Manage updates with the Download AppSamsung Continuum (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: SCH-I400ZKAVZW
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- More than just a gimmick, the Samsung Continuum's secondary display is a useful management and multitasking tool, but its constant flow of information might not appeal to everybody.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung Continuum (Verizon Wireless) price range: $129.95
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 11/23/2010
- Released on: 11/18/2010
The good: The Samsung Continuum features two displays; the smaller ticker window is a great tool for quickly accessing information and multitasking. The smartphone also has a 1GHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera with HD video capture. It offers full wireless options and can be used as a mobile hot spot.
The bad: The smaller screen makes for a more cramped typing experience. Ticker display currently isn't available for third-party apps. Runs Android 2.1, and Bing is set as the default search engine. You can't uninstall preloaded apps and services.
The bottom line: More than just a gimmick, the Samsung Continuum's secondary display is a useful management and multitasking tool, but its constant flow of information might not appeal to everybody.
User reviews
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Interesting Concept,Very good,but could be better.
by indiantechie on November 29, 2010
Pros: -SAMOLED Screen
-Unique Concept
-Sleek Profile
-The Usual(Which means 3G,WiFi,Bluetooth,Hotspot) basically a Full Feature SetCons: -Smaller Screen
-Ticker might be good for info but makes texting and emailing harder
-Screen size is small.
-Feels PlastickySummary: The Samsung continuum is best for the type of person who needs to be always connected. Other than that I can't see it appealing to anyone else, and no ...
Summary: The Samsung continuum is best for the type of person who needs to be always connected. Other than that I can't see it appealing to anyone else, and no matter whom it is I can't see the second display being more than a novelty. Even the person who needs info as soon as it comes; this is an inferior system to something with push system, like a Blackberry. Other than that the display gets in the way, first of the entire screen is already .6 smaller than other GalaxyS display, but the second display gets in the way of typing on the already small screen. But other than that, if you're not looking for the screen to help you, than the Continuum is a great full featured Smartphone, with an interesting and amazing extra bonus, that no other Smartphone's have.
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice Phone, with room to improve
by Weudel on December 11, 2010
Pros: Smaller in the hand than many similarly featured phones, beautiful display, DLNA support
Cons: The Ticker needs better customization options and more compatibility to third-party apps. The Froyo update promises to open this up some. Oh, and Bing, though it is easily worked around.
Summary: The Continuum is the latest phone released in the US in Samsung's Galaxy S Series. And while it is a part of that series, it also stands alone. The ...
Summary: The Continuum is the latest phone released in the US in Samsung's Galaxy S Series. And while it is a part of that series, it also stands alone. The Continuum has a smaller display than its brethren at 3.4?, though it maintains the 800 x 480 resolution meaning that the pixels on the Continuum are smaller than any of the other Galaxy S phones. So, while its screen is .6? smaller, the display is just as awe-inspiring as any of these Super AMOLED beasts. Graphics and video are crisp and clear, and with the 1GHz Hummingbird processor, render flawlessly.
The thing that truly makes the Continuum stand out, not only from the Galaxy S phones, but from all Android devices is the 480 x 180 Ticker display located below the standard Android function keys. The Ticker can be used to display your RSS feeds, SMS, incoming and missed calls, emails, social network feeds, music controls, and time and weather. It is a little display that keeps you informed without having to open up the main screen. While it is useful, it also has its limitations. The news items go by so fast that if you aren't looking at it when they come up, you have no chance of catching what they say. Also, the social networks sync every thirty minutes or so and when they do you get all of your feed in the matter of about a minute. While Facebook has options to limit what comes over your ticker, Twitter does not. The Twitter feed is all or nothing, though I managed to figure out a work-around for that using the RSS feed.
I find myself a bit underwhelmed by the current ticker, but Samsung has promised that the further functionality for third-party apps will come with the Android 2.2 update sometime next year. I also hold out hope that some developer will build a custom ROM that better utilizes this space. It seems like being able to add 1 x 4 widgets would be fairly simple and add greatly to the functionality.
The Continuum comes with the Swype keyboard, which is by far the best one available.
USB syncing is made easier by Samsung by identifying the device as a media player, as opposed to my Eris which just showed up as a USB stick. This minor change allows for better options in transferring directly from music software to the phone. Instead of dragging and dropping in the file system, I can transfer files directly in Banshee.
Rooting was easy, using Z4 Root from the Market. This allows, among other things, taking screenshots and removing some of the bloat that comes pre-loaded, although it may be wise to hold off on that, since any OTA update will likely look for those apps before pushing to your phone, so you may end up waiting longer for Froyo 2.2. There do not appear to be any developers brewing ROMs for this device yet, so the benefits of rooting are fairly limited.
Samsung's AllShare app provides DLNA support, allowing you to stream content from your PC to the phone or to a supported TV, using the phone as a remote control.
Overall, this is a great device and the Froyo upgrade and future custom ROMs hold nothing but promise for this unique phone.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Absolutely Fantastic Phone!
by cjhunter1014 on March 9, 2011
Pros: Lighter, faster, thinner than the iPhone. Gorgeous screen so bright and clear. A clear home screen with time, weather right there!. Tons of apps!
Cons: Battery life could be better, but I am using it constantly!
Summary: This phone is simply fantastic! I was going in to get an iPhone but saw the screen on this and that was it! It has a faster processor than an ...
Summary: This phone is simply fantastic! I was going in to get an iPhone but saw the screen on this and that was it! It has a faster processor than an iPhone, thinner, and lighter too! Apps everywhere in the Android Market. Everything I have ever seen an iPhone do this phone does. The screen is 2.5Xs better (read brighter, cleaner, more resolution) than the iPhone. I really wanted to get the iPhone but the Continuum was too cool to pass up on. The battery life could be better, but that maybe because I am playing with it ALL day long. With the charger at my desk we do fine. The scrolling ticker at the bottom is also awesome and a must have. In addition, I love that weather and a scrolling news ticker are now buttons for easy access on the main screen. My wife is worried that I love my phone more than her. Hmmmmmm. It is close I won't lie. I love this phone!
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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easy to use, beautiful display, smaller size
by lpt2569 on March 1, 2011
Pros: easy to use, navigation is straightforward, display is bright and clear, smaller/sleek design, ticker is interesting.
Cons: lack of latest Android OS update, battery life not great, but that is nothing new, and should be expected these days.
Summary: Great Android device, especially for anyone coming from a BlackBerry or other OS. Samsung's TouchWiz User Interface makes navigating through the device's functions and screens very easy. Screen/...
Summary: Great Android device, especially for anyone coming from a BlackBerry or other OS. Samsung's TouchWiz User Interface makes navigating through the device's functions and screens very easy. Screen/display is very bright and crisp, video looks great, text on websites/emails/texts is sharp. Call quality is fine, not great, not bad (BB call quality is better, IMO). Web browsing is easy and fast. There are great apps available to add some fun or different functionality, whatever your flavor choice might be. I have had mine for about a month, and I love that I can't stop messing around with it, trying to find new things I can do and/or the phone can do. And I love that it's slightly smaller than most Android Phones...the thin profile and sleek design are definitely a plus for slipping it in your coat or jeans pocket. Camera seems ok for snapshots, nothing fancy or high-end of course. As a music player/MP3 devise it's pretty good. The stock Music Player works fine, and can be controlled from the Ticker Display while you surf the web or text or play a game or whatever. Speaking of the Ticker, it's pretty cool for getting news feed updates, social networking updates (Twitter/Facebook, etc.), and text/email/call notifications. Hopefully the Android OS updates roll out to Samsung phones soon so the device can blossom to it's full potential, and maybe the ticker can be customized to each user's personal tastes with widgets/apps/notifications, whatever they want. I am very happy with this phone, and highly recommend it. It's not the latest/greatest Android, and it's not the most powerful with the biggest screen and huge potential if/when rooted or any of those things, but out of the box, it's pretty darn cool and sleek and more than capable of doing everything I want a phone to do these days. I have spent time with iPhones and other Android Devices (HTC Incredible, Droid X and Droid 2 Global, plus Samsung Fascinate, which I almost got instead of this, but the size is just too big for my taste), and out of the box, this device stacks up to all of them in my opinion in almost every category as far as functionality and features. Add a 16GB or 32GB memory card, and you have a very powerful mini-computer with tons of space for almost anything you want to throw on it. If you are looking for a media (i.e. video/gaming) device, the smaller screen is not optimal, I would look at the Droid X or the Samsung Fascinate, or wait for some of the newer devices coming out from HTC and Motorola.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fast w/Good Battery Life - What more can you ask for?
by nicki2377 on January 1, 2011
Pros: Beautiful Screen
Fast
Ticker is useful for conserving battery + keeping informedCons: Lots of Verizon/Bing Bloatware
Summary: I have used a smartphone for about 5 years now - and this phone is elegant and still easy to use. I didn't want a huge screen, I have ...
Summary: I have used a smartphone for about 5 years now - and this phone is elegant and still easy to use. I didn't want a huge screen, I have small hands and want to be able to slip a phone into my pocket. (The screen is only .6" less than the Fascinate, btw). I do hope that some third party software devs take notice of the ticker and utilize it. I am hoping for a Froyo upgrade, but it runs really well on 2.1. I feel like the battery life is surprisingly good. I have been able to go 10+ hours without charging with more than moderate usage. Obviously, YMMV.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Awful experience
by aliasJJ on November 28, 2010
Pros: The ticker is great and the touch activation is innovative and unique.
Cons: lots of bugs described below. Not much customer help or support available.
Summary: - does not connect to macbooks/macbook pros
I Called Samsung directly, they had no idea how to fix the problem besides the generic troubleshooting mechanism, they told me they ...Summary: - does not connect to macbooks/macbook pros
I Called Samsung directly, they had no idea how to fix the problem besides the generic troubleshooting mechanism, they told me they would possibly call back after some research. Went back to the Verizon store to exchange and test others, none of them would work. (Tried multiple cables, memory cards, and macbooks, it's the phone's software)
- screen bleached out on the exchanged new phone less then 12 hours. Everything was highly pixilated and bright.
We also bought a samsung fascinate at the same time and it's given us none of these troubles- customer service was fast and they listen to you, but the fascinate is still too new to be useful.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A fantastic new phone that will not dissapoint.
by Dexter1268 on November 28, 2010
Pros: 1) Ticker display is very useful and not gimicky after seeing it in action
2) Calls are clear
3) 5.1 audio with two great back panel speakers aka best sound ever
4) Better display than any other phone
5) Nifty lil screen unlock via puzzle pieceCons: 1) I'd rather have a 4" screen with a small ticker too aka a Droid X size with a split in the screen
2) Bing is default (although Google everything is free)
3) Super cheap plastic (when you get the phone cover this is fixed)
4) meh back designSummary: Overall this phone beats the Fascinate due to the smaller screen allowing for the same tech to produce crisper visuals. The ticker also doubles as an audio control so Pandora ...
Summary: Overall this phone beats the Fascinate due to the smaller screen allowing for the same tech to produce crisper visuals. The ticker also doubles as an audio control so Pandora is even better when you are using other apps on the main screen. The ticker also saves the battery. Even though the back of the phone is very plain the front with the ticker will at least gain a conversation.
Honestly this thing has Android OS so you can download Launcher Pro to make it seem like its running HTC Sense, Panda to give you Motoblur, but really Samsung's is pretty cool. The audio is great, the picture is perfect, the ticker is impressive and surprisingly useful, the phone is long enough to not feel "girly" but slender enough to be perfect for smaller hands, the call quality is excellent, the battery lasts decent, and the price is a huge selling point....my gf bought this for $50 with no activation fee, the add-a-line fee was waived for the duration of the 2 year contract, and she got a free $100 Jawbone.
Sure it's got 2.1 but we allllllll know it will have 2.2 and eventually 2.3 at some point to that shouldn't matter.
Google Maps and Search is free and you'll be happy you are using it over Bing
It comes with swype and the touchscreen is very accurate.
Hummingbird Processor isnt as fast as my Incredible but it is great.
Bottom line, you have no reason to skip this phone...play with it for a few minutes and you'll see its just a great device that has less bugs than the Incredible, fits in the hand and pocket better than the X, and is more of a stand-out than the Fascinate.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A great phone with some new ideas.
by samzimms on May 22, 2012
Pros: The notification bar is great, and its size makes it unique.
Cons: It is a little slow and becoming out-dated. The media scanner takes too long.
Summary: Very good!
Summary: Very good!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very fun and easy to use Smart phone!
by flatts18 on December 24, 2011
Pros: Ticker, Camera, Screen,Music player and did I say the Ticker??
Cons: Have had some glitches everyonce in a while.
Summary: Just a really fun and cool phone! Gives lots of info on the ticker and makes texting while doing something else on the phone really easy! Love it!
Summary: Just a really fun and cool phone! Gives lots of info on the ticker and makes texting while doing something else on the phone really easy! Love it!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best 50 bucks I've ever spent.
by Zsiganator on October 25, 2011
Pros: Excellent signal strength
Bright and vivid display
Great sound/speaker quality
Fast downloads
Generous battery life
Unique and very handy ticker
Sleek,compact designCons: No touch calibration
Customization is limited to what the android market has to offer
Preloaded apps can't be taken offSummary: I've had this phone for about 4 months now. Being my first smartphone, it was relatively easy to figure out. It's also the first phone I've had ...
Summary: I've had this phone for about 4 months now. Being my first smartphone, it was relatively easy to figure out. It's also the first phone I've had without a tactile keyboard, but I don't even miss it. I type very fast and this phone, unlike other phones I've used with a slide out keypad, can keep up without lagging at all. Some people complain that the virtual keyboard is small... Oh please, if you can type on that teensy QWERTY keyboard on a Blackberry or a Palm Pri, Typing on the Continuum is like moving from a crib to a king sized bed. Besides, this phone has talk-to-text that you can use any time you open the keyboard and I don't have to talk like a robot for the phone to get it right. As for the screen size, it may "seem" smaller than it's big brother, the Fascinate, but the resolution is excellent! Just because it's not the size of a Symphony chocolate bar, doesn't mean the display can't be just as vivid and easy to read. I've come to find that the phone is MUCH easier to use with one hand rather than a phone like the Captivate. it has multiple touch sense, and you can pinch zoom for when you're reading a book, surfing the web, and looking at pictures. I'm constantly looking things up, watching videos, and playing games on my phone. So when I get a text, email, call, alarm, IM, Event notification, or even a social hub notification, it doesn't disturb what I'm currently doing, and I can manage whatever is on the ticker without closing the current app. So even though it may seem like wasted screen space to some, I think it opens another dimension to the phone's use. The double speakers on the back put out great sound quality that's great for listening to music and watching videos. It has a camera button in the classic place, and one of the little things I admire is that long pressing the button will only focus your shot, rather than take you to the video recorder, which really annoyed me about my previous phone. The camera, by the way, is phenomenal. As is the video and sound recording. I don't own a camera because this phone is a better deal!
The phone's app menu is very easy to use because you can drag around, rearrange, and delete apps with ease, and the separated pages of 16 each make navigating a breeze.
I've seen a lot of people mention that they're having problems with apps running in the background without being opened or showing up in the task manager. I too, experienced this problem until I finally took it into Verizon. The guy took it from me for a minute, installed Advanced Task Killer and handed it back to me and he said "just click that widget every now and then." and showed me the door. So I clicked it almost constantly and it really wasn't helpful and got to be a nuisance. Thanks to a very helpful Metro PCS employee, I know how to stop them from running without permission in the first place, and now the phone works smoothly as if it were still brand new. If you have the Continuum or you're planning on getting it, this is what you do to keep those pesky apps off:
From the homescreen, to got Applications> Settings> Applications> Running Services
From there, you can select specific apps that are running in the background at the time to stop them from starting up unless you open them manually. It's good to check on these settings at least once a week, but it's far better than clicking a little green android every 20 minutes.
Since I've fixed the apps from running, my battery life lasts an entire day, which is VERY long, considering the far above average use I put the device through.
Overall, I've found this phone to be easy to use, comfortable to hold, and very reliable1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: SCH-I400ZKAVZW
- Description: The large Super AMOLED display gives you vivid, brilliant color with razor sharp detail for movies, viewing photos, reading and much more. The smaller AMOLED display has the sharpness that's perfect for reading small type. You decide which type of messages you think are important enough to appear on the dedicated Ticker display. You can choose news updates, SNS messages, RSS messages, sports updates, social networking posts, just to name a few. This advanced browsing system from Google helps give you fast Internet searches and quicker connections.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Smartphone
- Form Factor Touch
- Phone Design PDA
- Integrated Components GPS receiver,
Digital camera,
Digital player,
Voice recorder - Width 2.3 in
- Depth 0.48 in
- Height 4.94 in
- Weight 4.41 oz
- Body Color Mirror black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900/800
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
- Operating System Android 2.1
- User Interface Samsung TouchWiz
- Application Software ThinkFree Mobile
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services EMS,
MMS,
SMS - Instant Messaging Services Yahoo! Messenger,
Google Talk,
Skype,
Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger) - Supported Email Protocols POP3,
IMAP4 - Supported Social Networks and Blogs MySpace,
Twitter,
Facebook - Messaging & Data Features RSS feeds
- Mobile Services VCAST,
YouTube,
Bing Search,
Gmail,
Google Play Communications
- Data Transmission EV-DO
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth 3.0,
IEEE 802.11b/g/n - Bluetooth Profiles Object Push Profile (OPP),
Hands Free Profile (HFP),
Headset Profile (HSP),
Phonebook Access Profile (PBAP),
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Voice control,
Call timer,
Conference call,
Flight mode,
Speakerphone,
Voice dialing,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Additional Features World clock,
DLNA Certified,
E-911 compliant,
TTY compatible,
Widgets support,
Speech-to-Text (speech recognition),
Intelligent typing (SWYPE) Organizer
- Personal Information Management Synchronization with PC,
Calendar,
Calculator,
Stopwatch,
Reminder,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards eAAC+,
AAC +,
WAV,
MP3,
WMA,
AAC - Supported Digital Video Standards MPEG-4,
XviD,
H.263,
DivX,
3GP,
H.264,
WMV9 Processor
- Clock Speed 1 GHz
Memory
- RAM 384 MB
- ROM 512 MB
- User Memory 2 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC - up to 32 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 5 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Digital Zoom 4
- Camera Light Source LED light
- Video Recorder Resolutions 1280 x 720 (720p)
- Features Video recording
Navigation System
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
- Navigation Software & Services VZ Navigator,
Bing Maps Display
- Type OLED display - Color
- Technology Super AMOLED
- Diagonal Size 3.4 in
- Display Resolution 800 x 480 pixels
- Color Depth 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Features Wallpaper
Display (2nd)
- Type OLED display - Color
- Diagonal Size 1.8 in
Connections
- Connector Type Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm,
USB Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Run Time Details Talk ( CDMA ) - up to 420 min,
Standby ( CDMA ) - up to 312 min Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards HAC(Hearing Aid Compatible)
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
- Also Included microSDHC - 8 GB
Product series
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Samsung Continuum (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung
Specs: Verizon Wireless,
CDMA2000 1X,
Up to 420 min,
With digital camera / digital player,
4.41 oz,
5 megapixels,
3.4 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Samsung
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
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