AT&T Samsung Android

Samsung Infuse 4G Review

Name: Samsung Infuse 4G Review
Item: Samsung Infuse 4G
Rating: 8.5
Author: John V.

posted by John V. / May 09, 2011, 6:59 AM

Introduction:

Seemingly coming out of nowhere, especially considering that it’s not tied to the Samsung Galaxy S family, the Samsung Infuse 4G is gunning for the top dog position on AT&T’s Android lineup that’s currently occupied by the Motorola ATRIX 4G. Although it shares some of elements that embody the Samsung Galaxy S II, like its super razor thin profile and gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus display, there are other things that make it unique in its own way. Specifically, it’s going to be AT&T’s first device to feature HSPA+ Category 14, which should bring along theoretical speeds of up to 21Mbps. Additionally, it’s mentioned to support HSUPA at launch, which is set for May 15th, as opposed to seeing it enabled down the road – much like what has happened to the HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola ATRIX 4G. Priced fittingly at $199.99 on-contract, there surely is a lot to like with this one, but knowing that the Samsung Galaxy S II is beginning to permeate into markets around the world, will this one still be a contender in the high-end Android category?

The package contains:

Samsung Infuse 4G
2GB microSD card preloaded
microSD card adapter
microUSB cable
Wall Charger
Stereo Headset
MHL adapter for HDMI output
Quick Start Guide

Design:

Upon first holding onto the handset, we’re surprised to see how captivating the device really is, and even though it’s definitely one of the widest out there, its razor thin (0.35” thick) construction majestically shines above most things. Staring at it, the handset is deceptively manageable to hold in the hand and doesn’t feel as overly bulky as the HTC ThunderBolt. Additionally, we’re amazed to find out how lightweight the device literally is when holding it, which of course, is due mostly to its plastic construction. Still, it feels solid all around, though, its straightforward design approach might not come off as anything spectacular, yet it’s still nonetheless appealing.

The Samsung Infuse 4G is definitely one of the widest handsets out there - Samsung Infuse 4G Review

The Samsung Infuse 4G is definitely one of the widest handsets out there

You can compare the Samsung Infuse 4G with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Staring blatantly right in front of us, the handset’s 4.5” WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED Plus display with support for 16.7 million colors shines ever so brightly and is hard to miss – thus, making it one of its most defining characteristics. Sure it looks sharp for the most part, but it’s evident that its WVGA resolution is rather diminutive for its display seeing that text within the web browser can look rather jagged. Nevertheless, we absolutely admire the rich looking saturated colors that the panel is able to establish – and rightfully so, it’s very much polarizing! Flaunting some great viewing angles, which allow colors to retain their iridescent appearance, everything on-screen maintains its visibility without being compromised under the direct gaze of the sun. In summation, its Super AMOLED Plus display unanimously does what it’s sought out to do – and that’s to capture the attention of anyone from afar.

The Samsung Infuse 4G flaunts a 4.5” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display - Samsung Infuse 4G Review

The Samsung Infuse 4G flaunts a 4.5” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus display

Positioned close to the edge of the handset, there are still some instances when we accidentally press some of the capacitive Android buttons beneath its display. Meanwhile, the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, slim looking earpiece, light, and proximity sensors are all located above the display.

Capacitive Android buttons

Turning to the left edge, the only thing we find here is the raised and separated volume rocker that’s easily distinguishable to the touch, while exhibiting a reasonable amount of feedback when pressed. Moreover, the same can be said about the appropriately positioned dedicated power button on the right side of the phone.

Both the 3.5mm headset jack and one of its microphones are perched on the top area of the handset, while the other microphone and microUSB port, which is used for power, data connection, and video-out, are placed alongside the bottom portion of the device.

The sides of the Samsung Infuse 4G - Samsung Infuse 4G Review

The sides of the Samsung Infuse 4G

Flipping it around, the 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash is positioned towards the upper middle portion of the back, while the notches for the speakerphone are etched into the elevated area near the bottom edge. Removing the flimsy plastic rear cover is accomplished by simply yanking it off, from there, we’re given access to its battery, SIM card, and microSD card slots – the latter of which is accessible only when the battery is removed from its compartment.

Camera

Speakerphone

Back

Samsung Infuse 4G 360-degrees View:

FEATURED VIDEO

Options

20 Comments

1. Eingild

Posts: 203; Member since: Apr 19, 2011

This phone got 8.5 for not being able to play heavy flash contents, while iPhone got 9.5 for not playing any flash content at all. PA FTW! (I'm being sarcastic here.)

posted on May 09, 2011, 8:08 AM 5

3. Eingild

Posts: 203; Member since: Apr 19, 2011

Oh and btw, this handset got 8.5 for low 4G data speeds. I'll bet on PA giving iPhone5 a 9.5 or even a 10 even if it does not support 4G data.

posted on May 09, 2011, 9:49 AM 4

2. ecml490 unregistered

8.5! really. You can't put the slow 4G speeds on Samsung. That's all or mostly AT&T problem with the slow speeds. If the iPhone got a 9.5 then this phone should of gotten at least a 9.6.

posted on May 09, 2011, 8:50 AM 3

4. WirelessCon

Posts: 311; Member since: May 11, 2010

Why are so many people upset with PA's scores on the Infuse and Galaxy S II? So what if the iPhone got a higher score last year, it was LAST YEAR. It's 2011 and it's an industry that changes crazy fast. Both the Infuse and Galaxy S II are great handsets. Reviews are from the time of release, they're not written to stand the taste of time.

posted on May 09, 2011, 10:48 AM 6

7. rayjones09

Posts: 149; Member since: Dec 16, 2010

Yea. And idk if most people noticed, the Verizon iPhone got a 9/10, not 9.5. But they ignored me when I said that the first time.

posted on May 09, 2011, 4:21 PM 4

11. ikkuh

Posts: 42; Member since: May 22, 2011

well, it's Apple's best phone for months to come so comparing to that is fair enough.

posted on May 22, 2011, 11:17 AM 0

5. ecml

Posts: 129; Member since: Mar 23, 2010

@WirelessCon Do you know the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S II? Infuse? Very impressive and deserved a higher score.

posted on May 09, 2011, 11:16 AM 2

9. WirelessCon

Posts: 311; Member since: May 11, 2010

ecml, good point on the specs, but there's more to handsets than specs. Reviews are subjective not quantitative. Reception is far more important than chip speed, yet reception is never tested to the extremes that should be expected for a website writing phone reviews, but that's Phonearena's subjective choice. Reception benchmarks would be a great aspect to these reviews.

posted on May 10, 2011, 9:02 AM 1

8. andymp3

Posts: 15; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

I love this phone and wish it would come to Canada. I have had the GS GTi9000 ...loved it ..and now have the Captivate and the Dell streak so the game play capabilities and touchwiz mixed with a larger screen like my streak would be the perfect phone...I only hope Samsung smartens up and comes out with a new model with a dual core in it....A 4.5 inch screen is the happy medium for me...The streak is nice however is a pain sometimes when I don't have big pockets or a jacket on...This phone seems large however not so big that is can't be carried around...After having the Dell Steak for a while... a 4 inch screen seems so small when surfing the web or watching movies...Hopefully there will be a big enough demand for 4.5 to 5 inch screens to push samsung to produce another dual core version. I will keep my fingers crossed...!

posted on May 10, 2011, 3:35 AM 2

10. ikkuh

Posts: 42; Member since: May 22, 2011

Have to agree with eingild. This infuse does about everything better than the iPhone 4. Sure the iPhone has a slicker OS. We all know the reason for that: if you don't do much it can't slow you down either. If you look objective at the hardware compared to the 9.5 iPhone 4 there's only one conclusion: the iPhone 4 has a much to high rating.

posted on May 22, 2011, 11:12 AM 0

14. GG unregistered

Does the Infuse underclock the processor like the Galaxy S II?http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-S -II-Review_id2728/page/5

posted on Jun 01, 2011, 4:38 PM 0

15. RORYREVOLUTION

Posts: 3131; Member since: Jan 12, 2010

I tried out the Samsung Infuse for 3 days before having to return it. MIND YOU I DID NOT WANT TO RETURN IT. But I am stuck with Verizon for now and let me tell you. The screen is huge and gorgeous. It's very lightweight and thin, plus I like the back cover. Second, yes it's a single core processor, meaning TURN THE PLUG INS ON DEMAND. If you do that, the browser is very fast, smooth and works great. Okay I am so sick of how PA purposely lowers phone scores because of Flash. At least Android HAS FLASH.

posted on Jun 02, 2011, 6:47 PM 1

16. gcsqrd

Posts: 1; Member since: Jun 06, 2011

great if you're a kid, not if executive over 25. No Outlook sync? Whose going to put their thousands of contacts and personal notes & data on the cloud, or AT&T for that matter? Thought I finally had something other than Blackberry or iPhone to get into the century with. No joy.The 3rd party garbage sync offerings hearkens back to the 90's, form field matching and all. While Samsung has deftly replaced Sony in most my home, their website is just about as terrible. Could have been, should have been a winner, all else is quite nice but without 'normal' functionality it isn't going to replace Blackberry anytime soon.

posted on Jun 06, 2011, 8:08 PM 0

17. ElectrohouseR unregistered

There is no such thing as 4G yet.....not until 2012! haha. Call AT&T and ask if you don't believe me. The phone is 4G because it will support 4G but there is no 4G data yet.

posted on Jun 17, 2011, 5:58 PM 0

18. M-Walsh

Posts: 7; Member since: Sep 02, 2011

So I've had this for about a month now, and it's been nothing less(or more) than highly respectable. I haven't gotten any hangs, crashes, or freezes that weren't 100% my fault(for modifying the phone's software beyond factory specifications). The screen is large, however quite pixelated since it's still the 800*480 resolution seen on phones with 3" screens, but it is SAMOLED+, so it's got great black levels and doesn't use much energy in most situations when compared to LCD. However, I personally think the vibrancy of the screen is far, far, far overrated, my desktop has a slightly more vibrant CFL LCD screen, however it could just be a software issue on my end. Onto the speed itself, out of the box it's alright, however it can be made infinitely better by doing some simple things such as installing LauncherPro from the market, and rooting and removing AT&T/Samsung bloatware. You can do a quick search on the internet for "ways to speed up android" and get many more suggestions which all have an effect, whether noticeable or not depends on what you're doing and your individual phone. There are far more advanced ways such as installing a custom kernel and overclocking, however you should NOT attempt this unless you didn't just have to google "what is a phone kernel" as it can damage your phone instantly and permanently. Sound on this device is crap due to Samsung's horrific audio drivers, it shouldn't be noticeable to the non-audiophile however. The Gorilla Glass screen scratches like plastic, so I'd definitely recommend a matte/anti-glare screen protector, however a clear one will do. I don't know why my device scratches most of the time, I wear polyester pants with pockets that are easily turned inside out, so I always check to make sure there's not a grain of sand or anything harmful in my pocket, and yet it comes out looking like I had sandpaper in my pocket every time. Be sure to check out my Infuse screen protector review on my profile to see how to properly apply without getting dust or bubbles. ALL Samsung devices charge incredibly slowly, it might take 8 hours to charge from dead to full. Although your battery should NEVER remain dead or full for very long, leaving a battery at full charge degrades the battery quickly, as does discharging it fully. It's best to let it go down to 10% at the lowest, or 70% at the highest and then charge it fully, but unplug it as soon as it reaches full charge. They do NOT have a memory like all the propagandists would have you believe, so charging it from 60% to 70% 100 times a week isn't going to change anything compared to 20% to 100% 10 times a week. There's a lot more to say about it, but I'll stop there. Lastly, if you will buy this smartphone I suggest at:www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00505S2RI/phonearena.com-20

posted on Sep 07, 2011, 7:44 PM 2

19. Shrek unregistered

If anybody needs this phone in INDIA, u may contact me at shadaabsharik at gmail

posted on Sep 17, 2011, 3:31 AM 0

20. garynjohnson

Posts: 1; Member since: Dec 09, 2011

I have used this phone (infuse) for a few days and find that the battery does not last more than 1/2 day before needing recharging. Also I find that I cannot hear the conversation unless I put the call on the speaker phone. I purchased from ATT as a refurbished phone and will be returning to them. Overall the phone is good except for the 2 things I commented on.

posted on Dec 09, 2011, 4:35 PM 0

21. daniellegatton

Posts: 1; Member since: Feb 09, 2012

I absolutely love this phone, has a lot of features. I love the front facing camera, for face time, the app store is mainly free especially if you download 4shared. I love how fast this phone is, it has a big screen and is really thin, Love the gorilla glass. This is a great phone, i'd definitely reccomend purchasing this!!

posted on Feb 09, 2012, 5:26 PM 0

22. ReneN

Posts: 1; Member since: Nov 24, 2013

I love my Samsung Infuse. Unfortunately before I found a case for it, I dropped it not once but twice one week after I bought it at a pawn shop. On the second drop, the screen broke. This was 11 months ago. With a hefty $135 screen replacement (I paid $50) I chose to wait until it died. Albeit sometimes it is hard to read the screen through all the cracks, it has been functioning perfect. The phone is just now slowing down and freezing. Any other phone would have died on the spot.