Great upgrade over the Samsung Focus January 29, 2012

Reviewer:  Shew 

If you liked the Samsung Focus, this is a great upgrade. It is everything that was good about the Samsung Focus plus a bunch of improvements.

Best part for me is the bigger screen. This is especially true because I have big hands. FWIW, Apple has kept the iPhone small so that even people with really tiny hands can use it one handed. But if you have bigger fingers (e.g. a lot of guys) the iPhone is just too small. Not only does the small size of the iPhone make it hard to use for some people, a lot of older people I know say the small size of the iPhone makes it hard to easily see icons and other information. The big screen on the Focus S combined with Windows Phone 7 Metro user interface with the easy-to-see-at-a-glance tiles makes this Focus S super easy to read and use.

The crazy part is that the phone isn't overall much larger than the Samsung Focus even though the screen is quite a bit bigger. The Samsung Focus S still fits in Levis jeans back pocket. In fact it is so thin it actually fits better.

Battery life is improved, speed is better, camera is better, and it has a compass and a front camera for conferencing. About the only thing not as good as the Focus is that the Focus S doesn't have flash expansion.

best smartphone to date January 29, 2012

Reviewer:  conroy 

battery life excellent, performance great, screen quality awesome i play games alot on this device and the most evident
thing with this device is that it doesn't hurt my eyes... the galaxy S made by the same manufacturer gives me serious eye problems whenever i use it.

Excellent Phone and Media Player January 16, 2012

Reviewer:  Luke "devbooks"  (Tucson, AZ USA) -

This has been a great phone with a truly innovative user interface, unlike the "Windows 3.0" desktop/icon interfaces employed by the iPhone and most Android devices. The "live tiles" are a nice feature. I have AT&T and the voice quality is much better than with the Apple iPhone 3GS I had before. I highly recommend this phone. The iPhone 3GS I had before was a strong media player but a so-so phone at best. Microsoft needs to do a better job of marketing. I can't believe these aren't more popular yet.

Awesome experience. Best phone I have ever had. January 6, 2012

Reviewer:  Reader  (New York, NY) -

The device is really thin, with a very bright screen and super-fast response time. Showcases the Windows Phone 7 interface. Front facing camera is a lot of fun.

Beautiful Phone January 6, 2012

Reviewer:  Prathyush  (USA) -

Great hardware. very light. vibrant screen.
This is basically Samsung galaxy s2 with windows phone OS.

WP 7.5 rocks as usual.

The best phone period!!! December 21, 2011

Reviewer:  InfamousDaveman 

Ive had my Focus S for a little over a month now and I have to say, Its been an absolutely amazing phone. Its so light and thin, you can barely even feel it in your pocket, which is nice for me because Im a runner. The sleek design is also very durable, as both my wife and I have dropped our phones onto our tile floors numerous times and I cant even see a scratch on em! Add the gorilla Glass to the mix and super amoled plus technology and you have a spectacular screen that still amazes me today with its rich and vibrant colors. Have you seen the commercials for the Galaxy S II? The Focus S has the exact same screen but with the added bonus of the windows mango os.

Speaking of windows phone, I have to say you wont find an easier, more fluid and practical OS out there. Everything you need is right on your start screen, with ever evolving live tiles that update with real information. Seeing such an animated experience everytime you open your phone is a sight to see, and one that you dont get with android and IOS. With over 40,000 apps, I havent yet found an app I wanted but wasnt available yet, and with the rate of expansion, I dont think that will ever be a problem. I will say, to get the full experience, you really have to buy into microsofts ecosystem. Zune pass is amazing, and music search and downloading/streaming works flawlessly! Also, your xbox windows live id and email/calender all sync easily, and outlook, as long as your corporation supports the device, works fantastic too! And bing? What they've down with the built in search with convert you from the other guys easily! But you just have to give them a chance to win you over.

All in all, you wont find a nicer device that works this smooth and fast and feels soooo good in your hands. 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. Streaming netflix and music works perfectly so If its the network you are worried about, I have been nothing but pleased with my coverage. I recommend getting to a store and getting hands on with a Focus S, it really makes all the difference in the world. You wont be disappointed!

Great Phone, nice integration with Social Apps December 19, 2011

Reviewer:  cesarinleyva  (Baja Califonia, Mexico) -

This is a really good phone, if you are thinking about it don't think anymore and just get it. The pics and vids are great, the screen is flawless. Bing Navigation is really cool, you don't need to pay for the AT&T service Bing performs really good. And what I liked the most is the integration with the social apps.
:)

Love the Samsung Focus S..Pleasantly surprised by Windows Mango!! December 16, 2011

Reviewer:  E. Jasper "goodlife"  (Atlanta, GA) -

I am a current apple junkie. I love the simpliity of their devices and OS's, that said I have to say I was pelasantly surprised when I got my hands on the Samsung Focus S. I was looking to leave my iphone after 4 years with the various versions and I could not find a phone that really fit my needs. I tried out the Samsung Galaxy S Epic whatever it's called and although I loved the hardware, the andriod operating system kind of sucked to me. For my taste, it's "too customizable". That may be OK for some but not for me. I read a random review on windows phone 7 from one of the editors on CNET and it really intrigued me, but it wasn't until I got my hands on both the Focus S and the Titan that I was sold. The concept of live tiles is so simple that it's awesome!! I always hated having to always go from app to app to see things. On WP7, I can see facebook, twitter, MSN, & XBox updates all from one screen! Everything is super fast and the 4G is a big plus over the speeds on my iphone 4s which was incredibly slow for some reason. Even when I tried the Samsung Galaxy S Android version, I loved how rich the screen was. The super AMOLED screen pops on blacks, reds, and blues espcially. The focus S was so light that I was scared I would break it but once I put a case on it, the extra weight made it feel more comfortable. another concern I had was syncing my music/movies/podcasts but with the Zune interface it's seamless. All in all this phone has given me a better experience thatn my iphone or android ever has. Ifyou are a long time Android/IOS user then you are robably hesitant but Windows phone 7 is worthy try and Samsug has really knocked this try out the park.

Just Amazing December 4, 2011

Reviewer:  Arsh 

Samsung Focus S together with Windows Phone has delivered a stunning exprience of a smart phone. Being an ex IPhone I can really appreciate what Microsoft is doing. They have set the bar really high and this phone complements it. Stunning dispaly of 4.3 inches delivers superb video and browsing experience. I am never going back to IPhone unless Apple does something like this.

Excellent December 25, 2011

Reviewer:  Chandra 

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.

Excellent hardware and smooth os. Love this windows phone.

Awesome phone, awesome OS January 6, 2012

Reviewer:  Xaliux 

Such a smooth phone and OS, I have an iPhone and Android I mess around on but always come back to this.

Do not waste your money on this model. August 27, 2012

Reviewer:  Ricardo J. Oliveros "JAVIMEJ"  (WAUKEGAN, IL) -

NOTE. - I have this phone on AT & T Active since March 2012, ie 6 months of use.

Just one. - Bad - bad - signal reception (4G). Everywhere outside, in an area of perfect coverage, never got all stripes showed me good signal strength. Indoors, disastrous reception. 2. - Reheat in a moderately long duration call - and if it is long lasting - Total overheating. 3. - I'm a fan of Microsoft, so I like the Windows Phone operating system - or so I thought - but after seeing repeatedly that many of the different services or pages on the Web, do not have the ability to download (APP) for Windows Phones, I felt disappointed. I looked that Android is much, much more positioned to the Windows Phone operating system. It is perceived too. Many of the applications downloaded from MarkePlace for Windows Phones do not work. Get assistance for small applications is even more difficult. I really want to quickly withdrawing waste my time and effort into that. 4. - The speaker sounds terribly. The person receiving the call does not sound good reception when I speak of the Speaker and the reverse.

Look, SAMSUNG is perhaps the best - it is possible - but I was wrong in this model from head to toe.

Drop it you are out of luck January 27, 2012

Reviewer:  jollygoodfellow 

I switched from blackberry to iphone to Windows7 (Samsung Focus S). I greatly prefer the Windows interface. I am a heavy MS Office user so was surprised at the difficulty of integrating with Outlook/Live/SkyDrive; iCloud was a much easier set up.

However, what has me most upset is that I can not find a replacement screen. I have called several companies that specialize in broken screen repair and have searched online, but there is no replacement screen inventory. So, if you are unlucky to have your phone drop a foot, you can expect this very fragile phone to break. Mine broke a 2 days after warrenty and AT&T would not replace. When I bought the phone the sales clerks apologized they did not have any covers. So warning, you may be out several hundred bucks on as the Samsung slips out of your hand....

Good luck!!!!
Unhappy Samsung Focus S (SGH-i937) Owner

My personal view - as a first time smart phone user February 17, 2012

Reviewer:  ACW1120  (CA United States) -

I read many reviews here before making the decision to purchase this phone, I work in the IT industry, and I am probably the last hold out in my department to stay on the feature phone, my expectation of a phone is to use it easily and conveniently to stay in touch, I am not interested in using phone to watch TV, playing games, that said, I found this phone does not fulfill my expectation.

Start with the user interface, it really force you to adopt to the tile layout of the interface, you almost have no other way to get around from one function to another, if you are in a browser, you need to make a phone call, you have to bring the tile up then press the phone, then make the call. If the phone number is not in the history calls you made, another button, you need to press to bring up the phone directory or dial pad to dial he number, it is nightmarish if you try this in the dark, as the key is not lighted, you end up trying several times before you can even start to make a call.

One thing I absolutely hate it in this phone is the Microsoft Bing search button, it is right there in the lower front panel, next to the windows pan button, it is sensitive, and you can inadvertently bring this search page up, and you have no intention to, which just makes your life difficult, especially you are on the go and you want to make a quick phone call.

The lay out of the side button for camera activation is another aggravating point of this phone, it is right there where you held your phone, and if you grab your phone and sometimes, it just turn on the camera, you lost whatever you are doing at the time, bad design.

On top of it, the battery life is not good, I do not think I am a typical heavy user of the phone, with one day use, my battery bar is down to 50%, I almost have to charge the phone constantly in a daily basis.

This is straightly out of my own user experience owing this phone almost a month now, there are other minor inconvenient points that I consider just not worth of mentioning comparing with the above user interface experience, overall, not a very good phone.

** 6/19/2012 Follow up
I confirm my review prior, the battery life is seriously deficient, with light to medium use (check email, read email, no web or gaming) the battery will not last more than 2 days, I almost have to re-charge battery every night.

** 7/6/2012 second follow up
I still upheld my original observation and comment, the phone's interface has its own quirkiness, if you are Microsoft fan, and you really like the Microsoft ways (like Bing search around every corner), on your face marketing, this cell phone is a good choice for you, I have been using this phone for a while, I am getting used to it, but I certainly have my opinion of the tile motive and swipe action of the phone, sometimes, it just does not give you the things you want quickly (e.g. if you want to get to your address book from your phone, you have to go through the recent called entries, then follow by pressing the little icon at the bottom of the screen called address book), because of the "fancy" tile interface, there is no other way you can invoke your phone function by looking at your address book first. The phone itself functions well enough, and Amazon buying experience is great, my first phone develop a hair line crack, Amazon just replaced it for me, no question asked, what a service! I will add back one star for that.

** 9/1/2012 third follow up
now, I have more time with the phone from hardware point of view, the battery life of this phone is not very good, I have to charge everyday, will definitely not able to last for more than 3 days of use, I do not consider myself use this phone heavily, do not make a lot of phone calls, occasionally check my email and calendar, I do not even exceed the basic AT&T minimum data plan, but the phone needs to be charged everyday.

** 3/29/2013
I am on my second one of this phone, the first one developed a hair line crack on the screen, I have not dropped it but noticed this after I got the phone for several months, Amazon replaced the phone and it is very nice of them to do this.

Continue to use this Windows 8 phone, now it starts to catch up with more users, I still think the phone itself (SamSung) is not of highest quality, and it is a little bit dated both in the screen size and battery usage time, I looked at a few other choices, I think Nokia and HTC are better.

FM reception December 2, 2011

Reviewer:  patrick 

The FM radio is very very disappointing. I used to have no problem picking up my favorite stations with my old nokia or my old mp3 player, but now with this phone the radio signal is breaking all the time.
Otherwise the phone works just fine.

Windows Phones do not deliver December 2, 2011

Reviewer:  Bluez 

Forget this phone if you need to integrate with MS Office. It is just close to impossible to get your MS Outlook calendar synced into any Windows Phone. Sure there is the Cloud and the Office Hub and the 365, but it is awkward and there is a monthly add-on fee for some of the syncs. It also gets a little funky as the OS tries to push some things through Window Live. The issue with the MS Outlook calendar has been around for over a year and no one at the retail outlets seemed to be aware of the problem. On the other hand, if you don't need to sync with Outlook and want a fast phone with great graphics and pretty good sound then the is the phone for you.