Samsung Wave S8500 Smartphone Reviews and Deals
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Boasting a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, the Samsung Wave S8500 has a 1GHz processor running Samsung's own Bada operating system.
You can get online via 3G/HSPA or Wi-Fi, while Bluetooth and aGPS are also on board. There's a five-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and image stabilisation, while you can both play and record video in 1280x720 HD (recording at 30fps).
The Samsung Wave S8500's media player covers all the standard audio formats, while there's also an FM radio. Work shouldn't be a problem, thanks to an integrated document viewer.
Connectivity is further aided thanks to USB support and a TV out port, while the 2GB of on board memory can be augmented by microSD cards up to 32GB.
Samsung Wave S8500 review
Good
Slim and elegant, great screen, cheap
Bad
Second rate OS, third rate app store
Overview
The battle of the operating systems (OS) has been the real story in smartphones for some time now.
Apple’s OS marked a quantum shift in consumer expectations, with Google’s Android line quickly making the mark alongside the iPhone. This has left the likes of Symbian, Windows and even BlackBerry struggling to make up ground - you’d have to be mad to introduce a new OS right now, right? Especially with Android being open source.
Not according to Samsung, which has decided to give it a go with its Bada OS, despite making a success of Android handsets itself already.
Before we get to the OS though, it should be said the Samsung Wave 8500 is a handsome handset. It has a lovely brushed aluminium case, which sets the standard for the general build quality - especially the glass fronted ‘super AMOLED’ touchscreen (like normal AMOLED, but more super). It’s really responsive, and the colours are amazingly vivid and clear.
The 3.3-inch screen (480x800 pixel resolution, not a million miles from the iPhone 4) is a bit narrow (visible view 73x42mm) but it’s still gorgeous.
The Wave weighs 118g - 20 grams lighter than an iPhone 4, but on a par with the likes of Nokia’s X6. This gives the Wave a good heft in the palm, while also being well balanced with nicely curved edges (depth is 10.9mm). The way you skim the screen to unlock it is also a nice touch, while little details such as the microUSB port being hidden behind a little sliding door adding to the illusion of quality. But do the insides match up?
Work
Put simply, this simply isn’t a ‘work’ smartphone - it falls between an old ‘feature phone’ and a standard smartphone, the market where LG has always done so well. There’s a passing nod to the office, but it’s clearly not what this handset is all about.
That said, the on-screen keyboard is OK. Text editing has largely been burgled from Apple and while it’s not quite so elegant it does the job.
You can multitask between apps, while the Wave also has A-GPS on board for all your sat nav needs. Email is also pretty well handled (see below), but don’t expect to be replacing your BlackBerry with this fella.
Play
Multimedia-wise, the Samsung Wave 8500 ticks all the boxes it needs to, without ever really excelling. However, this is no criticism - you don’t need to break new ground with every application, and doing everything right in a handset isn’t as easy as it may sound.
The five-megapixel autofocus camera is absolutely fine. You’ll never get amazing results from a cameraphone, so with an LED flash and stepped action on the camera button (half press to focus, continue to snap) you have all you need for Facebook right here.
The camera button - which both turns on the camera application and takes pic - is in a good spot as well. It’s amazing how often this isn’t the case (the good balance of the phone helps too).
Video is well catered for. There’s 720p HD video recording and playback, with popular formats such as Divx, Xvid and WMV playing straight out of the box.
The rest of the multimedia functionality is also on the money. The music player is perfectly adequate, while there’s also an FM radio on board. Syncing up with your PC is a sinch, so no worries there. And yes, it has the now obligatory 3.5mm headphone jack on top of the handset, alongside the miniUSB socket.
Connectivity
The Samsung Wave 8500 has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, alongside 3G HSDPA for the best in data transfer and call quality.
There shouldn’t be a problem getting up and running with all your friends and colleagues either, as you can easily sync Facebook, Twitter and Exchange accounts (but there’s not support for html emails). Messaging is well handled, with SMSs handily arranged into conversations.
The internet experience is OK, but The Wave only supports Flash Lite (not Flash), meaning you’ll be in trouble on a lot of sites.
Of course, a new operating system also means a different app store. The one for Bada is OK, but unsurprisingly there’s nothing much in it as yet.
Performance
Overall, the Wave’s performance was fine (yup, it’s that word again), if nothing to write home about. Samsung’s 1Ghz Hummingbird processor zips along and the Bada OS coped with the limited battering we tried to give it. But, that said, there’s not really an awful lot going on.
So, to the OS. Bada is, well, OK. In looks and functionality it’s clearly a good way behind the competition, especially in its handling of apps and widgets - it really feels like the first attempt it actually is. And while the handset is elegant, the OS looks pretty cheap, if at least functional.
Even so, its close proximity in style and usability to the Apple and Android OSs (for example, multiple desktops you can scroll between) might put it ahead of Nokia’s Symbian right now - a scary thought.
One annoyance is that the microSD cards are inserted under the battery, meaning hot swapping is out of the question. But the battery itself is pretty good (1500mAh Li-Ion), comparing well with similar handsets in its class.
Verdict
If you’re looking for the next big thing, the Wave certainly isn’t it. In fact, even as it arrived, Samsung’s own Android powered Galaxy S was already a good few yards better in most departments.
However, if you’re looking for value, style, or a ‘my first smartphone’ for someone who wants a handset that does it all while looking good, this is a tempting option.
The Samsung Wave 8500 is a good all-rounder, while nothing really stands out except what great value it offers on the right deal. Sure, you’ll end up with a smartphone that looks and feels a bit smarter than it actually is, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
PS We’ve been using the version branded by mobile provider Orange, which was nice enough to supply us with the handset to test (ta!).
Samsung Wave S8500 specification and features
- Model
- Samsung Wave S8500
- Manufacturer
- Samsung
- Operating system
- Bada OS
- Colours
- Black
Mobile internet
- WiFi
- Yes
- 3G
- Yes
- HSDPA
- No
Size
- Size
- 118mm x 56mm x 11mm
- Screen size
- 3.3"
- Screen Resolution
- 480x800
Features
- Talktime
- 7 hrs
- Standby
- 550 hrs
- Touchscreen
- Yes
- QWERTY keyboard
- No
- Camera
- 5 megapixel
- Video
- Yes
- GPS
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Music Phone
- No
- FM Radio
- Yes
- Quad Band
- Yes
