Samsung Corby Speed Review

What makes the Samsung Corby Speed an attractive mobile phone is the fact that it was their first handset that contained a CDMA connection. Whenever you go look for a new mobile phone, most users want to see what kind of unique features that new device has. With the Corby Speed, the fact that it is able to broadcast live television is a tremendous advantage. Although the delay in the signal may be up to 2 minutes in length, there are numerous channels that come preloaded so that the right programs can be accessed.

Overall, most users are going to find that the Corby Speed helps to keep them connected and keep them entertained. Here are some of the additional features to consider when looking at how useful this Samsung mobile device happens to be.

What Is the Speed and Connectivity for the Corby Speed?

The name says it all for this Samsung mobile phone. With a download rate of 2.4 Mbps quoted on the spec sheets, the data flow through this phone is more than decent, especially considering its cost and size. Downloading speeds are of course dependent on the local network connection, so those in network areas that are unreliable aren’t going to be able to really see what this mobile phone can do.

Users will also have access to all of the modern connectivity features that is demanded of a phone. USB connections, Bluetooth, GPRS, and Edge are all available. The Samsung Corby Speed is also HSPA enabled for even greater convenience.

How About the Visual Aesthetics of the Phone?

The Corby Speed looks like a modern smartphone. It’s the curved corners that people have come to expect from a Samsung phone and the LCD touchscreen itself is 2.8 inches in size. The touchscreen is a TFT LCD capacitive screen that supports a QVGA resolution and 262k colors. For an entry-level price, the pictures are reasonably sharp and satisfying when you see them in the palm of your hand.

You can touch disconnect calls from the screen if you want or use physical keys to do so as well. The center navigation key allows for menu shortcuts and go back commands. It’s lightweight, very sleek, stylish, and the touch sensitivity is adequate. The looks of the phone match the value of the functionality quite nicely.

The one awkward part of the design with this phone is the placement of the physical buttons for accepting or rejecting phones. If you hold the Corby Speed up to your ear in order to speak with someone, it is very easy to accidentally disconnect the call because of the button placement right near the bottom of the design. This also makes it very easy to unintentionally dial numbers if you’ve stuck the phone in a pocket.

Are There Multimedia Functions on the Corby Speed?

This Samsung phone comes with a basic 2 MP camera. The overall image quality is fair for a camera of this quality, but it isn’t going to cause someone to look at your image and think a professional photographer took it. In perfect lighting with still objects, it will capture a decent image. In all other conditions, you might as well not even bother.

The audio on the Corby Speed is better than average. It has the standard FM radio on it and it also allows users to be able to record songs, which is a nice feature. It isn’t really a surround sound experience that the phone’s speakers provide, but overall the quality is fair enough. There isn’t a 3.5mm jack on the phone, however, so you’ll have to listen to music directly over the loudspeaker.

There are also 30 widgets that come with the Corby Speed out of the box. This lets you stay connected to local news and your social networks pretty easily. There are also 3 different back covers that come with this Samsung phone so that it can be personalized as the user sees fit. The ergonomics are pretty comfortable. The marketing descriptions call this phone “sensuous” and “pop-style,” which may be reaching just a bit.

How Much Life Does the Corby Speed Have?

If you plan on using any multimedia features with this Samsung phone, then you’re going to need to plan on charging it on a regular basis. This is especially true if you plan on using the live TV functions that the phone has. Most users will find about 5 hours of talk time on a single charge can happen, but the battery only survives about 2.5 hours of strong multimedia use, even though it is a 960 mAh lithium-ion unit.

The internal memory of the Corby Speed is also a little lacking. There is virtually no internal memory with the phone [just 80 MB total], but a 2 GB mSD card does get shipped with new phones upon purchase. It has the ability to recognize up to 8 GB of expandable memory. The only trouble is that users are then stuck with a 2 GB and an 8 GB card that they may end up swapping in and out based on their unique needs for the phone.

What’s the Verdict on the Samsung Corby Speed?

The #1 reason to get this phone is to watch live television over your data network. If you can get over the time lag on the phone, then you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite stations wherever you happen to be. Some markets have access to over 70 stations, so there is plenty of variety that can be found with this particular phone.

Outside of the live TV, the Corby Speed is essentially another basic entry-level smartphone from Samsung. The navigation through the menu screens is nice, the touchscreen is responsive, and the sound quality is above average. There is an alarm clock, calculator, and stopwatch included with the basic apps as well. For those who want a smartphone that can meet most basic needs, the Samsung Corby Speed gets the job done pretty effectively.

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