My Most Favourite Feature On The Samsung i550

**I’ve updated my The Sticker Monster blog! New epoxy/crystal stickers added after an exam season induced hiatus!

–

Without a doubt, the function of the Samsung i550 that I love the most is its wifi feature.

I usually check my email whenever I can with my old phone and my prepaid credits have been depleting like nobody’s business. Hence, a mobile wifi feature would be an awesome addition to my daily life. I’d go so far as to call it a necessity.

Though the browser is slightly unstable at times but I’m guessing it’s the sucky connection at my Kedah house, I still get to check my emails when my laptop should be off. (which means study time!) I’d usually get carried away reading blogs and strangely, I read more of The Star on the i550 than I do with the actual newspapers!

I can actually access the browser with a single button from the keypad but I’ll take you on a guided tour from the menu.

From the menu, press the blue tracking ball when the cursor is highlighting the ‘Connect’ icon.

Inside, select ‘Connection Manager’. I haven’t tested out the USB function yet, but the bluetooth works really well. It sends data efficiently to my z610i.

You will then click on Available WLAN networks to view the available wireless networks around you.

I feel damn happy when there’s a whole list of wireless networks to choose from. It makes you feel very worldly.

Upon choosing your preferred wireless network, this menu will pop out. Click on ‘Define Access Point’.

Obviously you click ‘Yes’ right. Duh.

You will be browsing the internet via this connection. Capish?

I get a kick from scouring for wireless networks wherever I am. Be it when I’m at the local desert joint enjoying a bowl of four fruits soup..

…or after a hearty meal at KFC! (which offers Wifi, wtf?!)

After setting the connection, go back to Menu and select the ‘Web’ icon.

Like I said, the browser can actually be access directly from the keypad and it is that first button to the left of the blue track ball. So anyway, upon entering the browser, you will be brought to your bookmarks first!

Then you will be asked to select an access point. Click on the access point which you have defined earlier.

AND TA-DAH!! Gotta love the colours. I know nuts about pixels ratio or how many bits or whatever screen resolution lalalalablablabla, but all I know is that it resembles all the colours that I get from my computer and that’s more than enough for me!

I love my header, I do!

Even one of my past Nuffnang ads managed to load! This shows that the browser can cope with javascripts. The jakun is impressed!

My cute sticker monster banner in all its colourful glory.

You even have the option of rotating the screen to landscape mode! But at this point, I was using the ‘Page Overview’ function which zooms out and allows you to click on a certain region of the page with ease and it will then be enlarged back to its usual visually pleasing size for your reading pleasure.

Even my images load! *rave rave*

If you open youtube links from the browser, it will automatically open in Realplayer!

Before the next post where I will show you how awesome the 3.0 megapixel camera is, allow me to share with you a few of my other favourite features of the phone: (rather randomly, as I have a few more to show you in consequent posts. This will be until the end of next week by the way, as I will be returning the phone to the Samsung-Blogmob people soon.)

With Quickoffice, I could even read my dentistry notes! Not that I need it anymore (i’m actually reading a medicine powerpoint slide, which is OVER AND DONE WITH! WOOHOO!). Imagine how handy this is at the moment just before you go into the examination hall. 🙂 Works like a charm.

You also have the option of enlarging it!

When I was back in Subang, I tried out the Samsung i550’s 3G video call function with my z610i as they are both 3G-enabled phones. I’ve never particularly enjoyed using the 3G video call feature because of all the static noise. Ugh. But I’m just happy it works and that we’re already very much the People Of The Future as depicted in science fiction cartoons from the yesteryears. (You know, those people who communicate via video conferences). Maybe the creators of video phones based their ideas on those cartoons? Hm?

It’s quite clear, the image doesn’t really break up as how 3G video calls usually do.

And most importantly it makes me look I have nice skin. So yeah, many points for that!

If there was one function that would make me kidnap this phone forever, it would be the FM radio! My phone and my silly ipod doesn’t have any FM radio function. Gah. And the Samsung i550 has a pretty reliable FM Radio going on. It scans well and it’s super clear! The only downside to it is that you’ll have to plug in the ear phones if you want to use the FM Radio.

And a very neat interface to boot!

Oh yeah, strangely, when you plug in the earphones, THEN you can activate the loudspeaker. Interesting but makes you scratch your head.

Since the screen is pretty huge, about 5″ by 4″, converting one of my Simpsons file from an AVI to a 3gp kept me entertained when I was supposed to be mugging.

This is only possible with wifi – GOOGLE MAPS! Sungai Petani is actually located on google maps! Wadafak! We’re world class now! And Bedong is where my university is.. which is also called Semeling actually.

I guess this phone is pretty handy in the sense that it has everything a tech-hungry person could possibly wish for. Camera? Check. Video camera? Check. FM Radio? Check. Wifi? Check. Organizer? Check. Mp3 Player? Video player? A phone that is actually used to make phone calls? Check, check, check!

Though the design leans towards the male consumers but hey, I’m sure there are girls out there who like black! (It’s okay, I promise not to judge you. *kind smile*) The phone is definitely sleek and the size of the screen is to die for. It brings back the fun in smsing but the keypad could have done with better aesthetics. Otherwise, no complaints. 🙂

If there is anyone out there who is interested in purchasing this phone (it’s RM1499 as quoted by the organizers)…I can use my discount and help you get it at a lower price!

Till my next post!