- 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 Stratosphere
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- 4G
- 4"
- 1 GHz
Released October, 2011
Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)It was sleek, designed for multimedia, and had that great five-row QWERTY keyboard.
Conclusion Check out the Samsung Stratosphere
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Samsung Stratosphere
1 GHz
Android 2.3 Gingerbread 4G
screen size
4"
3.1"
3.4"
Stratosphere by DJW--HappyNana (Feb, 2013)The screen is a nice size and is clear, making it easy to read, 3.
Stratosphere by chinkymonkey (Dec, 2012)BUT this is super nice the screen is very nice, not too big and not too wide.
screen resolution
Stratosphere by c|net (Nov, 2011)Even though it's a great screen on its own, a higher resolution would make it look sharper still.
Stratosphere by J.-Howard--sugar-s-mama (Jan, 2012)Because of the previous reviews on the battery life, I do charge it overnight, and keep the screen resolution low.
memory
| 0 GB | 1 GB  | 2 GB |
processor
Stratosphere by Paul-Daniel (Dec, 2011)Just because there are a few crazy fast and powerful devices with 1GB of ram and 1.5 dual core processors, does not mean that this phone is a lesser device.
Stratosphere by From-Detroit (Jan, 2012)Also, before the phone plummeted, I was noticing a lot of lag... Rebooting the phone seemed to solve most issues, though I suspect that the single core processor and the limited amount of RAM had something to do with it.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 8 MP  | 8 MP |
Stratosphere by c|net (Nov, 2011)A 5-megapixel camera may not be the highest-end camera in numbers (that honor would belong to an 8-megapixel shooter), but with the right combination of hardware and software, 5-megapixel lenses have been known to produce some really fantastic shots.
Stratosphere by c|net (Nov, 2011)Try as Samsung and Verizon might to persuade us that the Stratosphere is "A First," with its 4G LTE-plus-keyboard combination, a quick glance at the specs of this fancy Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS with its 1GHz Hummingbird processor, brilliant Super AMOLED screen, 5-megapixel camera, and VGA front-facing camera reveal that it is actually none other than...an updated Samsung Epic 4G!
Performance Real world tests of Samsung Stratosphere
cpu speed
Stratosphere by From-Detroit (Jan, 2012)The phone seems fast enough to handle the tasks I throw at it, and any faster processor would likely drain the battery faster.
Stratosphere by Paul-Daniel (Dec, 2011)She has no idea what the difference in processor or RAM is so that is saying something about the Strat.
browser benchmark
Stratosphere by J.-Chambers (Jan, 2013)Web browsing with the default browser is fast enough, although I have also used the Dolphin browser, and I like it too.
Stratosphere by c|net (Jan, 2013)A chrome strip wraps around the edges of the device, and overall, it has a curvy, pebblelike shape.
download speed
Stratosphere by J.-Chambers (Jan, 2013)But I've had the phone in some fairly remote areas in the West, and the connections were still solid with decent download speeds.
Stratosphere by Kfu-Mike--Kfu (Nov, 2011)Although the signal status of a connection could say "Excellent" with a 36 Mbps bandwidth (or higher), apps requiring a data connection (browser, Facebook, accuweather, etc.) will simply time out with warnings such as "no internet connection" or "lost connection.
talk time
480 min
1,020 min
750 min
Stratosphere by Mourning-Light--mournlight (Jun, 2012)And there NO WAY it will get 8 hrs of talk time.
Stratosphere by Truthswhispered (Dec, 2012)Battery life is really good too as long as you lay off the heavy stuff like movies and games.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
3.5 mm -
Slide-out QWERTY keyboard -
Android Market (Android) -
Capacitive -
5 MP -
OLED screens are typically higher contrast and use less power -
Supports the fastest, most reliable networks -
1.79 Mb/s -
Share your cellphone's data plan with other devices -
94 ms
cons
-
65 x 126 x 14 mm -
Can't listen to local radio stations -
164 g -
640 x 480 @ Unknown -
None -
Single core -
Android 2.3 Gingerbread -
14 mm -
Some newer payment by phone methods require NFC -
12,720 min -
Cannot detect when the tablet is rotated -
Oct, 2011
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 |  Rated by 95 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Nancy-J.-Boyle--Nancy-J.-Boyle (Jan, 2012) Rated 100% by by Nancy-J.-Boyle--Nancy-J.-Boyle (Jan, 2012) |
Screen
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)Super AMOLED screen is still impressive, with bright, saturated color that leaps off the display.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)You've got your five customizable home screens right out of the box, your choice of some nice backgrounds, the "leap" screen for viewing all your home screens in one view, and a horizontal-swiping treatment to the app tray.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by Mark (Apr, 2012)Its screen is so vivid and clear comparing to my old phones and other friends' phones.
Keyboard
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by 2girlsmommy (Nov, 2011)I was a super fast texter on my old EnV Touch, and thought I would continue to be if I found a slide out keyboard.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)Verizon is quickly becoming the king of 4G LTE phones, but it wasn't until the Samsung Stratosphere strode onto the scene that Verizon could claim a 4G phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by 2girlsmommy (Nov, 2011)keyboard/texting. If VZW would offer a FLIP keyboard instead of a slider (and make the keys similar to the enV's), I would probably be in phone heaven.
Battery
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by 2girlsmommy (Nov, 2011)I'm surprised by how fast the battery drains.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 40% by by Ben-Dover (May, 2012)I tried the old battery in the new phone & vice versa, both the old phone & battery are bad.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 100% by by From-Detroit (Jan, 2012)If you're not talking on your phone or using power-intensive settings and your battery is still dying fast, you might want to check your settings.
Apps
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 100% by by From-Detroit (Jan, 2012)As I said, this is my first smart phone, and having access to my Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Google + and Voice where ever I go is quite handy!
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by Mark (Apr, 2012)Anyway, My Stratosphere smartphone works great and it is fast and smooth performance (1Ghz.... well, at that time, I didn't have too many apps installed just yet), and I recovered from being robbed too.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)It's quite the load, which is great if you like being ahead on apps when you procure a new phone, and less helpful if you'd prefer to start small and set it up yourself.
Network technology
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 100% by by A.-Hujber (Jan, 2012)The 4G is super fast, but I split my time between areas with great 4G coverage and not-so-great coverage.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 76% by by c|net (Nov, 2011)Speeds were generally strong but ranged throughout San Francisco from as low as 6Mbps download (which is still great for 3G in this city) to as high as 32Mbps.
Samsung Stratosphere | Rated 80% by by Mark (Apr, 2012)I like droid phones, but they don't have the cheaper 4G models yet and the store don't offer 4GB data plan for 3G and I want a 4G smartphone.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Samsung Galaxy Ace Long standby time Galaxy Ace vs Stratosphere |
 | 2 | Apple iPhone 5 Most built-in storage Apple iPhone 5 vs Samsung Stratosphere |
 | 3 | Samsung Droid Charge Biggest screen Droid Charge vs Stratosphere |
 | 5 | Motorola Droid 4 Has a numeric keypad Motorola Droid 4 vs Samsung Stratosphere |
 | 6 | Samsung Galaxy Stellar Better than usual battery capacity Galaxy Stellar vs Stratosphere |
 | 7 | Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro Newer operating system Galaxy Rugby Pro vs Stratosphere |
 | 8 | Samsung Galaxy Proclaim 5-way tie: Supports Flash Galaxy Proclaim vs Stratosphere |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
September 17, 2012
A good phone for games, apps, texting, long battery life
My phone is normally on standby but when I use it I want it to be fast, last the whole day or more, and I want good screen resolution. I don't search the internet or YouTube very often but when I...
Visitor
1
Answers December 15, 2012
Video Recording
Not a question but a correction. The Samsung Stratosphere also records in 720p, not 480p.
Visitor
1
Answers 