Samsung Galaxy S i9000 Review: Our Personal Take
As you may be aware I am one of the Android faithful and will probably remain with the Android platform, not because I have anything against other mobile platforms but because I have found Android easy to use and get along with.
The current smartphone I have is the Samsung Galaxy S i9000, which when compared to the obvious top slot handset, the iPhone 4, the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 comes out at roughly the same size and looks just as good design wise as the iOS rival.
I also find that using the Samsung Galaxy S when I need to turn on and off WiFi or Bluetooth I don’t have to go through the rigmarole of going to settings, selecting WiFi or Bluetooth and then turning on or off, the reason for this is the Samsung Galaxy S notifications dropdown bar gives access to these functions, which is one sweet shortcut.
Browsing on the Galaxy S is reasonable fast depending on which website you visit as with all smartphones but the speed is acceptable. I’m not a great user of mobile apps but those that I do have work fine, obviously there are a few apps that crash constantly but with these I tend to uninstall and go look for a similar app that works better.
Gaming on the Samsung Galaxy S, well like I said I’m not a great user of app and the same goes for games, but I do have a couple. One is of course Angry Birds for Android which I have to say is one really good game and thus far I have had no problems with it whatsoever.
Another game I play is Tank Recon 3D, a simple hunt and destroy tank game that also works really well and so far no issues. I also play on occasion Call of Duty: Modern Warfare force recon, a first person shooter that thus far works reasonable well although for some reason if you turn the sound on the game crashes.
As for apps I have Google Docs which enables me to edit my documents while on the move and I have found this app to be great as being an author I can now work on whatever I am writing straight from my smartphone. Google Maps is well Google Maps and basically the same as any other handset version. Google Navigation works really well on the Galaxy S and delivers clear voice navigation directions and quickly adjusts route if you take a wrong turn.
The Android Market app I find a tad frustrating at times and believe that it could be made better along with having a searchable online website, although the AppBrain app and website actually does a better job than the official Android Market where that is concerned.
Scrolling and pinch and zoom features work exceeding well with the Galaxy S i9000 I have found both do so fast and smoothly. Texting with the Galaxy S is again on par with most other smartphones with the virtual keyboard doing a reasonable job unless you have fat fingers of course.
Picture and video taking and playing I have no problems with at all, the images are clear and sharp while video playback is good although depending on the video there can sometimes be a little lag.
As for battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S fairs well in this area with battery life lasting most of the day and charging is accomplished at a reasonable rate.
I do have a couple of issues with the Samsung galaxy S i9000 though, one being that when opening messages or the phonebook I have found that quite often the orientation keeps switching from portrait to landscape and I have to shake the handset to get it back to portrait mode which can be frustrating at times.
The other issue I have with the Samsung Galaxy S is actually with the device itself but more with Samsung and the way they update, basically forcing a user to use Samsung Kies which is irritating to say the least.
Basically whenever I try to update the Galaxy S to Android 2.2 Froyo, Kies doesn’t recognise my device even though it is made by Samsung, so at the moment I am still running on Android 2.1 which is fine, but it does bug me why Samsung just can’t do an OS update OTA which would be far similar for the user.
So there you have it our personal take on the Samsung Galaxy S i9000, a great Android smartphone although still have a few minor annoyances. Feel free to let us know your views of the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 by posting to our comments area below.
Comments
10 thoughts on “Samsung Galaxy S i9000 Review: Our Personal Take”
I do have an issue with Samsung S i9000 Mobile. I have noticed that while charging the battery, the main screen remains illuminated, even when it is not in use. I have to switch it off from the power switch. What is the remedy ? Is the Android 2.2 Froyo available for Indian Customer ?
You need to go to setting "Sound and Display" -> "Screen Timeout"
Froyo is available in India through Kies since yesterday
This phone has numerous issues. The problem being is that whilst Samsung do make very good hardware, they're absolutely hopeless when it comes to Software implementation.
The touch wizz skin Samsung has put over Android is pathetic.
The Kies sync/update software is absolutely horrendous.
But by far the worst issue of all is the proprietary files system that samsung have chosen to use in this device. This decision has created a huge lag problem where the more you use the phone over time, the more laggy it becomes. Also the fact that they have chosen to use this RFS files system has meant that android updates such as froyo have been delayed in being released.
However the good news is that all of the above can be overcome relatively easily and quickly.
You can install the 'launcher pro' skin from the market, which completely transforms the phone's UI.
You don't have to use Kies, there is a much better alternative, which actually works really well.
and you can convert the files system to native Linux which all the other android phones use.
Once you have done the above, this phone easily becomes the best Android phone on the market, if not the best phone on the market at the moment.
After 3 years of watching smartphones I finally took the plunge with the Galaxy S. After 1 week of frustration, I returned it and got a Desire Z. The real deal killer was that the Galaxy did not have true hands free operation. With either bluetooth or the wired headset, I could not make a call without having to touch the phone – strange. The other issues were the unreliable GPS and that Kies would not recognize my phone at all – even after half an hour on the phone with Samsung culminating with them saying 'we're working on it'. They also told me you couldn't make hands free calls on any phone – interesting, the Desire Z does it just fine. I am a Samsung fan. This was very disappointing.
Brian, Sorry to hear your misery, but I can make hands free calling from my Samsung Galaxy S i9000, both via voice call ( built in feature in phone but need to be carefully activated ) on phone or via voice activated blue tooth ( with phone secured in pocket ). Next time try to explore more on net before giving up, sometimes wish Samsung should have better tech. support.. God Bless..
I have had an Orange badged Galaxy S for the last few months and although initially impressed with the screen, I was disappointed with Kies (which I have never managed to get working, despite trying every fix on the web), the Orange 'bloat', the slow GPS and its sometimes slow and jerky response. That was until earlier this week, when in frustration over the lack of assistance from Samsung and failure of Kies to connect to the phone, I took the plunge and updated to Froyo via Odin and a very helpful step by step update process I found on a web forum. It is like a completely new phone. Faster, smoother, GPS works much better and music play back is not punctuated with stutters and breaks. I would have no hesitation in recommending the phone to anyone, but would strongly suggest ditching the various network operators 'skins' and go for a do it yourself (with appropriate precautions) upgrade.
Referring to earlier posts, my phone does switch off automatically on charge, maybe there is a setting somewhere for this? I have recently installed Launcher pro and agree that it is great. With the flexibility of Android and the power and screen of the Galaxy, they make a pretty much unbeatable combination.
I have had the galaxy s for around a month. Mostly really with it. I to. I it to the samsung support shop last week for the android 2.2 upgrade, I agree with others, it has transformed my phone. My complaints are pretty much as above the Kies, but just use the mass storage option and this works fine. But real gripe is that it keeps turning off in my pocket. It freezes and have to flick the back off, take the battery out, then restart it. This can happen 3 or 4 times a day. Otherwise I love the phone. I am using the AP function right now for my internet access, works great!
GCD, Just put a password to activate the screen, then phone won't switch off in pocket, also a possibility of some application settings problem. To cure the freezing part carefully check all your settings, you just played around with the settings a little too much I guess. Also there seems to be a conflicting application installed by you on your phone, creating the above problems. Good Luck.
Hi everyone, upgraded myself to this sleek Samsung Galaxy S i9000, after lots of research, it was a tough decision as all the similar latest models had almost similar features, the fast speed 1GB hummingbird processor, good battery life, excellent GPS features & really amazingly clear screen made me decide to select this model over others. Since almost over five weeks of usage no call drops, no phone hangs or freezes, no sync problems, has given me true satisfaction of my wise decision to pick this phone. Wi-Fi & blue tooth usage has much less battery drain compared to its competitors (no names please). Video calling is charm on this phone 'cos of 1GB processor. Radio usage reception is excellent almost always. With 32GB memory, watched AVATAR in HD on my i9000 and at end of it I used 50% battery – not bad eh! Amazing masterpiece created by Samsung Galaxy S team. Overall performance is excellent for my usage. My advice buy the model which suits your usage habits, this model for sure is way ahead of others per my personal research, usage & satisfaction.