We loved the idea of the original Samsung Galaxy Beam projector phone
when it was announced a few years ago; how could you not want a smartphone capable of projecting a whacking great image onto the wall whenever you want to play games or watch Netflix? The Beam name is now back again, this time in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2, and it’s enjoyed something of an overhaul. Is it enough to upset the smartphone elite though? We take a look…
when it was announced a few years ago; how could you not want a smartphone capable of projecting a whacking great image onto the wall whenever you want to play games or watch Netflix? The Beam name is now back again, this time in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2, and it’s enjoyed something of an overhaul. Is it enough to upset the smartphone elite though? We take a look…
The overall design of the Samsung Beam 2 will look pretty familiar to anybody who saw theoriginal phone – it’s still a relatively chunky looking handset, with a slight bulge at the top to house that tiny projector. Whether the projector itself has been upgraded remains to be seen, but it would be fab if Samsung can improve on the 15 lumens brightness of the original Beam, and perhaps provide a sharper resolution.
Beam 2 will look pretty familiar to anybody who saw theoriginal phone – it’s still a relatively chunky looking handset, with a slight bulge at the top to house that tiny projector. Whether the projector itself has been upgraded remains to be seen, but it would be fab if Samsung can improve on the 15 lumens brightness of the original Beam, and perhaps provide a sharper resolution.
Although the projector is a real stand-out feature, the rest of the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2 is a bit of a damp squib – it’s certainly no HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 or Apple iPhone 5S rival.
Beam 2 is a bit of a damp squib – it’s certainly no HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 or Apple iPhone 5S rival.
The 4-inch screen of the original gets a slight size increase, moving up to 4.66 inches, but unfortunately it sticks with the same underwhelming 800×480 pixel resolution. That may have cut the mustard back in 2012, but it’s distinctly bargain-basement these days, lagging way behind even mid-range smartphones when it comes to pin-sharp screens.
Performance should be reasonable, thanks to a 1.2GHz quad-core processor running Android 4.4.2 (Jelly Bean). Again, it would be nice to see a later version of Android, but at least the modest specs won’t be overwhelmed by features on the Samsung Beam 2.
It seems like a bit of a shame to us that Samsung hasn’t taken the chance to pack the Beam 2 with all the latest tech we’ve come to expect from the tech giant, and a Galaxy S5-style projector phone really could have taken the fight to Apple, HTC and other rivals.
There’s currently no word on pricing or availability, with the Samsung Galaxy Beam 2 cropping up in China, but as it stands, with its otherwise entry-level specs, the Samsung Beam 2 could be a bit of a bargain if it does ever make it to this side of the pond – super-affordable projector phone, anyone?
We’d love to hear your opinions on the Beam 2. Would you have preferred to see Samsung’s projector phone get cutting-edge specs, just like the Galaxy S5, or do you prefer the idea of a bargain cheapy smartphone with a projector that helps it to stand out?
, or do you prefer the idea of a bargain cheapy smartphone with a projector that helps it to stand out?
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