Samsung Focus
A-GPS FM radio | |
Data inputs | Multi-touch touchscreen display Dual microphone 3-axis accelerometer Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor |
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The
History
Release and marketing
The Focus was released on November 8, 2010, along with the
The Focus was also released on November 8, 2010, on Rogers Wireless in Canada, Rogers handsets differ in appearance as they lack carrier branding instead of having the Samsung logo appear at the top where the AT&T logo would normally appear.[1] The Samsung Focus is no longer available on Rogers Wireless as of March 20, 2012.
Successor
The successor to the Focus is the
Features
Display
The Samsung Focus features a Corning
Software
The phone was released with Windows Phone and AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, AT&T myWireless and AT&T Uverse which can be uninstalled. The device also shipped with Samsung's "Now", also known as, "Daily Briefing" application which displays weather, news, and stocks.[5] The phone is capable of upgrading to Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango).
Languages
At the time of its launch, the Rogers version supported English and French, while the AT&T version also supported German, Spanish, and Italian. The Windows Phone 7.5 update added support for Korean to both variants.
Reception
The Samsung Focus received positive reviews. It received a 7 out of 10 rating from Engadget stating, "The Focus is kind of the everyman of the Windows Phone line. It doesn't really have any fancy features and isn't especially stylish... but it gets the job done ... At the end of the day, a lot of people will find that the Focus hits the sweet spot – for us, it just slightly misses the mark."[5] CNET gave the phone 4 out of 5 stars and stated, "Anyone looking for an alternative to the iPhone, but who wants better multimedia features and a more organized user interface than Android offers, should look at the Samsung Focus ... which has all that plus solid performance and a sleek design."[6]
Expandable storage issues
The Focus is marketed as the only Windows Phone that has a microSD card slot but many users found that installation can be tricky. The SD card used in the Samsung Focus must meet certain performance requirements, such as random read and write speeds, which cannot be determined with the speed class alone. When inserting a new SD card into the Samsung Focus, the phone must be reformatted and reset to factory settings. AT&T has informed customers to buy a "Samsung Focus approved" microSD card in order to use the slot.[11] After inserting an SD card, one cannot remove it as the card integrates with the phone's memory; doing so will completely erase the phone along with the card.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Samsung Focus, - Rogers Canada.
- ^ Get to Know the Samsung Focus™ with Windows® Phone 7 | Samsung Articles & Insights. Samsung.com (2010-11-29). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Features - AT&T Cell Phones SGH-I917 | Samsung Cell Phones Archived 2011-09-04 at the Wayback Machine. Samsung.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus Screen Oddity. YouTube (2010-11-29). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ a b c Topolsky, Joshua. (2010-10-22) Samsung Focus review. Engadget.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus Review - Watch CNET's Video Review. Reviews.cnet.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus Review: The First Windows Phone That Matters. Gizmodo.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus Review. SlashGear (2010-10-20). Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus (AT&T) Review & Rating. PCMag.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ PC Magazine. Pcmag.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.
- ^ Samsung Focus users should wait for certified SD cards according to AT&T. Phonearena.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.