Samsung Galaxy S preview
By Vlad Savov 
posted June 16th 2010 7:35AM
posted June 16th 2010 7:35AM
So we might as well start off with the headline feature: Samsung's 4-inch, Super AMOLED, 800 x 480, IPS-killing display. Touted as the technology that will finally rid AMOLED of its vampiric quality, the screen within the Galaxy has already shown itself to be adept at handling direct sunrays, but we had to see for ourselves. We didn't pull any punches in testing it out and subjected the handset to bright sunshine flowing directly at it, leading us to a two-sided conclusion. When facing you directly, the Super AMOLED display really pays off and remains usable (albeit with a loss of vibrancy that's to be expected), however turning it away from center shows that its otherwise stellar viewing angles suffer dramatically from exposure to the sun. See, for example, the comparison of the same submenu page on the screen when the phone is facing the camera and when it's slightly turned away. It's a small niggle that shouldn't figure greatly in regular use, but we thought you'd wanna know that even Super AMOLED is not immune to some sun damage.
That said, it remains head and shoulders above its OLED contemporaries, and when taken to more hospitable environments, the Galaxy S' screen really shows off some terrific color and vibrancy. Our opinion hasn't changed at all here: this is one of the finest displays you can hope to lay eyes on. And it's set to remain an exclusive feather in Samsung's cap for the next eighteen months, we're told. We knew the company would be holding on to its latest and greatest for its own handsets but this is a mighty protracted exclusivity term, which we're guessing is motivated either by Samsung looking to push its own brand more or by severely limited production quantities -- probably the latter.
But then you'd be wrong. 720p video recording at a cool 30fps is on offer, along with a 5 megapixel imager on the back and a 1.3 megapixel one on the front. Both picture and video processing were done rapidly -- we almost got the feeling the UI was slowing us down more than the hardware, which is impressive however you wanna slice it.
On the software front, you've got TouchWiz 3.0 overlaid atop Android, though if you're keen on sticking to the stock Google-flavored Eclair, the good news is that Samsung's modifications don't really get in your way. Aside from the Social Hub -- which aggregates Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other social networks into one stream, in a similar vein to what almost everyone else is doing lately -- they're mostly in-app changes and skinning tweaks that shouldn't have a negative impact on the user experience. In fact, we were quite taken with the Galaxy S' handling of contacts. Swiping right on a contact's name automatically dials his phone number, whereas swiping left initiates a text message with him as the addressee. It's smooth, it's clever, and it's quite fun to use.
Qik video chat and Swype come as preloaded apps on this handset, with one offering a way to utilize all that multimedia prowess and the other letting people try out an alternative input method. Just neat little extras that we appreciate seeing for a device that aims to be widely accessible. On the topic of input, we'd also say Samsung's layout of the soft keyboard is a sensible one -- this particular writer found it more intuitive than the default Android implementation.
But hey, it can't all be strawberries and cream now, right? This phone's gotta have a weakness or two. And indeed it does. Listed at 9.9mm in thickness, this Samsung handset is remarkably thin, but unfortunately we didn't find the materials of construction quite as reassuring as we would have liked. The glitter-patterned (ugh) back is composed of what feels like mediocre plastic, while the actual glass of the screen is in itself extremely glossy and reflective, and the physical buttons are okay, but only that. The chrome surround is also more tacky than stylish and we're not convinced we need that mighty bump at the bottom of our ultraslim phone, but then that might be just us. More negative points are scored for the lack of a dedicated camera button (what is this, 1997?), but are offset by a neat sliding door for the MicroUSB port.
All in all, we get the sense that Samsung decided that since it builds all these awesome parts anyway, it might as well splice them together into one superpowered handset. And while the spec sheet sparkles with an appropriate level of ultra-modernity, the Galaxy S itself doesn't feel like the thoroughly polished, coherent product that other market participants are bringing out at the moment. We'd put a large part of that down to the body's construction, as the user experience is more than snappy enough, and we reckon some more attention to hardware detail could really put this handset over the top. It certainly has all the quantifiable qualities necessary to be one of our Android faves. On the other hand, since the hardware design's already finished, why not just give us some Froyo? We'd settle for that.
Already rumours of it not getting 2.2.... Typical Samsung :p
@Bomberman AFAIR Samsung already said there will be 2.2 for this
I am not a fan of Samsung products but damn this phone is hot!
@czesiu It's the screen that sells it to me (as an N1 user) - but the plus of having the latest-greatest Android on my phone puts me off Sammy's and HTC's own-brand devices. Will there be a Nexus Two, I wonder? 18 months is a long time to wait for that fantastic screen tech. to make it to another phone maker.
@czesiu From samsung.firmwares.web on twitter;
'Samsung VP marketing said at a press conference in new Delhi that galaxy s won't be updated to Android 2.2'
Obviously not gospel, but they do have contacts and are rabid Sammy fanboys so unlikely to make up anything that reflects badly on Sammy...
@Bomberman I've already played with this phone for a long time in Asia and I like it. The screen is awesome and it's really smooth.
@Mike Vick At a certain angle you could expect a negative image in the iPhone, but the Galaxy S has absolutely no negative images, which is really great...
@Bomberman
That's Samsung for you, once bought: Be happy or shut up please.
@kiezel Tell me about it, I own the original Galaxy... :p
@Bomberman
This is easily (IMO, of course) the best looking android device coming to market in the near future. The specs are really well balanced and the device trumpets quality at every bend.
The only sad thing is the lack of OS updates to look forward to (based on speculation due to samsung's history), especially the *very* significant froyo release. That said, I'm still looking forward to this phone, which I'm sure will be a target for rooting and thus custom community engineered ROMs.
@Bomberman I hope this is more accurate: "All new Android devices by Samsung gets update to Android 2.2 later. I5500 - I5800 - I8520 - I9000."
http://twitter.com/SamsungFirmware/status/16233377707
:-)
@kiezel they did update i5700 with 2.1 :)
@Bomberman
Why the cheap materials on this device?!
@JFH see how czeisu actually included a link? hyperlink or it didn't happen, so far you just sound like a hater. Additionally, the fact that it's said in India can directly mean something about India since carriers have the rights to block updates.
@JFH
i know, the software and hardware (processor/camera) are brilliant, but it looks a bit... dare i say it...
tacky?
the glitter back that is
if it had a bit stabler build quality and a plain coloured back, id put this at the top of my list
but right now it just draws equal with other top androids out there, which is a shame, it could have been something super special with only a few tweaks :(
@Bomberman
I really don't get it. How can they simply NOT update smth to the latest state of the art version of Android? What are they waiting for? v2.3?
The screen is definitely wicked!
However I do agree with the last two paragraphs of this article.
Hmmm... Choices, choices. Tsk tsk...
@juanvaldez
Well thanks for that, but I think you responded to the wrong person. I was the one talking about material usage, not Android OS versions...
@RincewindWiz Well, a competitor can try to match or improve the tech, so you might not have to wait 18 months.
My previous speculation on it was that you can't differentiate yourself very easily on hardware but you can on screens so Samsung was worried about it's competitive advantage. However, it seems that it's somewhat deeper than that, the SAMOLED screen process was created and developed from within an internal joint venture. The reason why this is important is Samsung runs it's business units as individual entities and requires profitability from each. So, if Samsung Mobile gave money to Samsung Mobile screen without a contract, in this case I presume a 18-24 month exclusivity deal, and then Mobile Displays started to sell this to other companies then it'd decrease Samsung Mobile's marketshare and profitability (and the Mobile division would essentially have subsidized their competitors displays, while the profit would hit the bottom line of Samsung Mobile Displays.)
Further information here, seems accurate, but not really the greatest of articles:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2010/06/129_67549.html
@czesiu ....This wouldn't be the first time Samsung promised a particular upgrade and then went back on that promise.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/samsung-behold-ii-fails-to-fulfill-android-2-0-promise-jilted-u/
@JFH You sir, are correct, I saw the @bomberman in there and got confused (I didn't want to go *ALL* the way to the top of the article to say that, laziness cost me).
@Bomberman Please show link, see how czesiu did that? No hyperlink=it didn't happen. So far you haven't proven, or even cited anything properly, while just throwing up random information like a hater. Hyperlink and prove me wrong.
Also, India might not be indicative of the other 106-109 mobile carriers that will carry the device, as the carrier has the ability to reject any updates. The fact that this comes out of India, and would be handled by corporate if it was a message they wanted out makes me think this isn't applicable. Also, without this being a controlled leak, that man would have his ass handed to him if it isn't his business to spread that info and directly contradict corporate.
@tarugokomaraki
Actually, it seems like the screen uses PenTile matrix (like the N1), which is technically a downgrade of the claimed resolution during high contrasts. As I was intending to purchase the i9000 over the iPhone for its bigger screen size (internet browsing frantic here), this detail could be a big decision stopper.
Waiting for more feedbacks.
Ars Technica link : http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/secrets-of-the-nexus-ones-screen-science-color-and-hacks.ars/
@NeoteriX yeah:) I also enjoyed these pieces of contradicting info from samsung http://gdgt.com/discuss/s8000-may-get-a-second-chance-6wy/
I would not buy any phone at I9000 price point without 2.2 :)
@juanvaldez He gaves us a quote, easy to find the source http://twitter.com/cellpassion/status/16296199776
good point that it may be just about carriers in India
@Mike Vick
I'm actually put-off by the looks. To me it looks like an iphone with that chrome ring. Sooo 2007.
@Mike Vick Same here!! I have a Samsung Highlight and it sucks!! Then, I started to hate Samsung...but, when I see this I take what I said back! This is awesome!! Hope it comes to T-Mobile!
@kineticdamage
Thanks for the link and the info. Well, we still don't know yet if the S-AMOLED uses PenTile matrix. Ofcourse, if it does and we're judging screens based on resolutions, then the Galaxy S's screen doesn't seem to be so superb afterall. But if let's say I'd put more weight on the usability of the screen in broad daylight then perhaps it's a different story. That's why I hope I get the chance to see all contending phones being demo-ed side by side to better compare them by myself. But I don't know, I guess we'll see from other users' feedback soon.
@TheSunman89 It is coming to T-mo according to the FCC
@Mike Vick
That interface is fast. Best Android smartphone to date. Samsung hit this one out of the ballpark. No Android jokes about this device. It looks as though Samsung put a lot of effort into this device. I hope it sells well for Samsung.
@JFH
It's samsung. Their phones have been crap quality, in my experience.
@Bomberman WOW SUPER AMOLE. STILL SUFFERS from the SUN?! SUPPER-AMOLED=FAIL. IPS, wins in that department. I'm outside a lot and I do not want a phone that will hive me trouble viewing my content. I was gonna hold off for this tech not anymore. F this!
@Bomberman
At Google I/O 2010 Samsung USA rep said it will get 2.2 update.
Also, Cellpassion is quoting:
"Samsung will update the Galaxy S to 2.2 from their manufacturing facility. No word on the timing but those new devices will run on Android 2.2. They are still working on how to upgrade current units that are running on Android 2.1. "
http://www.cellpassion.com/2010/06/16/first-impressions-samsung-galaxy-s/
We'll see what happens.
@jasbur agreed, looks too much like my iphone 2g. I'd like to see some pics of it next to an iphone to compare.
@Bomberman This is the ultimate reason why no-one will buy this phone. You don't buy android for some crappy skin. If they put vanilla 2.2 on it and promised rapid consistent updates like the droid then I would take it over the nexus but the fact that the Nexus gets all the google goodness and such fast updates means I would still take it over any other android phone out there no matter how many shitty sense phones HTC can make.
@czesiu
Thankyou for telling the truth
@kiezel
Samsung will update their phones with more software and better updates.
@czesiu
Really? how come everybody is sayin otherwise. what is going on out here.
@Mike Vick
It better be hot.. Samsung needs this phone to sell well desperately.
@czesiu
yeah!
@Mike Vick
hell yeah its hot
Please AT&T 3G.
@kpenning I hear ya, but I'm hoping it comes to Tmobile.
@taciturnforsale
so then it's confirmed, No Flash?
@kpenning AT&T has a love-affair with the iPhone and that is evident in the crappy Android devices they have put out there so far. I expect this to come out for T-mo. T-mo is claiming "4G" speeds on their 3G network. We should know soon enough.
Bring it on sammy
Ehh I'm not feeling it. Missing something..
@VanityPhairs Yeah it's missing support after you buy it.
@VanityPhairs
It's definitely missing a flash for the camera.
Come on, at least an LED, if not Xenon, too.
No HDMI is another disappointment.
Sadly, Android devices continue to disappoint in terms of photo functionality. I guess I'll have to look at Nokia again.
@Endadget Has wireless n and DNLA for video sharing. HDMI would be nice for many, but it'd probably add size to a device they wanted to get in at under 10mm. I have a DNLA TV and most new Samsung TVs (largest HDTV OEM in the world), and other OEMs to a lesser extent, are coming with DNLA these days, they probably think you'll be able to view content without it.