[ad#ad-1]Announced earlier this fall at the Windows Phone 8 launch, the Samsung Ativ Odyssey is an important phone for two major reasons. First, it’s Samsung’s first Windows Phone launch in the U.S. Second, the presence of the Ativ Odyssey solidifies Verizon as a Windows Phone carrier.
The Ativ Odyssey itself is middle-of-the-road. It looks like a smaller, cookie-cutter version of the Galaxy S3, very similar to the Galaxy S3 Mini due to its size — down to the rounded shoulder, the high-gloss surfaces, and the attractive brushed finish.
It has a perfectly acceptable 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a WVGA resolution (800×480 pixels.) Powering this Windows Phone is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor; for photography, there’s a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash. I do love the compulsory Windows Phone camera button on the right spine. The phone also supports 1080p HD video capture and includes a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera.
Since it’s also Samsung, a microSD card slot supports up to 64GB off-board memory. Onboard storage is slighter at 8GB, and there’s 1GB RAM. Pop off the back cover and you’ll find a 2,100mAh battery.
It’s a global-ready phone, which means you can take it overseas to use.
