Samsung Galaxy GT-I7500 unboxed, "Google Experience" distinction now clear as mud

The HTC Hero and T-Mobile myTouch 3G aren't the only Android phones making waves this week: the Samsung Galaxy GT-I7500 also launched on O2 Germany, and this is the first unboxing we've seen. Continuing the confusion over what handsets actually get the full Google blessing, this version of the I7500 runs pretty much bone-stock Android, but isn't a "Google Experience" phone, which in this case apparently means that firmware updates have to be loaded manually over USB instead of being pushed over the air. If you're keeping track, that's now a third axis of differentiation between Google-branded Android handsets and everything else, and we're starting to think no one really knows what all the rules and differences actually are -- hey, Eric, maybe you could set down that BlackBerry for a minute and sort all this out?

[Nicholas FitzRoy-Dale @ Jul 10th 2009 12:48PM]

Can you guys get over the blackberry thing already?

[silverblackvoid @ Jul 10th 2009 2:28PM]

apparently they cant get over the fact that the Google CEO wasn't the ElJobsoPhone :(

[B3astofthe3ast @ Jul 10th 2009 12:49PM]

There's the 4th axis too-Custom ROMs from XDA, which is the best option imo, and I won't buy another android phone until I know it can be rooted.

[Hung @ Jul 10th 2009 12:51PM]

This would be my perfect phone if not for the glossy plastic used. I can deal with 128 MB ram, 528 MHz proc, and not dedicated graphics acceleration. I CAN'T deal with a phone covered in fingerprints and scratches.

Damn it Samsung, what happened to the soft-touch material that was on the D900?

[Hung @ Jul 10th 2009 1:11PM]

Does anyone know if the LG Arena allows for multi-touch typing? I used to have an iPod touch and typing was great. I don't want the Arena to be like the BB Storm and not able to select two keys near simultaneously.

[legendary1022 @ Jul 10th 2009 3:24PM]

Its been confirmed to have 288 MB of RAM, 192 available for applications, just like the HTC Hero

[Nelagster @ Jul 10th 2009 12:53PM]

is it just me or does that read link not work?

[andrew @ Jul 10th 2009 12:54PM]

terrible reporting...make sure you have the whole story before you go and comment. there are three levels of google experience. Full Middle and None. With full, like G1 you get OTA updates, with middle, like galaxy, you have to update yourself but still run regular android but these devices, atleast HTCs with middle google experience will be able to get the hero touch flo running on it without rooting providing HTC provides the update and finally there is the phones without google experience, htc hero, which run their own version of android and must be updated via usb. I believe that all come with market access and come with the google applications as well. Nice reporting tho...yikes

[Dude @ Jul 10th 2009 12:58PM]

Daaaaaaamn. Someone just got served.

[Nilay Patel @ Jul 10th 2009 1:13PM]

Those were the originally announced differentiations, and you'll notice that I linked the post where we spelled them out -- but that doesn't explain why the myTouch 3G has Google branding AND HTC's Exchange support, or why Rogers non-Google-branded phones can do OTA updates. We've been talking to HTC and Google about this all week, it's not clear at all.

[Nilay Patel @ Jul 10th 2009 1:17PM]

Oh, and the Hero isn't in that third-class, either -- it's also presumably a "strings attached" device, since it has all the Google apps. The third tier is for OEMs who want to ship Android devices without any Google certification whatsoever, but they won't get any of the apps.

See how super-simple this is?

[andrew @ Jul 10th 2009 1:17PM]

well then ur definition of clear and mine are clearly different.... googles intention was for this to be "open" meaning each phone and each carrier and each user can customize it to their liking and offer their own services for it... i dont think this is ever get any clearer...this is what makes it so open...google could pretty much care less what you do with it...offer this feature dont offer this feature and on and on

[Nilay Patel @ Jul 10th 2009 1:42PM]

If Google could care less what manufacturers and carriers do, why does it selectively grant and withhold the branding and applications? We're trying to figure this out, it has nothing to do with "openness." I think we all agree that's a good thing.

[andrew @ Jul 10th 2009 1:47PM]

well that is more of a marketing issue...its obviously not 100% open but in terms of what you were talking about i just cant see it ever getting too much clearer.

[Dom @ Jul 10th 2009 3:01PM]

Gather round everyone... Fiiiiiight!

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 10th 2009 12:55PM]

The axes of evil.

[Unknown @ Jul 10th 2009 12:59PM]

Android was created for this exact purpose, to be open source.
So that people can create/edit the OS which everway they see fit.
HTC has brantched out and uses the sense UI
SE is creating the Rachael UI.
Google might throw something out of left field in the future who knows

Chances are there is going to be separation, then unification when it comes to android.

[ahha @ Jul 10th 2009 2:30PM]

it's open, but not open source.


this is hypocrisy.


ZUNEHDRULEZZZ!!!








.

[Fonebox.com @ Jul 10th 2009 1:05PM]

Meanwhile, Apple benefit from the confusion. Similar to how Netscape failed to capitalise on the 'web app' concept in 1996, allowing MS to continue to dominate the desktop until, well, maybe, about now if web app vendors can get their act together.

Android is risking become another Windows Mobile or Nokia, unless it applies some vision aforethought.

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 10th 2009 1:09PM]

By 'another Nokia' do you mean 'incredibly successful and dominant in the smartphone industry'?

Or were you just not thinking at all?

[andrew @ Jul 10th 2009 1:12PM]

only difference is that google is not on the same level as the other companies you mentioned...it is one of the most well known and trusted tech names on the planet...and their vision is quite clear actually, android is supposed to be open and be able to have many iterations and customizations...it is up to the consumer to choose what they want not google...

google basically is leaving as much as it can to their customers and 3rd party devs...for example many of their apps that come with the phone like their alarm clock are skin and bones...they encourage people to make their own to replace some of their apps...

some people just might not like it being "open" because there are SO MANY options and unlike apple which treats you like a child, you can do almost anything you want with android, hardware permitting of course...

[seanlindo06 @ Jul 10th 2009 1:14PM]

I don't see how Apple benefits from the confusion. There is always going to be a market for open source and "Google Experience" branding isn't going to deter those people.

[jonshipman @ Jul 10th 2009 1:10PM]

I believe to be a "with Google" phone a magnometer (compass) is required and this phone lacks one.

[Arne Hess @ Jul 10th 2009 1:20PM]

No, as shown in the previous videoview, the Samsung Galaxy has a digital compass too. It fulfills everything to be a "with Google"/"Google Experience" phone but Samsung decided not to release it as that.

Cheers ~ Arne

[Ben @ Jul 10th 2009 1:23PM]

pretty sure it comes with a compass

[andrew @ Jul 10th 2009 1:25PM]

exactly...each carrier and each phone maker can do what they want with the phone...it will never get any more clear other then its a very customizable operating system, which can be customized by the carrier, google or the phone maker and not to mention rooting it... but there are 3 sources as to which this can be customized by which means nothing with ever be clear in the sense that there are standards for each type of google experience...the HTC Hero got customized by HTC and it is possible for say AT&T to decide to customize it further by offter expanded services on it or by limiting is services... so these customizations go on and on and on and it is as CLEAR AS DAY if you can swallow that there are really no standards

[Jeremy @ Jul 10th 2009 1:13PM]

I'm soooooooo ready to give up my G1 for one of these. I'd pay $300-$400 if I could get my hands on one. Done with crappy HTC hardware.

[badbob001 @ Jul 10th 2009 1:25PM]

So Samsung just has to share its custom source files with Google and perhaps bless them with a few hundred free phones for Google to put the Samsung's firmware on OTA updates?

[SkoGoody @ Jul 10th 2009 1:25PM]

There's no way I can go from a physical keyboard to an all touchscreen. When I had the iPhone... I didn't think it was all that bad. But now having the G1, seriously, there is no comparison. When you factor in the Genesis/Snes emulators which absolutely require actual keys to be pressed... I'm going to be staying away from all touchscreen android phones.

[Fonebox.com @ Jul 10th 2009 1:27PM]

@Mark Anderson II: Been following this business since 1980s. My point is that Nokia are today not doing as well because they are lacking a consistent platform. There are different 'series' of the Symbian OS & GUI. If a developer produces an app for iPhone it will work across the board - reaching 40 million devices, iPod Touch included. Google need to ensure there is only ONE 'axis', which like iPhone, should offer wireless OS updates - USB is way too much hassle and requires a PC. Consumers buy solutions and developers produce those when the installed base is viable. More and more young people are choosing smart phones (I know several considering Blackberry vs iPhone vs N97 vs Omnia etc) as they like Facebook and other service integration. So, Google need to ensure Android has a decent base specification and 'upgrade' policy so that when consumers rave about the latest upgrade or app, their 'buddies' acquire it too. How often do you see people demoing their latest iPhone apps at the pub/bar/home and then they all download it? If Android is too fragmented to allow apps to run across the board, it will struggle. I am a massive fan of Google / Android and a developer too, so want them to succeed, don't get me wrong. I also respect Nokia (owned several E71s, N95 8G and more), but while their mid range phones are great, they have got into a mess with their human factors and Symbian is showing it's age.

One has to be realistic and look at the facts (no emotion or fanboism here), Apple are selling a LOT of iPhones and iPod Touches, and it's the reliability and accessibility of the devices GUI and apps that are why this is so. (Not to mention the iTunes trojan horse of course!)

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 10th 2009 2:06PM]

I take your point about the App store and I do think that it set the standard for content provision. However the competition had now caught up and it isn't a USP anymore. I'd also point out the fact that the App store is usable by the iPod Touch is irrelevant since it isn't a phone.

As for OTA updates, Nokia and others offer these as, indeed, do Google on their own Tier 1 handsets. I suspect that the reason they don't offer this facility on modified sets is for reasons of compatibility. There is, however, no reason why HTC couldn't offer their own OTA updates for their phones.

Finally, Apple are selling a lot of iPhones. They are, however, still being outsold by Nokia in every market other than the US for smartphones. Actually, the 5800 outsells the iPhone itself come to think of it.

And that's where Nokia do understand the phone business - entrench a massive customer segment, understand your markets and then release products that fill the market. The 5800 is a classic example - clunky UI (which in reality doesn't matter because of the entrenchment factor - if you've used one Nokia you've used them all) but awesome features for the money and probably the best music phone on the market. I would, however, agree that the N96 and N97 have missed the mark. Nokia do need to reflect on their handset strategy but to suggest their doomed is woefully naive.

Finally, on the subject of Android and its experience, Stuff.tv have just awarded the Hero 5 stars and proclaim it as the first serious rival to the iPhone. May I point out that this is still early days for HTC's Android ventures and that they will only get better?

[iwave @ Aug 6th 2009 10:45AM]

Having been a huge Nokia fan for years, I find myself in total agreement with fonebox. Nokia have dropped the ball by failing to anticipate the huge shift in direction of the phone market. Yes, there'll always be a market for simple, cheap phones, but that market is already commoditized, with very low profit margins. 10 years ago, Symbian was in front of the competition, Nokia phones always "just worked" in an intuitive way, but Symbian just isn't going to cut it against either Android (which in my opinion will wipe the floor with virtually all the competition over the medium term) or iPhone or Web OS, as evidenced by the N97 which, while technically brilliant, just doesn't offer the same user experience. It's a shame about Web OS too, it's architecturally good and the UI is second to none, but on Sprint, and lacking the support of the open source community, it's never going to be anything more than a niche product, and by the time it gets on to GSM, it'll be too late. Hats off to Apple, they changed the paradigm, and in the process gave Microsoft their just desserts (FINALLY I can get off the biggest piece of junk software ever invented, Windows Mobile, aka CE, and its god-awful partner Activesync, you idiots had YEARS to get it right and failed utterly), but with the arrival of Android, unless Apple make a quantum shift and open up with a multi-tasking OS, the iPhone is destined to head back from whence it came, namely the Mac stable, in its corner, with its 2% following of devoted accolytes.

Now, when's the i7500 finally going to arrive??? I've never wanted a phone so badly! The only thing I can see that's wrong with it is the ugly brand name emblazoned across the area that could be devoted to more screen! PLEASE don't make me scratch my itch by buying the MyTouch, I KNOW I'll regret it come the end of August.

[Jeremy Britto @ Jul 10th 2009 1:30PM]

Damn I want this phone.

[DarkJesus @ Jul 10th 2009 1:37PM]

So is the 128MB of RAM confirmed then? How can the phone be released, but still no one knows?

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 10th 2009 3:02PM]

Samsung's official German spec says "192MB RAM available to run applications". If this includes RAM required by the Android system, then somewhere around 100MB to 130MB should be free for other apps. The HTC Hero has 288MB of which 192MB is available for other apps.

[Falken @ Jul 10th 2009 3:43PM]

This site has tested the phone and it reports 192 mb of internal ram AND 3d hardware acceleration AND compass (its italian but undestandable):
http://www.cellulare-magazine.it/site/schede_tecniche/1273/scheda_tecnica_Samsung_Galaxy.php

You can find the short video review of the same site here (ENG)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34AT4VicD2M

[iKurt 7 @ Jul 10th 2009 1:56PM]

I'm still not convinced. Why would I get this when we have the iPhone which has been out in the market for a few years now and has thousands of apps?

[Mark Anderson II @ Jul 10th 2009 2:08PM]

Because you might like it better?

And lets face it; there are only about 20 apps on any platform worth using.

[Major4Play @ Jul 10th 2009 2:12PM]

WinMo has been out even longer and has many times more apps than the iPhone.
Windows has many more applications for it than OSX.

Or does that ruin your logic ?

[mactron @ Jul 10th 2009 2:02PM]

Send my ***** N97 back the day I got it and ordered an I7500 from o2 Germany! :)

[Quikboy @ Jul 10th 2009 2:19PM]

I wish there were more phones with a Windows Live or Yahoo! 'experience'.

[ddub @ Jul 10th 2009 2:21PM]

Honestly. Android underwhelms me. i've lost interest and it's a bit too geeky for me. i need a more polished product.

[livehifi @ Jul 10th 2009 2:37PM]

I can't wait to see this in real life. /drool

[Beastage @ Jul 10th 2009 2:50PM]

I love this , the companies are doing to google what google did to linux... in your face google.

[Dr Zoidberg @ Jul 10th 2009 5:09PM]

MONSTER CABLE SUCKS!!!

[krz9000 @ Jul 11th 2009 3:12PM]

got it today in munich. i made a little unboxing video for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dahFOxtefdA

[moaning_american @ Aug 3rd 2009 8:46PM]

I don't understand why this phone hasn't been sturdily heralded as the best android phone out there right now. When you compare it to the Hero, it wins in pretty much every category where there are differences (unless you think that smudge proof is better than scratch proof). And why hasn't an American carrier picked this up yet? It just seems like such an obvious win to me. Am I missing something?