Samsung Eternity Review

Camera:

We were sad to find that the Eternity does not follow the same path with either of the F480’s 5-megapixel or Pixon’s 8-megapixel camera. Instead, U.S. customers will find only a paltry 3-megapixel camera which is still higher than most phones released over here. Not only did the Eternity step back with the resolution, but it does not include a flash, self portrait mirror, or auto-focusing system. Point, stay steady, and click will be the process we will be reduced to.

It takes about 3 seconds to start the software, after holding the button on the right side. The period between two pictures is relatively short too (3-4 seconds). We were greeted with a simplistic interface – it is monochrome and very basic. There are two sets of four icons arranged vertically on the sides of the application.




Some might argue that the 3-megapixel is an outcry, but when compared to other available carrier handsets, it provides exceptional photo quality. Colors came out quite accurate without having certain colors being too saturated. We compared the LG Dare’s 3.2-megapixel camera quality and found that produced images looked almost similar. The Eternity fared better in indoor shots with low light conditions because pictures did not come out too fuzzy. Finally, close-up shots of text came out quite clear and legible.


Videos on the other hand tell a different story though. We were quite disappointed to find that it only supports a maximum resolution of 320x240. There is a substantial few more options with the video and limits the user to small set of choices. After taking some videos in low light conditions and previewing them, we noticed that mostly everything that was captured came out dark. On the other hand, videos came out pretty decent in outdoor settings with plenty of light. We did not have any problems hearing the audio, but the Eternity outputs all sounds out of the main speaker (used for phone calls & speakerphone).


Multimedia:

The music player has two versions – one taking up the entire screen, and which is accessible from the main menu and a second one that is visualized as a widget. In the first one, under the album cover and the track info now playing, there are six buttons. They are used to shuffle songs, repeat, modify the equalizer settings, rewind to the previous track, pause, and forward. You can sort tracks by the artist, genre, album, play list selection. Overall, the interface is easy to use but has an unattractive “antique” design. The simple functionality (fast forward, play/pause) is accessible via the widget player.


Unfortunately, the same weak speaker you use during a call is employed for sound reproduction. Crackling noises are heard when at maximum volume.  Using the 3.5mm jack provides really good sound quality when using the correct equalizer setting. Heavy bass sounds are quite audible without any distortion when we connected the phone to an auxiliary port in a car stereo. The same goes when using standard headphones with the Eternity.

Viewing videos was tolerable, but nothing like what you would see on the iPhone or Storm. YouTube users will be pleased to know that you can watch streaming videos on the device as well. AT&T’s Mobile TV service is also included with the device and we were lucky enough to be in an area where it is provided. Watching television is acceptable on the device and did not find our eyes squinting too much. It’s great that the service offers users a guide for scheduled programs so that you can check ahead to see what shows you want to watch. At some points though, we noticed that the video quality would become pixelized and accompanied with choppy audio. After a while the video would catch up and resume its telecast.



Software:

The CD that comes with the phone does not include any synchronization software for the Eternity. We find also that the lack of a USB cable with the phone to be a little bit annoying seeing that the phone uses Samsung’s proprietary USB connection cable.

You will find a variety of applications already preloaded with the phone. For GPS tracking, you will find the AT&T Navigator software to quickly give you turn-by-turn directions to addresses or points of interests. If you’re in an area where traffic is a problem, the software can quickly redirect you to avoid it and arrive at a prompt time.


Business users might want to look elsewhere if they plan on reading important documents because the Eternity does not support viewing any Microsoft Office files. In addition to that, PDF files were unable to load as well.

Other useful software applications such as Mobile Banking were available to only Wachovia, Suntrust, Synovus, and Bancorp South customers. You’ll also find MusicID to quickly tag and identify any songs when the phone is placed close to the audio source. All the games loaded with the phone are demo. XM radio users will be happy to know that they will able to use their subscription on the device.