Review: Samsung Continuum
Bluetooth
I paired the Samsung Continuum with my Bluetooth headset with no trouble. Sound quality was pretty good, and there were few reception issues; it was only a problem when I moved the phone from pocket to pocket. Pairing with my Bluetooth speakers was also easy, and there is an option in the music player menu to send your tunes directly to a paired device, eliminating some menu digging. I was also able to transfer an image file from the gallery to my laptop with ease.
Clock
There are many clocks available on the Samsung Continuum. The lock screen gets a nice big clock, or you can simply squeeze the phone and check the time and weather on the bright ticker screen. Both were easy to see. There is a clock in the notification bar up top, and there are seven different clock options available from Samsung's widget selection, including a weather clock and a dual-clock for world travelers.
GPS
Navigation services on the Samsung Continuum are provided by VZ Navigator, with local location-based searching by Microsoft's Bing. VZ Navigator looks pretty good on this phone, and offers some cool features from the front page, including local gas prices, movies and events, and a number of other options. Just like with Google Maps, VZ Navigator is connected to your contact list, so when you tap a physical address in your contacts you can start navigating right away.
I was delighted to find VZ Navigator takes advantage of the ticker. When the screen is off, you can squeeze the phone and the ticker will light up with your next turn. This is exactly the sort of use I would hope for.
If you're a dyed in the wool Google fan, you can still download Google Maps from the App Market, but VZ Navigator does a fine job on its own. You can also use Microsoft's Bing Maps app, but it isn't quite as advanced or feature rich as the Google app. Google Maps will also work from your contact list, so when you tap an address you'll have the choice of using VZ Navigator or Google's app, but it won't work with the ticker.
Other Extras
The Samsung Continuum comes with a number of extra features, some of them useful and some just bloatware. There is a Blockbuster video app from which you can rent and download movies to watch on your phone. The phone has Samsung's AllShare, which is a DLNA app that lets you play movies and other media from the phone on a DLNA-capable home theater setup.
The phone also comes loaded with a number of game demos, like Tetris and Scrabble. You cannot erase these demos. You can either buy the full version, or live with the demo on your phone as long as you own it. I'm not a fan of this sort of junk clogging up my app menu.
The Continuum also has Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities. Because the network connection was so sluggish, I would only suggest using this option in an emergency. It certainly isn't worth paying Verizon an exorbitant monthly fee to use.
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Samsung Continuum (Galaxy S)
