Mobile Phones Guide

Compare This

Samsung Galaxy Beam

09 Jul 2010

The Samsung Galaxy Beam isn't your usual smartphone. With an Android 2.1 OS, an 8MP camera with auto focus and flash, a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen, the phone also has a built-in Texas Instruments Pico projector that can project almost anything from 5 to 50 inches in screen size.

Tags: smart projector phones, samsung galaxy

Filter by Manufacturers

HWZ's Overall Rating: 8.5

Design:

7.5

Features:

8.5

User-Friendliness:

Performance:

Value:

Good projector performance with well-suited apps

Extremely responsive UI

Great battery life

Beautiful 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display

Samsung UI features that cannot be disabled mar the Android experience

Bulky physical appearance

Decidedly average multimedia capabilities

<div id="product-review" class="article">
			<h2 class="header-green">Samsung Galaxy Beam - Projecting With a Smartphone</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Wong Casandra on Saturday, 24 Jul 2010</span>
		<div class="share">
	<div
		id="addthis_div_51c27333b7340" 
		class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"
		addthis:url="http://www.hardwarezone.com/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone"		addthis:title="Samsung Galaxy Beam - Projecting With a Smartphone"	>
		<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:count="false"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a>
		
		<a class="addthis_button_email"></a>
	</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 		//AddThis thing
		addthis_share = window.addthis_share || {};
		addthis_share.url_transforms = {
			add: {
				utm_source: 'addthis',
				utm_medium: 'referral',
				utm_campaign: 'addthis',
				utm_content: 'Samsung%2BGalaxy%2BBeam%2B-%2BProjecting%2BWith%2Ba%2BSmartphone'
			}
		}
		
		addthis_config = window.addthis_config || {};
		addthis_config.data_track_clickback = true;
		addthis_config.data_ga_property = 'UA-166763-1';
		//window.addthis && addthis.toolbox (".addthis_toolbox");
		 
	});
//]]>
</script>		<div class="content resizeable">
						<div id="page-1" class="page">
		 		<h2 class="page-title">Overview &amp; Design</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">Big Handphone, Small Projector</h3>
<p>Pico projectors made the headlines a few years back, but then, who would have thought even these could actually be condensed into the size of a mobile phone? Thanks to Samsung, the concept of pico projectors that retain not only the shape and size but the capabilities of a handphone have materialized in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Beam. Aptly dubbed as a smart projector phone, the Android-based device has quite a few bells and whistles under its ambitious belt. Though the phone is a bit thick, but hey it has a built-in projector!</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img height="480" width="500" src="/files/images/Main_4.jpg" alt="" title="Samsung Galaxy Beam" /></p>
<p class="rteleft">The phone generally feels quite plasticky - both front and back. The front is mainly taken up by its large 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with two touch-sensitive buttons flanking a physical home button. Surrounding this screen is a metallic and glossy dull blue border that seems a little out of place for a serious smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Beam. Thankfully, the rest of the phone is cloaked in black - including the main body and its glossy checkered back cover. With dimensions of 123 x 59.8 x 14.9mm and weighing in at 150g, the device is definitely bulkier and heavier than most of the slim smartphones out in the market. Here are a couple of photos shot side-by-side with the Samsung Galaxy S, the thinnest Android phone thus far, to give the readers some perspective:</p>
<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;<img height="206" width="500" src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/07/69a81ef1ab.jpg" title="9.9mm vs 14.9mm thickness? The 5mm might sound little to you, but in a smartphone's world, it makes a huge difference." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;<img width="500" src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/07/41c1d7cfa7.jpg" alt="" title="Another look at the phones when they are stacked together. The Samsung Galaxy Beam strikes us as the more angular of the two." /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img height="335" width="500" src="/files/images/DSC_03.jpg" title="What is smaller on the Samsung Galaxy Beam is however, its 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen. The Galaxy S sports a wider and larger 4-inch screen." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rteleft">With regards to button placements, the Samsung Galaxy Beam retains&nbsp;some of the Galaxy S' quirks. For example, an inconspicuous power button, but it adds a few other necessary controls on both the left and right profiles. These additional buttons contribute to the usage of the projector capabilities. Other than that and a few cosmetic differences, the phone pretty much resembles the Galaxy S from top view.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img width="500" src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/07/a4ee43ecfd.jpg" title="And here's the main attraction - the built-in projector takes almost half of the top side of the smartphone." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img width="500" src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/07/26696c8eb2.jpg" title="On the right (from top to bottom of the phone), there's the power button, the Quick Pad button, and the camera button. For those who are used to the power button located on the top, it takes a while getting used to this layout. To add on, the dedicated camera button is marked by a thin line, with no indication of its purpose. On long press, the Quick Pad button can also be used to activate the projector." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter">&nbsp;<img width="500" src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/07/2941ce7ee4.jpg" title="Flanked on the left (from top to bottom of the phone) is a projector focus dial, volume controls, and a microUSB port. The placement of the focus dial makes it ergonomically easier for users to change focus as and when they decide to enlarge or minimize their projection." alt="" /></p>			</div>
		</div>
			<div class="pagination" >
		<span class="desc">Page 1 of 3</span>
		<ul>
			<li class="prevnext prev"><a href="/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone" class="disabled">&lsaquo; Prev</a></li>
			<li class="skip">
				<form id="PageAddForm" method="post" action="/go"><fieldset style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST" /></fieldset>					<select name="data[Page][url]" class="page-selector" id="PageUrl">
<option value="/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone" selected="selected">Overview &amp; Design</option>
<option value="/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone/features-performance-4">Features &amp; Performance</option>
<option value="/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone/conclusion-312">Conclusion</option>
</select>					<input type="submit" class="submit" value="Go" />				</form>			</li>
			<li class="prevnext next"><a href="/review-samsung-galaxy-beam-projecting-smartphone/features-performance-4" class="">Next &rsaquo;</a></li>
		</ul>
	</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var container = document.getElement ('#product-review'),
			content = container && container.getElement ('.content'),
			pagination = container && container.getElement ('.pagination'),
			form = pagination && pagination.getElement ('form'),
			menu = form && form.getElement ('.page-selector'),
			links = {
				prev: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.prev a'),
				next: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.next a')
			},
			page = -1,
			desc = 'Page {curPage} of {lastPage}'
		;

// Tag as Javascript-enabled
		pagination.addClass ('js');

menu.addEvent ('change', function (e)
		{
			var curPage = this.selectedIndex + 1,
				lastPage = this.length,
				url = this.get ('value'),
				pageContent = container && container.getElement ('.page')
			;

// Disable controls
			menu.set ('disabled', 'disabled').blur ();
			if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', .5);

new Request.HTML ({
				'url': url,
				'method': 'get',
				'link': 'cancel',
				'update': content,
				'onSuccess': function ()
				{
					// Update controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					links.prev
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage > 1)? curPage - 2: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage > 1)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					links.next
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage < lastPage)? curPage: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage < lastPage)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					pagination.getElement ('.desc').set ('text', desc.substitute ({ curPage: curPage, lastPage: lastPage}));

captureIntraLinks ();
					new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement (container);
				},
				'onFailure': function ()
				{
					// Restore controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', 1);
				}
			}).send ();
		});
		$$([links.prev, links.next]).addEvent ('click', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			if (!this.hasClass ('disabled'))
				menu.set ('value', this.get ('href')).fireEvent ('change');
		});
		form.addEvent ('submit', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		})

// Capture all intra-page links and hook to js
		function captureIntraLinks ()
		{
			content.getElements ('a[href^="#"]').flatten().each (function (link)
			{
				var target = link.get ('href').substr (6).trim ();
				if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length)
					link.addEvent ('click', function (e)
					{
						e.stop (); this.blur ();
						menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
						menu.fireEvent ('change');
					});
			});
		}
		captureIntraLinks ();

// Trigger initial pagination state
		var target = location.hash && location.hash.substr (6).trim ();
		if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length && target != page)
		{
			menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>
				<div class="footer">
		
<div class="tags" style="">
	<span class="label" style="">Tags:</span> <a href="/product-guide/all/reviews/tagged/326-samsung">samsung</a>, <a href="/product-guide/all/reviews/tagged/1130-smart-projector-phones">smart projector phones</a>, <a href="/product-guide/all/reviews/tagged/1148-galaxy-series">galaxy series</a></div>
		</div>
				</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var section = $('tab-product-content-review'),
			dropdown = section.getElement ('#reviews-list'),
			tId = 0
		;

if (section && dropdown)
		{
			var list = dropdown.getElement ('ul'),
				links = list.getElements ('li a')
			;

dropdown.addClass ('js');
			list.set ('morph', { 'link': 'cancel' });

$$(dropdown, list).addEvents ({
				'mousemove': function ()
				{
					$clear (tId);
				},
				'mouseenter': function ()
				{
					list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 1 });
				},
				'mouseleave': function ()
				{
					tId = function () { list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 0}); }.delay (1000);
				}
			}).fireEvent ('mouseleave');

links.addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				//unescape the 'alt' prooperty
				var o = new Element('i', { 'html': this.get ('alt')});
				new Request.HTML ({
					'url': o.get('text') + '&as=ajax',
					'method': 'get',
					'link': 'cancel',
					'update': section.empty().grab(new Element('div')
						.addClass ('waiter')
						.grab (new Element ('span', {
							text: 'Please wait while we load your article ...'
						}))
					)
				}).send ();
			})

section.getElements ('.footer .comments a').addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($('tab-product-details'));

var href = this.get ('href').match (/#.+$/), target = href && href[0];
				if (target)
					(function () { new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($(target.substr (1))); })
						.delay (3000);

$('tab-product-comments').getChildren ('a')[0].fireEvent ('click');
			})
		}
		if( $$('.image-caption-container').length < 1 )
		{	
			$$('.article .content img[title]').each (function (img)
			{
				// skip if title is empty
				if (!img.get ('title')) return;
			
				new Element ('span', {'class': 'image-caption-container'})
					.addClass (['left', 'right'].contains (img.get ('align'))? img.get ('align'): '')
					.set ('width', img.get ('width'))
					.replaces (img)
					.grab (img)
					.grab (new Element ('div', {
						'class': 'image-caption',
						'html': img.get ('title').trim ()
					}))
				;
				img.erase ('align');
			
				var link = img.getParents ('a');
				if (link) link.addClass ('captioned');
			});
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>

Mobile Phones Guide

Samsung Galaxy Beam

Filter by Manufacturers

You may also be interested in...