Samsung Infuse 4G First Impressions

Ah, Cinco de Mayo.  The day of Spanish food, alcohol, and thanks to Samsung, the Infuse 4G.  Launching on May 15th for $199.99, the Samsung Infuse 4G packs a 1.2 GHz processor, gigantic 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 8-megapixel camera, front-facing shooter for video calling, and Android 2.2 with TouchWiz 3.0.  It's certainly pushing the divide between "super large smartphone" and "baby tablet," but at 8.9mm thick, it's one of the thinnest devices on the market.

I've put it through its paces in the Big Apple and for a few hours since I've been home, and here's what I've discovered:

• The 4.5-inch display is of the Super AMOLED Plus variety, and is absolutely beautiful.  Colors look fantastic, though at 480 x 800 pixels, the 4.5-inch size is pushing the boundaries, and you may notice some rough edges around text as a result.
• While it's sporting a single-core processor, the 1.2 GHz Hummingbird chip humms along - pun intended - without issue.  In the 24 hours I've had the unit, I haven't noticed any lag, though at 1,074, the Quadrant Standard score places it well below its dual-core counterparts. 
• Infuse has the same plastic build quality that you've come to expect from Samsung and either love or hate, and while I didn't care for the chrome sides at first, they've grown on me.  Just above the signature Samsung "hump," you'll find the texturized battery cover, which makes the phone easier to hang onto.  I'm also digging the boxy form factor.

• Packing a 1,750 mAh battery, you'd think the Infuse 4G would make it through the day with moderate use, but I'm thinking that won't be the case.  I took the device off of the charger at 6:00 AM this morning when I left New York, and at 2:30 PM, it's at 58 percent with moderate use like calling, texting, and some light web use (apps, browsing, etc.).  I'll have better battery numbers for you after a few days of actual use.
• I'm still working with call quality, but I've already had some signal strength issues in areas that are typically strong spots for AT&T.  Don't become anti-Infuse just yet - it could be one of a million network-related things - but it's on my list to test further.

• The Infuse is AT&T's first HSPA+ category 14 device, which means it can support speeds of up to 21 Mbps.  AT&T has admitted that they're not disclosing which cities have "enhanced backhaul," but the speeds have been surprisingly good in the Charlotte metro area.  I've only been able to test it on one side of town thus far, but I've seen download speeds between 2.32 and 5.05 Mbps, with upload speeds between 0.24 Mbps and 1.27 Mbps.

Stay tuned for more coverage on the Samsung Infuse 4G, and in the meantime, check out the special unboxing from the Samsung event in New York City.  Good food, good drinks, and a new phone equals a good time!