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Samsung ZX10
3 out of 5Average user rating :
SamsungManufacturer :
September, 2006Date :
-Price :
461Hits :
1User opinions :
A just acceptable small feature-rich phone. Features are impressive, but the basics that make a phone a phone are average or below average. I liked the Samsung ZX10, but I didn't like all of it. The features are there: no doubt! TransFlash memory card extension, rotating 1.3 megapixel camera, UMTS with Cingular video, all in a small form factor with a functional keypad. It even sports 50MB of internal memory. Great! But there were drawbacks: volume, either earset or speakerphone, is just average. Listening to Cingular Video was OK in not-too-noisy places but, I would have prefered more volume. And even though the ZX10 is feature-rich, some features are surprisingly lacking: The external display is monochrome, yes, on a 1.3-megapixel camera phone that should let you have colourful picture caller ID! And there is no Bluetooth. Finally, I found that it tends to overheat a bit too much to my liking. Of course, all phones become hot after a 20 or 30 minutes call, but it seemed to me that this one was more hot! I experienced a slightly larger number of dropped calls than usual with that phone: of course, a single user's experience like that is not enough to condemn a phone but I've heard other users complain about that too so that leaves me somewhat questionning. I'd recommend testing that phone extensively in your area before your 15-day return option expires. About the phone's camera: "Pushing the ZX10 up a notch are its bundled filters and effects. In addition to standard settings found on most camera phones today such as Flash (Off, Shoot Only, or Permanent), Zoom, Brightness, Effects (Sepia, Black and White, Night, and Normal), White Balance, Multi-Shot (3, 6, 9, or 12 Shots at Low, Normal, or High Speed), Self-Timer (Off, 3, 5, or 10 Seconds), and Frames, the ZX10 also features options only normally found on standalone digital cameras. Offering advanced features such as Metering Exposure (Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot), ISO (Auto, 100, 200, 400, and 800), and Mosaic-Shot (to piece together 4 or 9 photos for a panoramic view), the ZX10 gives users more control over the shots they take." Other than that, I was rather satisfied with the Samsung ZX10. I would have used it as my own phone. Not my favorite, but a reasonably good one. Manufacturers are still waiting—and hoping—that consumers will eventually warm up to the idea of watching video on their cell phones. To help that process along, Samsung has teamed up with Cingular Wireless on the SGH-ZX10, a full-featured multimedia phone that takes advantage of Cingular's new high-speed UMTS network. If you live in an area with UMTS coverage, this phone is worth picking up. As one of Cingular's first 3G phones, the Samsung SGH-ZX10 is a clamshell that offers a laundry list of top-notch features, including a bright 262,000-color internal display, a music player, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. The swiveling lens enables users to take self portraits while using the internal display as the viewfinder. You also get a robust 50MB of internal memory, as well as a TransFlash memory card slot (but no memory card). This clamshell takes good pictures (by camera phone standards), has an enormous phonebook, as well as a speakerphone and a ton of text and messaging options (AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo instant messaging along with POP3, SMTP, and IMAP4 e-mail support). The handset also supports picture caller ID on the internal display. The hardware is good, but the SGH-ZX10 really shines when it comes to multimedia content and delivery. The SGH-ZX10 is uniquely equipped to take advantage of the new Cingular Video service, which is made possible by the underlying UMTS network . UMTS, which stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service, is currently available in only 16 major markets, but the carrier plans to roll the technology out to others as the year progresses. If you're fortunate enough to be in UMTS range, you can customize your home screen with streaming content and watch licensed programs from Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, The Disney Channel, ESPN, Fox, HBO Mobile, NBC, The Speed Channel, and The Weather Channel. Cingular bundles its video service with the MediaNet Unlimited data package, which costs $19.99 per month. HBO or Music Choice each cost an additional $4.99 per month, and music videos cost 99 cents for one 24-hour period. It's not the cheapest way to kill time, but if you're on the road a lot, the premium is worth it. Downloading and buffering video clips was blazingly fast. Sitting in the back of a meeting room, we were able to download and watch content on the 262,000-color display easily. This isn't the best way to watch TV, but Cingular Video is fine for news and sports highlights. Both Sprint and Verizon Wireless have similar services, but Cingular's UMTS speeds were a tad quicker than the others in our tests. The audio player supports a plethora of music formats (AAC, AAC+, MP3, and WMA). Too bad the SGH-ZX10 doesn't ship with stereo headphones. If you're looking for a way to download songs over the air like V Cast Music or Sprint's Music Store, you won't find it on Cingular—at least not yet. The SGH-ZX10 can also be used as a modem for your notebook when paired with Communication Manager 5.2 software, which is a free download from Cingular's Web site. Of course, this will require the customer to sign up for Cingular's DataConnect plan for PC Cards, which costs an additional $59.99 for unlimited use with the purchase of a $39.99 or higher voice plan and a two-year agreement. One benefit of UMTS is that customers can use the SGH-ZX10 as a modem while simultaneously conducting a voice call. When using the phone by itself, you can download content while talking. EV-DO phones from Sprint and Verizon can't perform this type of multitasking. All in all, the SGH-ZX10 is a solid multimedia phone, and accessing Cingular Video content feels quite seamless. Now the network needs to catch up to the hardware. The SGH-ZX10 GSM quad-band support also gives consumers one communication device while traveling around the world where GSM networks are supported, and a speakerphone allowing for easy, hands-free conversations. Key features of the zx10 include: * Quad-Band: GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz; Dual-Band: 1900/850 UMTS
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