Samsung Illusion

Samsung Illusion SCH-I110 (Verizon Wireless)

Last month, Verizon unveiled the Samsung Illusion as an option for the money conscious smartphone consumer. This phone may be lacking in specs, but for a $79.99 price tag, Samsung didn't leave much room for complaining. One thing I failed to mention in my video review below is how annoyed I was with the placement of the power button. Samsung is known for putting the power button on the side of the phone. While this is a very smart choice for phones that have 4" displays and above, on the Illusion, it actually made pressing it more annoying than it should. I feel like they'd have been better off putting it on the top of this particular phone. I will also note that unlike some of the other sites I've seen that have reviewed this phone, I did not have any issues with the sound quality. Call me hard of hearing, but the quality was exactly what I'd expect from a $80 phone. Even the speakerphone performed decently. However, if I was in a noisier environment, it might not be loud enough. All in all, the phone is a solid choice for those who want a simple, no-frills Android phone. I wouldn't recommend it to power users or enthusiasts, but then again, Verizon and Samsung didn't have those consumers in mind anyway. These are the pictures I took during the video review. They were taken indoors, so keep that in mind. Outdoor shots are likely to be much crisper. For a 3 MP camera without a flash, you get decent, quick pics. Just don't expect to be  starting your family photo album with this thing. Notable specs: 1 GHz Hummingbird processcor 3.5" TFT HVGA curved glass display 3 MP camera (no flash) Swype Hotspot capability 6-axis accelerometer with compass Bluetooth 3.0 Wireless 802.11 b/g/n microSD up to 32 GB (comes with 2 GB) Here's my quick video review...

PC Magazine is your complete guide to computers, phones, tablets, peripherals and more. We test and review the latest gadgets, products and services, report technology news and trends, and provide shopping advice and price comparisons.

A year ago, if you mentioned the words "entry-level" or "mid-level" for smartphones, you needed to run far away. Fast forward one year and these entry-level