78
Samsung Fascinate (SCH-i500)
$499.00
Released July, 2010
The Pros:Stunning 4" Super-AMOLED display @ 800 x 480px, takes phone displays to a new level (esp. color, contrast, viewing angles & brightness). Runs a current generation high end 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU by Samsung (Hummingbird). WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and 3G (EV-DO Rev. A max downlink 3.1 Mbit/s, max uplink 1.8Mbit/s) connectivity.
The Cons:No forward-facing camera (international version Galaxy S has 1.3MP front-facing camera). No dedicated Camera button. Samsung has never provided a premium UI / good support for their mobile devices.
The Samsung Fascinate is a high-end smartphone part of the Samsung Galaxy S family. Exclusive to the Verizon network, the Fascinate is very similar to the T-Mobile's Samsung Vibrant, Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G, and AT&T's Samsung Captivate; each of these phones share some core features, primarily a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with 720p video recording, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and version 2.1 of Google's Android OS.
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At the time of its release, the Samsung Hummingbird integrates the most powerful graphics accelerator found in mobile phone processors: Its PowerVR SGX540 processes 28 MPolys/s and 1Gpx/s@200MHz. As a comparison, the iPhone 4 and 3GS use the SGX535 (14 MPolys/s, 1Gpx/s@200MHz) and Motorola's Droid X uses the SGX530 (14 MPolys/s, 500Mpx/s@200MHz). However, the Fascinate comes with a 16GB microSD card included and will sport 3G mobile hotspot capabilities with up to five compatible Wi-Fi devices.
The Fascinate's 3G mobile hotspot feature allows it to tether up to five compatible Wi-Fi devices to its mobile network, effectively allowing it to act as a wireless braodband modem. Its 1GHz Hummingbird processor allows the Fascinate to easily handle simultaneous apps and system functions without much trouble. Additionally, the Fascinate's 4-inch Super AMOLED screen sports a 480x800 resolution and ensures maximum visibility in even the brightest lighting conditions.
Features
- Android 2.1 OS
- 1GHz Hummingbird processor
- PowerVR SGX540 (powerful graphics accelerator integrated into Hummingbird processor)
- 5 megapixel camera with 720p recording
- 4-inch Super AMOLED display
- 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 3G
- 16GB microSD card included (compatible with up to 32GB)
- 3G mobile hotspot for tethering up to 5 wireless devices
- 3.5mm headphone jack
User Reviews (9)
Pros & Cons
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4
stunning 4" Super-AMOLED display @ 800 x 480px, takes phone displays to a new level (esp. color, contrast, viewing angles & brightness)
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4
runs a current generation high end 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU by Samsung (Hummingbird)
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4
WiFi (802.11b/g/n) and 3G (EV-DO Rev. A max downlink 3.1 Mbit/s, max uplink 1.8Mbit/s) connectivity
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4
camera LED flash (unlike some other Galaxy S models)
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4
5MP backside camera with HD video recording (720p @ 30fps)
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4
standard 3.5mm headphone jack
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3
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3
stunning graphics acceleration (PowerVR SGX540 GPU): 90 million triangles/sec (iPhone 3GS: 28 million/sec; Snapdragon Adreno: 22 million/sec)
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3
supports Bluetooth version 3.0
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3
one of the first mobile phones to support DivX HD
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3
memory expandable with standard microSD/microSDHC cards
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3
charging/data transfer via standard microUSB port
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3
Atmel maXTouch sensor for multi-touch (high precision, very low power, can detect indefinite number of points on the screen)
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3
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3
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3
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2
user-removable Li-Ion battery with 1500mAh capacity
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2
runs the latest version of the open source Android OS (2.1)
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2
3-axis gyroscope for 6-axis sensoring and 3-axis accelerometer (same STMicro chip as on iPhone 4)
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2
Corning® Gorilla® glass (environmentally friendly alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass that is both scratch resistant and durable)
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2
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2
the perfect size - much more comfortable than the majority of oversized smartphones on the market
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2
no forward-facing camera (international version Galaxy S has 1.3MP front-facing camera)
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2
No dedicated Camera button
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2
Samsung has never provided a premium UI / good support for their mobile devices
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2
Verizon has made some proprietary changes to the phone, locking it down from being used as the user might want it to be (eg/ Bing only search)
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2
Samsung TouchWiz UI (Android skin and software) provides a poorer experience than stock Android
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1
No "Call/message recieved" indicator light.
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0
only 2GB internal flash memory (other Galaxy S models have 8 or 16GB)
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-1
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-1
extremely glossy glass screen atop the display
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-1
light, fully plastic construction
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-2
no FM transmiter for in car stereo wireless audio
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Comments (2)
Mr.G:
#samsung_fascinate_sch_i500 I resently upgraded to the Fascinate from my previous T-mobile carrier and this is a wonderful device despite how fast the screen locks while in talk mode. While in talk mode the screen is open to dialing for 1 sec. after you start a call. If anyone have the answer on how to resolve this issue, please let me know. Thanks!
Dec 27, 10
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onyxravine:
#samsung_fascinate_sch_i500 The pros on this phone far outweigh the cons overall.
For the negative: I will say that the OS is stuck at 2.1 and was supposed to be upgraded to 2.2 by November. There is currently no US release date on the upgrade for this phone. The phone is loaded with trial-ware which is not able to be uninstalled and constantly loads itself and asks you to buy the full version(You should get TasKiller free or pro if you get this phone).
For the positive: I upgraded from the Motorola Droid(which came with a clean, non-bloatware OS) and it's amazing how beautiful the Fascinate is between it's visual processing and speed. The only time I have experienced any lag is when the bloatware loaded itself. Otherwise this is one smooth, wonderful phone. Add OpenHome and Beautiful Widgets and you have one sexy display too ;-)
Advice to Verizon: STAY OUT OF THE SOFTWARE ON ANDROIDS!
Dec 10, 10
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2 people like this
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