Marks Android’s Entry into the Mid-Ranged Smartphone Market
A smartphone for every individual is what Samsung aims for and their proprietary Bada OS may not be sufficient to pull it off. This is why they came up with the Samsung Galaxy 3 (I5800). A mid-range Android-powered smartphone with a customised UI and several new features may just accomplish their goal.
Android has already gained a foothold on the lower smartphone range. The goal is to slash the expensive hardware aspect and, instead, provide a more vigorous mobile experience. This is where the Galaxy 3 comes in. Its hardware won’t make it a superior product but with GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G, a Li-Ion 1500 mAh and an improved Android Operating System, it appears to be a dependable handset which will get the job done for most users. To find the best Samsung Galaxy 3 deals on offer take a look at the deals page.
Beauty in its simplicity
The Galaxy 3 has no ambitions to be the leading product in the line and it doesn’t intend to look like the most sophisticated mobile device. In fact, it is shipped in a minimalist design although it is far from being commonplace. Upscale and trendsetting smartphones build a company’s reputation, but it is often the middle as well as the low ranked phones which are bought and taken home. Samsung already had this in mind when they designed the Galaxy 3.
One of the phone’s new feature is Swype, a convenient and easy way to input text on the device’s virtual QWERTY keyboard. Another new addition is the outstanding DivX/XviD video support. They’re not exactly earthshaking but definitely superb attractions which is uncommon on Android.
The Galaxy 3 measures 113.5 x 55 x 12.9 mm and weighs a mere 109.7 grams. It is curved all around with no hint of a right angle. Everything about the phone exudes simplicity. It is only the shiny rim of the directional pad and the earpiece grill which is noticeable on the phone’s simple front.
The Galaxy 3’s design is absolutely minimal and keeps most of the functions and features out of sight. The four Android keys – menu, home, back and search – are touch-activated and come into view only when the backlight is turned on. The D-Pad is a simple key at the bottom center and the volume switch is hardly noticeable.
User interface and imaging
The Samsung Galaxy 3 (I5800) comes with a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen of 240 x 400 WQVGA pixels resolution with 16 million colours. This particular resolution is a first on an Android-powered phone. Its capacitive screen is sensitive even to the lightest touch. Superb brightness and great contrast makes the image quality good overall.
Every mobile phone manufacturer strive for a user interface that’s both unique and identifiable to distinguish it from competing handsets utilising the same software. The same is true with the Galaxy 3 smartphone. The user interface has been fine-tuned to make it indistinguishable from Samsung’s home-grown operating system, the Bada.
Similar to the earlier Galaxy S, Samsung has managed to crossbreed their interface with Galaxy 3’s native UI, instead of just set one on top of another. Since there is a built-in similarity between Android and Bada, the Galxy 3’s user interface is intuitive and dependable.
The Galaxy 3 ships with a 3.2 megapixel digital camera with 2048×1536 pixels image resolution. It has autofocus feature as well as Geo-tagging and face and motion detector. The camera is also capable of recording QVGA-quality videos at 15 fps. Owing to their extensive experience with camera phones, Samsung has come up with a remarkable touch camera interface which they have integrated on the Galaxy 3.
The built-in camera is also capable of Continuous shooting mode which can snap 9 pictures at 3.2 megapixel resolution, and Panorama mode which captures and automatically joins up to 8 pictures at VGA resolution. A new camera feature is the Action Shot which tracks moving objects.
A slew of apps and features under the hood
There are separate applications for MySpace and Facebook in the Samsung Galaxy 3 (I5800) smartphone, but if you just need to update your status on social networks, you can simply use the Feeds and Update widget. This widget merges the Facebook, MySpace and Twitter updates into a single feed and allows you to update your sites directly from the widget. More complex activities are handled by fully dedicated applications for Facebook and MySpace.
The phone’s Mini Diary application looks a lot like HTC’s Footsteps app. It allows you to make entries into it along with date, time, the weather (provided by AccuWeather), a photo and some short notes. It’s a great way to make a journal of your daily activities, observations and moods.
While Android does not have one by default, the phone comes with a pre-loaded file browser called My Files which looks and operates much like the ones on other Samsung handsets. It cannot access the phone’s memory but it can read data on a microSD card and manage files as well as exchange data using Bluetooth connectivity.
Other interesting applications that come with the phone include Write & Go which can post updates on Facebook, make memos and calendar entries, as well as send messages. The QuickOffice app also comes pre-installed, along with a video and image editor, Evernote, and All Share DLNA client/server.
The Galaxy 3 is equipped with a versatile media player which can render audio in MP3, WAV, and eAAC+ formats and video in MP4, DivX, WMV, H.264 and H.263 formats. There is also a stereo FM radio with RDS and several games to keep the user entertained whilst on the go.
Stay in touch with your work with the phone’s pre-installed document viewer for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF. Keep track of your location with Google Search, Google Maps, a digital compass and GPS support.
The Android platform has already achieved mature status worldwide and provides unmatched user experience, particularly after the addition of DivX video and Swype. The Samsung Galaxy 3 (I5800) provides undeniable proof of how this operating system can enhance a mid-range handset. When it is released in July this year, with a reasonable price point, Samsung may yet realise its goal to put this smartphone in most people’s pockets. You can have your own say on the new Galaxy phone on the Samsung Galaxy 3 reviews page.
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