Review: Samsung Continuum
Camera
The Samsung Continuum has a nice camera interface with a wide range of features. The camera uses touch focus, a feature I like very much. Just tap on the screen where you'd like the camera to aim and it brings that area into focus. It didn't do a great job adjusting the lighting for that area if I was aiming at a dark spot, but it did keep my subjects looking sharp.
Some better organization would streamline the camera experience. The camera has two different menus, and both contain useful options you'll want to access frequently. There is a drawer that pulls out from the left side, and there you'll find a selection of 9 shooting modes, including a panorama mode, a continuous shooting mode, and even a vintage mode for you hipstamatic fans. You can also control the flash and exposure levels from buttons in the drawer.
But wait, there's more. There is also a Settings menu in the drawer, and this opens a further set of options. Here you'll find focus modes, including face detection and macro mode. There is also a selection of 14 scene modes, including modes for shooting sports, night scenes, fireworks or even text. You can also adjust white balance and ISO sensitivity from this second menu, as well as numerous other exposure settings you can control.
These two menus need to be consolidated, and the features users will need most should be top-level options. The camera takes no advantage of the ticker, either, and this is again a missed opportunity. Some of these controls could easily be moved to the smaller screen.
Image Gallery
The image gallery on the Samsung Continuum is almost exactly like the stock Android 2.1 gallery. It uses a 3D look and slick animations to display your photos in groups, thumbnail grids and individually. There is a cool two-finger preview that is missing from this version, but it was more aesthetic than useful.
The gallery makes it easy to send and share photos. You can send pictures via email or picture message, or upload pics to your favorite sites and social networks. Because so many social networking features come preloaded, the Continuum has extensive sharing options, so you can send pics through Twidroyd, Facebook, or MySpace without any additional downloads. You can crop and rotate photos, but that's all the editing you'll find on this phone.
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Samsung Continuum (Galaxy S)
