Samsung Behold Unofficial Fan Site

Samsung Behold T919

It seems that ever since the iPhone was released, every wireless carrier is rushing to release their flagship touchscreen phone. Everyone wants to be the best, so they are all competing for the most features and the most power. From Blackberry to Google, almost everyone has already released theirs. Well, Samsung may have taken a little longer, but they definitely used that time to pack their phone full of features. The question, though: Is it enough? Can Samsung’s new baby compete with all of this powerful competition? Let’s take a look and find out.

At first glance, the Behold looks similar to most phones of its type. The sleek, sexy design is the perfect answer to what modern consumers are seeking. Compared side-by-side with most of the touchscreen phones, it is a little bit smaller – which does mean that the screen is a little smaller as well. There is no keypad, of course, so most of the phone’s face is dedicated to the screen, helping to maximize usable space. Total resolution is 240 pixels wide by 400 pixels tall, which is quite good for a phone!

The three slender buttons at the bottom of the bright, crisp screen offer basic functionality. The larger button in the center is a “Back” button for navigating the touchscreen, and the small buttons on either side can be used for making calls.

Overall, the phone looks like what you’d expect, and doesn’t vary much from the tried-and-true design for touchscreen phones. It is very eye-catching, and is sure to get you some glances whenever you pull it out to snap a high-resolution camera using it’s built in flash, or to check your email on T-Mobile’s blazing fast 3G network.

The Samsung Behold caters to the trendy, tasteful crowd who has maybe a little bit of a high-end geeky edge to them. The target audience for this phone is a 21 to 35 year old individual who is business oriented, but still wants to have lots of fun on the side.

Like most of its competition, the T919 does not come cheap. If you buy it outright without signing into a service contract, it will cost you $399. However, sign-up promotions along with a new service contract will bump you down to the $150 range – which is very competitive for a touchscreen phone that is this powerful.

Everyone seems to compare each new phone of this type to the one that started the trend: Apple’s iPhone. This review would not be complete if we didn’t do so as well. Side-by-side, the Behold’s smaller profile makes it more comfortable to carry around in your pocket, while the screen is only a little bit smaller than the iPhone’s. The 5 megapixel camera on the T919 blows the iPhone’s out of the water, even though Apple did include a capable camera.

One of the biggest selling points of the iPhone is its computer-like web browsing experience. The browser on the T919 isn’t quite as good as Safari, but it still provides a very enjoyable experience. Like the iPhone, the Behold has built-in sensors to determine screen orientation, and will rotate from portrait to landscape as needed. If web browsing isn’t your number one priority, the Samsung Behold will probably provide a better overall experience.

Now, T-Mobile has done something kind of odd. They have released two competing phones under their own name. One of the Behold’s largest competitors is the T-Mobile G1 powered by Google. They are largely different in many ways, but they are still very much competitors. Unlike the Behold, the G1 has a full featured pull-out keyboard, which adds functionality – but also increases thickness. The screen is also a little larger, which is easier on the eyes, but again, it makes it bigger overall. The camera and the hardware of the Samsung blows the G1 out of the water, but the Google-based software on the G1 is definitely better. The camera isn’t as good on the G1, and it has less power and memory than the T919 does. However, one area where the G1 excels over the Behold is wi-fi. The G1′s got it, the Behold doesn’t.

The Behold and the Samsung Instinct are somewhat similar. The software and interface have a lot in common, and you can see where Samsung took ideas from the Instinct for this phone. Think of the T919 as an Instinct with a hardware upgrade, since they have so much in common. They have taken what they have done right on several phones in the past, and combined it all into one “super phone”. Side-by-side, the Behold definitely has more options than the Instinct.

One of the most innovative things about this phone is their TouchWiz interface, that gives you complete control to customize your interface as much as you wish. Like the iPhone and even Windows Vista, the Behold allows for various widgets on your desktop. You can place your favorite tools and applications right under your nose so you don’t have to pull them up each time. You can also pull up “mini” versions of your favorite applications, such as the music player, so they can be interacted with from a corner of the screen. This is multitasking at its finest!

Now, we’ve covered some of the pros of this phone, but everything has it’s drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the negative aspects of the Samsung Behold. First, the internal memory only holds 180 MB, which is ridiculous when you’ve got 5 megapixels at your disposal that can also record video. Thankfully, it does have a memory card slot, just be prepared to purchase a large card in addition to the phone.

The web browser on the T919 isn’t quite as good as some of the other mainstream phones in its class. Zooming in is awkward, and requires a button press each time you want to change the zoom level. Most pages load okay, but some just aren’t compatible and end up looking skewed and misformatted.

Finally, we have to fess up to one of the worst parts about the Behold: there is no wi-fi option, at all. There are no plans for one in the foreseeable future. If wi-fi is something you would use a lot, you might want to take a look at a different phone.

In summary, the Samsung Behold T919 is a very powerful phone that gives the competition a run for their money. If this phone suites your needs, it would make a great choice.