Samsung Beat for T-Mobile Cell Phone Review - Hardware
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Mark Brezinski Published on February 21, 2008 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (10.58)
We were able to finish typing our test paragraph in an average of 18.14 seconds. This means adroit texters can expect around 52.92 words per minute, which is really good.
There is one annoying issue speedy texters should be aware of, however. Assuming the volume is on, the Beat will beep whenever you hit a key. The problem is that these beeps only happen so fast. Our initial tests were about nine seconds slower (resulting in a huge hit to the total words per minute score). We redid this test when we realized we only input a new press after we had heard the beep from the previous one. It's actually a really distracting feature, and we'd recommend you mute the keys before you begin to type.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 52.92 | 10.58 |
| Razr2 V8 | 46 | 9.20 |
| Samsung Blast | 37.54 | 7.51 |
| Samsung SLM | 40.2 | 8.04 |
| Motorola W385 | 38 | 7.60 |
| Samsung Juke | 36.7 | 7.34 |
T9 and Auto Complete (5.0)
The Beat does have T9, but its "auto complete" feature is bad enough that we didn't award it points. Basically, you can choose to add words to your T9 repertoire. Once a word has been added, it'll show up in the list of possible permutations. Since we don't think a feature should hinge on the user's ability to input their entire language via multitap, we haven't awarded the Beat points for this functionality.
One Hand Usability (30.70)
With one hand we were able to knock off our test paragraph in 23.53 seconds, which is about 40.8 words/minute. As you can see, this is one of the faster times. Generally, keypads are not capable of the same speeds of a QWERTY keyboard, but they're far, far better at one-handed typing.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 40.8 | 8.16 |
| Razr2 V8 | 40.54 | 8.11 |
| Samsung Blast | 29.23 | 5.85 |
| Samsung SLM | 38.4 | 7.68 |
| Motorola W385 | 35.56 | 7.11 |
| Samsung Juke | 31.25 | 6.25 |
Keypad Backlighting (3.0)
The Beat has an evenly-backlit keyboard. The light is moderately bright, more so by the d-pad, where the buttons have larger symbols. There aren't any settings that control the keypad's backlight, and it'll just turn off whenever the screen does.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (4.0)
The Beat's internal d-pad suffers from the same problem as all its buttons: they have virtually no texture for tactile navigation. Once your fingers have stumbled upon the d-pad, using it is easy. The arrow keys are large enough to press easily without also pressing surrounding keys. The same is true of the center key. We would've liked a bit more tactile feedback, but otherwise this is a standard d-pad.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Beat's displays are coldly indifferent to your touch.
Jog Dial (1.0)
The Beat doesn't have a jog dial. Its volume buttons can be used to skip to the next page of a list, however. We've awarded this limited functionality a single point.
Soft Buttons (3.0)
Like the d-pad, the soft buttons would've benefitted greatly from some sort of texture. The buttons themselves are good enough -- though they could've offered a bit more tactile feedback for more of a snap -- but it's hard to find them by touch. You'll have to rely on finger memory or sight.
Volume Control (5.0)
The volume keys look like a rocker, but you can actually hit both keys at once. The keys themselves stick out a fair amount from the side of the phone, and have a gradual dip in the middle. This makes finding and using them without looking a very easy process.
Power and Standby (3.0)
The power key is the secondary function of the end key. Chances are you'll be able to locate it just through finger memory, but otherwise there's not a lot to go by other than looking at the keypad. Again, we wish there was more snap to the key. When a key doesn't offer strong tactile feedback, people tend to press them much harder than necessary -- this is especially true for buttons that need to be held down for a time.
There is no physical key for standby mode; it'll simply activate once you've let your phone idle for the preset time.
Other Buttons (11.0)
The Beat has exactly ten buttons not mentioned above. There are three extras on the keypad: an internet shortcut, a make-your-own shortcut key, and a clear/back button. On the right side are two shortcuts: camera and music player. Below the external display is a secondary d-pad-shaped array of media controls.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (2.0)
The Beat's internal display has a resolution of 128 x 160. This is a very low resolution for a modern cell phone. Even the Juke -- which has the tiniest main display out of all the phones we've reviewed -- has more resolution. Besides a phone's physical appearance, the resolution is usually the second best indicator of whether or not you're looking at an entry-level device. Though this resolution is still high enough so you won't run into problems figuring out what icons are, every time you look at the Beat you'll know you're looking at a lower-class handset.
| Cell Phone | Resolution | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 128x160 | 2.0 |
| Razr2 V8 | 320x240 | 8.0 |
| Samsung Blast | 176 x 200 | 4.0 |
| Samsung SLM | 176 x 220 | 4.0 |
| Motorola W385 | 128 x 160 | 2.0 |
| Samsung Juke | 220 x 128 | 3.0 |
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (5.39)
The Beat's resolution isn't the best, but its screen is also fairly small. Unfortunately, its screen would have to be tinier still to bump its pixel density up to average. Pixel density, measured in pixels per inch, essentially dictates how detailed pictures will appear, and how vibrant they'll look. If you were expecting an amazing display, however, you probably weren't considering the Beat anyway.
| Cell Phone | Pixels Per Inch | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 107.84 | 5.39 |
| Razr2 V8 | 181.8 | 9.09 |
| Samsung Blast | 127 | 6.35 |
| Samsung SLM | 117.4 | 5.87 |
| Motorola W385 | 113.83 | 5.69 |
| Samsung Juke | 115.73 | 5.79 |
Screen Physical Size (4.75)
The Beat's screen is very small: 1.9 inches diagonally. Average screen sizes for entry level phones begin at 2", though most will have a few extra tenths of an inch separating themselves from the Beat.
| Cell Phone | Size Diagonal (inches) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 1.9 | 4.75 |
| Razr2 V8 | 2.2 | 5.50 |
| Samsung Blast | 2.1 | 5.25 |
| Samsung SLM | 2.4 | 6.00 |
| Motorola W385 | 1.8 | 4.50 |
| Samsung Juke | 1.45 | 3.63 |
Screen Brightness (4.00)
Our light sensor says the Beat's screen is capable of outputting 55 lux. This is about average, but it certainly doesn't seem very bright. There are only five brightness settings, none of which are really bright.
| Cell Phone | Brightness (lux) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 55 | 4.00 |
| Razr2 V8 | 156 | 9.10 |
| Samsung Blast | 92 | 5.85 |
| Samsung SLM | 60 | 4.25 |
| Motorola W385 | 55 | 5.25 |
| Samsung Juke | 43 | 3.65 |
Screen Bright Light Performance (4.0)
For this test we shine 3000 lux of light onto the phone's screen, which approximates a sunny day. We then try to read through the glare. The Beat performed well on this test; though there was quite a bit of glare, we were able to read the icons. We could see how those with poorer vision could have some difficulty, however, especially due to the low resolution and small size of the screen.
Color Depth (6.0)
The Beat can display up to 65,000 colors, which is the modern day bare minimum. Colors might seem a bit bland, but they'll serve their purpose. There are presently two increments above 65,000 colors: 262,000 colors, and 16 million colors. The former is beginning to fill up more and more of the mainstream, while the latter is typically reserved for higher-end phones.
| Cell Phone | Colors (thousands) | Score |
| Samsung Beat | 65 | 6.0 |
| Razr2 V8 | 65 | 6.0 |
| Samsung Blast | 262 | 8.0 |
| Samsung SLM | 262 | 8.0 |
| Motorola W385 | 65 | 6.0 |
| Samsung Juke | 262 | 8.0 |
Secondary Screen (5.61)
The Beat's external screen is 1.1 inches diagonally. It has a 128 x 32 resolution, which gives it a pixel density of 119.94 PPI. It is quite handy since you can start up the music player on it, obviating the need to even open the phone.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (2.0)
Headphone & Jack Compatibility (0.0)
Unfortunately, the Beat will only accept proprietary headphones. As a bit of an upswing, the Beat does come with a set of compatible stereo headphones.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Beat only has 30MB of internal storage, which really isn't good for much beyond PIM info and a handful of pictures.
Expansion Slot & Format (6.0)
The Beat supports MicroSD cards, and a 1GB card is packed in with the phone. Unfortunately, the maximum storage such a slot will allow is 2GB. We would've greatly preferred a SDHC port instead, since it would grant up to four times that amount of storage.
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