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The ATIV Odyssey looks like a budget phone, with its cheap construction and low-res screen, but it performs like a flagship in the benchmarks.

The Samsung Ativ Odyssey provides an affordable but not thrilling Windows Phone 8 experience.

As Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Ativ Odyssey for Verizon Wireless is a surprisingly underwhelming showing.

The Samsung ATIV Odyssey is a nice, mid-level Windows Phone. While it has some nice features the phone lacks a spotlight feature to give it a competitive edge over similarly priced Windows Phones.

In the end, I'd only recommend the ATIV Odyssey to die-hard Samsung fans who prefer form over function.

The handset looks hastily designed and executed in order to be able to play along with its rivals without grabbing too much attention ... Priced at $49.99 with a two-year commitment to Verizon Wireless, the Samsung Ativ Odyssey is not exactly dirt-cheap either.

The bottom line is that the Samsung ATIV Odyssey is a well-designed, snappy phone that belies its budget nature and is well worth the asking price.

It's a decent option if you want to give Windows Phone a try without breaking the bank.

The Ativ Odyssey is not a terrible phone, but like the entire Windows Phone platform, it seems to come across as too little, too late.

For anyone accustomed to larger devices, the first thing you'll notice is how tiny it looks and feels. It's definitely on the light side, and our hands wrapped around the phone quite easily. This gives it a little much-needed grip since the hyperglazed, semi-glossy back is completely smooth.

All things considered, the ATIV Odyssey seems like a neat (if somewhat underwhelming) Windows Phone. Verizon may have a winner on its proverbial hands if they price the thing aggressively enough, but it’s not hard to see how a device like this could easily be overshadowed.

The Samsung Ativ Odyssey is much shorter than the HTC 8X, and it will fit well in smaller hands. The Ativ Odyssey has a 2100mAh battery, which will make for long battery life on a phone with a relatively small four-inch screen.

All in all, it falls well short of dramatic and struggles to really reach appealing, though for the target audience that’s probably not too much of an issue. Those looking for an entry-level smartphone with an approachable OS like Windows Phone will probably find something to like.

First impressions are good and we'll take the Odyssey out for a test drive over the next few days to get a better feel for things.

Admittedly, we were disappointed to see that Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 offering for the U.S. is a pared down budget device. However, we're glad to see electronics giant moving forward into Live Tile territory, albeit slowly.