Of all of the gimmicks that telephone makers use to promote smartphones, preloading a duplicate of Avatar might have the least influence. Certainly, the Samsung Vibrant from T-Cellular would not want the sci-fi flick to catch one’s eye: it is a magnificence all by itself.
The Vibrant is a part of Samsung’s Galaxy S line-up of Android telephones which can be beginning to seem in any respect main U.S. wi-fi carriers. The Samsung Vibrant is offered at T-Cellular for $199 after contract, however I lately noticed a Internet particular for $99. It runs on model 2.1 of the Android working system, includes a 4-inch display screen, 16GB of inside reminiscence (upgradable with a MicroSD card) and a 5-megapixel digital camera. Oh, and a full copy of Avatar.
Different telephones within the Galaxy S line-up embrace the Samsung Captivate at AT&T, Samsung Epic 4G at Dash and the Samsung Fascinate at Verizon. (Examine carriers for pricing and availability.)
The Galaxy S telephones function by contact and have what Samsung calls a “Tremendous AMOLED” display screen; a really sharp, very shiny display screen that does, certainly, present films like Avatar in startling readability.
The tech neighborhood adores Samsung’s new contact display screen for good motive. The display screen is thinner as a result of contact sensors are built-in into the display screen and that ends in brighter colours as a result of the particular layer wanted for the contact sensors is gone.
A lot of the reward surrounding this yr’s nice crop of Android telephones has revolved across the HTC Evo, the HTC Unbelievable and the Motorola Droid X. Samsung had not garnered any consideration, till now.
The Samsung Vibrant I have been utilizing belongs in the identical class because the Evo and the Droid X as telephones you wish to play with and use. It is lighter than these telephones – partially as a result of it has a 4-inch display screen, not 4.3 inches just like the Evo and Droid X – and slimmer than simply about any touch-screen smartphone I’ve ever held.
My spouse adores the Vibrant. I let her have first crack on the telephone when it got here in for assessment as she’s actively trying to transfer away from her BlackBerry. She did suppose the Vibrant was gradual at occasions, a notion I agreed with based mostly on my exams. T-Cellular’s 3G community will not be totally dependable round our Chicago residence, because the telephone usually switched to the older Edge community.
After I gave her an HTC Unbelievable to check so I might give the Vibrant a spin, she despatched me a be aware the subsequent day. “I do not like this as a lot,” she wrote. “The display screen will not be as shiny and it would not have Swype.”
The Vibrant makes use of Swype for messaging and my spouse’s criticism rings true upon getting used this new methodology for typing on a touch-screen telephone; you do not wish to return to easy contact typing. (This is a bit I wrote concerning the Droid X and Swype; the hyperlink features a video demonstration.)
In some respects, Android telephones are all the identical. You obtain apps and you’ll transfer them about a number of screens, arranging them within the order you want. You are able to do that on the Vibrant as effectively, however Samsung additionally put a button known as “purposes” on the house display screen dock alongside the underside of the telephone. Faucet purposes and also you go to a collection of screens that supply an alphabetical association of all of the apps you have placed on the telephone, in addition to those who have been preloaded.
This software structure is strikingly much like the iPhone’s structure. Certainly, at a look, if the Vibrant was subsequent to an iPhone, you are hard-pressed to inform the distinction. It’s a fairly sturdy visible cue, and an apparent nod to Apple, as to how far Android-based telephones have come this yr.
There are some things I do not like concerning the Samsung Vibrant.
One, the display screen on/off swap is alongside the appropriate facet of the telephone and its very small. So small, in actual fact, that I usually should take a second have a look at the telephone to verify I am hitting the appropriate swap.
Second, the digital camera has been sub-par in my exams. It suffers from gradual shutter velocity (typical) however worse, the main focus will be hit and miss. It is a related drawback I’ve had with different samsung phone parts. I additionally thought the photograph gallery app was gradual to load with content material, an issue I by no means had with an iPhone or the Droid X.
Total, nevertheless, I feel the Samsung Vibrant is a fantastic alternative when you’re contemplating an Android-based telephone. It must be a winner for T-Cellular, as I think the three variations will garner related success from the opposite wi-fi carriers.
Now, film time.
Bendable Media was based by Eric Benderoff, a journalist with greater than 20 years of expertise as a columnist, editor, reporter and have author for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Solar-Instances and some enterprise magazines.
Benderoff writes about private expertise for a number of publications and far of his present work will be discovered on his Bendable Devices weblog. He’s a frequent visitor on radio and TV.