Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy Beam

Will the Samsung Galaxy Beam be the projector-phone to finally crack the U.S. market? I got a little time with it today, and the company hopes the new smartphone's thinness and brightness will have us all projecting our videos onto the ceiling.

The Samsung Galaxy Beam is a good-looking, midrange Android smartphone with one special thing: a Cyclopean eye up top that beams a 15-lumen image out the front onto whatever surface you can find. It isn't thick, at 12.5mm, and its soft-touch gray back is accented with a bright yellow band around the edge. The lens doesn't get in the way of slipping the phone into your pocket.

The phone's LED projector, which promises two years of nonstop playback and three hours of video on a charge, shot small but bright images around the conference room where the demo was held. Videos were sharp, and while the 15-lumen brightness didn't stun, it was more than viewable in a dark room. The projector has 640-by-360 resolution, which is a 720p video reduced by half.

To help people get started projecting, the phone will come with mood-maker animations including jumping sheep and constellations, Samsung Product Manager, Will Bin said.

Keeping the phone steady is a real problem, though, and the built-in speaker is far too weak to play a movie to a crowd. Samsung will offer dock and speaker accessories which will stabilize and amplify the phone, Bin said.

There's one odd spec out, though: the Beam runs the swiftly aging Android 2.3 when everyone's talking about 4.0. Bin said the Beam will receive a 4.0 upgrade, although he wouldn't say when.The Beam uses some low-cost parts to shave a few dollars off the price and get the projector in. It runs ST Ericsson's dual-core 1GHz U8500 chipset, for instance, which we haven't seen in a U.S. phone before. It also has a 4-inch WVGA LCD screen, HSPA+ 14.4 and Wi-Fi networking, 8GB of storage with a memory card slot, and a relatively large 2000 mAh battery.

Want to project your images? Hit the button on the top of the right side of the phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Beam's projector lens is on the top of the phone. The projector runs for about three hours on a full charge.

The Galaxy Beam projects a clear 640-by-360 image onto any flat surface. I found it bright enough, and colorful.

The Galaxy Beam is going to need some accessories to reach its full potential. Samsung says a pair of amplifying speakers are coming, as well as a portable mount to hold it still when it's projecting.

Best Android phone- which should you buy?

There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS.

Samsung makes loads of them. Sony Ericsson makes a few. Then you've got Android-powered phones from Acer, LG, Huawei and many others, while HTC releases more in a month than all the rest added together manage in a year.

The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough.

Do you physically and emotionally need a QWERTY keyboard? Are you the sort of oddball who prefers the rough pressing needed to make resistive touchscreens work? Are you struggling to work out which are the best Android Widgets? Or even stuck wondering: 'Actually, what IS Android?'

To help find the best Android phone for you, we've rounded up the ten best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues.

So here they are - the ten best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.

10. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini

It is indeed very mini, but Sony Ericsson has performed a tech miracle in squeezing a capable 1GHz processor into its tiny chassis. The Xperia Mini runs Android 2.3, enhanced significantly by the company's user interface, which adds lots of style and extra functionality to Google's on-fire mobile OS.

The email app with its resizing preview pane is as sexy as an email app is ever likely to get, the jiggling app drawer edit screen (with the ability to delete apps right from the listing) is very nice, plus you get themes, a cool power off animation and much, much more.

brightcove : 1116060883001

The screen's responsive, text appears sharp, the camera capable of producing good stills and passable 720p video footage. It does it all in an impressively condensed package.

Quick verdict:

Small, and very nearly, perfectly formed. If you can live with seeing the world through a small-ish 3" screen, it's a great, highly usable smartphone.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini review
• 
  

9. Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung took screen size to a ridiculous new level with the Galaxy Note, offering us a huge 5.3" display that's by far the largest of any smartphone out there today.

You also get a stylus, which is pressure sensitive and comes with great handwriting recognition tools, plus dual cameras (8MP and 2MP) along with an LED flash around the back and rather decent image results.

As with all of Samsung's newest Android models the Note is a solid performer, running Android 2.3 impeccably, with the same TouchWiz interface we've seen on the likes of the Galaxy S II.

With the show running at a super-high 1280x800 resolution, it's a sharp-looking, smooth-running phone for those who don't want their style cramping.

Quick verdict:

A great mobile, as long as you're not easily embarrassed by whipping out something so comically huge in public.

• Samsung Galaxy Note review
• 
  

8. Orange Monte Carlo

Orange stuck its logo on another ZTE-made phone in 2011, hoping to recreate the successes of the super-budget Orange San Francisco. And there are some reasons to upgrade to the £150 Monte Carlo, the most obvious being the larger screen.

ZTE's stuck a large 4.3" display in here, which runs at a decent 800x480 resolution. It's not as dazzling as the displays on similarly sized phones like the Xperia Arc, but it's still a big, solid screen considering the budget price.

Unfortunately the Android 2.3 OS has been modified by Orange, which has made it all... orange. But at least the network has added a nice gesture-based control system that works well, while the Monte Carlo also generally runs smoothly, powering web pages and apps well. Shame about the VGA video recording spec, though.

Quick verdict:

It doesn't have quite the same transformational appeal as the San Fran, but it delivers a lot of phone and punch for the money.

• Orange Monte Carlo review
• 
  

7. Motorola Razr

Motorola's newest flagship is by far its best Android offering so far, fusing a unique hardware design with a less obtrusive user interface skin.

In fact, Motorola's UI is actually quite fun to play with nowadays, coming with resizable widgets and its extremely clever Smart Actions automation system, which lets you set all sorts of time and location-aware rules up and running.

The phone is solidly made, and although impressively skinny, the odd, bulbous camera unit and extra-wide bezel make it feel chunkier in the handy than the likes of the Xperia Arc S and the older Galaxy S II. Still, if you like them a bit different, the Razr certainly stands out from the pack.

Quick verdict:

Impressively built, fast hardware with a great display, plus a well refined Motorola interface. Best current Moto mobile by miles.

• Motorola Razr review
• 
  

6. HTC Desire S

Nearly two years ago the HTC Desire was the cutting-edge "superphone" of choice, now its enhanced sequel is an affordable mid-range option.

That's how fast things move in the Android world. But don't dismiss the Desire S because of its workmanlike approach. What you get here is a solid phone with a great 3.7" screen, powered by Android 2.3 and HTC's updated Sense 2.1 user interface. The result is a very slick and smooth experience.

The camera is sadly a weak point, though, offering the same blotchy 5 MP output as the original Desire. But apart from that, everything here's a little better than in last year's Desire. Which makes this a fantastic smartphone and a great entry to Android.

Quick verdict

A superb update of the HTC Desire. Slightly smaller and a little faster, it's a perfect gradual evolution of 2010's smash. Available on some very cheap contracts, too.

• HTC Desire S review
• 
  

Best Android phone: 5-1

5. Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Google and Samsung's 2011 flagship is currently the only official way to get the all-new Android 4.0 experience on a mobile, and for that reason alone it's a must-have for any Android user.

As a smartphone itself, it's a good all-round performer, too, although the omission of an SD card slot is a slightly odd decision.

The large 4.65" screen is glassy, smooth and responsive, running at an immense 720 x 1280 HD resolution. It's bright, plus the 1.2GHz dual-core processor keeps everything running well, while the curved chassis is just about stylish enough to give the phone an edge over some of the more boring black slabs out there.

The 5megapixel camera appears a little weak on the tech spec list, but image results and HD videos emerge sharp and clear - plus it has a cool timelapse feature, too.

Quick verdict:

Definitely the #1 choice for Android enthusiasts, but the lack of Flash Player support and some weird app inconsistencies mean it's probably not yet ideal for the mainstream buyer.

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus review
• 
  

4. Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

Something for the more modest smartphone buyer, this one. Coming with a 3.3" display squeezed into a slim and angular case, the Ray's Reality Display screen is the star here.

The screen runs at 480x854 resolution, which, when packed into a relatively small space, means a super-sharp and clear display that's as clear and bright as the best of them.

The 8megapixel camera does a great job of capturing both stills and 720p video, while Sony Ericsson's latest Android 2.3 update includes some nice touches like a gesture-based, line-drawing keyboard, plus 2D and 3D panoramic photo capture. It's a very finely tuned and sweet little phone.

Quick verdict:

Would we get in trouble for suggesting this is perfect for lady smartphone users looking for a small, stylish and generally less macho Android experience? Hope not.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review
• 
  

3. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

Sony Ericsson's glamorous take on Android is an absolute pleasure to use, with its curved body feeling great in the hand and the 2.3 version of Google's OS now powered by an updated 1.4GHz processor.

It's not dual-core, but it all moves very well indeed, with Sony Ericsson's user interface additions giving the Arc a stylish feel in use, too. The 4.2" BRAVIA Engine "Reality Display" is bright and colourful, with text sharp and well defined thanks to the high 854x480 resolution.

The 8 MP camera produces great stills, with 720p video looking good despite the occasional glitch when recording. The Arc S is simply a lovely, well designed thing to have and enjoy, that shows both Android and Sony Ericsson's phone-making skills in a great light.

Quick verdict:

Unbelievably thin and stylish, with internal bits that keep everything running fast and reliably. Good camera with HD video - it's a fantastic package.

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S review
• 
  

2. HTC Sensation XE

The HTC Sensation XE is the Taiwanese brand's update of 2011's HTC Sensation, arriving with a slightly faster dual-processor clock speed and integrated Beats Audio features thanks to HTC's deals with the posh headphone manufacturer.

With a 4.3-inch qHD screen and the latest version of Sense coming on board makes it a really zippy and clear experience, and the addition of HTC Watch brings movie streaming and purchase to your handset.

It's a well-built and solid device, and the 8MP camera can record in sparkling 1080p too - it might not be the top Android handset, but it's very, very close.

Quick verdict

We think the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a slightly better proposition overall, thanks to better screen technology and a slimmer chassis. But for the HTC fans out there, the Sensation XE is definitely the new alpha handset on the block.

• HTC Sensation XE review
• 
  

1. Samsung Galaxy S2

You won't believe how thin and light it is. Then you won't believe how fast it is. The Galaxy S II offers a genuinely exciting experience, managing to eclipse all other Android phones in every field.

Apps install ridiculously quickly, while browsing web pages is so fast it's hard to believe you're looking at a telephone screen. The large display is robust and, despite the slim and lightweight case, build quality manages to impress.

You get the latest Android 2.3.3 onboard, while many of Samsung's Touchwiz widgets are resizable, making it a phone that's fun to customise and spend time playing with. This is Android made fast and thrilling.

Quick verdict:

The first of 2011's dual-core Android phones to offer an experience that feels significantly ahead of the competition. Incredibly fast in all areas, with a super screen and very useful camera - it's Android taken to the next level.

• Samsung Galaxy S2 review

HTC Sensation XE

The XE is the second Beats Audio-branded smartphone we've seen, after the HTC Sensation XL. The HTC Sensation XE is a far more powerful beast, though, with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor rather than the XL's single-core chip. It's also a Beats-branded handset, and so has a stylish black and red colour scheme and comes with a pair of Beats-branded in-ear headphones.

The headphones are the Monster iBeats model, which would be £64 from www.currys.co.uk if you bought them separately. They have a built-in microphone and inline remote control, and while they no doubt sound better than the headphones you normally get with a phone, they're not brilliant. When the Beats headphones are plugged in, by default HTC's music player gives you the option of having Beats Audio switched on or off. With Beats turned on, music has bass and treble turned up to the max, and while this works reasonably well with most tracks, it drowns out the midrange and can be tiring to listen to. We preferred the warmer sound we got when we turned Beats off.

When we plugged in a different set of headphones we had the choice of enabling Beats Audio or using HTC enhancer. Beats Audio gave us a very bright sound as before, but HTC enhancer just had loads of bass, which rather overwhelmed the rest of the sound. We got the best sound from both sets of headphones just by using the Android version of Winamp, which made our music sound less processed overall.

As a phone rather than a music player, the Sensation XE is great. The fast dual-core processor helps it speed along, and battery life is a reasonable seven hours and 20 minutes, which compares well with other Android smartphones but isn't a patch on the iPhone 4S's 12-hour life.

The screen is also impressive. Its high 540x960 (qHD) resolution makes text and images sharp, and there's plenty of contrast. The screen is also so bright that we found the middle brightness setting more than adequate for general use.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

The original Sony Ericsson Xperia arc impressed us with its slim design and latest version of Android, but we were worried that its single-core processor might be underpowered compared to the slew of dual-core smartphones appearing on the market. The follow-up to the Arc goes some way to addressing the power deficit, but instead of doubling the cores Sony Ericsson has fitted a faster 1.4GHz single-core processor.

Current Xperia arc owners don't need to feel they're missing out, though, as the Arc S isn't hugely different from the original. It still runs Android 2.3 and has the same 4.2in screen, and despite the 40% faster CPU the S doesn't feel any quicker than the original Xperia Arc - Android runs smoothly, but we didn’t see any particular improvement when multitasking.

The phone has a sparkly plastic rather than metal casing, which may put some people off, but it also helps keep the weight down - at only 114g it's one of the lightest big-screen smartphones we've used. Sony Ericsson has generously included an 8GB microSD card, and there's 1GB of internal memory.

We were expecting the faster processor to reduce battery life, especially as the Arc S has the same battery as the Arc. However, in our light usage test where we play an MP3 file on a loop, the phone lasted for almost 40 hours - a seven hour improvement on the Arc. Depending on your use of 3G, GPS and Bluetooth, the Arc S should last a full day or even two without charging. Installing apps such as Advanced Task Killer and Juice Defender should help reduce the need for charging too.

As we went to press, Sony Ericsson's website still mentions USB Host support on the Arc S page, which is rather misleading. The phone itself doesn't support USB OTG (On-The-Go) - the official name for USB host support. Instead, you have to buy an optional LiveDock (part code: DK10, £30), and it only supports keyboards, mice or gamepads, so you won't be able to use it to attach storage devices, for example.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

Sony Ericsson's new Xperia Ray bucks the trend of large-screened handsets with its 3.3in screen, and yet - amazingly - it crams in everything you'd expect from a high-end Android smartphone: a 480x854 resolution, 8-megapixel camera and a 1GHz Snapdragon chipset. Add to this plenty of storage space plus a 4GB microSDHC card and an LED flash, and you get a powerful smartphone with all the features you might need that's only 9mm thin and weighs just 100g.

Where most touchscreen phones fit a 480x854 resolution into a 3.7in or 4in screen, the Ray crams it into only 3.3in of diagonal space, resulting in a pixel density of almost 300ppi, the density beyond which the human eye can't perceive individual pixels. It's not quite as dense as the iPhone 4's display, but it's not far off.

The Ray's Scorpion processor isn't a dual-core model, but feels incredibly quick. This is one of the few Android smartphones whose interface feels truly smooth and responsive. There's 1GB of internal memory, which leaves you with about 320MB of app storage space. This should be more than ample for most people's needs, plus there's a 4GB microSDHC card in the box.

The 8-megapixel camera is also impressive and, coupled with the LED flash, it can handle low-light conditions. Shots are clear and colourful, and there's much less noise in dark areas than we're used to seeing from a phone camera. Videos were also detailed but not as colourful as photos. Movement was jittery as there's no motion smoothing, but the high resolution still makes them better quality than your average Facebook video.

Build quality is superb. The frame is aluminium and the plastic back cover has a rubberised coating to improve grip. The front is all-glass, but there's an inch above and below the screen plus a few millimetres on either side. We liked the large Home button, especially as it unlocks the screen so you don't have to reach to the top of the phone for the power button. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB port, plus a volume rocker on the right side, but no camera shutter button.

HTC Desire S

The new HTC Desire S is a minor update to the original HTC Desire, with a slightly faster graphics processor, more memory, faster 3G and Wi-Fi support, plus Android 2.3. The newer operating system provided a huge speed boost, doubling its score in the Quadrant benchmarks, and it also adds many useful features such as improved text selection and power management.

Visually, the new Desire isn't that different from the old one; like the new HTC Wildfire S, it actually feels a bit chunkier than the original, even though in fact it's smaller and lighter. This could be due to the design: the large chrome grille above the screen makes the screen look smaller in comparison, and it's lost the physical buttons and the optical trackpad below the screen that made the phone longer and therefore appear slimmer.

There are changes inside, too, most notably an upgrade from Android 2.1 to 2.3 and a much larger helping of memory (although Desire owners can now upgrade to Android 2.2 and will gain most of the speed benefits). There's now 768MB of RAM compared to the Desire's 576MB, and internal storage has increased from 512MB to 1.1GB, leaving plenty of room for apps.

The S model also supports HSPA+, which uses multiple antennas to get increased mobile download speeds. At present only 3 has started to roll out support for this standard in the UK, with theoretical speeds of up to 21Mbit/s. However, those antennas should provide better connections to existing 3G standards too. The handset also supports 802.11n Wi-Fi, so you should see faster downloads when connected to wireless networks too.

While the processor in the Desire S has the same name, it's a very different chip. The 1GHz QSD8250 Scorpion processor in the original Desire was built using a 65nm process, whereas the new MSM8255 Scorpion is built using a 45nm process, so although it runs at the same 1GHz speed, it uses far less power and produces less heat. Which you can see in its far-superior battery life, up almost 50% to over 31 hours of constant MP3 playback.

Hands on: Motorola RAZR Android

Motorola's RAZR series of super-slim clamshell handsets dominated the mobile phone market for years - especially in the US - with around 200 million handsets sold in total. The company today rebooted the brand in Europe with the launch of the all-new Motorola RAZR.

Despite the name, it's hardly a surprise that the clamshell design has been retired - after all who needs keys these days? Instead Motorola has concentrated on the super-slim element of the original, producing a phone that's an astounding 7.2mm thick, which should make it the thinnest smartphone ever.

There's just one snag, the RAZR isn't actually that slim from head-to-tail, and the very top edge of the phone mushrooms outwards. It's very tastefully done, and gives you something to hold onto when fishing it out of your pocket, or to stop it slipping out of your hand. We didn't have a ruler to hand but we'd estimate it to be about 10mm.

Whether or not you think that bulge disqualifies the RAZR from the 'thinnest handset' title, it's certainly an incredibly compact device. It measures just 131x69x7.1mm and weighs just 116g - that’s 11g more than the Samsung Galaxy S2, although we couldn’t notice the difference. One thing that both phones share is a 4.3in Super AMOLED display with a quarter-HD 960x540 resolution. Motorola couldn’t have chosen better in this regard, as the Samsung-made display is easily our favourite on any handset – we’d take AMOLED’s superior contrast and vibrant colours over the iPhone 4S’s extra resolution.

The handset we played with was a pre-production model, but we were assured it was essentially identical to the final thing. It feels very well made, oozing class and build quality. Despite its thinness, there’s barely any flex in the handset, thanks to a stainless steel core. The back plate is formed of laser-cut Kevlar fibres, which give it a carbon-fibre style appearance as well as excellent scratch resistantance. The front is covered by the now-common Gorilla Glass to make it equally tough.

The whole phone, both exterior and interior is covered with a nano-coating that resists water, making the handset splash-proof. Motorola didn’t demonstrate using one of its pre-production models, but did demo a tissue covered in the same coating. Water poured onto that rolled off in globules leaving the tissue completely dry.

On the back of the phone is an eight-megapixel camera, which can also shoot 1080p video. We took a couple of test shots, but weren’t overly impressed with the results. Lighting was low in the testing area, so we won’t pass judgement yet, but it could be a weak spot in what looks like an impressive handset.

Orange Monte Carlo review

The Orange Monte Carlo joins the San Francisco in Orange's own-brand range - like the San Francisco, it's a rebranded ZTE handset. With a 4.3in screen and Android 2.3, however, it's a far more advanced phone, and also comes with a 5-megapixel camera backed up by an LED flash. Despite these advanced features, it's still relatively inexpensive, and can be picked up for only £150 on prepay.

While the large screen hints at a premium handset, once you pick it up you realise some corners have been cut. For a start, it's quite a thick phone, but at the same time it's surprisingly light. Reading the specifications more closely, you see where corners have been cut: the Wi-Fi doesn't support the faster 802.11n standard, there's only 512MB of internal storage, and the single-core processor runs at 800MHz, rather than the more common 1GHz.

Despite this, it feels snappy to use; the screen is bright and colourful, and the touchscreen interface feels responsive. The 480x800 resolution is great for browsing web pages, although more expensive phones with screens this size are more likely to use a qHD (540x960) resolution. The glossy black plastic design is fairly attractive, and the phone's 120g weight offsets its bulk. We were glad to find hardware buttons for the Home, Menu and Back functions, although sadly you can't use these to wake the screen up.

The Monte Carlo comes with an Orange colour scheme and branded apps, many of which duplicate the functions of standard Android apps. For example, there's a contacts backup app, but Android's own contacts app synchronises your contacts with Google's servers automatically. There's also Orange Maps, which we found unstable and is nowhere near as good as the built-in Google Maps. Orange Photo also refused to let us register, but thankfully we already have all our photos on Google's own Picasa service, available from the Gallery.

Hands on: Samsung blends tablet, smartphone and PDA with Galaxy Note

From a distance the new Samsung Galaxy Note looks a lot like the company's much-vaunted Galaxy S series of smartphones. Once you pick it up though, you realise its a far larger device, with a screen measure almost 5.3in across. This, and the inclusion of a stylus, makes it a blending of numerous traditional devices, with obvious comparisons to Dell's Streak series.

Whatever it is, and we're erring towards the moniker super-sized smartphone, it's not a small tablet, as you can tell from the version of Android used - in this case a heavily customised 2.3, rather than Honeycomb's 3.x versions. With dimensions of 147x83x9.65mm it should just squeeze into most trouser pockets, unless you prefer your jeans on the tight side. It weighs just 178g, little more than most regular smartphones.

As with the new Galaxy Tab 7.7, this device features a stunning Super AMOLED technology display. The vibrant colours and deep blacks are instantly noticeable on images and video. More amazing is the fact that Samsung has squeezed in a 1,280x800 pixel resolution, making this quite possibly the sharpest display we've ever seen. In addition to the screen, imaging fans will appreciate the 8-megapixel main camera with 1080p video recording.

It's more than just a massive, highly specified smartphone, though. The stylus - which is stored inside the phone, lets you annotate on most screens. You first need to screengrab the display, which can be done by swiping the edge of your hand, like a scanner, across the display; or by holding down a button on the stylus and making a long press.

Once grabbed there's a whole range of tools to play with, from highlighter pens to paintbrushes. The real shock was discovering that the display is pressure sensitive (as well as being capacitative), so you can press harder for a thicker, darker line. We imagine that those who like to doodle will be queuing up for the Note.

As with the tab 7.7, the Note has a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, so processing power shouldn't be an issue. No price or release date has been announced yet, but we get the feeling that the Galaxy Note could be one of the most expensive handsets ever at launch. We applaud Samsung for a brave attempt to make something a little different, and look forward to its release later in the year.