It's here, folks. We'll naturally have more impressions in the near future, but for now feast your eyes on the
Samsung Moment and one of the least eventful unboxings of all time -- Sprint sure isn't packaging this like a premium handset, but at $179 we suppose it isn't really pricing it like one either. The hardware itself might tell a different story, with a solid, hefty feel to it and great screen. So far our editors are divided on the keyboard, with
Chris not being sure it meets up to the
CLIQ's standards, while this writer feels it's far superior -- not tiresome to press, but super clicky and very touch type-able. While we sort out this astonishing bit of interoffice drama, check out the unboxing shots in the gallery below. The phone goes on sale November 1st.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gomer @ Oct 21st 2009 10:55AM
Did anyone else here Kelly Clarkson singing "A Moment Like This..." in their head while reading this?
no? ok...
Lowspeed @ Oct 21st 2009 11:04AM
Looks great!
catbertz @ Oct 21st 2009 11:49AM
It looks good for the price. Hell, aesthetically, it looks pretty nice compared to the Droid *ugly lol*. Still, I expect a Droid in my pocket soon enough.
JayMonster @ Oct 21st 2009 12:26PM
I'm sorry... just when did $179 (with contract) become "not premium" pricing? Where is the cutoff? The Pre was a "premium" at $199. (So was the iPhone). I know Sprint and T-mobile (at least initially) priced the Touch Pro 2 at a king's ransom of a price but really, those and even the Garmin-Nuvi phone are the exceptions, not the general rule these days. Would it have qualified it it was $20 more? $50? Just where is "premium" these days?
Sandy @ Oct 21st 2009 6:38PM
Agreed! The HTC Hero is also priced at $179 and that is supposed to be "premium" packaging.
AndroidPRGal @ Oct 21st 2009 12:29PM
I'm drooling. I'm drooling. It looks rather small for my taste though. But then again, bigger isn't always better (for some). Or, is that just a really large hand. Hmmm? :-)
What does the team say about Samsung's Moment in comparison to htc's Hero or Tattoo? Just wondering.
Thanks for the tease!
digitalfemme
The Android PR Gal
@whatsupandroid
http://whatsupandroid.com
michael @ Oct 21st 2009 12:29PM
The Samsung Moment is going to be the phone for me. It was definitely a tough decision between the Moment, the Hero, and the Droid.
I almost got a Hero but the old/slow cpu and lack of physical keyboard gave me pause.
So now it's between the Moment and the Droid. Droid's superior hardware(cpu, screen, camera) and Android 2.0 almost make it worth it commit to a Verizon contract...almost. If Verizon's data plan prices were more competitive or if Sprint or T-Mobile got the Droid this would be a no-brainer. The Droid looks well positioned for the price-is-no-object-but-ATT-network-sux iPhone refugees.
Now, Engadget. Please tell me how I can get my hands on a Moment immediately :)
EMan @ Oct 21st 2009 12:36PM
This may get me into the Android pool.
As much as people dislike WinMo... it does have its conveniences (like Internet Sharing... shh!).
Colin @ Oct 21st 2009 1:53PM
PLEASE confirm the presence or lack of a digital compass...! I would find it very hard to believe they wouldn't include it when it seems that every other phone, even other cheaper Samsung phones, have them.
gigabit @ Oct 21st 2009 5:00PM
negative
gigabit @ Oct 21st 2009 5:01PM
negative
Colin @ Oct 21st 2009 7:01PM
Thanks, but I'm hoping to get the Engadget reviewers to confirm the presence or absence of the compass. I've seen equally credible sources saying it does and it does not.
KenB @ Oct 21st 2009 1:55PM
Here's the rub....
To use this phone with Sprint requires an unlimited data plan. No problem. I already have an unlimited data plan with Sprint. I have two phones: one for me and one for my wife. I pay $60 for a 550 minute package to share between the two phones, plus another $25 for the unlimited data, navigation, etc. for my phone which my wife would never use.
So my current monthly bill is $85.
Can I just swap out my old phone for the new Hero or Moment. No I can't, not without paying $129 per month for Sprint's NEW data plan which is the exact same network (no faster) that I'm already using.
$129 - $85 = $44
12 months x $44 = $528 per year
So, if I want to enjoy the benefits of this new phone (which I really do admire, BTW), I have to justify paying $180 initially plus $528 per year (every year) over what I'm paying now.
Let's see, I have no touch screen and no pretty display and all the nice apps and everything, BUT my Samsung m610 does GMail just fine, and GPS navigation and runs Opera Mini.... It's got everything I need. I think I'll save the money for now. I'll reconsider when a WiMAX phone is offerred. However, $528 more per year would still be a lot to ask even for WiMAX.
mc-fine @ Oct 22nd 2009 10:40AM
KenB... smart phones are not for you. Stay cheap with your m610 if Operamini and java gmail is sufficient for your needs. When you are ready to take advantage of the applications, streaming, full html browsing and the many other uses a proper smartphone OS allows then you will pay the extra cost to enjoy it.
P.S- how do you share 550 minutes?
Colin @ Oct 22nd 2009 11:14AM
KenB, I assume your wife does not use a smartphone right now...? If you had to pay for your wife to have a data plan, under your current plan an extra $25/mth and then you add in the extra $5 for unlimited texting that is also covered under the Everything Data, that's $30 for her data plan, and an extra $5 for yours, so right there is 80% of the extra cost. On top of that the new Eveerything Data Shared plan gives you 1500 minutes, so about 1000 on top of what you have, AND you get free calling to any mobile phone in the US... all for the low price of $9 if you you count the data plans at full price ;)
Maybe you don't use data enough (or your wife doesn't use it) to make it worth upgrading your phone at the Moment (teehee, pun!). It really isn't a bad plan though, my wife and I share it and sure who doesn't like to pay less, but we're not getting ripped off. Look at the other plans from other carriers and you'll realise that.
SMYoung @ Oct 25th 2009 5:24PM
KenB... I dont know if you have kids that now or in the future will end up on the system. But additional phones including all the benefits is only $20 more per month. (Good, bad or indifferent, I have 3 kids using smart phones... so, the $129 for the first phone, -0- for the second and $20 for each of the other 3... $189/mo.. is a bargain!!
Martin @ Oct 21st 2009 2:02PM
no screen protector? Sprint always thew those in... Does the Hero have one?
gigabit @ Oct 21st 2009 5:00PM
no
David @ Oct 21st 2009 2:14PM
It looks nice but not nice enough to give up my g1 yet. Droid on the other hand, has me thinking. If I didnt already have service this phone would certainly be a possibility.
Eludium-Q36 @ Oct 21st 2009 3:59PM
Is that a 2.8-inch screen with a slide-out keyboard ?! Knock, knock ... 2006 wants its old-fashioned handset back. :-)
gigabit @ Oct 21st 2009 5:00PM
do your research tard. quit posting BS.
teknikkle @ Oct 22nd 2009 4:41AM
2006 lmao how bout that phone has a faster processor than the iphone, palm pre, n97, touch pro2, hero, bb bold, n900 or any other US smartphone.. The droid may be faster overall but this still has a faster main processor.. Yea it looks a little generic.. But to me it looks real clean Id take it in a heartbeat.. Android phones have NEVER been stylish.. The sprint hero and the droid are the two best looking android phones available and they aren't known for turning heads either.. If you want a cutesy phone Android was never and still wont be your choice..
Colin @ Oct 22nd 2009 11:08AM
I would actually say I like this better than the Droid, I think the Droid has a slightly unfinished look to it. The slider on the Droid doesn't look as well integrated when closed as the Moment does..
a @ Oct 21st 2009 5:26PM
deciding between hero, this, and droid will be tough. i mean it really comes down to sprint or verizon i guess. sprint quality is good in manhattan, but not sure if i'll be here for two entire years... and i hear sprint sucks everywhere else (is that true?).
Craig @ Oct 22nd 2009 4:47PM
I just drove across the country on my honeymoon and they only time I had service issues were it rural North Dakota and Montana. Not to mention you can roam on Verizon for free with Sprint.
Michael @ Oct 21st 2009 6:12PM
I can speak for Michigan and tell you that Sprint service is very nice here. You also should remember that Sprint and Verizon roam off of each other. Maybe that helps. ^_^
Martin @ Oct 22nd 2009 11:56AM
Sprint is great in the DC metro area. And if the Sprint service isn't working, the Roaming is always good too. Never had a problem with my last phone, barely roamed except when in metro (though they put new lines in down there for Sprint and ATT), and barely any problems with my Touch Pro, but that is the phone not the service... When I visit Tampa, Miami, Sarasota, and Orlando, also no trouble at all. Such great coverage from Sprint.
SMYoung @ Oct 23rd 2009 1:55PM
I'm in Cleveland/Northeast Ohio and have been very happy with Sprint's service. It's not perfect though and I do know of spots that are not great. But I've also had Verizon and their customer service was soooo bad (I caught them in direct lies several times... not just misinformation) and their desire to charge you for every little thing makes any minor connection issue, just that... very minor! I'm very happy with Sprint! Now I need to figure out whether to upgrade to HTC Hero or Samsung Moment!
a @ Oct 23rd 2009 2:01PM
thanks for the replies. greatly appreciated! i'm still a little torn though, the droid is sounding better and better. will depend on initial reviews.
cnet's review of the moment did not inspire me.
chntl @ Oct 29th 2009 1:41PM
Cell service, like beauty, is in eye of beholder. I've had Sprint for 10+ years and have never had service issues (e.g., NYC, Boston, Research Triangle, Atlanta, NOLA, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Hawaii, LAX, Vegas, Seattle, Vancouver, even the in Sierra foothills - you get the pt). Except where my parents live in the Great Plains boondocks. And now in San Francisco, where I am in a dead zone that doesn't work for _any_ providers. (I tested this out by parading friends with other providers through and everyone had issue.) I had to get a land line.
a @ Oct 21st 2009 5:29PM
engadget... a request: can you please compare the battery life to the hero, for your review?
thanks.
Brett @ Oct 21st 2009 7:03PM
[voice=Scruffy]Second.[/voice]
Polymira @ Oct 21st 2009 8:44PM
I'm curious as well... i'm hoping for a dog fight on phonedog as well between the two.
I bought the her on Oct 12th with new service, giving me the option to swap it for the Moment when it comes out... The hero was good during the first couple days of "new". But now it's just laggy as hell, and the battery life doesn't last from 7am - 9pm with MINIMAL use.
And yeah, i did the no sleep workaround for SMS.
Good Luck! @ Oct 21st 2009 8:54PM
All of Sprint's phones from now on will be named after pop songs:
Hero- Foo Fighters
Moment- Kelly Clarkson
Personally, i'm going to hold out for the Boom Boom Pow.
EMan @ Oct 22nd 2009 12:43PM
That's so two thousand and late... I want a phone called "That's Not My Name".
akaKJB @ Oct 27th 2009 6:26AM
If that's the case, I'm demanding the "Mexican Radio" handset be made available immediately.
acme @ Oct 21st 2009 9:25PM
I want to like this phone...but i can't. the design sucks, it looks like a pda template its so generic.
Polymira @ Oct 21st 2009 9:47PM
Honestly I agree, the keyboard looks pretty dang good, but the rest of the phone .. not so much. Just waiting on a real review until I decide if i want to ditch my HTC Hero...
Those touch sensetive buttons
That "touchpad"
The covers on the headphone jack and usb port
All detere me from it .. but the 800mhz, AMOLED, and stock android make me want it.
Polymira @ Oct 22nd 2009 12:03AM
Dear Engadget,
While I highly doubt that this comment would affect your review of this phone... but here are a few key points I would love to see a reviewer touch on.
Is the screen plastic or glass? AND, is it iPhone 3G smudgy? OR iPhone 3GS/HTC Hero anti smudgy? (yes, i know the term oleophobic .. i just like saying smudgy).
Are the touch sensitive buttons resistive or capacitive? Because I'd hate for that guy to unlock in my pocket all the time. AND, either way ... how is it having touch buttons on an Android phone .. considering these 3 buttons are the most used buttons.
The headphone jack cover and USB jack covers, are they cheap? Do they feel like they would break off with much use? Are one or both removable? How annoying would this be when using the phone as an mp3 player pretty often?
Is the USB jack mini USB? Micro USB? Or a proprietary USB port? If it's proprietary, do we know if it's that way for some special accessories or anything of the sort?
How easy is it to get used to the keyboard? I've been using touchscreen keyboards since 2007 ... and i'm beyond ready for a change. Is it comfortable to hold the actual phone as you type? It doesn't change the phone orientation alla Touch Pro 2 (best looking keyboard i've every seen on a mobile.. mmmm)
The touchpad, when compared to the other android phone trackballs... I'm sure it's worse .. but how much worse? I use my Hero in my car for podcasts and pandora, i tend to like the trackball since touching the screen is a bit more tough then the iPhone was.
AND... this is a really big one for me. How snappy is the phone after installing a few apps and running for a day? Compared to lets say the Magic, Hero, Dext?
Is the earpiece (grill) metal or plastic?
Thanks guys for the photos, and I'm very much looking forward to the engadget review. Myself and I know many others are watching this phone as it's right within us Hero adopters 30 days to swap mark =)
a @ Oct 22nd 2009 10:03AM
these guys say resistive screen:
http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-moment-first-impressions-2161309/
Colin @ Oct 22nd 2009 11:05AM
They could not be more wrong... hopefully that's a type and they don't actually believe it's resistive.
bdub @ Oct 23rd 2009 10:30AM
they now have a quote from some samsung PR guy emailing them saying that it is resistive.
cnet review and everywhere else says capacitive...
a @ Oct 23rd 2009 10:49AM
just do the stylus test! i didn't feel like logging into their site to say that :)
a @ Oct 23rd 2009 10:50AM
where is the quote from samsung pr? i don't see it anywhere in their article.
a @ Oct 23rd 2009 1:05PM
ok, i see it now. that could possibly explain cnet's experience with the phone (quoted below), though i still think slashgear is wrong.
"Though the capacitive display is mostly responsive, we noticed that there was a bit of lag time when opening the main menu and selecting some icons. The delay won't be noticeable to Android virgins, but veteran users of the OS should see a change, albeit very small, from other Android handsets. It also took a firm swipe to move between the home screens and through long lists. Perhaps a screen sensitivity adjustment would help, but the Moment doesn't offer one."
bdub @ Oct 23rd 2009 11:18PM
its capacitive, that guy on slashgear finally tested it with a stylus... dont know where he got the freaking resistive from.
Colin @ Oct 26th 2009 11:41AM
Seriously Engadget! Where is the video!?!?
TheFlyingBeer @ Oct 26th 2009 4:02PM
So you unboxed the Moment 5 days ago... any thoughts on posting a review sometime soon? It is starting to seem like this phone won't be making it's Nov 1st launch date based on the lack of information out currently. Any updates Engadget?!?
akaKJB @ Oct 27th 2009 6:31AM
According to the guys at the Sprint store tonight, while effectively talking me out of finally biting the bullet and having them ship in a Touch Pro II, it'll still be there as of Nov. 1. I hope so because I'd like to upgrade from my Mogul (which I'm very happy with, would just like some more functions and faster system) and three of the other family members on our 5 person plan want something with a touch screen & a real keyboard that's bigger than the dinky thing on the Pre. So this and the Touch Pro II are pretty much our only options through Sprint at the moment.
S Gunn @ Nov 1st 2009 10:31PM
A friend of mine just purchased the Moment and is having issues with it syncing to his PC. I don't see much out here in regards to the device syncing contacts and/or calendars. All I see is the Activesync, which he does not use. So, has anyone synced with there PC? If so, what are you able to sync? He has Win XP and Vista.