Review: Samsung Galaxy i7500
There are now plenty of Android based smartphones around
There are now plenty of Android based smartphones around. Not as many as of, say, Windows Mobile or Nokia’s S60, but enough for potential buyers to have a good choice between designs, and enough that are available on operator contract to give the buying public some real choice.
Samsung’s I7500, also known as the Galaxy, is available on O2, where it comes in from free to £244 depending what kind of tariff you want to sign up to.
At first glance the I7500 is not very inspiring. A bit chunky for the hand and somehow clunky looking thanks to the large and slightly incongruous buttons that sit beneath the screen. The navigation pad is an odd shape, and while we are pleased that it is large it doesn’t exactly look fantastic.
The small Home key is slightly raised from the flat keys surrounding it on the right side of the navigation button and we found it a little awkward to use. This is important as you’ll use this key a lot. And the unlock button is mounted on the right edge of the casing which again might be a fiddle you encounter several times a day. There’s no search button.
The shiny plastic casing is a magnet for finger prints, and while you get a nice slip case to protect the I7500 from scratches you will nonetheless inevitably make the chassis greasy.
For all its chunky dimensions we can’t fault its weight, and nor can we say much against the all-important screen. This is definitely a star feature. Very sharp and bright the AMOLED technology is superb, and at 3.2-inches and 320 x 480 pixels it delivers plenty of detail. It isn’t silky smooth in response to finger taps, though.
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I love this phone. I use it for over a month and would not change it to anything other…. until it would not be Android based as well
Version 1.5?? Even the G1 has 1.6 over T-Mobile now. That’s a strange choice. A co-worker showed me the Droid and that is now, in my mind, the standard by which other Android phones will be measured. No search button? Less than version 2.0 (try a voice search like “Navigate to 123 Main Street…” on it!)? I’ve made a personal decision to shy away from any phone without a QWERTY keyboard, too – I really, really don’t like the virtual keyboard.
There is no mention which processor this phone uses unless I skimmed right over it. How does it rank in speed with the current Android phone releases? What is the battery rating? Anything much lower than ~1400 mAh will usually mean recharging the battery at least once a day under normal usage. Any news on what carriers are contracting for the phone?
The USB connection I can live with, having the standard earphone jack is a great plus (compared to my G1), and that is some tremendous built-in memory. Very good that it includes a light for the camera as well and a good choice on the screen technology.
Anyway, some good observations on the phone.