The Samsung Illusion is geared towards consumers who want the features of a top phone at an affordable price. Retailing for only $80, the Samsung Illusion provides a compact and stylish option for cell phone enthusiasts everywhere.

Design and Appearance

Weighing in at only 4.02 ounces and sporting a sleek 0.47″ thick profile, the Illusion feels wonderful in the hand. It has a 3.5″ touchscreen display with a HVGA resolution (320×480 pixels), which is admittedly a little small for viewing. However, what it lacks in size it makes up for in its sharp imagery. The only noticeable drawback is that the display can be difficult to view in intense sunlight.

The Samsung Illusion makes use of four buttons for speedier user navigation. Beneath the screen resides the familiar home, back, search and menu buttons. The top of the phone is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB port resides on the bottom. The left side features a memory card slot with an included 2GB memory card; while the power and lock keys are both found on the right side. The speakers and 3MP camera are located on the Illusion’s backside, as is usually the case. The entire handset is wrapped in a plastic black trim, with a convenient rubber backing for added support.

User Interface and Web Access

The Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread is the program used by the Samsung Illusion. At the bottom of the screen there are four colorful symbols which allow users to access their contacts, previous messages, and various applications. Selecting an application using the App Drawer is a simplistic process. The individual can flick through apps that are laid out in a scrolling view.

An important aspect of any phone is its responsiveness and load speed. The 1GHz Hummingbird processor is effective at reducing lag time and it also loads apps in a timely manner. The Samsung Illusion could, however, use a little more than the limited 512MB of RAM.

The Illusion’s internet capabilities meet the market standards, but are not exceptional by any means. Websites are displayed in an easy to view layout, and scrolling through pages is quick and easy. It takes approximately fifty seconds to load a webpage using Verizon’s 3G EVDO Rev A data network; the default network for the Samsung Illusion. Similarly, download speeds were less than impressive at 0.79 Mbps. One notable feature is that the device does support Adobe Flash for those who want to access a wide variety of internet content.

Camera Capabilities

The Samsung Illusion is equipped with a 3MP camera. The camera does not have auto-focus, resulting in blurry pictures when shot from distances greater than 3 feet. Furthermore, photos taken indoors or in dim light appear overly grainy. The color and detail of the images is satisfactory, but nothing to get excited about. The Illusion does offer numerous camera settings. The user can play around with various color effects, background scenes, and shooting modes. An example photo shot using the Samsung Illusion is shown below.

Sample picture taken using Samsung Illusion built-in Camera

picture via CNET.com

Phone Calls

The primary purpose of a cell phone is to make calls, and it is therefore a highly regarded feature. Call quality on the Samsung Illusion is exceptional and voices sound clear; background noise and static are non-existent.

It is evident that the Samsung Illusion is a very capable phone at an affordable price. It provides all the necessities of a successful device, and should be very popular among new consumers. For this reason I award the Samsung Galaxy 4 stars out of 5. CNET rates the phone a respectable 3.5.

References:
1.http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SCH-I110ZKAVZW-features
2.http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Illusion-Review_id2930/page/3
3.http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-illusion-sch-i110/4505-6452_7-35020066-2.html?tag=rvwBody;continue