Samsung Dart Review

Introduction:

Now that Samsung has permeated T-Mobile’s lineup with a handful of mid and high-end Android smartphones, they’re naturally going to place their attention on the lower end market to balance things out. Boasting an easy to swallow on-contract price of free, the Samsung Dart is an entry-level Android 2.2 Froyo powered smartphone that packs all the awesome features of the ever expanding mobile platform. Even though it’s new on the scene, it surely needs to excel in many areas in order to relinquish the grasp that the LG Optimus T currently holds in T-Mobile’s lower end smartphone spectrum.

The package contains:

• Samsung Dart
• microUSB Cable
• Wall Charger
• 2GB microSD card
• Start Guide
• Health & Safety and Warranty Guide

Design:

Sheesh! There’s absolutely no love given to the Samsung Dart’s design whatsoever with its boring, straightforward, and uninspiring looks. Compounding the issue is the fact that its plastic exterior indeed makes the handset feel extremely cheap – albeit, it does make this compact model feel very lightweight (3.8 oz) in the hand. As much as we can’t stand its conventional design, you really can’t knock on it too much considering that it’s a free smartphone – then again, the standards have been set by the LG Optimus T.
 


You can compare the Samsung Dart with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Not surprisingly, the Samsung Dart packs a low quality 3.14” QVGA (240 x 320) LCD display that’s marred by some seriously poor viewing angles, bland looking color production, low brightness output, and prevalent pixelization. Contributing to its distasteful performance even further, is the fact that its display is prone to some serious scratching. And seriously, you’ll need to always look at its display at a straight 90 degree angle in order to clearly see anything on there!


Finding the usual set of Android capacitive buttons beneath its display, we didn’t have many issues with accidentally pressing them. Moreover, the earpiece grill, light, and proximity sensors are all found above the touchscreen.


Luckily, both the volume rocker and dedicated power button are prominently raised from their surroundings to ensure distinguishability when pressed. Likewise, the 3.5mm headset jack, microUSB port, lanyard spot, and spring activated microSD card slot are all conveniently located around its sides.


Flipping it around, its 3.2-megapixel fixed focus camera is highlighted with a chrome trim, while two notches towards the bottom allow tunes to come out of its internal speaker. Moreover, there’s a notch on the bottom edge that allows us to easily yank off the rear plastic cover – thus, giving us access to its 1,200 mAh battery and SIM card slot.