Windows Phone 8 handsets are everywhere you turn these days, after the operating system landed in October prompting many a manufacturer to jump on the Windows Phone bandwagon. People usually associate Nokia with Microsoft’s mobile operating system, as it is arguably the most prominent and long-standing Windows Phone hardware maker. However, competition from the likes of Samsung and HTC could see the Finnish company lose its leading Windows Phone manufacturer crown.

ATIV S Lowdown

Samsung has created the ATIV S to challenge the other Windows Phone 8 contenders, in the hope that this device can win over the smartphone-buying public. Read on to see how Samsung’s offering stacks up…

Stand out Samsung

Known for its sleek and stylish approach to smartphone design, Samsung handsets generally look pretty cool, with its Android devices such as the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II being particularly good examples of this. However, Samsung’s past mid-range Windows Phone efforts, whilst still retaining that sheen of classiness, were met with a slightly lukewarm reception. Now, Samsung is upping the ante with the Windows Phone 8-powered ATIV S, hoping to knock everyone’s socks off.

At first glance the ATIV S certainly looks different to the more colourful Windows Phone 8 devices such as Nokia’s Lumia 920 and 820, and HTC’s 8X and 8S.

The ATIV S is in a whole different class, taking design cues from the Samsung Galaxy S III with it soft corners and a smooth chassis. The rear panel of the device has a brushed aluminium effect, giving it a premium look, but on closer inspection you’ll see it is actually made of plastic. Weighing in at 135g the device is heavy enough to feel substantial and not flimsy, but not so weighty that it becomes cumbersome in pockets.

Inside info on specs

• 4.8-inch super AMOLED display
• 1.5GHz dual-core processor
• 8MP camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera
• 1080p HD video capture
• Tap & Send file sharing via NFC and BT Wi-Fi

A 4.8-inch super AMOLED display is the most notable feature of the ATIV S, and offers brilliant performance no matter what you’re viewing on the screen. The visual standard is on a par with the display that featured on Samsung’s Galaxy S III, and offers amazing clarity and well-defined visuals across the board.

The 8 megapixel camera performs really well in all light conditions, and although it may not rival the 13 megapixel count sported by the likes of the Sony Xperia T, images produced are rich and vibrant, capturing great detail. It has a Panorama mode, and Samsung’s Photo Editor is on board too, allowing users to crop, rotate and adjust snaps, and add colour effects and decorations.

Unifying devices

Whilst the ATIV S could well signal the start of Samsung’s attempts to dominate the Windows Phone market, a companion device in the form of the ATIV Tab will only help. The 10.1-inch tablet runs Microsoft Windows 8 RT operating system and as such offers a very similar user experience to Windows Phone 8 and the nature of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 means integration across devices is practically seamless, using SkyDrive to synchronise your stuff across bits of kit in the devices that fit into that ecosystem.

For example if you’re working on a Word document on a Windows 8 laptop, save it to SkyDrive and you can pick it up later on your ATIV S, then switch to your ATIV Tab to carry on when you finally reach your sofa. If you also own an Xbox then even better, as you can utilise Xbox SmartGlass to use your ATIV S or ATIV Tab to control your console.

Hands On With The Samsung ATIV S

Having had a look at the specs and the integration offered by Windows 8, the ATIV S is shaping up to be a pretty cool handset. It looks a hell of a lot slicker than the majority of the new raft of Windows Phone 8 mobiles, combining a sleek chassis with an awesome large display. Cram in all that Windows Phone 8 functionality and you’re onto a winner. We’d say the Samsung ATIV S is the James Bond of Windows Phone handsets, because it looks good, performs efficiently and does it with a whole lot of class and style.

This guest post was written by Abbi Cox of Phones 4u.

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