Bell Mobility

Video: Bell Samsung Impact Review

One of the new devices to hit Bell’s new HSPA network is the Samsung Impact. This is a cost effective device that can really do it all.

There are many great things to say about the Impact and only one objection. So let’s start with the simplistic design of the Impact. There are minimal keys (call end/send/power, volume rocker, lock and one-touch button to the camera) and the shape reminds me of a puffier and chunkier Instinct. Overall dimensions are 108.5 x 53.6 x 13.9 mm and has a weight of only a 105 grams. The best part is the 3-inch touchscreen, this has a resolution of 240×400 and it’s honestly one of the most responsive touchscreens out there. Also, you’ll see in the video that the accelerometer is also top notch, especially when viewing web pages.

The backing has a grid like design to it and adds some needed flare to the Impact. Under the back cover you’ll find the 1200 mAh battery that will give you just over 4 hours of talk time. In addition, under the battery is where you put your SIM card and the microSD (this can hold up to 16GB of additional memory).

The call quality was clear, no dropped calls during our testing period. When it comes to the features of actually using the Impact, this runs off of Samsung own UI and comes pre-loaded widgets (similar to when the Omnia first launched). These widgets are on the left hand side of the touchscreen and can be dragged on to the Imapct’s desktop for your personal customization. There will be more widgets available for you to download in the future and this can be considered the closest thing to downloading apps.

To access the key features of the device you can use the main menu button. You’ll see here everything you’ll ever need: e-mail, text/picture messaging, IM (Yahoo! and Windows Live), access to the 3.0 megapixel camera (video capabilities), contacts, music, web and all your phone settings and tools.

A quick rundown of the web. With the large 3.0-inch screen and its high resolution using the web on the Impact is a great user experience. You can thank how responsive the screen. The page loads fast and has many options to view in several ways: zoom in and out, accelerometer.

I said at the start that there is only really one major fault with the Impact. For listening to music you will have to use their proprietary connector, it does not come with a standard 3.5 mm headset jack. Nothing big but there was certainly space to add it and would have made it a better device with it.

Overall, the Impact is a great device and can really do everything you possibly want. It’s priced right and has a very responsive touchscreen. This is available at Bell on the following price plans:
3-year contract: $79.95
2-year contract: $129.95
1-year contract: $229.95
No contract: $279.95