The Cell Phone Junkie

After many years as a devout Windows Mobile user, things started to get a bit stale when the iPhone came along with its game changing user interface. Between the summer of 2007, and the fall of 2010, there was little Microsoft could do with its current offering to make it desirable. Then along comes Windows Phone 7, with its unique and simple layout and completely rewritten interface. The Samsung Focus is one of 3 Windows Phone 7 devices being offered by AT&T. The device is available from AT&T for $200 on contract.

What’s in the Box

• Samsung Focus
• Standard 1500mAh Lithium Ion Battery
• microUSB AC charger
• USB Cable
• AT&T SIM card
• Stereo Headset
• Quickstart guide

Specifications

• Technology/Frequencies: UMTS 2100/1900/850 and GSM/EDGE 800/900/1800/1900
• Weight: 4.2 oz
• Size: 4.84” x 2.56” x 0.39”
• Cubic Volume: 4.83 cubic inches
• Operating System: Windows Phone 7
• Processor: 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon
• Memory: 8GB Flash ROM and 512 RAM
• Battery: 1500mAh Lithium Ion
• Screen: 4″ Super AMOLED with 480 x 800 resolution
• Camera(s): 5MP
• LED flash
• Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
• WiFi b/g, GPS, BT

Samsung Focus Overview

Phone/Data
Phone calls on the Focus sound good, though the handset could be a tad louder. In fact, there have already been hacks released to increase the volume. Hopefully this will be fixed in a software update. Holding the phone while talking proves to be an interesting experience. On more than half my phone calls I would notice the camera application was open when completing my call. Due to the placement of the camera button on the bottom right side, it is easy to hit when holding in your left hand. On the bright side, during phone calls where this happened, the screen never came on thanks to the proximity sensor.

AT&T service on the device was on par with my typical experience. I did not experience any dropped calls while out and about. Data service functioned fine, with reasonable speeds and a generally good experience.

Samsung Focus Test Call

Hardware
My first impression of the Focus was at the Microsoft Store at Scottsdale Fashion Square back in early November. The Focus is the thinnest Windows Phone 7 device currently available, and has 4 inch Super AMOLED screen looks very nice, and functions well, even in bright sunlight.

The screen size is .5″ larger than the iPhone, but it uses more of the front of the device for the screen, so the overall size is not much larger. The closest other device in comparison from Samsung is the Fascinate.

The plastic design isn’t industrial like the metal frame of the iPhone, but the phone still feels solid. The back cover is the same Tupperware design on many Android devices, but snaps on tightly and has minimal wiggle.

Battery life on the Focus is good, and takes me through 2 days with moderate usage. Even though there is regular updating of the live tiles on the home screen, and pushed email, the 1500mAh battery is a great size for the phone. I still chuckle when i see the Windows Phone 7 commercials, talking about freeing yourself from your phone. I found this to definitely be the case, and I was turning the phone on much less than other touch screen slab devices I use. It really does get you in, out, and back to life.

On the front of the phone are 3 capacitive buttons, Back, Windows, and Bing Search. I like the idea of not having physical buttons on the phone, but i did find the Bing button pressed inadvertently on many occasions. This interruption of sends you to Bing, or tries to search the application you in. Fortunately, one tap on the back button, and you’re back to what you were doing.

Front. Back, Windows and Bing Search buttons on the bottom.

Left side. Volume rocker

Top side. microUSB charging port with slider and 3.5mm headphone jack

Right side. Power button and camera button

Bottom side. microphone hole

Back side. 5MP camera, LED flash and speaker

The camera on the Focus is quite good, and the 5MP lens does a nice job of capturing on the go photos.

Sample Camera Photo 1

Sample Camera Photo 2

Software/Features/Usability
The US launch day in November was also my first experience with Windows Phone 7. The OS was explained nicely during a one on one with Microsoft’s Darin Travis about the features of the new OS.

Windows Phone 7 Video Overview

As the first version of the software, Windows Phone 7 completely redesigned the Windows Mobile experience. From the tiles on the home screen to the applications it supports, Windows Phone is the future for Microsoft. As the video showed, the UI is relatively simple and straight forward. Options are sparse, but the speed is there. I do however wonder if the UI went too far to the simplistic side. We are talking about a Windows phone operating system, not exactly known for being the most simple out there. As a power user of my phones, I regularly found things that caused me concern.

First Issue – The first thing I want to do once I booted up the phone the first time was to log into my WiFi network. Unfortunately, the network in my office is hidden, and Windows Phone 7 doesn’t support connections to hidden Wi-Fi networks. Before you can connect to such a network, you must ensure that the network is not viewable. Sometimes you won’t have administrative rights to a network (as in my case), and so there is no way to connect.

Next, there is a space on the right side of the screen that runs from the top to the bottom next to the tiles. The only thing in this space is an arrow, denoting the ability to swipe to a screen to the right. This felt like a waste of screen real estate, and could have been better utilized. Further, when you launch any of the native hubs, i found the large title text that spreads across multiple screens distracting. I can say though that the learning curve in nearly every hub is very short, and most users should be able to get comfortable with the layout in a few days.

The Keyboard in Windows Phone 7 is the first virtual option that compares to the iPhone. The layout, auto-correction, and usability is such that is quite enjoyable to use for extended periods of time.

Finally, the OS just doesn’t yet feel “complete” like its competition. Realizing that the product is still first generation, the OS is behind when compared to Android and the iOS. Hopefully, updates will come quickly and often to keep customers satisfied.

Overall
Anyone looking for an iPhone or Android alternative with a simple and friendly UI and good specifications should look at the Samsung Focus with Windows Phone 7. The first WP7 Samsung phone has a beautiful 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a great Samsung camera, good multimedia support, and an improved browser. Though there is no copy and paste yet, and limited support for landscape mode, the Samsung Focus is a good choice for those just entering the smartphone market, and want to go Windows.

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