Samsung Glyde

Introduction

The Glyde is another of Samsung's entries into the quickly expanding touch-screen phone market. The phone's design combines a large touch-screen that looks and works a lot like that of the hugely popular iPhone.

But, the slider also features the QWERTY keypad that manufacturers are starting to include as a standard feature on new cell models. With the bold, bright colors of its screen, the surprisingly sharp images its 2.0-megapixel camera provides, and its serviceable and Internet connection capabilities, the Glyde provides a great alternative for cell phone users who are looking to try a touch-screen model but who still want the option of using a more conventional keypad.

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Design

The Glyde, a sleek and shiny touch-screen from Samsung, is a slider phone that can also be used as a bar phone. At 4.09" x 1.97" x 0.7" and 4.13 oz., the Glyde is surprisingly heavy for its compact size. The screen size is excellent - the screen takes up almost all of the phone's face, leaving a bare minimum of dead space.

Sliding the phone open reveals a QWERTY keypad. The sliding side is beveled, placing the display off-center, and the sliding mechanism claps shut. In general, the phone is sturdy, but the sliding mechanism actually makes the phone feel cheaper and more lightweight than it really is, since the phone vibrates from the force of sliding shut.

Sliding the Glyde open reveals the QWERTY keyboard. Sliding to the open position also makes the screen automatically switches from portrait to landscape mode. In the closed position, the phone functions like a bar phone, except with a touch-screen rather than a keypad, and the screen is viewable as a portrait, much like the iPhone.

The touch screen works well, but occasionally has a mind of its own. The user can set the touch-screen sensitivity depending on how hard he or she prefers to press on to the screen, but some users might find that setting the sensitivity doesn't make much difference. Smaller fingers are an asset here, since the screen's buttons, at their largest, as well as the QWERTY buttons, are on the small side for a phone with this much capability.

The selection buttons on the touch-screen are tiny, making scrolling through a list difficult. Users must hit a little button smack-on-the-nose, although there was enough room in the design of the phone to have made the buttons larger. Users will probably use the keyboard chiefly for writing text messages, as opposed to e-mails, and it works well for this purpose. Additionally, the QWERTY buttons, though small, feel sturdy and substantial.

The auto-lock is well-designed, although touch-screen lock can activate at inopportune times - for instance, right after dialing. Users must touch a mid-size button on the screen to unlock the phone after hitting any of the hard keys to wake it, but the phone can also be awoken and unlocked by hitting the power button. This feature defies the whole purpose of auto-lock - if the power button happens to be depressed twice while the phone is bouncing around in a pocket or purse, it unlocks.

Another nice feature of the auto-lock is not having to wait several seconds for it to lock, since pressing the power button locks it instantly. The camera and hard volume buttons on the side of the phone also wake up the phone when it auto-locks, serving the same purpose as the home button. Sliding it open also wakes the phone, while sliding closed does not.

Sliding the Glyde open answers a call and automatically activates speaker phone. This is a nice feature, given that the phone is not meant to be held to the user's ear in the open position. Sliding the Glyde closed automatically turns speakerphone off. The Glyde has a useful and unique feature among touch-screens: generalized haptics that make the handset vibrate every time the user presses a touch-screen button. This is a great feature for users in noisy, chaotic environments, like busy streets or loud restaurants. With haptics, users can be sure the numbers they press are registering, even if they are distracted from looking at the screen.

When a calendar reminder automatically appears, the user cannot edit it or change dates - even though the Glyde displays change-date buttons when touched.

Out of the box, the Samsung Glyde comes with a standard 1000 Li-Ion battery, Power Cable and User Manual.