So here we are, folks. The first out of the gate with the Samsung Galaxy variants, the T-Mobile Vibrant. The VIbrant is running Android 2.1 w/TouchWiz 3.0 UI, armed with a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 4inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 16GB of internal memory, 5MP camera w/ 720p HD video recording, and a 1500 mAh battery. Swype app and Avatar movie (on MicroSD card) are pre-installed on the Vibrant. The Vibrant is one of the first of Samsung’s high-end Android device and Galaxy S variants are coming for other four major carriers in the US. Thanks to T-Mobile’s PR people we got a review unit to test out, let’s delve deeper in what the Vibrant can do.
With the Vibrant, the Super AMOLED touchscreen makes everything you view on it bright and crisp. Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen rivals iPhone 4’s retina display as it reduces sunlight glare and makes YouTube (in high quality) & Avatar look near immaculate by mobile device standards. Having Swype built-in makes the virtual keyboard a preferred choice over physical. The 1GHz Hummingbird processor keeps the lag time on the Vibrant at a minimum. The Vibrant’s Micro-USB port has a lovely sliding door to cover it and keep it from getting damaged or the port dirty. The Vibrant is very well built overall with no loose physical buttons and sturdy manufacturing.
The camera features of the Vibrant are quite impressive although an actual flash is absent. The 5MP optics can do more than meets the eye. The Vibrant has six different shooting modes including Continuous, Cartoon, Action Shot, and Panorama w/ Assist. The scene features include Face-Detection, Auto-focus, Anti-Shake, and Blink Detection. To make up for the flash (sort of) you can use the Night scene mode to assist in making your pictures in a low-light shot. It helps but in a pitch black setting it does nothing. The phone voice quality is pretty clear and the speakerphone can pick up and cancel other noises. I had the phone in speakerphone mode on my lap while driving and the caller on the other line heard me loud and clear, a big plus by Samsung.
The Vibrant isn’t without its flaws though. Samsung’s Super AMOLED bright & crisp screen acts as a double-edge sword. As constant usage of the screen is a HUGE killer on the battery life. So using the Vibrant for heavy YouTube and multimedia streaming along with using normal tasks will bring your battery life to around 6 hours instead of a little over 11 hours with moderate usage. With this said, you are definitely forced to use your phone lock button whenever it is not in use. Not having an actual flash present for its camera, prevents the Vibrant from being a decent full-fledged camera phone.
The back battery cover could have been better built for the Vibrant. Samsung took the HTC’s approach with the G1 in regards to a lift and snap off case. I swear I was gonna break it off during my first attempt to remove the battery case. The Vibrant could have been more of a powerhouse if the front-facing camera wasn’t carrier disabled/removed. Even without the flash, the front-facing camera would’ve made the Vibrant more awesome. The overseas version of the Samsung Galaxy S are armed with one along with Sprint’s Galaxy S variant Epic 4G.
Throughout all the good and the bad with the Samsung Vibrant, it still stands as the very best of what T-Mobile currently offers. Samsung’s TouchWiz UI isn’t that at all noticeable and doesn’t take away from the Android experience. Many Apple lovers will call it an Android-powered, iPhone clone and it is not that. The Galaxy is definitely a premium Android device and offers a healthy variety to those who purchase this puppy. The Vibrant’s 4inch screen doesn’t make it an oversized phone as I have been throwing it in my fifth pocket next to my Bold 9700 in the holster. Priced at $199.99 makes it a divine purchase for all. The Galaxy S shows the public that Android is no longer a game played by HTC and Motorola. Make room for Samsung.
