Samsung ATIV S Neo Pro Reviews

If Samsung’s ATIV smartphone line-up were an airplane, it would be a Boeing 737. It gets the job done, but no one’s ever really excited about it. It’s not particularly good-looking, fast, or new. And while it occasionally gets a refresh every now and then, you can’t really tell which variant you’re looking at until you read the pamphlet in the back pouch of the seat in front of you. We have to give credit where it’s due. There have been modernizations here, in the Snapdragon 400, the camera software, and the Samsung Zone. Sprint tried to live up to its intention of rebooting its Windows Phone effort with new hardware … but the net result just isn’t enough. The company over-promised and under-delivered, something that’s never cool – but to a group already as downtrodden as the few hopefuls who’ve been stuck with HTC Arrives for the past few years, it’s even worse. As the higher-end of only two choices, the ATIV S Neo is the device to get if you want a Windows Phone and you absolutely have to stick with Sprint. But if you have any flexibility in your carrier choice at all, and you’re looking for a Windows Phone experience done right, we can think of a few other smartphones to recommend.

The Samsung Ativ S Neo is proof Windows Phone shopping doesn't have to start and end with Nokia

If you’re on Sprint and are specifically looking for a Windows Phone, the Samsung ATIV S Neo is a better option than the HTC 8XT, largely because of its higher-resolution screen and better battery life. And while it requires an extra $50 initial investment, that’s a tiny portion of what you’ll pay over the required two-year contract. But there’s certainly nothing so impressive about the Neo that it should sway happy iPhone or Android owners, or OS-agnostic shoppers looking for the best value. The HTC One or Moto X, for instance, are much better phones with better app selections that are currently priced just $50 more than the Neo. And with the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C, we wouldn’t be surprised of the iPhone 5 gets a price drop that makes it more competitive with the ATIV S Neo. As much as we like Windows Phone 8, it’s not likely to gain much market share on Sprint’s network without some higher-end options than the Samsung ATIV S Neo or HTC’s 8XT. And with the Microsoft and Nokia partnership getting more intimate, we may not see new high-end Windows phones for a while – unless they come from Nokia.

Not content to dominate the Android market only, Samsung has ported over the basic of their winning formula to the Windows Phone platform in the form of the ATIV S Neo. The ATIV S Neo, now available on Sprint, borrows heavily from the Galaxy design with a large HD display, physical Home key and the overall aesthetics. With Windows Phone software not offering much in the way of manufacturer customization, can Samsung’s relatively muted design stand out in the brightly colored world of Nokia and HTC? Read on to find out!...

The S Neo's $150 retail asking price is too steep for what you get, even if Sprint's network speeds are strong in your area. It isn't a bad phone by any means -- it's sturdy and has a nice, readable screen and an attractive (if uninspired) design. Yet it's also an unremarkable showing with passable, but not not stellar, image quality. If Sprint is your carrier and the price is right in your budget, you won't go wrong buying the S Neo, particularly if the cost drops. However, it isn't much harder to do a little better. For instance, HTC's 8XT has the sexier design and fairly similar specs for $50 less. If you're open to switching carriers, AT&T's Nokia Lumia 920 is an also-heavy, but also more powerful phone that's currently selling for $99. Those of you willing to try out Android will find that Sprint models like the Samsung Galaxy S III deliver a more reliable Samsung 8-megapixel camera, also for about $100 at a deep discount.