Introduction

When my mobile phone provider called me to tell me it was time to upgrade and ask would I like a new phone, I have to be honest, there didn’t seem to be a model around that caught my eye.  I didn’t want an iPhone (too expensive, and in my opinion, overrated) and I wasn’t sure a Blackberry would serve my needs either.  But I DID want to keep up with the Jones’ and get myself a Smart phone.  And then I saw it – the Samsung Galaxy S.

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Having not had a Smart or touchscreen phone before, I have to say my expectations were pretty low in that anything had to be better than the brick I had been using before.  And on first look, it certainly didn’t disappoint.  Aesthetically, it looks very much like an iPhone but not quite as big, and is feather light.  I mean really light.  And all those promises about amazing HD graphics?  Yep, definitely delivered on that.  The picture quality is crystal clear and sharp, and although I didn’t get around to watching any videos on it, I am absolutely confident it would do any film or video justice.  Similarly the menu icons are clear and bright, and I was also really pleased to find that you could brighten the screen enough so that even in the sunniest of conditions, you could still see everything perfectly without having to run into a dark corner just to see who is calling you.

Kim Titus - Director of Public Relations for Samsung Mobile USA goes over a few key features of the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S Android powered smart phone.

Specifications and features

Taken from Samsung's website ...

Overview

Rich media content on great 4.0" SUPER AMOLED screen at your command, street smart features like Layar Reality browser powered by Tele Atlas® and Google™ Turn-by-Turn Navigation, and Samsung Social Hub that puts you at the center of attention. Welcome to a smart life brought to you by Samsung GALAXY S.

Immerse yourself in your rich media content like never before. Enhance your reading experience with Aldiko ebook. Easily source gaming content from PC and Android Market™, and enjoy the best picture quality. Record in HD and play it in HD right on your TV-with the phone as the remote control. Android Market is a trademark of Google, Inc.

Tech Specs

Personal Experience

I was a little worried, having not had a touchscreen before, that I would end up inadvertently calling people I didn’t mean to (as I have seen many friends do before on other touchscreen models), but whilst being super sensitive to touch, it doesn’t get “dial happy” either. On the whole, it was a pretty fast little dude, although I did notice it started to lag a little after ending a call, which seemed to be happening more and more, but I don’t think it would be a deal breaker for this handset for most people.

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Battery life was also much better than expected.  I went the first two days playing around with it and exploring all of the little features as well as the usual calls and texts and I didn’t have to charge up until the second night.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

But taking into consideration all of the above, I am still sending it back.  Why?  Because it just doesn’t wow me as much as I expect a phone in this price range should.  Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S all looks very pretty, but why place all that emphasis on graphics if you’re only going to put a 5MP camera into it?  And the basics that I have come to expect from any phone seem to have been given a brief glance.  For example, the alarm didn’t work.  In fact, it was giving me some message about the application failing.

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Now, call me pernickety, but things like your alarm working properly should be a given, particularly if your phone is also the key to keeping your life organised.  Thank goodness I know my best friend’s birthday by heart, as even though I had put it into the calendar (with a reminder) and linked it to my friend’s contact in the address book, it still failed to flag the birthday.

Verdict and Conclusion

In short, for me, Samsung are almost there in bringing a serious player to the Smart phone market, but I want something I can rely on, not just something that looks pretty.

Winston's comments: Although the specs on Samsung Galaxy S does look very good indeed, the limited number of apps/games currently available, make it a little less appealing. However, give it time ... as more and more Android based phones appear, so will the number of apps. Having said that, Samsung Galaxy S is a great alternative to the iPhone. The choice now ... is down to you.

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