Samsung Galaxy SL deals & review

The Samsung Galaxy SL is essentially a slightly modified version of the very popular Galaxy S. Even though the Galaxy S was released in the middle of 2010 it still remains one of the most popular phones on the market, and for good reason. Even in the months since its release there have not been many phones that have even come close to outperforming the Galaxy S, and so it will not be surprising to see the Galaxy SL enjoy a similar level of success.

There are only really two major differences between the Galaxy SL and the original Galaxy S. The first of these is that the Galaxy SL has an updated operating system on board. While Android Froyo (2.2) is not the very latest version of Google Android, as Android Gingerbread (2.3) has already seen release at the end of 2010, its omission from the original Galaxy S was one of the only complaints levelled against that phone. Android Froyo offers significant improvements over the earlier 2.1 Éclair found on the Galaxy S and its presence will surely be appreciated.

The other main difference between the two phones is the screen technology employed. The original Galaxy S came with a Super AMOLED screen that is the height of Samsung´s display technology, but the Galaxy SL now has Super Clear LCD. Although unconfirmed by Samsung it seems that the change has been made to preserve stocks of Super AMOLED screens for the Galaxy S2. Super AMOLED is the most vibrant screen technology available and as such Super Clear LCD is a slight step down. However, in everyday circumstances the differences will not be noticeable as Super Clear LCD is still an exceptionally clear and vibrant screen technology in its own right.

The Galaxy S was well renowned for being an exceptional phone for music, video, games, web browsing and messaging and the Galaxy SL does not differ in this department. There is excellent playback support for music and video, including streaming content from online thanks to Adobe Flash support and a preinstalled YouTube app. The Galaxy SL also comes with excellent graphics acceleration allowing for some fantastic touchscreen games to be enjoyed.

For messaging there is social network integration straight out of the box for Facebook and Twitter, allowing you to easily keep up to date with your social circle or post your own status. Threaded SMS is also available as well as email, including Gmail, and instant messaging clients such as Google Talk. All of this is greatly enhanced by speedy 3G and Wi-Fi connections that provide you with constant access to the internet for communications or just general web browsing purposes.

The Galaxy SL scores all the same goals as the original Galaxy S which was a hugely popular handset. While the screen technology may be a slight step down from the original Galaxy S it will only be noticeable when placing the two phones side by side, and the Galaxy SL is also afforded a better operating system than the original. For a high powered smartphone that is great for entertainment, web browsing, social networking, gaming and messaging you can´t really go wrong with the Galaxy SL.