Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions

This is a stellar multimedia machine. The standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack is always a plus, and Samsung includes a full-sounding wired set of stereo earbuds in the box. Music tracks also sounded clear and detailed through Samsung Modus HM6450 Bluetooth headphones ($99, 4 stars). Standalone SD and 720p HD videos played smoothly and vibrantly in full screen mode. The deep black levels and boosted color intensity really showed here. There's no kickstand, but that's a reasonable tradeoff considering how thin the Infuse 4G is. Samsung also includes a microUSB-to-HDMI dongle for hooking the Infuse 4G up to a television, but the dongle also requires simultaneous use of the AC adapter; call that one a non-starter.

There's 14.6GB of onboard internal storage. That helps offset how Samsung buried the microSD slot behind the battery; my 32GB SanDisk card worked fine, and Samsung throws in an extra 2GB card as well.

The Infuse 4G packs two cameras: an 8-megapixel auto-focus camera on back with a large LED flash, and a much less useful, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. There's still no good video chat program for Android, so forget the front camera. The back camera, on the other hand, was great. Test photos looked sharp, detailed, and well balanced, with crisp definition on tree levels and patio bricks outdoors. Indoors, photos were a little softer, and there was a touch of noise, but it wasn't bad. Recorded 1280-by-720-pixel (720p) and 720-by-480-pixel videos were smooth and detailed at an even 30 frames per second.

Overall, the Samsung Infuse 4G is a satisfying Android smartphone. If you like big screens, look no further. The Apple iPhone 4 ($199, 4.5 stars) lacks the Infuse 4G's larger screen and free voice navigation, but it has a smoother, more reliable OS, and the world's best third-party app selection. The HTC Inspire 4G ($99.99, 4 stars) is now $100 cheaper, it's a better voice phone, it's made of classier materials and it features HTC's better Sense UI interface. Even though the Infuse has a faster Internet connection, we prefer the Inspire overall. The Motorola Atrix 4G ($199, 4 stars) is also superior; it's the same price as the Infuse 4G, but it contains a faster, dual-core CPU and higher resolution (if slightly smaller) screen.