September 4, 2009 at 00:39Samsung Jet S8000 review: Jet phone
Many of you have already noticed an active, not even afraid of the word, somewhat aggressive advertising of the Jet phone from Samsung . Advertising is beautiful, but it should be like that) Another thing is the reflection of advertising in the mirror of harsh reality. Let's see what the phone really is and we’ll figure out why they put so much emphasis on it.
Traffic
Samsung Jet ( S8000 ) is the youngest brother in the new ambitious family of devices from South Korean craftsmen, however, the company seems to have the highest expectations for its sales level.
One of the main trump cards that the company promises in the new deck is speed. Responsibility for this important parameter lies with the 800 MHz Qualcomm MSM6246 processor. Of the helpers - decent amounts of RAM (1024MB) and ROM (2048MB).
Network: GSM / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA (900/1900/2100 MHz) 7.2 Mbps;
Shell, OS: Java, three-dimensional TouchWIZ 2.0 interface with a system of widgets:
Processor: Qualcomm MSM6246 800 MHz, RAM: 1 GB;
Memory: 2 GB, slot for microSDHC memory cards (up to 32 GB);
Screen: 3.1-inch touchscreen (resistive) AMOLED, resolution 480 × 800, 16 million colors;
Camera: 5MPx with autofocus, LED flash, the function of eliminating blinking, face recognition and smiles;
Communications: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, GPS;
Sound: MP3 / AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / WMA / RA;
Video: DivX / XviD / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MPEG4, AVI;
Other:FM radio with RDS, accelerometer;
Battery: 1080 mAh;
Dimensions and weight: 108.9 × 53.5 × 11.9 mm, 100 g.
Having spent several bills with the image of the glorious city of Khabarovsk, in a box received from a merchant, you will find the following, if you are successful,:
- The Samsung Jet phone itself;
- Li-ion battery (1080mAh, 3.7V, 4Wh);
- USB cable and software CD;
- AC adapter;
- stereo headset;
- Soft case.
However, there are more sophisticated configurations (the so-called "GPS version") - with a microSD-card, Bluetooth-headset, an additional hard case, as well as with mounting and charging for the car. Nevertheless, even the maximum configuration is not striking in its power - somewhere it has all already been met ... oh yes, it seems in HTC's DeLuxe trim levels. But in any case, thanks for the cover)
The case of the device is entirely made of glossy plastic (not counting the surface of the screen made of tempered glass), which as a result allowed to achieve a small weight - 100 grams with a battery. And this is with dimensions of 108.9 × 53.5 × 11.9 mm. Once again, I scold the manufacturers for the gloss - it’s one thing when the device shines beautifully on the store counter (by the way, the cleaning ladies from the shops, and with them many photographers, also throw a stone in your garden), the other is when after the purchase all the remaining time have to no avail fight with prints.
Almost the entire front side of the phone is occupied by a 3.1 ”AMOLED screen (active matrix of organic LEDs) with a resolution of 480x800. Without going into technical details and features, the benefits of the “new” display can be seen immediately after turning on the display. Excellent brightness and richness of the image, clarity and large viewing angles - that is, in short. In the sun, the "screen" situation has not changed much - the device "goes blind", like a great many of all other devices.
Immediately above the screen is the company label, and to the right of it is the camera eye for video calls and a light sensor. The latter allows you to adjust the brightness of the screen depending on the harsh environmental conditions, if this function is activated in the settings. He probably performs the function of a proximity sensor - if you bring the phone to your ear, the screen turns off (like in SLR cameras). A little higher is the speaker, hidden behind a pretty miniature grille.
Under the screen is a tinted hexagonal button, which, when pressed briefly, opens the menu, and when held allows you to switch between open applications. To her left is the chrome-plated analogue of the “green” tube, to her right is the analogue of the “red” one. All.
On the "belly", in principle, everything is standard. Unless, the removable panel itself (the cover behind which the battery is located, the SIM card slot and the microSD / HC format memory card slot) has an unusual texture on the outside - pseudo-volume shimmering parallel strokes of red in the light.
Such an artifact looks rather unusual and, admittedly, very beautiful. In the lower part there is a speaker, in the upper part there is a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED backlight. The camera is framed by a chrome frame, which adds about a millimeter to the thickness of the device. As for memory cards - hot swappable cards up to 32 GB are supported.
Let's go over the ends. Bottom - the "point" of the microphone and the recess "under the nail" to remove the back cover. Above is a standard stereo jack (3.5 mm) for connecting headphones or a headset, as well as a microUSB connector hidden behind the plug. Why it was impossible to use the usual miniUSB is a mystery to me ... After all, it is much more common and this posting can be found without problems even at a person who is far from technology. On the right side are three buttons - turn off the screen (above), turn on the TouchWIZ 2.0 mode and the camera (the last two are below).
At the top of the left end is only two buttons in the form of a “swing” - they are responsible for volume control. Although ... if you hold this button, a “false call” will be heard, which you can even answer - sometimes, there is a certain need for such a function.
The barrel organ is started by holding the right “red” key. It is worth noting the loading speed of the operating system - the phone comes to fully operational after about 15 seconds - quite Jet'ovo! ..
After Jet-loading, three desktops with advertising-juicy images as background images appear in all our glory - switching between they are carried out by "stroke" with your finger on the screen to the right or left. At the very top is constantly the taskbar, which displays a certain activity (signal level, BT, Wi-Fi, battery charge, time, mode, etc.), and at the bottom there are 4 buttons - keyboard (dialing), contacts, Messages and menus.
Each desktop stores its settings and widgets. The latter all the time hang out with a large company on the left side of the screen, on a special tape, which is removed by default. More precisely, a small tab protrudes from it, when clicked, this tape leaves itself. Scrolling up and down (surprisingly, but absolutely without brakes), select what we need and drag it to the desktop. It is possible through the settings to change the content (and sorting) of widget tapes, while placing from them on the desktop only the most necessary or necessary at the moment.
Ribbon widgets implemented in modern Samsung models are almost the same. In the basic configuration, about 30 widgets are available, some of which require an Internet connection, while the rest can work autonomously. Going into intimate details, these are analog and digital watches, dual watches, calendar, Exchange ActiveSync, photos, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, three types of notes, profiles, help, Today, Google Pointer, Photobucket , Flickr, Picasa, Friendster, AccuWeather, Championat, Poster, Currency Converter, RBC News, Yandex.Tubes, 5 most popular, birthday, go on a diet, quit smoking. At the time of writing, another 18 different gadgets were available for download, partially duplicating the ones available. It is a pity, but there is no practical benefit from many of them initially; it’s strange that they haven’t done such useful little things yet,
Any boring widget can be removed by simply dragging it back to the panel. In principle, a convenient thing and in general everything is fine, but not as flexible and functional as we would like.
The phone display really deserves the highest praise! Similar devices (compared with what came to hand - iPhone, LG Arena , LG KU990, HTC P3300) are much inferior in many respects - from image quality to image rendering speed. However, in bright sunlight, all devices behave approximately the same - they “fade” so that you can use the device only to the detriment of your own psyche. So either we enjoy 16 million flowers in the shade of a coconut tree, or we sunbathe without being distracted)
The interface is optimized for finger control, but you can use the stylus (it is not provided in the kit). Connoisseurs of beauty will appreciate the feedback when working with all kinds of menus - it is made in the form of light vibration, as in other new phones of the Korean giant. So that some actions can be done without removing the phone from wide legs.
Speaking of trousers. After some time (or after pressing the button on the right side), the phone locks - in order to unlock it, you need to press the button on the screen or draw the character specified in the settings (most conveniently “L”, “O” and “C”). So, it happened that the device in some incredible way itself was unlocked, adding the widgets it needed to the desktop and, on the whole, doing wonders. So, in order not to accidentally say an hour or two “with America”, keep this sensitivity in mind.
When you rotate the phone, some of its contents, such as a movie, a browser, a player, and others, are rotated. Chef, did you now have a strange sense of deja vu?
The sound is good - when listening to music at maximum volume, the speaker does not wheeze; at the same time it is loud - the sounds of even the noisiest metropolis will not allow you to miss a call. If you close the speaker’s hole with your finger, you can hardly hear the sound - come in handy when the call rings out of time. Although you can use a more elegant solution to the problem - if you put the phone on the table with a screen, the sound and vibration will be turned off without changing the profile (conference mode or “I'm currently a little married” - when you need to avoid unnecessary phone ringing). If during a call, after pressing the green handset, put the phone face up, the speakerphone will automatically turn on. Both settings can be disabled in the settings menu. Miracles, and only.
The manufacturer also did not neglect the camera - in this case it is a five-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED backlight instead of a flash. Photos are obtained approximately one and a half to two megabytes, quite colorful and good in quality. Even when moving, the camera produces clear pictures, sometimes, however, with some distortion.
There are six modes to choose from - one shot, smile recognition, continuous, panorama, collage and frame. The framework, as on all devices, is extremely miserable; collages are still somehow competitive. It is unlikely that it will be possible to take a “panorama” of high quality without a tripod, however, this is better than nothing. Exaggerating - leading dog breeders recommend using only the first two modes. For them there are 13 prepared installations - portrait, landscape, night, sport, party (indoors), beach / snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks, text, twilight and backlight. Admit it - has anyone ever used this when they had to quickly shoot something ?!
Of the manual settings are available - a timer (2, 5 and 10 seconds), resolution (2560x1920, 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 640x480, 2560x1536, 1600x960 and 800x480), white balance (auto, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent light, cloudy), effects (no, b / w, sepia and negative), flash (auto, on, off), ISO, exposure (matrix, center-weighted, spot metering), focus mode (autofocus, macro and face detection), image stabilization, WDR and detection blinking. In addition to photos, you can connect a record of coordinates, activate the grid on the screen, adjust the shutter sound and specify where to save the photos. In total - it’s very good, but, in general, the settings are quite common for camera phones.
You can evaluate the quality of the photos yourself:
Full-size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.82 MB
Other photos - see at the end of the test.
The phone also allows you to record videos. There are 3 recording modes (normal, with a limitation for MMS and slow motion) and 4 quality options (720x480, 640x480, 320x440 and 176x414), the rest of the settings are similar to the photo.
The videos are quite clear and smooth, the image does not slow down. Download a couple of demo files (MP4) here and here .
I always looked at devices with such a large screen with irony, following the stereotype that you can’t go through with a large screen for a long time. I can’t say that Samsung Jet smashed this stereotype to smithereens, however, the operating time was very pleased - in standby mode, about 5 days. When using the phone for its intended purpose (about an hour of conversations per day, about 2-3 hours of music with the screen off, and half an hour-hour of surfing through Wi-Fi before bedtime), the operating time is about 2 days. A full charge cycle of the phone is only 2 hours.
Still with me? ) Until finally they fell asleep, I’ll tell you about the “highlight” of the device called TouchWIZ 2.0 - after all, this feature has a separate button on the device’s body.
When you briefly press the button that is located above the camera’s button, a three-dimensional cube appears on the phone screen, each face of which represents a function. There are only six faces in the cube, and therefore there are as many functions available - a photo album, music, video, radio, games and the Internet. I recall a cube from LG Arena, but there were only 4 sides available.
Sending pleasant vibrations, the Jet cube rotates smoothly from the touch of a finger, occasionally trying to maintain a state of balance. The function of each face is duplicated by the icon below, so you can call the application from there. There is another way, the most inconvenient - from the desktop for a long time to hold the button on the right side of the case, after which the same cube will appear, but it can only be controlled using the accelerometer. Turn the phone to the right - the cube turns right, left - left.
Having called, for example, the photo function, a stack of photos appears on the screen, which are easily scrolled, if necessary, you can stop at any of them and see full size. When you select an audio player, first a similar stack of Cover tracks is displayed with the name of the group and song inside. Next is the music.
The music player is quite convenient and functional. You can download all the tracks, and then sort by album, genre, artist or popularity. Playlists are supported, which can be made directly on the phone.
When playing, there are three visualizations to choose from - something like jumping sticks (like on music centers), the same sticks, only vertical ones (oh, WinAMP, and are you here?) And the most useful mode, when Cover is displayed, the name artist and song title.
Virtualized 5.1 sound is supported with the headphones, a great advantage of which I have not noticed. If desired, any song can be set as a ringtone, video call, contact or signal. When you bring out the player’s widget on your desktop, you can always be aware of what is currently playing and have at least some control over these. Otherwise, this is the most common player.
Since the winds brought the new firmware into the fascinating world, I propose to consider the “new life form” in more detail, without stopping at the usual elements.
The Koreans chose an interesting way - for devices with a different operating system (whether it be Symbian, Windows Mobile or something of their own, like in Jet) the same interface is used, but with different flexibility of settings. Accordingly, retreating from one device to another, you don’t have to get used to it much.
Three pages of elements (12 per page), switching between them follows the same principle as with desktops - in a circle, one after another.
How the interface works - you can watch the video or touch on the internet .
The program is one whole complex, which can be called a "desktop". We start, connect the device (it will immediately appear in the program window) and then select what we will do. The choice is the creation of contacts and their synchronization; full work with messages (SMS, MMS) and device memory.
Music and video player, video conversion and burning discs. A built-in organizer will help put things in order, notes and a planner. Moreover, all these tools are divided into several categories, selecting any of which will open the desired "desktop" with the necessary tools; you can also create your own “desktop”, with blackjack ... :) Everything was done quite conveniently, and for the entire time of use it never failed.
When connecting the phone to the computer, in the window that appears, you can specify how to be - use the phone as an external drive or work with it through PC Studio.
Pros
- High-quality assembly and stylish appearance;
- Simplicity and usability; widget system;
- Long standby time;
- High speed in all applications;
- Bright and clear screen, loud speaker;
- Functional G-sensor;
- Nice feedback;
- Good camera.
Cons
- Completely glossy body (solid prints);
- Third-party applications are practically not supported;
- Non-standard connector for connecting to a PC;
- “Fading” of the screen in the sun;
- High price (from 16500 to 23990 rubles).
The Samsung Jet phone is interesting not so much in terms of bells and whistles (which are not few in it), but as the courage of the company's new decision to combine different operating systems with a single interface. And if to all kinds of shells for Windows Mobile (such as Mobile Shell or Touch Flo) is already starting to develop immunity, then the "independent" system from Jet still causes genuine interest. In my opinion, a very successful test of the pen - apparently that's why the company places such an emphasis on this particular model.
If for a while you forget about the desire to customize even the smallest detail on the phone, the device left an extremely positive impression. In this case, I even understand the manufacturer - a full-fledged operating system, such as at least Windows Mobile, many users subconsciously “fear”, and somehow it’s necessary to sell the devices, moreover, to the widest possible audience. Therefore, IT appeared - more functional than in ordinary phones, but less flexible than in communicators, an operating system that will be pulled by a very wide target audience. On the other hand, the same target audience, if desired, will be able to easily jump to more technologically sophisticated devices in the future without much discomfort when getting used to it.
And yet, I believe that the device is initially positioned for young people, and after it - for business. Nevertheless, the device will suit both categories of users - for the former there are all the necessary entertainment applications (games, camera, music, Internet), for the latter - full-fledged office work, which PC Studio application can be considered a tidbit. And for all together - a screen of amazing image quality.
In my opinion, today the price is somewhat overpriced (which is not surprising), and the near future predicts a considerable variety of interesting devices not only in the lineup, but also from other manufacturers. So, perhaps now is the situation in which it is worth the wait. But if it’s absolutely impatience, and after a second and thoughtful reading of the reviews about Jet, the desire did not disappear - take it - you probably will not regret it.
From the subway window on the go
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.80 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.90 MB
Full size photo: 1920 × 2560 pixels, 1.91 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.87 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.95 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.95 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.86 MB
Full size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.52 MB
© Boomburum, 2009, specially for CyberStyle.ru
Good luck!
Traffic
Samsung Jet ( S8000 ) is the youngest brother in the new ambitious family of devices from South Korean craftsmen, however, the company seems to have the highest expectations for its sales level.
One of the main trump cards that the company promises in the new deck is speed. Responsibility for this important parameter lies with the 800 MHz Qualcomm MSM6246 processor. Of the helpers - decent amounts of RAM (1024MB) and ROM (2048MB).
Specifications
Network: GSM / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA (900/1900/2100 MHz) 7.2 Mbps;
Shell, OS: Java, three-dimensional TouchWIZ 2.0 interface with a system of widgets:
Processor: Qualcomm MSM6246 800 MHz, RAM: 1 GB;
Memory: 2 GB, slot for microSDHC memory cards (up to 32 GB);
Screen: 3.1-inch touchscreen (resistive) AMOLED, resolution 480 × 800, 16 million colors;
Camera: 5MPx with autofocus, LED flash, the function of eliminating blinking, face recognition and smiles;
Communications: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, GPS;
Sound: MP3 / AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / WMA / RA;
Video: DivX / XviD / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MPEG4, AVI;
Other:FM radio with RDS, accelerometer;
Battery: 1080 mAh;
Dimensions and weight: 108.9 × 53.5 × 11.9 mm, 100 g.
Equipment
Having spent several bills with the image of the glorious city of Khabarovsk, in a box received from a merchant, you will find the following, if you are successful,:
- The Samsung Jet phone itself;
- Li-ion battery (1080mAh, 3.7V, 4Wh);
- USB cable and software CD;
- AC adapter;
- stereo headset;
- Soft case.
However, there are more sophisticated configurations (the so-called "GPS version") - with a microSD-card, Bluetooth-headset, an additional hard case, as well as with mounting and charging for the car. Nevertheless, even the maximum configuration is not striking in its power - somewhere it has all already been met ... oh yes, it seems in HTC's DeLuxe trim levels. But in any case, thanks for the cover)
The case of the device is entirely made of glossy plastic (not counting the surface of the screen made of tempered glass), which as a result allowed to achieve a small weight - 100 grams with a battery. And this is with dimensions of 108.9 × 53.5 × 11.9 mm. Once again, I scold the manufacturers for the gloss - it’s one thing when the device shines beautifully on the store counter (by the way, the cleaning ladies from the shops, and with them many photographers, also throw a stone in your garden), the other is when after the purchase all the remaining time have to no avail fight with prints.
Almost the entire front side of the phone is occupied by a 3.1 ”AMOLED screen (active matrix of organic LEDs) with a resolution of 480x800. Without going into technical details and features, the benefits of the “new” display can be seen immediately after turning on the display. Excellent brightness and richness of the image, clarity and large viewing angles - that is, in short. In the sun, the "screen" situation has not changed much - the device "goes blind", like a great many of all other devices.
Immediately above the screen is the company label, and to the right of it is the camera eye for video calls and a light sensor. The latter allows you to adjust the brightness of the screen depending on the harsh environmental conditions, if this function is activated in the settings. He probably performs the function of a proximity sensor - if you bring the phone to your ear, the screen turns off (like in SLR cameras). A little higher is the speaker, hidden behind a pretty miniature grille.
Under the screen is a tinted hexagonal button, which, when pressed briefly, opens the menu, and when held allows you to switch between open applications. To her left is the chrome-plated analogue of the “green” tube, to her right is the analogue of the “red” one. All.
On the "belly", in principle, everything is standard. Unless, the removable panel itself (the cover behind which the battery is located, the SIM card slot and the microSD / HC format memory card slot) has an unusual texture on the outside - pseudo-volume shimmering parallel strokes of red in the light.
Such an artifact looks rather unusual and, admittedly, very beautiful. In the lower part there is a speaker, in the upper part there is a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED backlight. The camera is framed by a chrome frame, which adds about a millimeter to the thickness of the device. As for memory cards - hot swappable cards up to 32 GB are supported.
Let's go over the ends. Bottom - the "point" of the microphone and the recess "under the nail" to remove the back cover. Above is a standard stereo jack (3.5 mm) for connecting headphones or a headset, as well as a microUSB connector hidden behind the plug. Why it was impossible to use the usual miniUSB is a mystery to me ... After all, it is much more common and this posting can be found without problems even at a person who is far from technology. On the right side are three buttons - turn off the screen (above), turn on the TouchWIZ 2.0 mode and the camera (the last two are below).
At the top of the left end is only two buttons in the form of a “swing” - they are responsible for volume control. Although ... if you hold this button, a “false call” will be heard, which you can even answer - sometimes, there is a certain need for such a function.
Inclusion and work
The barrel organ is started by holding the right “red” key. It is worth noting the loading speed of the operating system - the phone comes to fully operational after about 15 seconds - quite Jet'ovo! ..
After Jet-loading, three desktops with advertising-juicy images as background images appear in all our glory - switching between they are carried out by "stroke" with your finger on the screen to the right or left. At the very top is constantly the taskbar, which displays a certain activity (signal level, BT, Wi-Fi, battery charge, time, mode, etc.), and at the bottom there are 4 buttons - keyboard (dialing), contacts, Messages and menus.
Each desktop stores its settings and widgets. The latter all the time hang out with a large company on the left side of the screen, on a special tape, which is removed by default. More precisely, a small tab protrudes from it, when clicked, this tape leaves itself. Scrolling up and down (surprisingly, but absolutely without brakes), select what we need and drag it to the desktop. It is possible through the settings to change the content (and sorting) of widget tapes, while placing from them on the desktop only the most necessary or necessary at the moment.
Ribbon widgets implemented in modern Samsung models are almost the same. In the basic configuration, about 30 widgets are available, some of which require an Internet connection, while the rest can work autonomously. Going into intimate details, these are analog and digital watches, dual watches, calendar, Exchange ActiveSync, photos, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, three types of notes, profiles, help, Today, Google Pointer, Photobucket , Flickr, Picasa, Friendster, AccuWeather, Championat, Poster, Currency Converter, RBC News, Yandex.Tubes, 5 most popular, birthday, go on a diet, quit smoking. At the time of writing, another 18 different gadgets were available for download, partially duplicating the ones available. It is a pity, but there is no practical benefit from many of them initially; it’s strange that they haven’t done such useful little things yet,
Any boring widget can be removed by simply dragging it back to the panel. In principle, a convenient thing and in general everything is fine, but not as flexible and functional as we would like.
Screen
The phone display really deserves the highest praise! Similar devices (compared with what came to hand - iPhone, LG Arena , LG KU990, HTC P3300) are much inferior in many respects - from image quality to image rendering speed. However, in bright sunlight, all devices behave approximately the same - they “fade” so that you can use the device only to the detriment of your own psyche. So either we enjoy 16 million flowers in the shade of a coconut tree, or we sunbathe without being distracted)
The interface is optimized for finger control, but you can use the stylus (it is not provided in the kit). Connoisseurs of beauty will appreciate the feedback when working with all kinds of menus - it is made in the form of light vibration, as in other new phones of the Korean giant. So that some actions can be done without removing the phone from wide legs.
Speaking of trousers. After some time (or after pressing the button on the right side), the phone locks - in order to unlock it, you need to press the button on the screen or draw the character specified in the settings (most conveniently “L”, “O” and “C”). So, it happened that the device in some incredible way itself was unlocked, adding the widgets it needed to the desktop and, on the whole, doing wonders. So, in order not to accidentally say an hour or two “with America”, keep this sensitivity in mind.
When you rotate the phone, some of its contents, such as a movie, a browser, a player, and others, are rotated. Chef, did you now have a strange sense of deja vu?
Speakers
The sound is good - when listening to music at maximum volume, the speaker does not wheeze; at the same time it is loud - the sounds of even the noisiest metropolis will not allow you to miss a call. If you close the speaker’s hole with your finger, you can hardly hear the sound - come in handy when the call rings out of time. Although you can use a more elegant solution to the problem - if you put the phone on the table with a screen, the sound and vibration will be turned off without changing the profile (conference mode or “I'm currently a little married” - when you need to avoid unnecessary phone ringing). If during a call, after pressing the green handset, put the phone face up, the speakerphone will automatically turn on. Both settings can be disabled in the settings menu. Miracles, and only.
Camera
The manufacturer also did not neglect the camera - in this case it is a five-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED backlight instead of a flash. Photos are obtained approximately one and a half to two megabytes, quite colorful and good in quality. Even when moving, the camera produces clear pictures, sometimes, however, with some distortion.
There are six modes to choose from - one shot, smile recognition, continuous, panorama, collage and frame. The framework, as on all devices, is extremely miserable; collages are still somehow competitive. It is unlikely that it will be possible to take a “panorama” of high quality without a tripod, however, this is better than nothing. Exaggerating - leading dog breeders recommend using only the first two modes. For them there are 13 prepared installations - portrait, landscape, night, sport, party (indoors), beach / snow, sunset, dawn, autumn colors, fireworks, text, twilight and backlight. Admit it - has anyone ever used this when they had to quickly shoot something ?!
Of the manual settings are available - a timer (2, 5 and 10 seconds), resolution (2560x1920, 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 640x480, 2560x1536, 1600x960 and 800x480), white balance (auto, daylight, incandescent, fluorescent light, cloudy), effects (no, b / w, sepia and negative), flash (auto, on, off), ISO, exposure (matrix, center-weighted, spot metering), focus mode (autofocus, macro and face detection), image stabilization, WDR and detection blinking. In addition to photos, you can connect a record of coordinates, activate the grid on the screen, adjust the shutter sound and specify where to save the photos. In total - it’s very good, but, in general, the settings are quite common for camera phones.
You can evaluate the quality of the photos yourself:
Full-size photo: 2560 × 1920 pixels, 1.82 MB
Other photos - see at the end of the test.
The phone also allows you to record videos. There are 3 recording modes (normal, with a limitation for MMS and slow motion) and 4 quality options (720x480, 640x480, 320x440 and 176x414), the rest of the settings are similar to the photo.
The videos are quite clear and smooth, the image does not slow down. Download a couple of demo files (MP4) here and here .
Working hours
I always looked at devices with such a large screen with irony, following the stereotype that you can’t go through with a large screen for a long time. I can’t say that Samsung Jet smashed this stereotype to smithereens, however, the operating time was very pleased - in standby mode, about 5 days. When using the phone for its intended purpose (about an hour of conversations per day, about 2-3 hours of music with the screen off, and half an hour-hour of surfing through Wi-Fi before bedtime), the operating time is about 2 days. A full charge cycle of the phone is only 2 hours.
Software
Still with me? ) Until finally they fell asleep, I’ll tell you about the “highlight” of the device called TouchWIZ 2.0 - after all, this feature has a separate button on the device’s body.
When you briefly press the button that is located above the camera’s button, a three-dimensional cube appears on the phone screen, each face of which represents a function. There are only six faces in the cube, and therefore there are as many functions available - a photo album, music, video, radio, games and the Internet. I recall a cube from LG Arena, but there were only 4 sides available.
Sending pleasant vibrations, the Jet cube rotates smoothly from the touch of a finger, occasionally trying to maintain a state of balance. The function of each face is duplicated by the icon below, so you can call the application from there. There is another way, the most inconvenient - from the desktop for a long time to hold the button on the right side of the case, after which the same cube will appear, but it can only be controlled using the accelerometer. Turn the phone to the right - the cube turns right, left - left.
Having called, for example, the photo function, a stack of photos appears on the screen, which are easily scrolled, if necessary, you can stop at any of them and see full size. When you select an audio player, first a similar stack of Cover tracks is displayed with the name of the group and song inside. Next is the music.
The music player is quite convenient and functional. You can download all the tracks, and then sort by album, genre, artist or popularity. Playlists are supported, which can be made directly on the phone.
When playing, there are three visualizations to choose from - something like jumping sticks (like on music centers), the same sticks, only vertical ones (oh, WinAMP, and are you here?) And the most useful mode, when Cover is displayed, the name artist and song title.
Virtualized 5.1 sound is supported with the headphones, a great advantage of which I have not noticed. If desired, any song can be set as a ringtone, video call, contact or signal. When you bring out the player’s widget on your desktop, you can always be aware of what is currently playing and have at least some control over these. Otherwise, this is the most common player.
Since the winds brought the new firmware into the fascinating world, I propose to consider the “new life form” in more detail, without stopping at the usual elements.
The Koreans chose an interesting way - for devices with a different operating system (whether it be Symbian, Windows Mobile or something of their own, like in Jet) the same interface is used, but with different flexibility of settings. Accordingly, retreating from one device to another, you don’t have to get used to it much.
Main menu
Three pages of elements (12 per page), switching between them follows the same principle as with desktops - in a circle, one after another.
How the interface works - you can watch the video or touch on the internet .
PC Studio
The program is one whole complex, which can be called a "desktop". We start, connect the device (it will immediately appear in the program window) and then select what we will do. The choice is the creation of contacts and their synchronization; full work with messages (SMS, MMS) and device memory.
Music and video player, video conversion and burning discs. A built-in organizer will help put things in order, notes and a planner. Moreover, all these tools are divided into several categories, selecting any of which will open the desired "desktop" with the necessary tools; you can also create your own “desktop”, with blackjack ... :) Everything was done quite conveniently, and for the entire time of use it never failed.
When connecting the phone to the computer, in the window that appears, you can specify how to be - use the phone as an external drive or work with it through PC Studio.
Pros and cons
Pros
- High-quality assembly and stylish appearance;
- Simplicity and usability; widget system;
- Long standby time;
- High speed in all applications;
- Bright and clear screen, loud speaker;
- Functional G-sensor;
- Nice feedback;
- Good camera.
Cons
- Completely glossy body (solid prints);
- Third-party applications are practically not supported;
- Non-standard connector for connecting to a PC;
- “Fading” of the screen in the sun;
- High price (from 16500 to 23990 rubles).
Total
The Samsung Jet phone is interesting not so much in terms of bells and whistles (which are not few in it), but as the courage of the company's new decision to combine different operating systems with a single interface. And if to all kinds of shells for Windows Mobile (such as Mobile Shell or Touch Flo) is already starting to develop immunity, then the "independent" system from Jet still causes genuine interest. In my opinion, a very successful test of the pen - apparently that's why the company places such an emphasis on this particular model.
If for a while you forget about the desire to customize even the smallest detail on the phone, the device left an extremely positive impression. In this case, I even understand the manufacturer - a full-fledged operating system, such as at least Windows Mobile, many users subconsciously “fear”, and somehow it’s necessary to sell the devices, moreover, to the widest possible audience. Therefore, IT appeared - more functional than in ordinary phones, but less flexible than in communicators, an operating system that will be pulled by a very wide target audience. On the other hand, the same target audience, if desired, will be able to easily jump to more technologically sophisticated devices in the future without much discomfort when getting used to it.
And yet, I believe that the device is initially positioned for young people, and after it - for business. Nevertheless, the device will suit both categories of users - for the former there are all the necessary entertainment applications (games, camera, music, Internet), for the latter - full-fledged office work, which PC Studio application can be considered a tidbit. And for all together - a screen of amazing image quality.
In my opinion, today the price is somewhat overpriced (which is not surprising), and the near future predicts a considerable variety of interesting devices not only in the lineup, but also from other manufacturers. So, perhaps now is the situation in which it is worth the wait. But if it’s absolutely impatience, and after a second and thoughtful reading of the reviews about Jet, the desire did not disappear - take it - you probably will not regret it.
Photo taken by Samsung S8000 Jet
From the subway window on the go
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© Boomburum, 2009, specially for CyberStyle.ru
Good luck!