Samsung Wave S8500 Mobile Phone

The Wave is the first handset that’s loaded with Samsung’s new Bada OS. The quest of the Bada (meaning Ocean in Korean) platform is to provide faster and cheaper smartphones to the mobile community. Technically Bada has been around for awhile, it’s the name for Samsung’s proprietary OS that runs most of their smartphones. Of course now it’s gotten a bit more sophisticated. So here’s a closer look at the S8500 Bada powered handset, better known as the Samsung Wave.

Form Factor
The design is a variant of the Samsung S8300 UltraTOUCH which didn’t fare too well. It’s a great looking piece of hardware that’s light (118g) and comfortable to hold and carry. The Super AMOLED display (480 x 800 pixels) is scratch resistant and is spectacular when it comes to clarity. The colors always appear vibrant and crisp. The micro USB port and 3.5mm handsfree are conveniently located at the top of the device with volume/Zoom keys on one side and camera button on the same side as the screen lock button. The proximity sensor works like a charm and although this is well designed handset, nothing’s perfect.

 

One big issue I had with this handset was that I was I was unable to use any other 3.5mm jack equipped handsfree or earphones with this device except for the bundled set. I tried with two handsfree kits from other devices and three pairs of earphones but it didn’t work. I either got static or ended up with just one spear providing audio. The silver lining is that the bundled kit is very comfortable and sounds great. This could however be considered issues with just this test piece.

Features and Performance
Interface
The Wave uses a TouchWiz 3.0 UI on top of the Bada platform and the ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor ensured an extremely speedy and smooth flow of the UI. Response was immediate with no lag whatsoever. The UI isn’t all that new from any other Samsung device. A few additions include Chat-like messaging screens, a widget system that’s more like LG’s S-Class UI rather than Samsung’s pop-out from the side version, a drop down section for quick access to messages, emails, missed calls etc. The Widgets are very much like those you’d find in an Android handset. In fact the Social Networking option is exactly like HTC’s FriendStream. It enables you to receive and post updates two both your Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

The menus have an Adaptive option that allocates the most used or recently used options at the top of the list. It can be shut off if you want. The virtual keypad is also very much like Androids. Multitouch is an added bonus. You can access all running apps by holding down the menu key.

Media
What I could have used was a customizable EQ option but the presets and Effects provided, including the 5.1 surround setting, more than make up for that loss. Tones are clear and very crisp with a very resounding bass line that will have you stomping your feet even in a crowded train by reflex. Peaking the volume will only lead to you going deaf. Oddly though, the speakerphone is too low. The Stereo FM radio which has a recording option had decent pick up even while commuting.

 

Watching videos on the Wave was a great experience. It supports DivX and XviDcodecs with AVI files up to 720p and playback is smooth. You can also use the 5.1 channel surround sound option for videos. Colors look exceptionally good at any viewing angle. A few other video settings include adjustable color tones, brightness control and a mosaic search option to play the file from selected points. A resume function is built-in.

A few games like Asphalt 5, Edge and Parachute Panic are preloaded while others are, as usual, try and buy demos. A built-in photo editor allows you to make a few adjustments to your images.