Samsung Exhilarate Review

For the better part of the last few months, AT&T’s lineup has been flooded with an array of top-shelf smartphones such as the Nokia Lumia 900, HTC One X,Samsung Galaxy S III, and Sony Xperia ion. Pouring out high-end devices consistently is nice and all, but for some consumers, they prefer the comforts of something less comprehensive – and at the same time, easier on the pockets when it comes to price. Time after time, Samsung has been there to heed the call with a solution, and sure enough, it seems that they’re at it once again here with the $49.99 on-contract eco-friendly Samsung Exhilarate.



Display:

Just like the first Galaxy S device for AT&T, the Samsung Captivate, the Exhilarate shares the same 4” WVGA (480 x 800) Super AMOLED display. By today’s standards, there isn’t as much fanfare surrounding it, but nevertheless, it still proves to be a standout attraction on the Exhilarate. Coughing up some sharp details for its screen size and resolution, we’re able to distinguish even the finest of text with no problems at all. And considering that it’s a Super AMOLED panel, our eyes are enticed by its vibrant colors tones, wide viewing angles, and high contrast. However, it still requires some shielding when using it outdoors under the presence of the sun.


Processor and Memory:

Of late, mid-range devices have been blessed with dual-core processors, but the Samsung Exhilarate is powered by a single-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor with 1GB of RAM – thus, it’s more in line to being a low mid-range device. Now don’t thinking that it’s a bad thing, since the handset performs admirably with almost all tasks. Sure, there might be some instances of choppiness rearing its head somewhere every now and then, but it’s never impacting the experience negatively. Its benchmark scores are nothing worth writing home about, but nonetheless, its real world actions are agreeable.

	Quadrant Standard	AnTuTu	NenaMark 2
Samsung Exhilarate	2639	5422	52,8
Sony Xperia ion	2833	6044	36,4
Samsung Galaxy S III	5335	12016	58,6
HTC One X AT&T	4958	6863	57,7

If you plan to store a lot of content on the Exhilarate, you might want to invest in putting in a microSD card since it has 1.4GB of USB storage out of the box – with another 0.93GB reserved for apps.



Conclusion:

In an era where $100 can get you a pretty stacked smartphone, you’ll need to do a lot of thinking if you’re considering picking up the Samsung Exhilarate at $49.99 on-contract. Overall, we’re pleased by its well-balanced package – and it helps that it’s one of the better-looking eco-friendly devices out there! However, it’s rather difficult to put this into consideration knowing that for $50 more, you can pick up the Sony Xperia ion for $100 – or better yet, if you want to experience the best of the best, the Samsung Galaxy S III is there. Still, there’s a home for this little guy, seeing that not everyone is in the market for super spec’d smartphones. Therefore, if you prefer something that’s still capable of delivering a tasteful experience, the Samsung Exhilarate will no doubt exhilarate your interest.