Samsung Galaxy Beam
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Samsung Galaxy Beam Reviews
Samsung Galaxy Beam Review
Dual-core processors and impressive cameras seem to be the features of choice for phone manufacturers these days, so how come Samsung has decided to put a projector in its latest mid-range handset, the Samsung Galaxy Beam? Samsung obviously has great faith in the move, because this is the second time it's added what might be considered a bit of a novelty to one of its handsets. However, having tried it out, we've discovered it's one of the best features we never knew we needed. The Beam weighs in at a rather weighty 143g, especially as most of Samsung's handsets are so lightweight. It has a cheery yellow edging round the sides and a nicely textured back cover. There is a big lump where the projector sits (comprising a Texas Instrument lens), although it's not ugly, which means the five-megapixel snapper and LED flash sit lower on the handset than usual to make room for it. Along the side sits the dedicated projector button, which means you can beam whatever's on the screen to a handy nearby surface. And running the whole show is a dual-core 1GHz chip, which keeps performance smooth, along with the 768MB of RAM. For video calls there's the front-facing 1.3-megapixel snapper, which sits above the 4in WVGA (800x480 pixels) touchscreen.
Samsung Galaxy Beam review
You've got to hand it to Samsung, it's not afraid to run with unconventional ideas. Last year the company offered up the enormous Galaxy Note, a mobile that swerved dangerously into tablet territory, and this year we're treated to the Galaxy Beam -- a smart phone that contains a projector. That's right, this mobile combines the excitement of mid-range Android action with a DIY lightshow you can project onto your bedroom wall. But before you get beside yourself with excitement at the prospect of Justin Bieber crooning you to sleep, be warned the Galaxy Beam ain't cheap. You can bag the phone free on contract but you'll need to sign up for two years, paying a bare minimum of £26 a month. Or you'll have to shell out a frankly wallet-battering £410 to own it SIM-free. Not exactly mid-range prices then. There's no doubt the Beam's projector is something of a gimmick but it's the sort that's going to seem insanely cool for kids of a certain age. If you're a teenager who can beg, borrow or earn enough cash from washing your parents' car every weekend -- for, like, ever -- to fund owning this phone, don't let me stop you. It's not the best smart phone you can buy for this much money -- not even close.
Samsung GALAXY Beam Review
If you're looking for just about the strangest smartphone to have been released thus far this year, you're looking right at it right here: the Samsung GALAXY Beam. This device is a relatively powerful smartphone on its own, but with it you get a built-in projector as well. You've got a 15 Lumen Texas Instruments DLP (Digital Light Processing) unit at the end of a smartphone that's essentially the top of the line minus one year from the smartphone evolution timeline - is such a combination worth the effort? This device has a fairly standard 1GHz dual-core processor, a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) resolution TFT LCD display, and the ability to work with HSPA and EDGE/GPRS, with networks differing depending on the country you're in. Inside the device you've got 8GB of built-in memory as well as a microSD card slot that accepts up to 32GB of extra storage in a single card. On the back of the device you've got a 5 megapixel camera with single LED flash and on the front you've got a 1.3 megapixel camera. The entire device measures in at 124 x 64.2 x 12.5mm at 145g light. It's not the smallest device on the market, but it's certainly small and light considering its ability to tote a projector onboard.
Samsung Galaxy Beam review
Forget HDMI-ready devices, Samsung has decided to go low-maintenance...got a wall? Got a Samsung Galaxy Beam? Great: project your puppy pictures, downloaded episodes and PowerPoint presentations at will! As we pointed out in our hands-on test, this isn't the first time Samsung has tried foisting a projector phone on an unsuspecting public: but perhaps this will be the first time it succeeds? It's not cheap either: 31 a month contract and a 400+ SIM-free price make it hard to recommend to the budget brigade... and with these specs we'd expect to have something a bit more wallet-friendly. But it's got a whopping projector stuffed in there, so let's not be too harsh.So: down to the nitty gritty. For a handset packing a 15 lumens projector, the Samsung Galaxy Beam does a good job of slimming its hardware into a decently lightweight package.It's a sporty-looking number, thanks to the yellow and chrome bezel and the soft, rubberized battery panel on the back. It weighs in at 145g; just 5g more than the Apple iPhone 4S and the projector is sleekly moulded into the frame. At 12.5mm it's a little chunkier than most smart phones, but for obvious hardware-related reasons.
Samsung Galaxy Beam review: Home cinema
The first attempts at a projector phone didn't quite work out for Samsung. For many that would be enough to call it a day, but not the Koreans. You don't become the world's number 1 phone manufacturer by giving up easily, so Samsung chose to take a step back, learn from mistakes and give it another go. The Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam takes a completely different approach to making a projector phone and a smartphone work together. Last time around, with the original Beam, Samsung took a high-end device and slapped a rather advanced projector on its back, effectively ending up with something very thick and expensive, which was nearly impossible to sell. Thicker devices lack the high-end vibe one normally associates with smartphones in that price range, so it never really managed to get going. The I8530 Galaxy Beam on the other hand aims far lower - it's based on a mid-range phone and throws in a projector that's good enough for casual use. Serious, corporate use is out of the question here, but that was never in the requirements, and you get a more compact and reasonably priced package instead.
Samsung Galaxy Beam review
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 ability 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.
Samsung Galaxy Beam Review
And here it is in our hands, one of the more notable handsets in recent memory, the pico projector-laden Samsung Galaxy Beam. We remember how excited we were in 2009 when we handled the first Samsung phone with built-in projector, the I7410, and the next year when the first Beam made its way to MWC 2010. The original Beamer then crushed our hopes and dreams by never venturing outside of Singapore, except to entertain some trapped Chilean miners. Still, those two will stay forever in our hearts as the first phones with integrated projectors, unlike the LG eXpo, which had a pico unit as an accessory to tack on. Announced at MWC 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Beam now sports a projector module of Samsung's own make, that shines with 15 lumen and nHD (640x360) resolution, supposedly enough to create a watchable experience in a low ambient light setting, which can be blown up to 50”. Compare that to the 6 lumen that the pico projector inside its predecessor was capable of, and you will understand why we are excited to take the Galaxy Beam for a spin. Is it living up to our caged desires to watch CSI while camping in Shenandoah, and annoy the heck out of the wildlife there?
Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam (Preview)
You don't see many of those around. Perhaps you're looking in the wrong place. As always, we're glad to be of service but, no, the Samsung i7410 didn't ring any bells. It was the good old Phone Finder again. Anyway, this is how it started - if you'll excuse our hazy knowledge of the Asian market. The first projector phone was a dumbphone, but the whole thing wasn't such a dumb idea after all. There was obviously potential waiting to be unleashed and no one could've done that better than Android. Now, wind back to 2010 and the first projector smartphone. And by the way, the Samsung I8520 Galaxy Beam was not just another smartphone - 3.7" AMOLED was quite the business back then. Not to mention the 8MP stills and 720P video. Now, we don't need to tell you the original Galaxy Beam didn't quite catch on. OK, a projector phone is not something you can expect to make huge money off. But it's not an idea either that you just throw in the bin. So, Samsung's decision to stick with their plan gives us the I8530 Galaxy Beam. Given the original projector phone barely made an appearance outside the MWC venue, this is not what you'd call a grand return.
Samsung Galaxy Beam (Preview)
We couldn't be happier to preview one of the more interesting handsets in recent memory – the pico projector-laden Samsung Galaxy Beam. We remember how excited we were in 2009 when we handled the first Samsung phone with built-in projector, the I7410, and the next year when the first Beam made its way to MWC 2010. The original Beam-er then crushed our hopes and dreams by never venturing outside of Singapore, except to entertain some trapped Chilean miners. Still, those two will stay forever in our hearts as the first phones with integrated projectors, unlike the LG eXpo, which had a pico unit as an accessory to tack on.Announced at MWC 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Beam now sports a projector module of likely Samsung's own make that shines with 15 lumen and nHD (640x360) resolution, supposedly enough to create a watchable experience in a low ambient light setting, which can be blown up to 50”. Compare that to the 6 lumen that the pico projector inside its predecessor was capable of, and you will understand why we were excited to take the Galaxy Beam for a spin. Is it living up to our caged desires to watch CSI while camping in Shenandoah, and annoy the heck out of the wildlife there? Read on our preview to find out.
Prices
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Samsung Galaxy Beam i8530 Factory Unlocked Droid QUAD BAND 3G HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | $510 | See it |
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Samsung GT-I8530 Galaxy Beam 3G Unlocked GSM phone with Built-in HD Projector, 5MP Camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - Ebony Grey | $539 | See it |
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Samsung GT-I8530 Galaxy Beam 3G Unlocked GSM phone with Built-in HD Projector, 5MP Camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - Ebony Grey | $539.99 | See it |
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Samsung Galaxy Beam I8530 8Gb Gray WiFi Android Projector Cell Phone | $559.99 | See it |
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Samsung Galaxy Beam GSM Unlocked Android Smartphone Bundle | $629.96 | See it |
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Samsung Galaxy Beam : (7.2/10)
9 expert reviews
0 user reviews
