- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Samsung Focus S
- Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
- 3.5G
- 4.3"
- 1.5 GHz
Released November, 2011
Rated 100% by by Robert-L.-Stinnett (Nov, 2011)It takes amazing pictures - plus with the Windows Phone integrations you are just a touch away from uploading them to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or a myriad of other photo sharing sites.
Conclusion Check out the Samsung Focus S
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Samsung Focus S
1.5 GHz
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango 3.5G
Rated 100% by by Michael-Lekas--Curmudgeon-in-Training (Dec, 2011)The Windows Phone "Metro" Interface is very touch friendly, so most of the time I didn't mind the smaller screen.
screen size
4.3"
3.7"
4.7"
Focus S by S.-Singh--sujsingh (Sep, 2012)The quality of screen, size and the vividness is just impressive.
Focus S by Brian (Dec, 2011)Big, beautiful 4.3" screen that really has to be seen to be appreciated (video just looks fantastic).
screen resolution
Focus S by Louis-W. (Dec, 2011)It's not as high as Apple's Retina display (around 326 ppi), but tremendously better than the 3GS's 163 ppi.
Focus S by c|net (Nov, 2011)Sharpness is set to medium by default, which is too bad, because amping the sharpness up to high or maximum sharpness can really define the photo.
memory
| 0 GB | 1 GB   | 2 GB |
processor
Focus S by Alexander-Stevens (Mar, 2012)Those who say that the single core processor is a drawback has never used one of these before.
Focus S by Troy (Nov, 2011)While some phones have dual core processors and still seem laggy, the Focus S is responsive and never lags.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 5 MP  | 8 MP |
Focus S by c|net (Nov, 2011)The Samsung Focus S, introduced by AT&T, is a beautiful device: it's thin, it's light (maybe too light), and it sports a gorgeous 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and a quite good 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.
Focus S by c|net (Nov, 2011)Samsung has a knack for making some pretty nice cameras, and the Focus S is the lucky recipient of an 8-megapixel lens and a 1.3-megapixel front-facer.
Performance Real world tests of Samsung Focus S
cpu speed
Focus S by Michael-Lekas--Curmudgeon-in-Training (Dec, 2011)I think the faster processor makes a difference in game load times and browser speed - I am able to view websites in Desktop mode and it performs very well.
browser benchmark
Focus S by GSM Arena (Dec, 2011)What has changed is performance - the new browser relies on hardware graphics acceleration to provide smoother graphics (and video) and animation and the JavaScript engine have been retooled as well.
Focus S by pseudosavant (Dec, 2011)The OS, email app, Office, web browser, and hardware are fast and fluid.
download speed
Focus S by InfamousDaveman (Dec, 2011)I converted over from Verizon to ATT and I have to say, at least in southern California, my data speeds are super fast, thanks to the hspa+ 4g.
Focus S by Philip-Stevens (Nov, 2011)Also there's a lot of features that you may otherwise miss such as Microsoft Office, Xbox-live built-in, wi-fi, tethering, a front-facing camera, multi-tasking, really fast 4G data speeds, still a lot of apps, live tiles, nice speaker, Netflix, beautiful yet functional user interface, solid glass screen, no freezing or stuttering and a lot more.
talk time
390 min
900 min
600 min
Focus S by ArgonBattery is outstanding in its class of high-end smartphones, for all the speed and smooth experience it provides.
Focus S by Dr.-P.-S.-Varma (Jun, 2012)Battery life is very short @ 6 hours of not heavy use and the battery is at halfway mark.-No assurance from the Carrier, Microsoft or Samsung about future upgrades to Windows Apollo new OS.-The Windows Phone Market place is not yet mature enough to compete with Android or Apple.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
3.5 mm -
Windows Phone Marketplace (Windows Phone 7.5 Mango) -
Capacitive -
8 MP -
OLED screens are typically higher contrast and use less power -
86.51% -
67 x 126 x 8 mm -
1.5 GHz -
111 g -
8 mm -
Listen to music and news from local radio stations -
8 MP -
Play games and use applications that take advantage of device rotation -
4.3" -
Share your cellphone's data plan with other devices -
16 GB -
81 ms
cons
-
Many games and videos on the Internet require Adobe Flash -
120,000 apps (Windows Phone Marketplace) -
limited to the phone's built-in storage for apps and data -
None -
Single core -
Some newer payment by phone methods require NFC -
Doesn't support the fastest, most reliable networks -
Nov, 2011
Reviews Word on the street
 |
|
|---|---|
 |  
|
 |  Rated by 90 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Lea (Nov, 2011) Rated 100% by by Bacchus (Nov, 2011) Rated 100% by by Bacchus (Nov, 2011) |
Operating system
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by boardryder4 (Jan, 2012)I've used Android, I've used iOS, I've used Blackberry, and I can honestly say that I like Windows Phone better.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by OfficerJoe--OfficerJoe (Jan, 2012)The Windows Phone OS is the most intuitive and powerful smartphone OS out there, and like I mentioned above, very fun to use.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Bradley-D.-McPeak (Dec, 2011)I've had Android (Gingerbread) and iPhone (iOS 4) and I find this phone to be more fun and easier to use than either of those.
Camera
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Lea (Nov, 2011)The camera takes much better pictures than my iPhone 4, and the dedicated camera button is a life saver when you want to take a quick photo.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Brian-M.-Hughes (Jan, 2012)As someone who used the original Samsung Focus, it's fantastic to see how they improved the phone for the Focus S. The phone is super thin and light, surprisingly so actually.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by K.-Boyer (Dec, 2011)I owned the original Focus and had several issues with it, so I was skeptical about the new version, but since the Titan was just too darned big, I when with the Focus S. I've been very happy with it.
Screen
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Justin (Dec, 2011)The screen displays brilliant colors and is very responsive.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by cesarinleyva (Dec, 2011)The pics and vids are great, the screen is flawless.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 80% by by Xandanga (Dec, 2011)I have the phone on full brightness pretty much all the time and the screen just blows me away.
Type
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Snowgator (Aug, 2012)Easily one of the best devices to ever run Windows Phone 7, it is a seamless, fantastic experience.
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Chandra (Dec, 2011)I have been using Android phone for a while and when I got this windows phone I'm amazed at its dynamic live tiles, display and it is so beautiful and lively.
Samsung Focus S | by GSM Arena (Dec, 2011)Below the screen, you will find the usual for all Windows Phone devices, three buttons.
Apps
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by Sally-SmithThe graphics are superb on this phone as a gaming device but what blows me away is the ability to multitask during gameplay!! I check my work email, respond to texts, and run other apps and can easily switch back to resume my game!
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by S.-Singh--sujsingh (Sep, 2012)& apps store has limited choice but I have access to the key apps that I use (Skype, Facebook, Adobe Reader, Spotify, Skydrive etc.).
Samsung Focus S | Rated 100% by by boardryder4 (Jan, 2012)The number of apps is quickly becoming a non-issue and many of the apps are better quality and more integrated into the user experience.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nokia Lumia 920 Rated the best by consumers Nokia Lumia 920 vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 2 | HTC One X 2-way tie: OK standby time HTC One X vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 3 | Samsung Galaxy S III mini 2-way tie: Has a removable battery Galaxy S III mini vs Focus S |
 | 4 | Nokia Lumia 820 Longest battery life during active use Nokia Lumia 820 vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 5 | HTC One Better than usual battery capacity HTC One vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 6 | Nokia Lumia 900 6-way tie: Supports FM radio Nokia Lumia 900 vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 7 | Nokia Lumia 800 6-way tie: Supports FM radio Nokia Lumia 800 vs Samsung Focus S |
 | 8 | Samsung Exhilarate 3-way tie: Supports Flash Exhilarate vs Focus S |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
