long time lurker, first time poster... Bought the Focus Flash Monday morning and loving it! My smartphone history = Samsung Blackjack II, original iPhone, iPhone 3G, Sony Xperia (android 2.1), HTC Surround and now Samsung Focus Flash.
I'm loving the flash. it's similar in size to my surround but lighter (not too light). My wife has had a Samsung Focus for some time now, and I could never put my finger on it, but there was something about that phone's screen and form factor I didn't like. But I definitely enjoy the screen on my Focus Flash. It's bright and crisp; much brighter than my HTC Surround was. The colors really seem to pop.
I was concerned that not having the dedicated speakers that the surround has would be a downer, but the sound on this phone is pretty good. The speaker phone is much stronger than expected and the mids and highs are decent (no bass whatsoever, which is to be expected for a phone).
The camera is definitely an improvement over my HTC surround, and the additional settings available are a plus (EV adjustments, white balance options, ect). As a photography manager at a VERY large resort destination, it's nice to see Samsung put a little bit of effort into offering some great options for a phone camera. The matrix metering (multi-point metering) is decent for a phone too, but I find the center-weighted metering to be a bit inconsistent, but passable.
Anyway, overall I really enjoy the phone and consider it to be a step up from my HTC Surround, even though it's a "budget" phone. I was going to buy the Focus S, but after getting my hands on both it and the Flash, I really enjoyed the Flash.
Now, I will be taking a look at the Titan when it comes out and may trade up, but we'll see come the 20th...