Samsung Intrepid Review: It's Just Average

While we wait (and wait) for version 7.0 of the Windows Mobile operating system to be released, smartphones with Windows Mobile 6.5 are hitting the market. One of the first was the Samsung Intrepid, a smartphone that's solid and serviceable -- if a bit bland.

Price and Availability

The Intrepid is available from Sprint for $149.99 when you sign a new two-year service contract. That price factors in a $100 mail-in rebate.

The Samsung Intrepid replaces the Samsung Ace in the company's smartphone lineup, and the Intrepid looks a lot like the Ace…and the BlackJack…and the Jack. Samsung's smartphones are not particularly creative, design-wise.

While the Intrepid doesn't break any new ground with its design, the phone is comfortable to hold and use. It features a decent sized (2.5-inches, diagonally) touch screen, and measures 4.6 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by .5 inches thick. It weighs 4 ounces, which is neither particularly heavy nor particularly light. All in all, the Intrepid's looks are pretty average.

So, too, is the full QWERTY keyboard. The keys are small, but raised enough to allow you to type with two thumbs. Still, the keys are too plasticky for my taste; I would have preferred texturized keys that are easier to press.

Making Calls

Voice quality was very good in my test calls over Sprint's network. I would have liked more volume on some calls, but overall callers could hear me well and vice versa. The phone is comfortable to hold next to your ear during long calls.

The big news with the Samsung Intrepid is that it supports Windows Mobile version 6.5. While this version of Microsoft's mobile operating system hasn't been given a major overhaul -- that is coming, we hope, in version 7.0 -- it has been nicely updated since version 6.1. The most notable improvements are the ability to customize the home page (you can have it show new e-mail messages, for example) and the honeycomb-styled interface, which is designed specifically for use on touch screen phones.

While these upgrades are nice and are marked improvements over past versions of Windows Mobile, they're simply not enough to keep pace with the truly excellent mobile platforms available today. The honeycombed-patterned tiles look downright dowdy next to the slick icons on the iPhone, and the limited customization on the home screen pales in comparison to Android's customizable multi-paged interface.

One truly excellent feature is Microsoft's TellMe application, a voice controlled app that lets you handle many of the phones features, from searching the Web to dialing calls, by voice. It's handy and worked well in my tests.

You also get the usual complement of Microsoft software that you find on Windows Mobile phones, including a mobile version of the Office suite. It's easy to use, but I found myself wishing for more screen real estate when trying to edit documents.

The GPS-capable Intrepid also includes access to Sprint Navigation, which delivers turn-by-turn driving directions to the phone.

The Intrepid supports Sprint's 3G network and Wi-Fi wireless networks, so you have plenty of options for speedy Web browsing. And, as a Windows Mobile-based phone, it includes the mobile version of Internet Explorer. The version on this phone, version 6, features some improvements over past versions of IE Mobile, including support for Flash Lite.

IE Mobile delivers a decent browsing experience. Most sites looked good, and pages loaded quickly. But it can't compete with the experience of surfing the Web on an iPhone, or even a Palm Pre.

Messaging

The Intrepid's e-mail handling is very good. Adding e-mail accounts is a breeze, and the included e-mail client keeps different accounts nicely organized. It supports POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, and will sync with desktop Outlook accounts. The Intrepid also comes with AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo Messenger instant messaging clients installed.

The 3.2-megapixel camera is, like the rest of the Intrepid, pretty average. It lets you adjust some basic settings, and includes auto-focus. It captured decent snapshots, though some of my photos looked slightly grainy. The camera does not capture video clips.

Music and Video

The Intrepid supports Sprint's wide range of multimedia services, including Sprint TV, which delivers a mix of live TV and pre-packaged video clips to your phone, and NFL Mobile Live, which allows you to watch select NFL games on the phone. You also get access to Sprint Music.

For audio and video playback, the Intrepid comes with a mobile version of Windows Media Player. It's an easy way to organize your media files.

Bottom Line

The Samsung Intrepid is a solid, capable smartphone with plenty of business-friendly features. But it lacks the innovative design and slick software found on many of its rivals.