Forgive me for the spelling errors in the last post.
I was writing that using a Samsung Wave 525 and still had trouble hitting the touchscreen keys with my not-so-dainty fingers. It's rather hard to hit the right keys on the virtual keypad with when your fingers are callused and a bit flat on the edges (blaming too much guitar-playing recently).
But lest you get any idea, let me mention that the Samsung Wave isn't my phone. I was just borrowing it and taking it for a test drive.
And like I've mentioned, it packs a powerful punch with its Bada OS and useful apps. I've learned online that Bada is a homebrew of Samsung and was developed with the aim of being able to market smartphones to the masa. Of course, I've checked what apps where possible with Bada and discovered that there's a whole slew of games and related apps online (both for free and for purchase) but sadly there's no dependable e-reader app yet. There is one that allows you to read Vietnamese and English e-books but based on comments from previous people who've downloaded and used the app, this e-reader is still a work in progress.
But the Samsung Wave 525 by itself is a great smartphone. Upgradeable to 16GB memory card and packing a 3.2 mega pixel cam, that means lots and lots of photos. The video recorder is also nice. Not perfect but nice enough for those quick instances when you just need to video-record something or someone.
The Wave 525 allows for two ways for you to type -- vertical or horizontal. When you turn the phone on its side, it automatically changes orientation and the landscape view allows for bigger virtual keys which is helpful for people like me with not-so-dainty fingers. A stylus pen could also be helpful but then again, maybe one just needs to practice typing more on the screen to get the hang of things.
The touchscreen is wide, 3.2" -- you can check the tech-specs at the Wave site here -- and you won't be squinting to see the text on the web pages you call up using the phone's built-in wifi capability. Sadly, the screen is only TFT, not Samsung's acclaimed AMOLED technology that allows for crispier images. Then again, you can read what's on the screen of a Wave 525 clearly so it's ok.
On the entertainment side, the best asset of the Wave 525 is its wifi connectivity. With it's wifi finder turned on, it easily detects wireless devices and notifies you if such devices are nearby. If no wifi is available, you can opt for either blue tooth connection or the standard GPRS/HSDPA connection which will sadly take off pesos off your credit or load whatever the case may be. I've yet to try both blue tooth and GPRS/HSDPA connections as I find the idea of chunking off precious call minutes from my load absurd when there's a wifi spot at just about every corner.
The Wave 525 also has an FM radio receiver, music player, video recorder and some games. But sadly, except for the dice game, all the other games stored on the phone are demo games. But at Php 50 pesos per game, it won't be long before we'll be downloading probably one or two of the games (my wife is eyeing the Bejewelled-like game while I'm interested in the mobile version of popular realty boardgame Monopoly). Plus, like I mentioned earlier, there tons of free games that can be downloaded and loaded onto the phone via the Bada site so there won't be a shortage of games, at least.
Being a first-time user of a touch-phone, using the Wave 525 for what it is -- a phone to make phone calls with -- was tricky. To answer incoming calls and to dial numbers, you had to press-hold the green phone icon. To end the call or cancel dialling, you also had to make sure you're press-holding the red phone icon otherwise the phone call won't disengage. Those used to using the Nokia keypad will need getting used to when texting or punching in numbers using the virtual QWERTY keypad. Since I've had practice before in using a QWERTY phone, I had little trouble adjusting to the virtual keypad. Like I said, the only trouble I had was hitting the right keys with my flat and fat fingers.
I also found myself dialling and texting and writing on the Wave 525 on its horizontal orientation ostensibly because the keypads were bigger that way. Reading web pages were also easier on the landscape orientation because the screen was larger. No point in striving to determine the text on the phone's vertical orientation when it's easier the other way around. This feature tells you that Samsung has taken great pains to understand the user and added features that made the Wave 525 easier to use and handle.
And oh, the Samsung Wave 525 fitted perfectly in my palm. Just like the phone I'm planning to purchase, the Samsung Galaxy Mini, the Wave 525 was palmable. And the retail price isn't bad at all. Like I said, Samsung developed this particular smartphone with the masa in mind so it's no wonder if this model becomes a hit with a lot of people.
If you're on a lookout for a great enough smartphone but don't have the budget for an iPhone or the Xperia, then head on over to a Samsung corner and check out the Wave 525. It packs a power package for less the buck.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
