Samsung Galaxy S

[Panacik]

I bought this phone because it has the power of an iPhone but uses the Android OS, which i have been a fan (not a fan boy) of since its release.

The boxing and phone itself are almost the same as an iPhone (3g or 3gs). Only there is a slight lip at the back of the phone and it is far lighter.

The Android OS is really smooth on this device and is compairable to the speed and smoothness of the iPhone. There is sometimes lag when many apps are open and\ir if you install some application that is a bit buggy, but otherwise it is a smooth ride!

In comparison to the iPhone, i would say this is equal in MANY ways and has the added bonus of being OpenSource, so you have far more control over the device than you would an iPhone.

The drawback of the phone, which for me is quite a big thing:

The music players are a little rubbishy. There is no program other than possibly DoubleTwist, which will create true playlists on the device and import iTunes playlists (as i had created loads over the years!).

The only player that seems to truely see the playlists is "MixZing". This is a great app and the pay for version adds support for lock screen controls similar to the iPhone\iPod. It allows you to keep the app in memory after closing for more speed when starting the application in future.

I upgraded to the latest beta firmware today which uses Froyo 2.2 and there is SOME improvement on the gapless playback for MP3 format, although there is still a large gap which would be annoying to those who have seperate MP3s within their albums. Apparently though this will be completely fixed in future Android updates because of the implimentation of OpenCore 2.06, which is used for the sound board etc.

Any questions on other aspects, please let me know!

[evo_spook]

Its a nice phone, but wonder why Samsung went out of its way to mimic the iphone OS rather then develop something unique.

[TheElite]

It has more power than the iPhone 4. Look up the GPU specs of this and the iPhone.

As for Froyo, I would stay away from all current firmwares, JP2, JP3, JPC, JPH, etc. They are still a little buggy and may cause problems down the line.

[Dysphoria]

Both phones have pluses and minuses: Samsung has a bigger screen but lower ppi resolution, Open Source OS but not as refined as the iOS, removable battery but with a lower life than iPhone 4's. Overall a descent phone...

Here is one pretty descent review comparing both phones.

Galaxy S & iPhone 4 Review

Cheers

[TheElite]

Both phones have pluses and minuses: Samsung has a bigger screen but lower ppi resolution, Open Source OS but not as refined as the iOS, removable battery but with a lower life than iPhone 4's. Overall a descent phone...

Here is one pretty descent review comparing both phones.

Galaxy S & iPhone 4 Review

Cheers

Actually, it has a bigger screen AND a more clearer/colourful screen. As for the battery life, since when did iPhones last two and half days?

EDIT: And I didn't really expect an Apple lover like you to post a decent review, and after reading it, I was right.

[evo_spook]

Actually, it has a bigger screen AND a more clearer/colourful screen. As for the battery life, since when did iPhones last two and half days?

EDIT: And I didn't really expect an Apple lover like you to post a decent review, and after reading it, I was right.

But then we don't expect a Apple hater like you to post anything decent either.

[TheElite]

Apple hater? LOL. Another fanboy arrives.

I dislike Apple, as a company, yes. But hate? That's a strong word.

[Berserk87]

Its a nice phone, but wonder why Samsung went out of its way to mimic the iphone OS rather then develop something unique.

how is does the galaxy s mimic the iphone os at all?

there are virtually zero similaritys.

[PhillAholic]

how is does the galaxy s mimic the iphone os at all?

there are virtually zero similaritys.

Actually there are quite a few.

The chrome border around the phone (like the 3g and 3gs) and the launcher is made up of square icons, with 4 at the bottom in a dock, which pages that scroll side to side.

[Berserk87]

Actually there are quite a few.

The chrome border around the phone (like the 3g and 3gs) and the launcher is made up of square icons, with 4 at the bottom in a dock, which pages that scroll side to side.

Samsung mimics the iphone because they lay their icons out in a grid?!

are you joking me?!

And that picture you linked is the 'app drawer' not the home screen.

and I own an iphone...

[Draconian Guppy]

No, but the 4 icon dock sure does.

Though for iphone4 vs SGS I prefer the gsm arena on here

[NoneAvail]

I've been using my iPhone 3G for about 1 1/2 years now and I am so sick and tired of it's bull****. I've been using Android phones since the G1 first came out, got it on an upgrade and now on Oct 25 my contract ends and I can not wait until I get the Samsung Vibrant a member of the Galaxy S family for T-Mobile.

I really like the iPhone 4 but I had enough with iOS and want to go back to Android. Much better mods, firmwares, etc. And the ability to overclock/underclock? Makes me want to buy a second hand G1 or MyTouch right now...

[Panacik]

It has more power than the iPhone 4. Look up the GPU specs of this and the iPhone.

As for Froyo, I would stay away from all current firmwares, JP2, JP3, JPC, JPH, etc. They are still a little buggy and may cause problems down the line.

They are both compairable in overall spec. I wouldnt say either outdoes the other in total, but certain aspects of the iphone are better and other aspects of the Samsung are better, so they are both COMPAIRABLE.

Take it from someone who is not a fanboy on either side! :)

I have upgraded to the latest (and likely to be final) release of 2.2 on the phone and see lots of small improvements, especially when it comes to the gapless playback!

Both phones have pluses and minuses: Samsung has a bigger screen but lower ppi resolution, Open Source OS but not as refined as the iOS, removable battery but with a lower life than iPhone 4's. Overall a descent phone...

Here is one pretty descent review comparing both phones.

Galaxy S & iPhone 4 Review

Cheers

Not read your review, but i agree, they are both compairable overall.

Actually there are quite a few.

The chrome border around the phone (like the 3g and 3gs) and the launcher is made up of square icons, with 4 at the bottom in a dock, which pages that scroll side to side.

The hardware side of the phone does indeed look like a 3G\s, however the software, when you really get to play with it, is nothing at all like the iPhone. It in fact is far more powerful than the iPhone, because you can change the whole style, look and feel to be how ever you want! How else can they present the OS though really? Are you going to say they are copying iOS because they have square icons and the screen is black when switched off? :p

[HyBry]

Came close to getting it but went with HTC Desire instead. It does look very nice and is more powerful then desire, but from what I read it had too many problems.

The mentioned laggyness and GPS apparently is rubbish. Not sure on how are fixes coming along, but I must say that at times I regret not getting it :D

[Billus]

Bah, I disabled Touchwiz immediately in favor of LauncherPro. Running Froyo JPH and it runs nicely. Beats the Desire and any other Android device hands-down, particularly when you compare the screens.

[Panacik]

Came close to getting it but went with HTC Desire instead. It does look very nice and is more powerful then desire, but from what I read it had too many problems.

The mentioned laggyness and GPS apparently is rubbish. Not sure on how are fixes coming along, but I must say that at times I regret not getting it :D

I think the laggyness was in the earlier builds. The phone ran fine straight out of the box for me and just as well on Froyo. I have tried GPS and to be honest have seen no more issues than the iPhone :s

Bah, I disabled Touchwiz immediately in favor of LauncherPro. Running Froyo JPH and it runs nicely. Beats the Desire and any other Android device hands-down, particularly when you compare the screens.

I love the Touchwiz, however have not tried LauncherPro... Is it similar or as good etc?

[Teebor]

Came close to getting it but went with HTC Desire instead. It does look very nice and is more powerful then desire, but from what I read it had too many problems.

The mentioned laggyness and GPS apparently is rubbish. Not sure on how are fixes coming along, but I must say that at times I regret not getting it :D

I've not had a problem with the GPS the couple of times I've used it, it was pretty damn accurate to be perfectly honest.

I wanted a desire but it was easier and quicker to get a Galaxy and I'm glad I did, so I'm kind of in the opposite set to you :D

How are you guys getting Froyo on your phones? the official samsung update isn't out for a couple more days yet I think, so are you all using pre-release/custom jobs?

[Billus]

I love the Touchwiz, however have not tried LauncherPro... Is it similar or as good etc?

Looks and feels better than Touchwiz but that's my opinion. It is comparable to Sense. It is also quite customizable. I do recommend the Pro version as it does have more features but you can easily get it free off the market. It won't remove Touchwiz, merely give an option and is easily uninstallable if you don't like it.

How are you guys getting Froyo on your phones? the official samsung update isn't out for a couple more days yet I think, so are you all using pre-release/custom jobs?

You can get it through Kies if you enable the "Test" mode and set the sources. JPH most likely the final version. Check xda for more information. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=656

[Panacik]

I've not had a problem with the GPS the couple of times I've used it, it was pretty damn accurate to be perfectly honest.

I wanted a desire but it was easier and quicker to get a Galaxy and I'm glad I did, so I'm kind of in the opposite set to you :D

How are you guys getting Froyo on your phones? the official samsung update isn't out for a couple more days yet I think, so are you all using pre-release/custom jobs?

Just add this to the end of your Hosts file:

174.123.5.146 fus.samsungmobile.com

Then fire up Kies, connect your device and you will instantly be told an update is available... Just make sure you backup your apps and settinsg first, as you MIGHT need to wipe them out during or after the upgrade!

[Subject Delta]

Personally I tend to favour HTC phones simply for the reason that I find SenseUI to provide the most polished Android user experience, but Android as a platform is excellent on any phone. Personally i'd root the Galaxy S and install a stock Froyo ROM on it, you'd probably get better performance

[MaJoR ChAoS]

I agree, I have had my iPhone 3G for 1 year and got my Galaxy S a few weeks back and the Galaxy S is far Superior to iPhone.

I loved my iPhone, as I came from a crappy Symbian Nokia past and the iPhone was a revelation, it completely revolutionized phones. But once you go Android you never go back. The iPhone is just soooo crippled it is useless. With Android you have flexibility to do things you want like copy an mp3 over as if your phone is a USB device and then select that mp3 as your ring tone. Try doing that on an iPhone....

But the are some bugs with Galaxy S

#1 it is poorly supported by Samsung. As of Nov 5 2010 there is still no Froyo 2.2 for it.

#2 WiFi is buggy as hell. I have 2 AP's in my house, with my iPhone it remembers the IP's it should use for each and it seamlessly connects to the right AP as I move about the house. On the Galaxy you have only 1 setting for static IP and you need to change it for each AP. Also, the galaxy will not connect automatically to the strongest signal AP, I have to force it. Also, with the iPhone you can put in authenticated proxy details for work/school networks, on Android you can't.

#3 The apps are generally comparable to iPhone but I do miss some of the iPhone apps, all the weather apps are crap on the Android for example.

[Billus]

But the are some bugs with Galaxy S

#1 it is poorly supported by Samsung. As of Nov 5 2010 there is still no Froyo 2.2 for it. Wrong.

#2 WiFi is buggy as hell. I have 2 AP's in my house, with my iPhone it remembers the IP's it should use for each and it seamlessly connects to the right AP as I move about the house. On the Galaxy you have only 1 setting for static IP and you need to change it for each AP. Also, the galaxy will not connect automatically to the strongest signal AP, I have to force it. Also, with the iPhone you can put in authenticated proxy details for work/school networks, on Android you can't. Wrong. This has been corrected in 2.2 and I think in the later 2.1 builds. The Galaxy S will automatically remember each WiFi access point and connect to the strongest one.

#3 The apps are generally comparable to iPhone but I do miss some of the iPhone apps, all the weather apps are crap on the Android for example. The weather apps are okay but most of the good ones aren't free.

Since day one, I've replace TouchWiz with Launcher Pro paid. It's comparable to Sense. Fancy Widget gives the HTC Sense Clock which is nice. At the moment, there are a group of developers dedicated to porting the Desire HD rom over to the Galaxy S. Samsung is dedicated to giving users Froyo and it has been released in several countries (mostly in Europe). Samsung can't be expected to provide every user 2.2 as they rely on the phone carriers to release them over Kies. You can however download the base Samsung Froyo rom and flash through Odin or make changes in your registry plus host file and get it directly through Samsung. However, you'll need to add your carriers information such as access points etc yourself.

[MaJoR ChAoS]

Since day one, I've replace ...

I must have a faulty 2.2 then as it rarely if ever will connect to the strogest signal, I have to fight with it. I will repeatedly force it to go to the strongest AP, the 1 I am standing next to, but it will auto revert back to the other distant AP that is 1 bar weak signal. By fight I mean I try to force connect it upto 10 times and still no go. The best chance I have is to turn off wi-fi then back on again and 50% of the time it will then correctly connect to the AP I am physically standing next to.

Also, 2.2 will not remember multiple static IP's. You have only 1 option. Turn on static IP or off, and in that option you have to write in the IP.

For the iPhone you can select the wi-fi profile, go into and edit the settings and manually put static IP's for each AP and the iPhone will remember.

I'll look into the HTC port as I like the look of their UI

[Matrix XII]

I agree, I have had my iPhone 3G for 1 year and got my Galaxy S a few weeks back and the Galaxy S is far Superior to iPhone.

I loved my iPhone, as I came from a crappy Symbian Nokia past and the iPhone was a revelation, it completely revolutionized phones. But once you go Android you never go back. The iPhone is just soooo crippled it is useless. With Android you have flexibility to do things you want like copy an mp3 over as if your phone is a USB device and then select that mp3 as your ring tone. Try doing that on an iPhone....

But the are some bugs with Galaxy S

#1 it is poorly supported by Samsung. As of Nov 5 2010 there is still no Froyo 2.2 for it.

#2 WiFi is buggy as hell. I have 2 AP's in my house, with my iPhone it remembers the IP's it should use for each and it seamlessly connects to the right AP as I move about the house. On the Galaxy you have only 1 setting for static IP and you need to change it for each AP. Also, the galaxy will not connect automatically to the strongest signal AP, I have to force it. Also, with the iPhone you can put in authenticated proxy details for work/school networks, on Android you can't.

#3 The apps are generally comparable to iPhone but I do miss some of the iPhone apps, all the weather apps are crap on the Android for example.

Great reply, I have to totally agree with you.

I had the iPhone 3G for a coupe years and it was a great phone but after using the Samsung Galaxy S Captivate, there's no going back to iOS after you've been on Android. I've actually had some problems with my Samsung unit, I believe it's a lemon and a new one is being sent to me as I write this, but I've had to go back to my iPhone again and it feels like I have handcuffs on when using the thing!

When you've actually used both OS's you MUST see that Apple has you by the throat and will only let by what they want in their little "Ecosystem" or whatever you/they want to call it.

I waited for the Captivate to come out on Rogers because of the form factor. The Captivate looks a lot better than the other Galaxy S versions imo, but they all have pretty much the same hardware, although some versions have a front facing camera, which to me I wouldn't see myself using that much.

Anyways, if there is anybody on the fence about buying a Samsung Galaxy S (any version)... My vote is... get one!!

[Shaun N.]

I've got a Wildfire atm, I was hoping to get a Desire but a friend of mine mentioned that the Samsung Galaxy S was a higher hardware spec and I should take a look. I think my mind has been changed :D