Month: December 2014

Some mobile devices blow you away with the amount of features that there able to provide. Other mobile phones look to provide users with the best possible experience at the lowest possible price. In between these two extremes are a series of smartphones that the average person is going to enjoy using because it provides an average experience. The Samsung Ativ S is one of those phones that takes the middle road.

In many ways, the Ativ S is Samsung’s answer for those who want to have a Windows operating system on a smart device. The style of the Samson phone is very similar to that of the Galaxy line, so we can provide some serious punches in specific areas, but there is also a feeling that a lot more could be done without driving up the cost.

What Makes the Samsung Ativ S an Attractive Phone?

This Samsung phone has a nice lightweight design that most users are going to find attractive. There’s no fatigue involved when you are using this phone to meet your mobile connection needs. With the windows operating system tiles on the home screen, getting to favorite apps or a picture that a user wants to share is often just one touch away. The combination of this ease-of-use and compact, lightweight technology definitely makes this an attractive smartphone option.

There’s also added microSD support so that expandable storage is possible. Once you boot up this phone for the first time, you can’t help but feel like you actually have a portable computer in your hands. The more you tend to use it, the better it tends to be from a user standpoint.

The visual aesthetics also make this an attractive phone. With a metallic look and a hairline finish, it makes the Windows phone look like it is a premium handset instead of one that has an average price.

The Samsung Ativ S Has a Nice Display

With a 4.8 inch display and was a total thickness of 8.7 mm, one could hardly label this smartphone as a hefty piece of technology. There aren’t a lot of bells or whistles because the focus has been to design a phone that makes connections faster and simpler. With Gorilla Glass and a 720p resolution complimenting the 306 PPI pixel density, colors shine on this display and give users and authentic graphic representation of what they are seeing.

These graphics in the multitask functions of the Samsung phone are supported by a 1.5 GHz dual core snapdragon processor. This gives the phone enough horsepower to get through pretty much any task that a Windows phone is going to encounter.

The one place of improvement for the display would be the inclusion of sensitive touch technology so that the Samsung Ativ S could be used in multiple environmental conditions. With that being said, most users are going to find that the overall design of this phone will stand up to their basic needs.

Some Improvements Could Be Made to the Ativ S

The one definite place of improvement for this Samsung smartphone is in the placement of the home button. It’s right next to the bottom of the display and can be triggered with a downward swipe of the thumb or finger pretty easily. If you’re playing a favorite game or using a video chat app to speak with someone, it isn’t uncommon to accidentally shutdown the app by going back to the home screen by bumping the button.

There’s also a general lack of customization that comes with this Samsung will device. Where other phones are allowing for color customization or other feature enhancements, the Ativ S gives you the generic option to change the appearance of your home screen and the tiles from the Windows operating system.

Some users might find the lack of LTE support to be troublesome. When it comes to call quality and data access, however, this smartphone is able to compete with most phones. It delivers a fair experience with a level of dependability that the average user is going to want to have with their phone in case an accidental drop happens.

Many users will also feel a little frustrated by the fact that most of the included apps that come out of the box with the Samsung Ativ S need to have full update in order to be properly used. If you’re stuck on a cellular data connection, this can easily use up 1 GB of data from your plan before you even get to use the phone.

What Is the Overall Impression of the Samsung Ativ S?

At this price point, the Samsung Ativ S is going to be a good phone that most people are going to enjoy using. The 8 MP primary camera is going to meet most needs in the 1.9 MP is nice to have for a basic video chat. Everything is decent enough and you can edit pictures within the operating system of phone, but you aren’t going to get high-powered solutions that premium products are able to offer. You can also record video in high definition that is easy enough to edit as well.

Most users are not going to regret deciding to purchase the Samsung Ativ S to meet their mobile connection needs. If you want a daily use phone that can meet some basic business needs while being available for all of your personal connection needs, including sharing photos and data on your favorite social networks, then this mobile phone should be one of the top choices to consider right now.

For users who want to have a premium experience without paying a premium price, however, there are upgrade versions of Samsung mobile phones that can better meet those needs. The Samsung Ativ S is primarily for those who are on a tight budget, want a reliable phone, and want some useable features that they can enjoy using on a regular basis.

Samsung has provided mobile phone users around the world with some amazing technology over the years. Each market has some unique needs, so American cellular users, for example, will have different preferences than users from Malaysia. The Samsung Anycall brand is this electronics manufacturer’s brand for devices in the South Korean market. When you buy a Samsung in South Korea, you’re purchasing a Samsung Anycall.

Anycall is also sold throughout the greater China region. It isn’t just mobile phones that you can purchase from Samsung Anycall: internet access, digital television, and cameras are also available from this brand. It is technically a wholly owned subsidiary, but Samsung products are purchased from Anycall.

What Is the User Experience From Anycall?

If you’re used to a full Samsung experience from your mobile devices, then transitioning to the Anycall experience is seamless. Many of the products that Samsung delivers to the global community are also delivered to South Korea and greater China. From laptops to the latest version of the Galaxy, Samsung has been dedicated to making the world a better place through the development of technology for over 70 years.

Anycall is simply one of the many diverse business opportunities that Samsung has developed over the years. It is one of the few businesses that has a hand in many of the world’s top industries. Fashion, pharmaceuticals, finance, semiconductor development, architecture, and even hospitality all fit in with the Samsung brand. This makes Anycall a leading provider of high-tech electronics thanks to the global market that has been established by Samsung.

At the core of the Samsung Anycall brand is an emphasis on reliable products and services that are truly innovative. The ends don’t justify the means with this brand. Samsung takes a responsible approach to business in South Korea, China, and the world beyond. Customers aren’t just seen as a commodity or a budget line. They are seen as part of a global community of partners with a unique diversity that can power Anycall to new directions in the future that are only hindered by the scope of the imagination being used.

Samsung Anycall Benefits From Global Research and Development

Because innovation is so highly stressed at Samsung, and Anycall by affiliation, the brand benefits from the global emphasis of research and development that occurs every day. Samsung has an ongoing investment in collaborative technology development that spans across 50,000 employees and 42 different countries in the world today.

There are three divisions of research and development that are designed to all work cohesively together to create the great products that millions of people use every day.

SAIT
The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology helps to look at global trends of technology use to see what problems may be encountered in the future. The focus is to solve these problems now so that they don’t become an issue in the future.

R&D Centers
The different research and development centers focus on honing the technological ideas that are developed so that effective products can be delivered to the marketplace in a timely fashion.

Product Development
This Samsung Anycall team is responsible for making the products which have been developed into commercially viable items.

When there is a business environment that is uncertain, Samsung believes that research and development will help to set their brand and all of their subsidiaries apart from the rest of the competition. That’s why you see high levels of investment into new technologies and why the Anycall brand is one of the leading mobile device providers in South Korea and greater China.

Samsung Anycall Is Ready to Inspire the Next Generation

Anycall is just one way that Samsung is looking to inspire the next generation of technology development. In 2013, Samsung committed $100 million in funding to inspire new organizations to inspire individual research and development into science and technology in unproven fields. Applications, commercial devices, smartphones, and sub-components are just some of the new points of emphasis.

Samsung Anycall is already distinguished as being part of a global network that is the world’s leader in mobile device technology. They hope to double their revenues by 2020 and networks like Anycall are going to help get them there. With over $180 billion in revenues annually, they are a global force that brings affordable technology into the palms and pockets of every mobile user.

One wouldn’t expect any less from the brand that was responsible for launching the first mobile phone in 2000 that was capable of playing MP3 files. What will the next innovation hold? Keep watching the Samsung Anycall brand to find out. You will likely be impressed by the results because this brand has a reputation of putting the customer’s needs above their own.

Are You Ready To Experience Samsung Anycall Today?

With six research and development centers in South Korea alone, innovation hits the market quickly thanks to the Anycall brand. The hottest phones from one of the most recognized brand names in the world today are available thanks to Samsung Anycall and users are the ones that benefit from this investment. Connect with family and friends at a moment’s notice, take care of your professional responsibilities, and access data in the way that you want thanks to this electronics manufacturer.

With mobile phones in every price range, it won’t break a budget to invest into a Samsung Anycall device. Fast customer service and technology that has been designed to stand up to the tests of time are just two of the highlights to expect if you decide to invest into this brand. You could spend more to invest into a premium mobile device from other brands, or you could spend less and get more with Samsung Anycall.

If you are ready to upgrade your current mobile device or you just want a reliable smartphone, Samsung Anycall has your answer. This company is one of the best the world has to offer right now.

The Samsung Alias 2 is actually the third revision of a messaging phone that was introduced to the general public in 2009. With a dual hinged design features an e-ink keyboard, which is the phone’s trademark feature, but there are also some useful additional items, like a 2 MP camera, that have also been included within the design. The end result is a phone that has aged well, still being function and with a reasonably good performance.

If you’re willing to put in the time to learn how to use this phone, then the Samsung Alias 2 still has the goods to deliver a good experience today. The extra data features of the phone can be a little cumbersome at times, but overall you will have a great communication experience with this mobile device.

The Design of the Samsung Alias 2 Is Rather Unremarkable

There aren’t any stunning features to the Samsung Alias 2 when you see it for the first time. It has sharp angles and straight lines, giving it almost a box-like appearance at first glance. It’s also noticeably thicker than the average phone at 17 millimeters, or about 10 millimeters thicker than the brand new smartphones that are hitting the market today. In total, the measurements of the Alias 2 are 4.01×2.04×0.67 inches, so it is a solid unit.

The box-like shape has been made for a specific reason: it’s needed in order to get all of the technology into the phone that has been included with its design. Even though it is thicker than the average phone, the weight is just 4.34 ounces, so it is just as light as most other phones. The added size gives the Samsung Alias 2 a little extra heft and that solid feeling lends to a perception of sturdiness that not many phones can provide any more.

What Are the First Impressions of the Samsung Alias 2?

Coming in a dark gray color with no other options, the next step is to take a good look at the exterior offerings of this phone. The Samsung Alias 2 offers an external display that is 1.3 inches in size and it supports 65k colors. That’s effectively 128×128 in pixels. You’ll receive all of the necessary data that the average person uses their phone for today: time, date, signal strength, battery life, and caller ID. You can assign photographs to numbers so their image shows up when they call.

The viewscreen also acts as the viewfinder for the 2 MP camera that has been included. It’s located just above the screen for convenience. The stock display is nice enough when you open the phone out-of-the-box, but customizing the contrast, clock style, and wallpaper will give the Samsung Alias 2 more of a personal feel. The one area of improvement here is that you can’t change the backlighting time of the phone, which is 60 seconds at best.

Directly below the display are the controls for the music player. It’s nice that dedicated controls have been included to play tunes and you can activate the phone to play music without actually having to open up the phone. You can also cycle through the songs with these useful controls and the same keys allow you to take selfies with the phone closed up as well.

Connecting With the Samsung Alias 2 Is a Little Difficult

Samsung has included some proprietary technology in the connection design of the Alias 2 that may turn some potential users away from this phone. Instead of using a standard mUSB connection, there is a Samsung exclusive charger port that you will need specific equipment on hand to use. Having the volume controls on the exterior is nice to control ring tone loudness or to turn up the music on a great song and voice dialing can be controlled by a button that is found on the left spine of the phone. Your standard headphones aren’t going to work, however, because it’s a 2.5 mm jack instead of a standard 3.5 mm jack.

You’ll also find places for a mSD expansion card, a locking key for the handset, and power controls on the exterior of the Samsung Alias 2.

It’s Time To Open Up the Samsung Alias 2

Once you pop open this phone, you’re given the impression that the Samsung Alias 2 is a lot like a portable workstation. The perception isn’t far off, since the 2.6 inch display has a fairly decent resolution to it. At 240p, it isn’t going to blow you away with HD graphics, of course, but it does support 262k colors for some added brightness. You’ll get crisp photos and graphics and that’s definitely what counts.

If you’re used to the standard Verizon menu system, then you’ll have an idea of how to navigate through the Alias 2. The one nice feature to note is that all of your pictures have a dedicated file that is easy to access from the menu system. You can change the theme of the display if you want, but all of the options are pretty basic. Using the icons is probably going to be your best bet. Unlike the exterior screen, you can change the backlighting time for the interior display. You can also change the font style and size to meet your needs.

It’s the Keyboard on the Samsung Alias 2 That Has Everyone Talking

As a sliding phone, one would expect that the Samsung Alias 2 would have a QWERTY keyboard waiting for you once you life the screen into position, but that just isn’t the case. Depending on how you open the phone, you may get one of four different arrangements thanks to the e-ink technology that has been incorporated onto the rectangular and square tiles. You have three arrangements that you can setup when the phone is in a horizontal position and there is one standard vertical set of keys that appear on the keyboard.

Instead of switching the different backlighting on the keys, something that you can find in earlier versions of ModeShift phones that hit the market about the same time as the Alias 2, the actual character on the key changes. Your number keys can suddenly be assigned a letter value or vice-versa. If a key isn’t being used in the design format, then it just goes white and doesn’t have any function at all. This eliminates the confusion that the previous generations of this phone had to offer.

Once you get the hang of the keyboard and get it customized to meet your needs, you’ll find that it is rather useful. The design is nice and clean, eliminates the crowding of the buttons like you’d see on a Blackberry, and you still get the tactile response that touchscreen typing isn’t really able to provide users as of yet.

When the keyboard is in its vertical mode, there are also a number of useful shortcuts that can help users have a fully functional phone. You’ve got keys that will take you straight into Bluetooth syncing, the messaging system, and your speakerphone. The Samsung Alias 2 also lets you access your games straight away, its voice dialing features, the camera, and even the alarm clock. As an added bonus, these shortcut keys tend to stay lit when you’re navigating through the various menus of the phone so that you almost always have one-touch access to the app or folder that you need to access.

The one thing about the keyboard that could be improved is the placement of the call acceptance and ending buttons. They’re stuck between the navigation buttons and the keypad, so they’re above where you’d normally dial instead of below. This is tough to get used to at first, but eventually the new habit will set in. They’re also the same color as the keyboard buttons, so there’s no red or green to help you stop or accept a call.

The Navigation Controls Are Central and Easy To Use

If the navigation controls were white like all of the other keys on the keyboard of the Samsung Alias 2, then this phone would be incredibly difficult to use for awhile. Thankfully a dark gray color differentiation has been included so that you can quickly move about the menus and folders of the phone thanks to the central cross design.

Another aspect that takes a little getting used to is the fact that the corresponding keyboard commands don’t quite sync up to the screen commands. Think about using a portable keyboard that is sitting well below a computer screen and trying to hit a shortcut command that your screen tells you is in the bottom left corner. That’s what using the Alias 2 is like. It’s not bad – it’s just different. Having the “clear” command key in the middle of the keypad is also a little hard to get used to and creates some accidental deletions that an cause a little frustration.

The feeling of the keyboard itself is quite nice. It’s like pressing down onto a slightly gel-like substance, so there is some substance to every touch. The buttons have a smooth surface that might get a bit slick on a humid day and the buttons are a little small for users that have larger fingers, but nothing worse than you’d find on a modern smartphone in the vertical position. The one problem that most users will encounter is pressing the wrong navigation button because their finger press was not quite precise.

The Features Make the Samsung Alias 2 Really Stand Out

If you’ve got a lot of friends or business contacts, then this phone is going to help you stay organized like never before. There is room for 1,000 contacts on the Samsung Alias 2 and each entry allows you to assign up to 5 different phone numbers. You can also put in street addresses, email addresses, and specific notes that you want to assign to each profile.

The one really nice feature about the contact section is that you can assigned a specific, dedicated emergency number. You can also assigned contacts into groups if you wish.

For people who want a real smartphone, the Samsung Alias 2 is not going to be able to deliver. It does offer USB storage, a file manager, and voice recognition, but there isn’t any Wi-Fi card included with this phone. You also have a tip calculator and a currency converter so that you can always know how much to pay. The clock also doubles as a stopwatch should you need it.

Because this is a messaging phone, the primary features involve your options here. You have access to more than SMS and MMS texts with the Alias 2. You can instant message, email, and chat with friends over your POP3 network. Linking your accounts isn’t a simple task, but setting up the push emails from work is pretty easy and will give you the results you want after a sync that takes a few months.

Is the Samsung Alias 2 the Right Phone For You?

With access to the 3G network and all of its services, including video and music streaming, the Samsung Alias 2 is about as close as you can get to owning a smartphone without actually owning one. Shuffle your playlists, repeat your favorite songs, and manage your content with ease thanks to the useful folders and menu system.

Use the video to record, sign up for GPS service if you want, and enjoy the improved communication that this phone has to offer. Once you get used to how the phone works, as you need to close the phone to open it up again vertically or horizontally, it becomes a fun little gadget that will still keep you connected to family, friends, and your email networks. For a phone that dates back to 2009, there is still a lot of good stuff that can be found on the Samsung Alias 2 and that’s a testament to the innovation of its design.

As a sliding phone, the weak point of the Samsung Alias is bound to be the hinge, right? That’s just not the case with the Samsung Alias. This second revision of the innovative sliding design has dual-flip features and a good size and weight that makes it a fun device to use. You’ll typically have good reception with this phone, it’s super sleek, and it looks good when you’re holding it. If you really love to text others and are looking for a highly affordable phone, then the Samsung Alias could be for you.

The Keyboard Is What Makes the Samsung Alias Stand Out

Although the dual-flip design takes a little getting used to because it changes the layout of the QWERTY keyboard depending on how the phone is held, the experience is one that most users will quickly adapt to after using the phone for some time. Even if you don’t like the keyboard or can’t get used to it, this phone can be practically run by voice command if you prefer. You can dictate texts, have voice dialing, and access your folders and features.

If you do stick with the keyboard, then at first the texting sounds might throw you off just a little bit. Instead of the typewriter-like sound that most phones have, the Samsung Alias sounds more like a touchtone telephone. Because it is different than the regular experience, some users might be put off by this change. The buttons may be a little small for some users, but overall the experience is quite nice.

You can also control music with keyboard or exterior commands, but it will only turn music on when the phone is in the horizontal position.

Almost Everything on the Samsung Alias Can Be Customized

From the font of your dialing numbers to the theme on the screen, you can make the Samsung Alias become your own phone with as much flair as you want. This customization can also be seen with the included camera. At 1.3 MP, it isn’t going to give your professional images, but you can edit your photos on the phone with the included program, add borders, make postcards, or take advantage of a number of included special effects. A real flash is also included with the Samsung Alias.

The hinge on this phone is rather sturdy, but like any other hinge that has ever been made, it will begin to wear out over time. The goal is to only open up the phone when you need to access the interior screen or to make a call. If you play with the dual-flip features a lot [because it is fun to keep flipping open your phone like it is fun to keep clicking a pen], then the hinge is going to wear out prematurely.

After a few uses, the menu options on the Samsung Alias also become intuitive. They can also become fully customized and you can always tweak the experience as needed. The end result is that you get a phone that may not be a true smartphone, but there are a lot of smart features that will make life a little easier.

The Sounds Are Amazing From the Samsung Alias

There are a lot of phones on the market today that offer music playing capabilities, but many of those phones have thin speakers that create tinny sounds that focus on the upper range and leave the mid-range and bass alone. That’s not the experience you’re going to have if you use the Samsung Alias. The sounds that come from the internal speakers are quite authentic and there’s almost a surround sound feeling to the experience. The bass is still a little weak, but for a mobile device, it isn’t bad.

The video that plays on the Alias is just as good. When you’re in landscape mode, it actually uses the entire screen. You can also watch videos while in the regular flip mode and control the video watching experience. It would be helpful if there was a dedicate headphone jack, but a Bluetooth receiver will help you get around that problem pretty easily.

The nicest feature, however, might just be the speakerphone that has been included with the Samsung Alias. Not only do the sounds come through crystal clear, but the mic also picks up your voice nicely and transmits it into the call effectively. You don’t even need to flip the phone open to answer a call if you don’t want to do so. Just activate the speakerphone and you’re ready to have a conversation.

Thin, Light, and Vibrant Is the Samsung Alias

Although there are modern smartphones that are thinner than the Samsung Alias, most of them do not have the dual-flip design, which makes this phone unique. If you can get used to the size of the buttons and the structure of the phone, then you are very likely to have an amazing experience if you use this phone for your daily needs.

If there was one area for improvement with the Samsung Alias, it would be with its internal memory. It can only hold 40 messages at a time, which for a messaging phone is rather low. Some users might find texting with the keyboard to be a little confusing at first, but you can use the T9 system or the full QWERTY keyboard for composition, depending on how you have the phone open, so it can meet with most personal preferences.

It also takes some getting used to the feature accessibility. You can not access many of the features of the Samsung Alias when it is in the normal phone mode. You’ve got to close the phone and then open it up again in the landscape mode to use these features. The battery connection tends to be a little weak in high humid environments as well because the phone may reset itself some days thanks to the battery connection.

From an overall perspective, however, the Samsung Alias is thin, light, and vibrant. It offers the features you need, the design you want, and the ability to connect with family and friends with ease.