Samsung Intercept Review

Samsung Intercept Review 

Almost a year after the release of the Samsung Moment, Samsung is finally adding more Android phones to the Sprint lineup. Though most data-hungry professionals might want to wait for the Samsung Epic 4G (which is also one of Samsung's Galaxy S series of handsets), the Samsung Intercept is geared more toward the budget-conscious consumer.

Design

Samsung has a tendency to stick with similar designs for most of its phones, and that is true with the Intercept. Indeed, if you didn't pay close attention to the details, the Intercept looks similar to the Samsung Acclaim, and also to the aforementioned Samsung Moment. It measures 4.43 inches long by 2.19 inches wide by 0.59 inch thick, and it has rounded corners, smooth chrome-plated sides, and a soft touch material on the battery cover that gives it a comfortable feel in the hand.

It has a smooth and responsive capacitive display, and thanks to Android 2.1, it supports pinch-to-zoom as well.

Underneath the display are the usual Android sensor hot keys laid out in a row. If you hold down the home button, a task manager will appear showing recently opened applications. On the right side are the 3.5mm headset jack and camera key. Slide the phone's display to the right, and you'll find full four-row QWERTY keyboard. The arrow keys are highlighted in gray.

Features

The Samsung Intercept comes with Android 2.1 right out of the gate, which is great news if you want a modern Android OS smartphone. We've always questioned if the Samsung TouchWiz interface fit well within Android, and thankfully the Intercept just has the standard Android UI.

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Samsung Intercept Review 2

The Samsung Intercept was recently introduced to the Sprint lineup as an mid-range option. It offers Android OS 2.1, a 3-inch display, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Maybe in this case, "intercept" means to intercept the attention of first-time smartphone users.

BUILD & DESIGN

As with many devices that pack a sliding keyboard and touchscreen, the Intercept can seem a bit thick.

Screen

The primary feature on the front is a 3-inch, 400 by 240 pixel display.

Intercept's lower-cost roots, this is not an AMOLED or Super AMOLED screen, but a traditional reflective LCD.

It's pretty good in most lighting, and the ambient light sensor adjusts the backlight quickly and well.

Unfortunately, the major issue with this screen is outside light. 

Keyboard

The Intercept's QWERTY keyboard is one of its best features. The keyboard was a feature that many people said made the Intercept a likable device. 

Other Buttons and Controls

Below the screen is a touch-sensitive area of the four command buttons (Menu, Home, Search, and Back). The volume buttons (left side) and camera button (right-bottom) were a bit stubborn to work initially. Tucked away on the bottom left are a memory card slot with a 2 GB microSDHC memory card inside. The top of the right side of the Intercept has a 3.5 mm audio jack.

The Samsung Intercept runs Google's Android OS 2.1 (also known as Éclair). Wireless/Call Quality

The Samsung Intercept offers access to Sprint's 3G network (EV-DO Rev. 0) and includes Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth, and a GPS receiver.

Productivity

The Intercept's address book is a similar affair to many other Android devices, allowing one to add accounts from places such as Google, Twitter, and MySpace -- in addition to the built-in contacts you might have. Likewise, the phone application is simple, showing a black-on-white contrast and four easy access icons to the keypad, call log, favorites, and contacts. Whether using Wi-Fi or EV-DO, the Intercept was solid in most page loads. In the music department, the Intercept is a great workout assistant. Google Maps is included. 

Camera

The Intercept's camera has its own share of button gremlins. The only issue that I've seen is that the initial loading of gallery thumbnails seems to be a bit slower than other mobile devices.

Using the Samsung Intercept was a big drop down for me after using such high-end models as the Samsung Captivate. The other aspect was the size of the Intercept and the keyboard. I can recommend the Samsung Intercept. Overall, Samsung and Sprint really have a nice model here.