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Samsung Solstice SGH-A887
An affordable touch-screen phone
- Bright display
- Sleek design
- Long battery life
- Finicky touch screen
- Limited 3G coverage
- Poor sound quality from speaker
- Tedious browser
Feature set won't blow you away
Reviewers agree the Samsung Solstice has good intentions: It offers a decent feature set and touch screen, but lacks the punch to stand out from the competition. The Solstice "doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before," says CNET's Kent German, while Jamie Lendino of PCMag.com says the Solstice is "solid but unremarkable" and the iPhone 3GS (*Est. $200 and up with contract) is "vastly more powerful." Yet in the eyes of many users, the Solstice fills a niche. "I was about to choose the iPhone but I didn't want to end up paying for a data package. The Solstice is a great phone with many comparable features and a great alternative if you want to save some money," says one owner at ATT.com.
As an update to the well-reviewed Samsung Impression (Free with contract), the Solstice swaps the QWERTY keyboard for a sleek, lightweight design graced by a 3-inch touch screen that uses Samsung's TouchWiz interface. According to Philip Berne of InfoSync.com, the Solstice sports a "classier" look than the Samsung Highlight (Free with new contract), and Lendino says the display is "suitably bright and vibrant" but "won't knock your socks off." The virtual QWERTY keyboard has haptic feedback (it vibrates when a key is hit) and automatically changes from horizontal to vertical orientation when turned. Although Jen Edwards of BrightHand.com considers the keyboard "simply fantastic," not everyone agrees. Berne rates it as responsive but not "very intelligent," and users at ATT.com say it's hit or miss.
The Solstice supports multiple email accounts plus instant and multimedia messaging, although Gmail and Google Talk are notably absent. A favorite feature among reviewers is the new AT&T Social Net app (free) that allows simultaneous logins on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Berne notes that launching the app tends to slow down overall performance, though. Also on board are built-in GPS, Bluetooth, quad-band world roaming, fast 3G network support, TouchWiz interface and a basic web browser -- but no Wi-Fi. Tasking tools include a 2,000-contact phone book, music and video playback, a 2-megapixel camera and access to AT&T's music and video stores (for an extra fee).
Mediocre performance
Although the Solstice offers decent features, performance is mediocre. Voice and call quality are average, with several experts noting low speaker volume and audible static. Network support is also dicey; Lendino says the Solstice "fluttered" between 3G and the slower EDGE network. On the multimedia front, Cha reports that video playback suffers from pixilation, Lendino says music sounds terrible through the built-in speaker and several testers note blurry photos from the 2-megapixel camera. And while Lisa Gade of MobileTechReview.com rates the browser as "very good for a non-smartphone," Berne describes navigation as "tedious." The lack of a 3.5 mm jack and the hard-to-access microSD slot (buried beneath the battery) don't score points either. Still, battery life is a high point. Rated at five hours of talk time, it lasted for nearly nine hours in CNET's tests, though only about five hours for PCMag testers. Reviewers generally prefer the LG Xenon (Free with new contract), which offers better voice quality and a physical keyboard, though its touch screen is smaller and not as bright.
The leading tech publications that provide in-depth coverage of the Samsung Solstice include MobileTechReview.com, PCMag.com, CNET, BrightHand.com and InfoSyncWorld.com. Comparison to other cell phones is scant, however. ConsumerReports.org also tests and rates the Solstice but doesn't offer the same detailed write-ups. Rounding out our sources are owner reviews from CNET, PhoneScoop.com and ATT.com, which help to confirm expert testing and reveal potential problems with long-term use.
Our Sources
1. PCMag.com
"Solid but unremarkable," says Jamie Lendino of the Samsung Solstice touch-screen phone, especially when compared to AT&T's LG Xenon. The Solstice suffers from average voice quality, network support that "fluttered" between 3G and the slower EDGE network, and a "horrid" proprietary charger port.Â
Review: Samsung Solstice SGH-a887 (AT&T), Jamie Lendino, Sept. 8, 2009
2. CNET
Kent German appreciates the Samsung Solstice's trim design, responsive touch-screen display, exceptional battery and fast 3G network support, yet he concludes that it "doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before." In short, the feature set is respectable but stumbles from lagging performance.
Review: Samsung Solstice SGH-A887 (AT&T), Kent German, March 30, 2009
AT&T's Social Network app is the one area where the Samsung Solstice excels, says Philip Berne. The Solstice also offers top-notch calling, a "dazzling" 3-inch display, and a slim, lightweight design. However, these assets are outweighed by mediocre performance -- including the slow touch-screen feedback and messaging features that trail behind the competition.
Review: Samsung Solstice Review, Philip Berne, Aug. 1, 2009
For Lisa Gade, the Samsung Solstice doesn't pack as much punch as its predecessor, the Samsung Eternity, which has a richer feature set. Nevertheless, the Solstice rates highly for its 3G support, web browser and overall ease of use.
Review: Samsung Solstice, Lisa Gade, Aug. 6, 2009
After extensive hands-on testing, Jen Edwards says the Samsung Solstice is great for anyone looking for a full-featured cell phone without the complications of a smartphone. The minimalist design, "dreamy" TouchWiz interface, cool social networking app and juicy battery life all impress, and she finds the Solstice compares "quite favorably" to the LG Dare.
Review: Samsung Solstice Review, Jen Edwards, Aug. 9, 2009
6. ConsumerReports.org
Editors at ConsumerReports.org test the Samsung Solstice along with more than 40 other cell phones. Although this report does not offer the detailed write-ups found in techie magazines, editors provide a handy ratings chart that makes it easy to see how cell phones stack up next to one another.
Review: Cell Phones & Services, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, As of Oct. 2009
7. ATT.com
The Samsung Solstice scores in user reviews at ATT.com, with 86 percent of owners saying they would recommend it to a friend. Many consider it an affordable, touch-screen alternative to the iPhone, especially since it doesn't require an expensive data plan. However, frequent complaints include hit-or-miss texting, a terrible speakerphone echo and issues with menu navigation.
Review: Samsung Solstice (A887), Contributors to ATT.com, As of Oct. 2009
A handful of users weigh in on the Samsung Solstice at PhoneScoop.com. For the most part, they consider the phone "well balanced" and a "great all-around machine," although a few complain about the poor video playback and speaker echo.
Review: Samsung Solstice SGH-A887, Contributors to PhoneScoop.com, As of Oct. 2009
