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Samsung Galaxy S review

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Posted at 1:01pm by

Billed by Samsung as the ultimate Android phone, the Galaxy S has been the centre of attention ever since its official unveiling earlier this summer. With an epic four-inch Super AMOLED panel and the kind of specs that make Apple look on in envy, it wants to be the go to handset for tech literate types as well as smartphone first timers. Can it do the business and stand up as the best Android phone since the HTC Desire? Read our review and find out.

First impressions

It’s hard not to think of the iPhone 3GS when you first handle the Samsung Galaxy S. Similar tapered chrome edges, black exterior, central home key down at the bottom. But it would be disingenuous to call this a rip off. It isn’t. All touchscreen phones have something similar about them by their very nature and the Galaxy S is a true standout effort.

It combines achingly cool design with one of the best screens ever seen on a mobile device, not to mention the full power of Android 2.1 and a camera that can shoot video in 720p HD.

There’s no proprietary skin here, although Samsung has done some tinkering with the icons and fonts to make Google’s OS look sleeker than it already is.

samsung galaxy s

9/10

Design

Let’s be clear: this is the best-looking phone Samsung has ever created. The Korean giant has made some decent mobiles in the past, the Wave especially, but the Galaxy S wipes the floor with all of them.

The black backing doesn’t pick up fingerprints nearly as easily as its old-school Apple rival, or the iPhone 4 even, while the tapered finish means it sits comfortably in the hand.

And for a handset with a capacious 4-inch panel (of which more later), it doesn’t feel bulky at 118g and lacks the heft of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 which rocks a similar-sized screen, but doesn’t have anywhere near the same design nous. At 9.9mm thin, it’s one of the sleekest smartphones going.

Samsung Galaxy S I9000

9/10

Features

The Galaxy S rocks some especially cool features, beyond its Android 2.1 software and 1GHz processor. The camcorder is undoubtedly one of them, offering eyeball-stroking hi-def shots and almost 4 hours of recording time for your home movie masterpieces.

The settings, too, are amazing for a for a smartphone cam, letting you enhance the screen for outdoor use, tickle the resolution to squeeze more time out of your clips, add effects such as negative and sepia tones and even adjust sharpness and contrast. The best thing about it is it’s so easy to use. The menus are clear and concise and slide out to dominate the 4-inch AMOLED screen. Camcorder makers must be bricking it with stuff this good on the market.

Now, about that screen. A Super AMOLED beauty, it clocks in at 480 x 800 pixels and looks amazing. We put it head-to-head with the Retina Display on the iPhone 4 and can honestly say it took top honours. Only just, but it is the rendering of icons, the size of the panel itself for watching back videos and just the sheer brightness of it that really stun. It really sets the standard for all phones, not just its Android brethren. AMOLED is clearly the way forward.

8/10

Software

Android 2.1 is amazing, with Google Goggles, a great keyboard and breezy functionality. The changes to the menu setup here are minimal, but enough to make it feel classier than vanilla Android rivals such as the Milestone XT720. You slip through menus by sliding your fingers across rather than vertically.

It’s all very iOS, but works well, so we’re not going to complain if it feels just a smidge derivative in places. Android 2.2, and with it Wi-Fi hotspot skills, is promised for September.

10/10

Ease of use

The screen itself is remarkably assured and stands up to closer inspection. The virtual QWERTY is ace and shows why Android leads the field when it comes to typing on on-screen keyboards. Slipping through menus is a breeze, while the home and back buttons are always there if you find yourself lost in drill down screens.

In fact, the buttons are very well thought out, with just a central, back and menu key on show. These always come in handy and none feel as if they’ve been tacked on, as with the hard keys on the HTC Legend.

The Galaxy S is a stunner, perhaps the best phone of 2010. Certainly one of the top three Android phones for touchscreen fanatics.

10/10

Specifications

  • 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 800 x 480 pixels
  • Android 2.1
  • HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm 118g
  • 803 mins talk time
  • 750 hours standby time
  • 5-megapixel camera with 720p video at 30fps

Overall Mark: 9/10

Reviewed by Joe Minihane
Rating: /10

More news on: New mobile phones, Samsung, Touchscreen phones, Android mobile phones, Samsung Galaxy S

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19 Comments

  • @Lilybeany, 11th August 2010, via Twitter.

    Top10.com » News » Samsung Galaxy S review http://t.co/IBdY98v via @top10uk

  • @top10, 11th August 2010, via Twitter.

    RT @cfmcharter: Who is a Better Pilot: a Computer or a Human? http://bit.ly/ahAOwt

  • @top10, 11th August 2010, via Twitter.

    Does the Samsung Galaxy S reach new heights, or does it crash and burn like other would-be iPhone beaters? http://bit.ly/9MqUTM #review

  • Stan, 11th August 2010.

    Pretty much everything in this phone has been taken from the iPhone 4. From the UI to the looks.

    'Cant beat em, join em' eh Samsung?

    Reply

  • Mangulit, 11th August 2010.

    Um, not really. Because iPhone 4 has limited software capability for customization. You are stuck with the same features. Apple just jazzed up the hardware and even that has issues.

    Also, to my knowledge, the iPhone 4 doesn't have its own manufacturing plant. Apple apparently had to order parts from some other manufacturers. I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung is the one who assembled the phone because they have the same reception problem!

    Reply

  • John, 12th August 2010.

    surely this is the closest weve seen to a bonafide straight up plagarism court case in the making?

    the app icon design and arrangement on the black screen, the phone shape and bevel, the keyboard functionality - the reason its 'the best looking phone Samsung has ever created' is because they didnt create anything.

    hang em high I say.

    Reply

  • Martin, 13th August 2010.

    What features must it have to get more than 8/10? It has the fastest processor and 3 x speed of the nearest rival's GPU chip. Android 2.1 (with 2.2 definite set for sept.) The best looking screen. Android market has more good free apps and is now growing much faster than app store.

    It can do also do lots more than the iphone 4:

    -FM radio
    -Tv out with a cheap 3.5 to composite cable and microUSB to hdmi out (soon)
    -Plays most video types without conversion.
    -Drag and drop any files to get media/documents/games on - took me about 3 mins to upload 10GB of music. Much faster and simpler than having to use itunes (which is so naff and unwieldy on a PC).
    -Emulators - play any playstation/snes/ect. games virtually free.
    - bluetooth 3 and DLNA conectivity
    - better quality front camera that can do video calls to ANY other video call enabled phone (not just iphone4) over wifi OR 3g.

    You can keep your puny led flash (which is only ever going to help in very limited conditions).

    Reply

  • DebM, 13th August 2010.

    I will be returning my Samsung Captivate soon, because the navigational applications work poorly when they work at all. I don't have a working compass application, and the maps applications frequently have a hard time finding my location. In fact, pretty much all applications that involve my location are troubled (e.g. the Where? program which is pre-installed barely works).

    It seems laughable, given the GPS problem on the phone that Samsung would have pulled the stunt of handing out free Galaxy S phones to disgruntled I-phone users. The antenna-gate issue on the Iphone is trivial next to the GPS issue on the Galaxy S. The GPS issue almost seems to me to rise to the level of false advertising. The phone basically does not have a GPS feature.

    Samsung has known about this problem for a long time. Because of that, I find it hard to believe their promises of a "soon to be released" update fix. Another problem on the phone is with the sensitivity of the touch screen. When I'm on the fly, walking down the street, wanting to make a phone call midstride, I find that the Samsung is harder to use than the I-phone. The touch screen doesn't respond as effortlessly. Finally, I like the I-phone voice mail better.

    Reply

  • David, 13th August 2010.

    I own the Galaxy S and all I have to say is this: Apple who?

    Reply

  • T, 18th August 2010.

    @Stan I'm sure they "copied" iPhone 4 since Samsung did release their phone before them. And for your information, the specs were released earlier this year so shouldn't that make you wonder who's copying who?

    Reply

  • Stan, 18th August 2010.

    @T Are you sure the Galaxy S came out before the iPhone? And I mean really sure? Because on my calculations the iPhone got released in June 2007? And have had pretty much the exact same UI throught every model, so who copied who now huh?

    Reply

  • T.C., 5th September 2010.

    listen to all these fanboys going on and on. Crying that samsung copied the iPhone. Answer me this, did apple invent the cell phone? did they invent the mp3? did they invent the phone? ah ya, thought so. Get off your high horses - android based phones will leave apple in the dust within 2 -3 years.

    Reply

  • Stan, 8th September 2010.

    @T The iPhone was released waaaaaaaay before Samsung released the Galaxy, like 3~ years before? So who copied who now? huh.

    @T.C your right they didn't invent the phone or the cell phone, or the MP3 but they revolutionised ALL OF THEM to a standard so high that most manufacturers have to copy them, and yes, that includes Samsung.

    Reply

  • Romy, 15th September 2010.

    @Martin And a feature that I adore is the router capability. At home i am using it on my data contract. My girlfriend and young brother can connect through it to the net. And that is just amazing and it was also very easy to set up. Great phone.
    Nevertheless the battery power is still not great. i am trying to get ways to save power though.

    Reply

  • D.K.., 4th October 2010.

    Why do people still harp on about battery life? It's not an issue. Just carry a spare battery with you - I saw one on eBay today for just over a fiver.

    Reply

  • Suekyi, 20th October 2010.

    Samsung Galaxy S is super, except it has no flashlight camera for night time capture unlike Beam with 8G camera compared to only 5G on Galaxy :( So how do I managed photo taking at night....hmmmm...pls help!!

    Reply

  • Crispin, 4th November 2010.

    I do not own galaxy s. thinking of buying one though, sim free handset, seems like best phone going sort of like omnia 2 with jet screen and android os, isn't that what every Samsung owner was crying out for?

    By the way i had my Samsung galaxy portal stolen so have HTC wildfire at the mo, easy android phone to use with decent camera and built-in flash, but unfortunately low screen resolution let's it down. Whats the problem Samsung, why is it so hard to put a flash on your android phones ?

    Reply

  • Daniel, 27th August 2011.

    The samsung galaxy is a very poor phone ! Yes it may have a nice colourful screen with it all being touch screen and latest aps, but it comes at a cost! What i hate the most about the phone which drives me insane is the battery! It's very poor and will only last a day or two before it's neededing to be recharged. I was fooled by its looks and now regretting buying the phone as it needs a lot of care and attention !

    Reply

  • Cameron, 6th September 2011.

    @Stan And it's not as Apple stole the idea for it's latest product the Ipad from Microsoft. Who stole what is irrelevant. What matters is who does it best. And so far Samsung are beating Apple hands down in terms of value for money and in jumping on the Android bandwagon which will wipe the floor with apples OS.

    Reply

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