The much rumored release is now available online at Verizon.
manual for the u380 Brightside:
http://cache.vzw.com/multimedia/mim/sam_brightside/sam_brightside_manual.pdf
Beware -- page 11 shows that the memory card should be inserted opposite of how the memory card is inserted into the Reality and u370. I wonder if Verizon and the phone manufacturers are starting something new -- on the Casio Ravine 2 and on the Brightside, the manuals show that the memory card should be oriented so that the gold colored contacts on the memory card are facing up.
After skimming through the manual, the Brightside sounds like a fun phone. It's disappointing though that Verizon chose to downgrade several wonderful aspects of the Reality and u370:
- Unfortunately, the camcorder resolution appears to have received a HUGE downgrade from the Reality/u370. The Reality and u370 have a maximum camcorder resolution of 640x480 -- I think the quality looks great. But while page 86 of the Brightside manual speaks of an adjustable camcorder resolution, page 87 says that only one resolution of 176x144 is available. I wonder if the recording resolution has been artificially crippled by Verizon considering that the specs for the Brightside on Verizon's website say that the phone is capable of playing h264 videos.
- According to the specs on Verizon's website, the Brightside's camera lacks the cool widescreen resolutions of 1920x1080 and 1280x 720 that the Reality and the u370 have.
- The screen is a bit of an upgrade and a downgrade; it's 3.1" 320x240 instead of the 3.0" 400x240 screen of the Reality and u370.
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