Samsung Stratosphere Pro Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy Metrix 4G gives you fast Internet performance and a roomy keyboard, but it skimps on too many other features.

There were few surprises in our assessment of the Stratosphere, if any. It's meant to be a budget offering on Verizon's LTE lineup, and certainly includes specs indicative of that fact. However, we still couldn't shake the idea that this is little more than an LTE-enhanced version of a device from the Galaxy S era, with just a few minor improvements in UI and performance. It's still a good phone, but it's more or less a rehash of a handset that's already 15 months old. That said, it remains the sole LTE device on Big Red's network that offers a physical QWERTY -- at least, until the Motorola Droid 4 becomes official -- and even when it gets some company, it'll likely continue to be a decent choice for anyone who doesn't need a phone with pizazz.

The Samsung Stratosphere's blazing 4G LTE speeds, QWERTY keyboard, and business tools lend it credence as a handset for corporate minds, but its last-season specs may fail to lure those looking for the ultimate smartphone.

The Samsung Stratosphere is currently Verizon's only keyboarded 4G LTE smartphone. It's a solid handset, but both better Android and 4G options are available.

Currently, the Samsung Stratosphere is your only choice if you want a Verizon 4G LTE smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard. We like Super AMOLED display, though we wish it were the “Plus” version, and the 5-row keyboard has a nice layout and is great to use, but can feel like it is sticking when trying to open and close it. The only real issue we had with the device is with the 4G connection drops.

This device represents a unique choice, as all good smartphones should. Again, this is the only 4G LTE device on the market with a full QWERTY keyboard on it, and it’s the second of two Samsung smartphones on the market today running on that same network. This device is neither the most powerful nor the most sleek device in any category, but it DOES have a keyboard, I assure you.

If you want a phone with a physical keyboard and access to Verizon's 4G LTE network, the Samsung Stratosphere is your best choice, but it's also your only choice. The Stratosphere's five-row keyboard is a joy to use, its gorgeous Super AMOLED screen really pops, and it offers the fastest data speeds we've seen yet. However, the performance and battery life of this Android handset leave something to be desired.