Review: Samsung Continuum
The Samsung Continuum has plenty of messaging options, and the ticker does a nice job helping out in the messaging department. You can set the ticker to receive social messages and texts. You can also link the ticker to your email inbox and your favorite IM client. When I did add my email address, I got a tip that my device will now display duplicate email notifications. The phone suggested I dig through my email settings and turn off those notices. Uhh, you're the phone, why don't you turn off those duplicates for me?
The ticker doesn't give you much time to view your incoming messages. When an email was delivered, the phone would sound an alert, and the email would show up in the ticker for about five seconds. Then it disappeared. Why the rush? If there isn't a crush of messages coming in, I'd like to see those emails repeated a few times, in case I miss it at first.
The phone has a nice text messaging app that displays both sides of an SMS conversation in colorful cartoon bubbles, with a different color for each person. MMS pictures also came through fine, and they showed up inline with the conversation. For instant messaging, the phone uses Google Talk, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger. AIM users get dissed. I don't think I've ever seen another phone that offers Windows Live and Yahoo but not AIM. All of the available services are lumped together into one catch-all IM app, and it's a pretty nice looking app, a definite improvement from the usual Verizon Wireless junky IM program.
For email, the Continuum can handle IMAP and POP accounts, corporate Exchange accounts and Gmail. All of these get their own app, so there are three email apps total on the phone. That's not including the duplicate messages you'll get from the ticker. Some business folks might prefer this, since it keeps your business and personal email separate. But if you like a unified email inbox, you won't find it on this phone.
Hands-On: Samsung Continuum
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Samsung Continuum (Galaxy S)
