to provide 5 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge. With moderate use (some Web browsing, music, and video playback, and e-mail), the smartphone was able to last a little more than a day before needing to recharge. According to FCC radiation tests, the Torch has a SAR rating of 0.91 watt per kilogram and a Hearing Aid Compatibility rating of M3/T3.

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Dare to Dream

Yanni tacitly announced he was becoming a kinder, gentler, more thoughtful musician with the release of this 1992 studio recording. The triumphant surges and tympani-powered sonic eruptions that often distinguished his earlier works are replaced here by greater emphasis on billowy clouds of stardust. Yet even on its own subdued terms, Dare to Dream is largely an attractive package designed for Yanni's legions of newer fans who discovered him on Oprah or PBS. If you remember to program your CD-player to skip "Aria," a shrill, operatic oddity, you'll discover the album's strengths lie in its more energetic compositions--particularly "Desire" and "You Only Live Once." On the quiet side, the affecting "To the One Who Knows" is a soul-searching gem that bears repeated listening. --Terry Wood

Price: $7.98

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Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint)

Samsung Epic 4G Review (Sprint) - Smartphones - CNET Reviews home reviews news downloads video On silicon.com: Ten top Apple iPad applications.siteId7 .mpu {height:auto;}.siteId1.node1 #tabbedPromoUnitHolder {margin:20px 0 0;}.siteId105 #ads_backsplashSkinClick {height: 490px !important;}.pageType4505 .overviewContent .mediaGallery .prodPhotoWrap {*float:left;} log in join CNET welcome, my profile log out Cell Phones Camcorders Digital Cameras Laptops TVs Car Tech All Categories Appliances Camcorders Car Tech Cell phones Cell phone accessories Components Desktops Digital cameras Games and gear GPS Hard drives and burners Home audio Home video Internet access Laptops Monitors MP3 players Networking and Wi-Fi Peripherals Printers Software Tablets Televisions Web hosting CNET Archive Forums Home Reviews Smartphones Samsung smartphones Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint) Review User reviews Specifications Check coverage Compare Shop $$('ul.subnav li').getLast().addClass('last'); Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint) Share Add to my list Print E-mail Want it Got it Had it Photos .overviewContent .mediaGallery .prodPhotoWrap{ display: block !important; } See all Samsung products

CNET Editors' Rating 4.0 stars Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)

Excellent

Average User Rating 4.0 stars

out of 69 user reviews See all user reviews

Quick Specs Service provider: Sprint Nextel Cellular technology: CDMA2000 1X Combined with: With digital camera / digital player See all specifications Where to buy Shop now Price range: $239.99 - $649.99

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HTC Evo 4G - black Starting at $199.99

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Motorola Droid 2 Starting at $0.01

Editor's rating: 4.0 out of 5 CNET editors' review Expand full review Reviewed by: Nicole Lee Reviewed on: 08/15/2010 Updated on: 08/18/2010 CNET editors' rating 4.0 stars Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars) Design: 9.0 9.0/10 Features: 9.0 9.0/10 Performance: 8.0 8.0/10 Editors' rating explained Check coverage
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The good: The Samsung Epic 4G has a knockout Super AMOLED display, a 1GHz processor, a front-facing camera, an impressive QWERTY keyboard, a 5.0-megapixel camera with an LED flash, and supports Sprint's 4G WiMax network. It is capable of acting as a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot for up to five devices.

The bad: The Samsung Epic 4G is the bulkiest of the Galaxy S phones and also the priciest. It also requires a costly data plan.

The bottom line: The Samsung Epic 4G is a multimedia powerhouse with features the other Galaxy S phones don't have. Unfortunately, it comes with a big price tag.

Review:

Photo gallery:
Samsung Epic 4G

Editors' note, August 18, 2010: Upon further analysis, we have upgraded the rating of the Samsung Epic 4G to 8.7.

Portions of the user interface section were taken from our review of the Samsung Vibrant since both phones have the TouchWiz user interface.

Out of all the phones in the Samsung Galaxy S series, the Epic 4G strikes us as the most desirable for power users. Like all Galaxy S phones, the Epic 4G has a large Super AMOLED touch screen, a 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 processor, and it will have access to Samsung' ... Expand full review

Photo gallery:
Samsung Epic 4G

Editors' note, August 18, 2010: Upon further analysis, we have upgraded the rating of the Samsung Epic 4G to 8.7.

Portions of the user interface section were taken from our review of the Samsung Vibrant since both phones have the TouchWiz user interface.

Out of all the phones in the Samsung Galaxy S series, the Epic 4G strikes us as the most desirable for power users. Like all Galaxy S phones, the Epic 4G has a large Super AMOLED touch screen, a 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 processor, and it will have access to Samsung's upcoming Media Hub store. The Epic 4G layers on several enticing extras that its line mates don't have--such as a slide-out keyboard, a front-facing camera, an LED flash, and most intriguing of all, it supports Sprint's nascent 4G WiMax network. The latter feature makes it the second 4G phone in the U.S. after the HTC Evo 4G.

Perhaps the Epic 4G's biggest downside is its price. At $249.99, it is the most expensive Galaxy S phone that Samsung makes, and that price is with a new two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. As with the Evo 4G, Sprint charges a mandatory $10 per month for its 4G data. According to Sprint, the price is justifiable because of the extra services you get for the price--4G speeds, unlimited data, and the use of it as a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot, which costs an additional $29.99 a month--but we think the add-on should be optional since its 4G service is not available nationwide.

However, we think the Epic 4G truly deserves its name as its design and feature set make it the all-in-one powerhouse in the Galaxy S family.

Design
While it is not the sexiest of the Samsung Galaxy S models--that honor goes to the Samsung Vibrant for T-Mobile--the Epic 4G is not a bad-looker either. Its rounded edges, curved corners, and glossy black surface give it a sleek and elegant look that is minimalist and eye-catching. Yet, at 4.9 inches long by 2.54 inches wide by 0.56 inches thick and 5.46 ounces, the Epic 4G is perhaps the SUV of the Galaxy S phones and might be a tight fit in most pockets. Still, we appreciate its heft as it contributes to a decidedly solid and durable feel in the hand.

The Samsung Epic 4G has a very impressive 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display.

The Epic 4G's 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display absolutely mesmerized us. It can display 16 million colors and has a WVGA resolution, which enables it to display vibrant graphics and fantastic looking video. The screen also has a wider viewing angle and a higher contrast ratio when compared with a traditional LCD. Thankfully, unlike older OLED displays, the Super AMOLED screen also looks great under bright sunlight.

We found the touch-screen display to be quite responsive. It didn't take long for it to register our taps, and flipping through menus and lists felt intuitive and second nature. If you like, the Epic 4G provides vibration and sound effects as touch feedback, though we didn't think it was necessary. The accelerometer kicked in very quickly, less than a second, to change the screen orientation when we rotated the phone. We're also glad that the Epic 4G has a proximity sensor, which turns off the screen when we hold the phone to our ear during a call. As for input methods, you can use Swype or the standard Android virtual keyboard. Underneath the display are four touch-sensitive keys for the menu, home, back, and search, which are standard for Android phones.

The Samsung Epic 4G is the only Galaxy S phone with a physical keyboard.

While you can always use the virtual keyboard, the Epic 4G also has a slide-out physical keyboard. Just slide the display to the right and you'll find an incredibly spacious QWERTY keyboard with five whole rows of keys. The physical keyboard gives you a dedicated row of number keys as well as four physical versions of the touch-sensitive controls we mentioned earlier. As we're not big fans of touch-sensitive controls, we're very pleased with the latter. Not only is the keyboard well spaced, but also the keys are highly clickable, with just the right amount of tactile response when pressed. It's certainly one of the better mobile QWERTY keyboards we've tested.

The Epic 4G's other physical controls are the volume rocker on the left spine, and the power/screen lock key and camera button on the right. The phone has 3.5mm headset jack and a Micro-USB port on the top, while its back houses the camera lens and an LED flash. We should note that the Samsung Epic 4G is the only Galaxy S phone with an LED flash for the camera. It is also the only Galaxy S phone to have a front-facing camera, which is located to the upper right of the display. The microSD card slot is located behind the battery cover.

Sprint ships the Samsung Epic 4G with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a wired stereo headset with interchangeable ear bud covers, and reference material. You can also purchase a docking station and a battery charging station, which are available separately. For more add-ons, please check our cell phones accessories, ringtones, and help page.

User interface
Like the rest of the Galaxy S series, the Epic 4G runs on Android 2.1 with Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface. The latter is definitely improved from previous versions, with some enhanced functionality and a more polished look.

To start, there are new widgets, including one called Feeds & Updates and another called Buddies Now. Feeds & Updates streams updates from Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, and you can choose to display content from one, two, or all three of the social-networking Web sites, as well as set the refresh rate, ranging from 30 minutes to once a day. Buddies Now is like a favorites list and lets you immediately call or text those contacts, as well as comment on any of their updates. There are a number of other Samsung widgets, Android widgets, and other shortcuts, all of which can be added to one of seven home screens.

The home screens can also be personalized with live wallpaper, but there are two elements that remain on each screen: the pull-down notification tray on top, which now includes wireless manager and profile functions, and the toolbar along the bottom with quick-launch buttons to the phone dialer, contacts, messaging, and applications. Pressing the latter takes you to a nice grid view of all your apps; they're spread out over several pages, which you can swipe from side to side. The menu icons are also neatly arranged inside squares for a more unified look. We much prefer this layout over the standard Android one, where you have to scroll up and down. It feels more natural, easier to navigate, and is easier to use than the standard Android interface.

Also, for those worried about how the TouchWiz interface may interfere with future Android updates, according to Samsung, the entire Galaxy S portfolio will be upgradeable to Android 2.2, and it has made tweaks to the user interface that will make it easier to adapt it to future Android versions. However, the company also noted that without really knowing what Google has planned down the line, there may be a time where updates can't be supported because of hardware limitations or other factors.

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Features
The Samsung Epic 4G is a CDMA phone that supports 3G and 4G connectivity--3G is in the form of EV-DO Rev. A, while 4G is in the form of Sprint's WiMax. While we weren't able to test the 4G connectivity at the time of this writing, you can read our review of the HTC Evo 4G to get some idea of our experiences with Sprint's 4G WiMax service. Like the Evo 4G, you can use the Epic 4G as a mobile Wi-Fi hots pot for up to five devices. However, bear in mind that this mobile broadband hot spot service costs an extra $29.99 a month.

Unsurprisingly, the Epic 4G comes with a few basic smartphone features like the speakerphone, conference calling, voice dialing, text and multimedia messaging, visual voice mail, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The latter is compatible with Sprint's Navigation service, though we're slightly partial to Google's Maps with Navigation app. The phone book is limited to available memory and there's room in each entry for multiple numbers, e-mail addresses, IM handles, group IDs, photo caller IDs, and more.

You can merge all your contacts from your various email and social network accounts into your phonebook with Samsung's Social Hub feature. The phone is often smart enough to link the contacts for you, but we found we had to do some manual linking for a few of our contacts. As for e-mail, the Epic 4G works with Gmail in addition to your own POP3, IMAP, and Exchange accounts, and you can view a combined in-box for all your e-mail if you like. As with the other Galaxy S phones, this works best if you have relatively few e-mail folders-- too many of them will result in a rather cluttered interface. The calendar also syncs nicely with your Google or Outlook calendar.

Since the Epic 4G has a front-facing VGA camera, it makes sense that Sprint has included the Qik video chat app with the phone. With Qik and the front camera, you are able to make and answer video calls provided the other person also has a Qik account. You can also video chat with someone who has Qik running on a PC. The Qik video chat service is free, but there's a premium service that provides higher resolution and video archiving for $4.99 a month. You can use Qik with Wi-Fi, 4G, and 3G networks, but its video is noticeably choppier when connected via 3G.

Other apps on the Epic 4G include the alarm clock, the Android Webkit Web browser, the calculator, Facebook, the memo pad, Google Talk, ThinkFree Office, the voice dialer, Google voice search, the Asphalt video game, and YouTube. Since it is a Sprint phone, you also get a few standard Sprint apps like Sprint Zone, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Football, Nascar Sprint Mobile, and Sprint TV. You can get more apps via the Android Market.

The Epic 4G's beautiful Super AMOLED display makes the phone well suited for watching media. You can watch content from YouTube and Sprint TV, though the video quality from both sources doesn't quite do the display justice. Thankfully, eventually you'll be able to rent and purchase content on the Epic 4G from Samsung's Media Hub that will launch later this year. According to Samsung, its service will include both TV shows and movies; however, we don't yet know the names of the content partners. If you like, you can load your own videos--the Epic 4G supports MP4 video formats in addition to DivX- and DivX HD-encoded media files. The phone is also compatible with Samsung's AllShare service that lets you wirelessly share stored media (that includes pictures, HD video, and more) to other DLNA-certified home electronics.

As with all Android phones, you can purchase and download songs from the Amazon MP3 store, and of course, you can load your own music via USB or microSD. The music player has 5.1-channel surround sound and it has a pretty album cover interface similar to Apple's Cover Flow. The phone only has 1GB of internal memory, so we would advise the use of microSD cards for storing media. The Epic 4G can take up to 16GB microSD cards.

The Samsung Epic 4G has a 5.0-megapixel camera and an LED flash.

Last, but definitely not least, is the 5.0-megapixel camera, which can record video in HD. Its picture quality is pretty impressive. We thought the images looked sharp and colors were nice and natural. Low-light shots weren't so hot, but, thankfully, the Epic 4G has an LED flash that helped considerably. Some of the camera settings include ISO, blink and smile detection, and panorama mode.

The Samsung Epic 4G took pretty good photos.

Performance
We tested the Samsung Epic 4G in San Francisco using the Sprint Nextel service. Call quality was very good for the most part. There was a tiny bit of voice distortion in our caller's voice as well as the occasional static, but that didn't ruin the overall call. They came through loud and clear, albeit a little tinny.

Samsung Epic 4G call quality sample Listen now:

Our callers said the same about us; they detected no background sound. However, they said the voice quality was noticeably tinny and harsh. Still, its voice clarity wins out in the end, and they had no major complaints with call quality. The same goes for the speakerphone-- as expected, there was a slight hollowness and echo effects to the calls, but it was overall clear and clean.

We tested the handset's 4G support in Seattle using Sprint's and Clearwire's WiMax network. On the whole, coverage was reliable, though it can be spotty depending on your exact location. We found reliable service in the airport and its immediate surroundings, the downtown area, the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and the city of Renton, Wash. We also took the Epic 4G for a ride on Seattle's light rail between the airport and downtown. We bounced back to 3G a couple of times during the trip, specifically in the Tukwila and Rainier Beach areas. We also didn't get 4G service in tunnels, but that's understandable.

When we were connected, the service was strong and graphics-heavy Web sites loaded quickly. Airliners.net fully loaded in 15 seconds and Giantbomb.com took 25 seconds. In contrast, mobile sites like CNN took barely any time at all. YouTube videos were fast, as well, and we downloaded apps from the Android Market. It took about 15 seconds to download a track from the Amazon MP3 store, which is comparable to our experience on the Evo 4G. For your reference, Sprint says its 4G WiMax network can provide wireless speeds up to 10 times faster than today's 3G, with average download speeds ranging from 3Mbps to 6Mbps and peak download speeds of up to 10Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps. Compare that with 3G's average download speeds of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps and peak download speeds of 1.3Mbps.

Connected via Sprint's 3G network, the phone performed well. We loaded the BBC mobile Web page in just 5 seconds, and the full CNET page in just 12 seconds. We experienced only a few seconds buffering time for YouTube videos, even in high quality. We enjoyed the high-quality YouTube videos for the most part, but we still noticed some artifacts and inconsistent color tones in the background. The default MP4 video file that Samsung provided looked much better because of its HD quality

Connected via Sprint's 3G network, the phone performed well. We loaded the BBC mobile Web page in just 5 seconds, and the full CNET page in just 12 seconds. We experienced only a few seconds buffering time for YouTube videos, even in high quality. We enjoyed the high-quality YouTube videos for the most part, but we still noticed some artifacts and inconsistent color tones in the background. The default MP4 video file that Samsung provided looked much better because of its HD quality.

The 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 application processor did its job well. Apps launched quickly, and we didn't experience too many hiccups with menu transitions and multitasking.

The Samsung Epic 4G has a 1,500mAh lithium ion battery with a rated battery life of 7.5 hours talk time and 21 days standby time. The Epic 4G had a talk time of 6 hours and 43 minutes in 3G. According to FCC radiation tests, the Epic 4G has a digital SAR of 0.68 watt per kilogram and has a Hearing Aid Compatibility Rating of M3/T3.

Previous page User Reviews See All User Reviews Average user rating 4.0 stars out of 69 user reviews My Rating 0 stars

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Showing number 1 of 69 reviews 21 of 27 users found this review helpful

5.0 stars "One of the best smartphones for 2010"by KoolaidForYou on 2010-08-17 16:07:27.0

Pros: 1. Sprint's data plan $69. 2. 4g phone (If you are in the coverage areas) 3. Android OS, the best OS on the market today. That is if you want to use your phone for the first primary reason to use a smartphone, Organization!

Cons: 4g coverage is not everywhere so if you are in one of the non-4g areas, you will be paying an extra $10 per month for nothing, BUT you are still saving $50 plus dollars a month compared to At&t or Verizon.

Summary: The bottom-line is this is one of the best smartphones on the market with a company that saves you money during these hard times. Nicole Lee comment on "The Bad" (The Samsung Epic 4G is the bulkiest of the Galaxy S phones and also the priciest. It also requires a ... Expand full review

Summary: The bottom-line is this is one of the best smartphones on the market with a company that saves you money during these hard times. Nicole Lee comment on "The Bad" (The Samsung Epic 4G is the bulkiest of the Galaxy S phones and also the priciest. It also requires a costly data plan.) is just NOT FAIR at ALL! bulkiest compared to other Galaxy S phones that don't have slide out keyboard? Why not compare it to other phones with slide out keyboards like the Motorola Droid! And the "priciest" part again is WRONG, so you pay what... and extra $50 but end of saving $1,200 in the price plan because your on Sprint instead of Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Don't drink the Koolaid, do some of your own research, because you will find out that CNET is not always right. They are they best and I look to them all the time, but they are human. I have the HTC EVO and I love it! And I looked at enough reviews on this phone, to know that it going to be a WINNER. I have been on VZW and ATT before and what I have found out is... THEY ALL ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, an "utility company"! Have NO loyalty to companies, have loyalty to GREAT Product at fair prices. That what you get if you buy this phone or the HTC EVO. Droid & iPhone are GREAT phones, it just that they don't have a big enough difference to make a difference... if you know what I mean. Put your concern on the PLAN and COVERAGE... that what really matters. I'm LOVING Sprint right now because I am saving a total of $1,800 a year because I can got rid of my iPhone (which is more of an entertainment phone, that an organization phone) ($140 per month) and my Comcast internet ($80 per month). Think about what you can do with ALL that extra cash and HAVE one of the best smartphone ever made!

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3.0 stars "Great Phone, Poor 3G Upload" by koadic on 2010-09-22 12:52:15.0 3.0 stars "Over priced Over hyped Overpaid" by Helixmoon on 2010-09-22 12:41:49.0 See all user reviews

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