Samsung's I7500 Android phone shreds in first hands-on video
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Apr 28th 2009 10:31AM
posted Apr 28th 2009 10:31AM
Update: Annoyingly, the video has been made private. We're working on it.
Update 2: The video is up again -- sans totally rocking soundtrack. Thanks ttlj!
The music really does add to the video. I don't think it would have been the same without it.
thanks for the headsup joshtops.. "hits the mute button & play"
seems like a beautiful phone but it's a samsung, have always had problems with those phones.
Why does he keep showing me the BACK of the phone?
This guy is terrible at displaying phones.
Would have been awesome if he was playing tap tap revolution!
no touchscreen, i think this one is another fail.
did you even bother to read the specs?
You're kind of slow...
Yes you are...
Yeeeeeeees you are!
No touchscreen? Did you watch a different video than the rest of us? Did you think you just enter number/urls/email addys with the D-Pad? Just WTF?
Beautiful phone...but the music, wtf.
is it not a touchscreen? why this guy only use buttons... btw i wish the phone was more Android like.
because the guy is clueless
YES it is a touchscreen read the official specs
Because that's what he prefers or chooses. You see, it's nice to have options. Touch or not touch. Not be forced one or the other. KUDOS TO SAMSUNG FOR INCLUDING A DPAD!!!
Maybe he just misses the D-Pad, I know a lot of Touch Diamond/Pro users that would be all over that nice functional D-Pad.
I cant see the video ...says it's private.
Ummmmm..... I cant view the video... it says it is private....
Does anyone has a mirror? I get "This is a private video"
i'm getting "video is private" anyone else?
Yup, me 2
why doesn't he use more of the touchscreen? he does almost everything with the keys
He probably uses the buttons, so as not to obscure the screen while we are viewing it.
Who knows, but I would like to ask if there is some kind of Google rule that all Android phones have to make typing awkward by having an obstacle on the right side? The G1 has the chunky lip of the right, but not the left, this Samsung phone has a big button section under the screen but the screen on the top reaches, well, the top, so sideways typing will be just as awkward as the G1. Left thumb reaches keys fine, right thumb has to go the distance.
Why is this happening.
@Jonathan
The problem with the G1's chin (as far as typing is concerned) was the "height" of the protrusion (or "depth" depending on how you look at it). I've used one myself and can say that the distance isn't really that big.
You can always use the virtual keyboard in portrait mode, you know. Though admittedly it will be BlackBerry Pearl-style, 2 letters per key and predictive.
I guess I'm defending Sammy because this is the best hardware-keyboard-less Android device yet imo. I wouldn't want a cramped portrait slider keyboard, like a Pre. A landscape slider with a screen that fully spans top to bottom would be the best of everything I guess. With a trackball... somewhere...
Edit:
Ok I hadn't watched this video yet:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/28/video-android-1-5-cupcake-on-screen-keyboard-and-video-captur/
I see that the virtual keyboard coming with cupcake won't require 2 letters per key in portrait mode.
private video here too...guess someone didnt like engadget spilling their beans...
That was a crappy demonstration........take a picture, log onto the internet, play
a video on the phone, something besides rushing thru screen........
Loving the MySQL error trying to visit this article...
The video is private... ENGADGET HELP!
private, way to FAIL engadget
Android's fonts and UI is just ugly as shit.
^
They still have designing to do, no doubt.
@Pimpin Curly
Android fonts and UI are as ugly or as beautiful as you want them to be: this is the point of having an open platform.
The same can be said for all programs, apps, games, plug ins, etc you may care to add or subtract from it.
Open platform means totally skinnable interface, do you get it or you bought an iPhone?
@KilgoreTrout
Yeah it's such a groundbreaking and amazing open platform, that's why not a single ODM/OEM has changed the UI (besides Lenovo's prototype). They are either lazy bastards or there's something I don't know about Android (Google doesn't want them to change the main UI?) .
And nope never had an iPhone and don't plan too. WinMo user curretly.
Thats something I dont get either, so far all android devices have the same interface down to the same background, where is the customisation? And apart from the menu animations what is the appeal of the OS, particularly from a consumer standpoint? Hasnt introduced any new feature/s not possible on any other platform, doesnt seem to have any distinguishing features apart from using google's services exclusively. Cant see why so many always post how much they wished any new device announced was running android, is it just simply a case of "I love everything google, hate every other phone os"?
Well...
aHome, DXTop, Open Home...
Various ways to customize.
Before TouchFlo, TouchWiz, and the soon S-Class...didnt Windows look the same across the board?
Isn't every non-jailbroken iPhone the same UI???
So why the apparent hate upon Android?
Android is one of only two UI's to give you full customization of desktop...TouchWiz being the second.
Widgets here, icons there...
That's what makes it a wonderful OS.
And the fact...you can do on Android what a iPhone user must jailbreak for...
"so far all android devices have the same interface down to the same background, where is the customisation?"
That's the default home screen and background. Do you also slam Windows XP because every computer has the same green hills and clouds background out of the box? The home screen that you see isn't dependent on the device you're using, a new one can be installed on any phone at any time, there's currently about ten of them available for the G1.
Fonts and UI are ugly, and NO it's not as "ugly as you want them to be". I'm sick of this talk. How long has it been since the G1 was released, what about the SDK? Nothing has changed, and no "endless patches" have emerged. The UI of the programs is alst inconsistent.
Development already is taking blow after blow:
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/blog/android-devs-motivation.aspx?utm_source=Rss&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=PhoneDog
Yeah I say they just don't want to waste money on too much customization, after all the main point about android is that it is free for the manufacturer. So far they still want the Google recognition, so they keep the default home-screen & wallpaper. Remember only one phone has been out so far so they don't need to differentiate yet. It's not like WinMo where they have to make a new interface since there are so many out there already.
@chefgon_ign
Talking about home screens, for my XP it is still the hill, lol!
"Android's fonts and UI is just ugly" - really? I have been more impressed by the graphical elements of Android than anything else. The font they use on the keyboard is gorgeous, yummy even. The icons could be bolder (as in, stronger) in design but they are simple and obvious, two key things that icons should be. Although I think third-party apps will eventually make or break any smartphone platform, and I am not overly impressed with Android's features (not because they are lacking, I just don't need them - I want to game rather than use a device productively), their UI has been something I've been admiring. And as an Apple fan, you'd better believe that looking pretty is an important criterion for me.
Anyone figure out a way to view this? PRIVATE.....
I say we physically abuse Topolsky until he finds a mirror. Who's with me?
that's not really what we want to see.
please use something other then youtube when you repost the video. I can't view youtube bc of the firewall at work :(
This is lame Engadget, the video is private.
::enraged::
It wasn't when first posted... Trust me the music was amazing.
I thought the Hague outlawed the Win 3.1 bright cyan, et al colors in 1998?
A mirror should appear here soon, once youtube's done processing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDwur5-T_YE
Kinda pointless demonstration! It IS a touchscreen phone you know, how bout you...touch the screen?
No touchscreen? Did you watch a different video than the rest of us? Did you think you just enter number/urls/email addys with the D-Pad? Just WTF?
Sorry. Wrong thread.
That was a horrible hands on video. They barely even showed anything with 1.5 and used the touch screen once. Its a freakin touchscreen phone and he is using the hardware keys to navigate. Worst hands on video ever.
You must be fun at parties too.
Wha? The D-pad works! Aren't you impressed?
@Topolsky
If you're going to make a snide comment, can't you try a little harder dude? I mean you are a writer and all. Where is that Engadget wit?
I honestly didn't know it was touchscreen till this guy mentioned it. Pretty bad video, excited for upcoming Samsung phones though. Think I'll pass on this one, but then again it's only available in europe right?
@ Kilgore Trout
Your life must really suck if that upset you so much. Also, my iphone is better than you and whatever phone you have.
Likes: Snappy interface
Dislikes: Can we see how responsive the touchscreen is?
Can we see text input?
Can we see it do something processor-intensive?
Can we see what the built-in apps look like?
Did we need a minute looking at the USB interface?
Hint: Once you show the scale to a user's hand (much appreciated, btw) feel free to zoom in on the screen.
That video was weak. No audio and horrible visuals. How do people like this get the phone early?
Accelerometer? Compass?
the device looks thicker than it should be kinda disheartening.
It has GPS capabilities, so I'm sure it has compass. Accelerometer is also standard in most new phones.
Headphone jack?! YES!
So do we know if the directions buttons are just that, only buttons? I was under the impression by the looks that it might be like the Zune's touchpad+dpad. I would love to navigate it a little more like the Pre. Right now this phone and the Pre are at a dead standstill. This thing has the specs and the Pre has the QWERTY (plus I've never used the Android onscreen keyboard). I'm completely torn between Android and webOS, so it's going to be a foot race as to which I can get on Cingular first. Everyone in my town uses Cingular/ATT so the free calls from cell to cell is a huge perk.
Anyone know if this phone as is will work on ATT? Thanks.
SHOW THE FUCKING CAMERA ALREADY!!! Does it suck like the G1's? Or does it rock like the Nokia N95?
I guess we won't find out from the video. Bah.
worst video showing off a decent phone i have ever seen. :'(
like that is has a headphone jack, a flash on the camera, not as ugly as the htc phones exterior wise.
hates: no keyboard, android OS is ugly to look at. it needs some texturing and stuff to add some eye candy. And yes i care about eye candy. At least add decent icons. Still likely to get the pre or a crackberry instead.
The video has been taken down.
That was fast.
the vid is from a Viet's site, since when Viet ppl getting so high tech? damn lol
tinhte.com --> hehe
no...no youtube? whats going on?
no trackball either
little laggy
only way this could really beat the g1 is if it cleaned up the laggyness and had multi touch. then we can call it a winner
I'm really glad that there's finally an Android phone that isn't too unattractive. I mean the G1 and Magic weren't that bad, but I wouldn't carry one of those. And hopefully the OLED screens will be a big trend now. But I'll pass on Sammy and will wait for Motorola's Android. Moto's Hardware and incredible call quality + Android = total Win
I don't think I have ever seen such an idiotic and fustrating video as this. Why the hell was he not touching the screen instead of the boring samsung d-pad. Unless he works on that project and know something which he does not want the viewers to find out.