The good: The Samsung Galaxy Beam comes with an integrated pico projector, a dual-core processor, 720p video capture, and a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen.
The bad: The Galaxy Beam's projection software needs some work, the 5-megapixel camera sometimes blurs indoor shots, and the build is thicker and heavier than many of today's phones.
The bottom line: Despite weak software, the Samsung Galaxy Beam's bright projector pushes boundaries, and strong smartphone features make it a worthy standalone device.
Never mind that the Samsung Galaxy Beam shoots 720p HD video or has a bright yellowjacket design. The one reason you're reading this is because of the quirky smartphone's capability to literally project the contents of your phone onto the nearest available surface. Your curiosity is justified. This is the first we've seen a pico projector in a finished commercial product in a long time, and the most important question on your mind is how well the standout feature works.
As usual, there's a short answer and a long answer. The bottom line is that the projector works well when you're beaming it in a dark environment on a light-colored surface. The quality isn't going to be as strong or last as long as a dedicated standalone projector, but you shouldn't expect it to. That said, when the novelty wears off, there are still controls that could improve the projection process and make it more practical for daily use, if one were really ever to use it that often.
At the end of the day, the phone is still a phone, and it's one that delivers a high software and hardware standard. Overall, Samsung did a nice job with this phone because it successfully integrates a technologically challenging component without compromising the rest of the phone features, the ones that any smartphone owner will ultimately use most.
Design
I'll just go right ahead and tell you what you want to know: the pico projector lens sits on the top of the Galaxy Beam so it can shine the phone's contents straight out, like a flashlight. The beam is bright (which you can control) and although the module is large enough to make the phone look like it got a goose egg from a bad fall, it doesn't swell the phone's silhouette too much.
The handset is on the thicker and heavier side to accomodate the extra hardware and the larger battery (2,000mAh). I'd call it hefty and sturdy, but it's not quite a beast. The Beam measures 4.9 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick (it's wider at the projector). At 5.1 ounces, it feels heavy by today's standards, but it isn't any heavier than an iPhone 4S (4.9 ounces) in a case.
Samsung is going with that sporty, semirugged look and feel in the goldenrod rim that also colors the plastic beneath the back cover. The back cover itself has a grippy, lightly textured surface with a very comfortable soft-touch finish.
The bad: The Galaxy Beam's projection software needs some work, the 5-megapixel camera sometimes blurs indoor shots, and the build is thicker and heavier than many of today's phones.
The bottom line: Despite weak software, the Samsung Galaxy Beam's bright projector pushes boundaries, and strong smartphone features make it a worthy standalone device.
Never mind that the Samsung Galaxy Beam shoots 720p HD video or has a bright yellowjacket design. The one reason you're reading this is because of the quirky smartphone's capability to literally project the contents of your phone onto the nearest available surface. Your curiosity is justified. This is the first we've seen a pico projector in a finished commercial product in a long time, and the most important question on your mind is how well the standout feature works.
As usual, there's a short answer and a long answer. The bottom line is that the projector works well when you're beaming it in a dark environment on a light-colored surface. The quality isn't going to be as strong or last as long as a dedicated standalone projector, but you shouldn't expect it to. That said, when the novelty wears off, there are still controls that could improve the projection process and make it more practical for daily use, if one were really ever to use it that often.
At the end of the day, the phone is still a phone, and it's one that delivers a high software and hardware standard. Overall, Samsung did a nice job with this phone because it successfully integrates a technologically challenging component without compromising the rest of the phone features, the ones that any smartphone owner will ultimately use most.
Design
I'll just go right ahead and tell you what you want to know: the pico projector lens sits on the top of the Galaxy Beam so it can shine the phone's contents straight out, like a flashlight. The beam is bright (which you can control) and although the module is large enough to make the phone look like it got a goose egg from a bad fall, it doesn't swell the phone's silhouette too much.
The handset is on the thicker and heavier side to accomodate the extra hardware and the larger battery (2,000mAh). I'd call it hefty and sturdy, but it's not quite a beast. The Beam measures 4.9 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick (it's wider at the projector). At 5.1 ounces, it feels heavy by today's standards, but it isn't any heavier than an iPhone 4S (4.9 ounces) in a case.
Samsung is going with that sporty, semirugged look and feel in the goldenrod rim that also colors the plastic beneath the back cover. The back cover itself has a grippy, lightly textured surface with a very comfortable soft-touch finish.
The Samsung Galaxy Beam is part projector, all smartphone.
The Galaxy Beam features a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 800x480-pixel (WVGA) resolution. Super AMOLED screens are known for their pop of color even when the phone is at more conservative brightness levels. On automatic brightness, the colors looked rich and the details looked sharp.
Projector The Galaxy Beam isn't Samsung's first stab at a projector phone; it's the company's third, behind the more mundanely named Haptic Beam and the AMOLED Beam. However, it is the first Android phone with this capability, and the first to leave the Asian continent.The thought of sticking a projector into a smartphone has captured many an imagination. It's cheaper, lighter, and more convenient than buying and hauling a standalone projector unit, especially for business trips. However, Samsung sees other applications as well, like hosting an impromptu movie night; sharing photos on the device; and projecting images, like the night sky onto the ceiling of a child's room, or beaming branding materials onto walls at a concert or an event.
The bright projection bulb beams out 15 lumens, whereas previous attempts at projector phones topped out at 10 lumens.
The projector can beam up to a 50-inch screen.
Complete Story:http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-beam-unlocked/4505-6452_7-35150645.html?ttag=fbwp
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