REVIEW: AT&Ts Big and Bold Samsung Infuse 4G
Hardware and Design
As soon as you see the Infuse 4G, you cant help but notice the sheer size of the display, which takes up nearly the entire front of the phone. A small top and bottom bezel holds the front-facing camera, ambient light sensors, speaker and the four standard Android buttons, which are touch-sensitive on this device. Although the display uses a typical 800480 resolution, the screen doesnt appear pixelated at all; fonts and icons are smooth. Even at the lowest brightness, colors appear to pop from the screen due to Samsungs Super AMOLED Plus display. All activities are more vivid and brighter than on any other handset Ive used yet. The beautiful screen may be too big for some, but I find it pleasing, thanks t! o larger text and more room on the software keyboard. The screen can appear washed-out in direct sunlight, but is still very usable.
My first-look video offers a glance at the Infuses hardware and design.
Overall its clean and minimal, good for a large handset as too many buttons or controls would simply make the phone appear larger. Volume buttons are on the left while the power / wake button is on the right. A 3.5 millimeter headphone jack sits on top, next to a microphone , while the bottom has a second microphone and micro USB port. The back houses a speaker for hands-free calls and the 8 megapixel camera sensor with LED flash.
Although the phone has a big footprint you can see comparisons to other devices in our image gallery below its thin at 8.99 millimeters. Had the phone been thicker, it would feel too much like a brick. But the Infuse 4G actually feels comfortable to hold for such a large-screened device. I occasionally found it tricky, but not impossible, to use the phone in one hand, and at 5 5 and 125 pounds, I have relatively small hands.
Infuse-4G-01
Much of the phone is plastic, but the device feels solidly made. The lack of metal helps keep the feel of the big smartphone lighter than it looks, and the removable back cover is just a thin plastic piece. Taking the cover off reveals a generous 1750 mAh battery, SIM card slot and place for a microSD expansion card. You must remove the battery to remove or replace a memory card, which is inconvenient. With the larger-than-average battery, I had no problems getting through a full day of typical use, with power to spare.
Software and Performance
The handset runs on Android 2.2, which isnt the latest version of Googles mobile software, but few phones are yet shipping with Android 2.3. Samsungs customized TouchWiz interface hides the bland stock look of Android in a pleasing wa! y. A cho ice of three software keyboards are included: the standard Android keyboard,Samungs own custom keyboard, and Swype. A handful of AT&T-branded applications are pre-installed, along with a few from Samsung. Specifically, Samsungs AllShare app (used for media streaming), Media Hub for video rentals and purchases, and custom Task Manager app are pre-loaded on the device. The Infuse has access to the Android Market, and can also install software from outside the Market; a first for AT&T, which has blocked such sideloaded apps in the past.
TouchWiz offers up to seven home screens, and the program launcher is similar to that on Apple iOS devices. Samsungs browser is fairly standard, but offers a useful brightness setting within the application. The browser experience is on par with any other Android handset at this price and in terms of speed, I found it to perform a slightly better than on the Nexus One handset I bought last January. For the benchmark-minded, the Infuse 4G scored 5082 ms using SunSpider (where smaller numbers are better) as compared to 5487 ms on my Nexus One. Thats likely due in part to the Infuses slightly faster single-core CPU, which clocks in at 1.2 GHz. The Infuse 4G will generally be slower when compared to a dual-core handset, but only those who have used a dual-core smartphone would know the difference. The processor keeps Android moving at a fast pace when compared to other single-core handsets on the market.
Marketed as a 4G handset, the phone radio has outpaced AT&Ts network. The carrier is in the process of upgrading to HSPA+ as a stopgap to its planned LTE network rollout. That means the radio in the phone can handle downloads up to 21 Mbps, yet most of the network cant deliver such speeds. However, as the carrier expands its network, the Infuse 4G is future-proofed to a degree, as its ready for the faster network speeds. My speed tests topped out at 3.2 Mbps downloads and 1.2 Mbps uploads, which is much slower than what AT&Ts competitors offer. Speeds! of cour se, will vary by coverage areas and other factors, and I dont live in or near an AT&T coverage area thats been upgraded, so you may see faster mobile broadband speeds.
Samsungs camera sensor impressed me, especially when paired with software that improves video recording. The camera tops out at 720p image capture, but features an auto-focus function when taking videos. Dont expect the focus adjustment to be instant, but it works well and is quick enough to be useful. Regular camera images looked better than video; crisper and cleaner. The front-facing camera inspires a common complaint: Manufacturers arent angling the sensor, so you have to tilt the device to stay centered on a video chat. Samsung has an opportunity for improvement here, but if youre not into video chatting, this shouldnt prevent you from considering the Infuse 4G.
Call quality was solid, both in normal use and through the speakerphone, and I didnt experience any dropped calls. AT&Ts network has always been solid in the rural area I live in, so this doesnt surprise me.
Conclusion
If youre in the market for large-screened phone thats still pocketable, the Infuse 4G is a must-see. The screen looks fantastic, possibly the best Ive seen yet on a handset, even as other phones such as the Atrix 4G offer a higher resolution. But the size may put some folks off, and no review can tell you if the handset is too big for you. This is the kind of handset you have to hold and use before buying. Current smartphone owners using handsets with a 1-GHz processor wont see much of a speed boost, but those that havent purchased a handset in the last year or so ought to be impressed. With the beautiful display, more room on the software keyboards and the ability to gain faster mobile broadband as AT&T beefs up its HSPA+ coverage, the Infuse 4G has much to offer those looking for a big Android smartphone.
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