Samsung Wave GT-S8500 Mobile Phone Review – A Sleek, Complex Phone With Unique Features
Where does one begin when describing the Samsung Wave GT-S8500? This is a mobile that packs a lot into an already gorgeous package. This mobile is truly a wonder, with a wealth of revamped features, a brand spanking new operating system known as Bada, and capacitive touchscreen that gadget lovers the world over have only dreamed about until now. However, it’s not without its flaws.
Appearance:
The Samsung Wave is a phone that looks hundreds more than it actually costs, with a breathtaking 3.3 inch 16 million colour Super AMOLED touchscreen. Not only is it enormous, bright, and gorgeous, but it responds flawlessly to touch as well. This, combined with its TouchWiz 3.0 user interface, makes making navigating the phone a true delight. Unlike many phones with screens this size, it won’t turn into a mirror the moment you try to use it outside either. Its outer casing is also slender, yet solid and sturdy feeling. Alas, the only colour it’s available in is grey, but its metallic sheen is also attractive.
The operating has a wealth of features as well, including ten home screens, a multitasking button, and a wealth of useful little apps and widgets. Thanks to its relatively speedy processor, you don’t have to worry about the phone acting sluggish. Icons remain large and easy to press. Its only downside is that while you have a variety of features that allow you to view various social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter in real time, actually using these features is an exercise in frustration. Needless to say, this isn’t a phone for new users.
Sound:
While the Wave doesn’t provide anything revolutionary in the way of sound, it gives you the essential basics, including a 3.5 mm headphone jack, an FM radio, and a media player that supports all sorts of formats. Sound quality is crisp and crystal clear for both tunes and talk time.
Camera:
Its camera is where the Wave unexpectedly shines. Not only do we get a five megapixel camera with a LED light and auto focus, but you’re also left with a slew of nifty options. These include Smile Detection, Face Detection, geo tagging, and a variety of features that allow you to brighten, darken, crop, or otherwise edit your photos before sending them off to Twitter or Flickr. Also included is a second camera for video calls and a fairly decent video recorder.
Internet Connectivity:
When it comes to keeping you connected, the Wave pulls out all the stops, providing you with 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth A2DP, wi-fi, GPRS, and others. Also included is a GPS receiver with Google Maps, a top notch onscreen keyboard with predictive text, push email, instant messaging capabilities, and much more. As is expected, the Wave’s awesome screen makes browsing and watching YouTube videos a dream.
Memory and Talk Time:
With 2GB of memory plus an additional 32GB available with the micro SD stick,you should have more than enough space to store pictures, emails, texts, and more. With 8.5 hours of talk time and 450 hours of standby, the Wave has a surprisingly hefty battery life as well, especially considering the sheer amount of stuff there is to use.
Verdict:
The Samsung Wave GT-S8500 is truly a wonder. With its breathtaking screen, simple user interface, fast processor, surprisingly robust camera, and slew of different apps and widgets, there’s little to complain about. While certain issues with the operating system may confuse or discourage some users, this is definitely a smartphone worth considering.