Mobile Phone Review: Samsung Galaxy S (Android 2.3)

The competition between Apple Inc's iOS mobile operating system and Google's open source alternative Android is such that fanboys on both sides have frequently clashed with regards to which is better, often with a smug sense of arrogance which, somehow, entitles them to the status of being a better person than their opponents. Small wonder then, that the most fervent, intolerant and stubborn supporters on both sides of the debate are still virgins and to whom Valentine's Day involves a day out with their mumsy dearest.

The truth to the matter, from a consumer perspective, is that both have their qualities and good points. iOS, is, I admit, a little bit better on the whole than Android, on the basis of its sleek, user friendly and intuitive interface. Android on the other hand, literally leaves you to your own devices and is about as friendly as a rabid pit bull that has been teased. In contrast to the Apple devices, you need to optain your MCSE certificate in order to configure it.

But Android (2.3) has some brilliant points. The pull down menu (which in iOS 5.0 only gives notifications) allows you to disable or enable, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, sound and auto rotation. It also gives you multiple options for configuring the lock screen. Brilliant. And the wallpaper selection is much too. Android market, I feel, is better than the App Store as well.

Getting down to the hardware side of things, the Samsung Galaxy S, with Android Gingerbread (2.3) is a good looking phone. Better than most of the other Samsung phones in fact. The others look like cheap Chinese knock-offs. But this thing oozes style and appeal.

The build quality is very good, although it feels too plasticky and fragile, but that's nothing that a good quality case protector can't fix. The sound quality through the built in speaker is a bit rubbish as well. Access to buttons is good as well.

The camera is more than adequate for the job, featuring a 5 megapixel resolution, which is good enough for most casual photographic purposes. The super AMOLED screen is bright-colorful and vibrant, although still inferior to the HD retina display on the iPhone 4, 4S and iPod touch. The touch screen is very nearly as good as the Apple, not too sensitive but not too weak either.

Battery life is kind of "meh", and like most Smartphones it is wise to turn off features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and other battery draining features off when not in use. Unless of course, you are game to make charging your phone on a daily basis a routine chore.

In summary, this is a very good smartphone, and probably one of the best 'Droid phones ever made. My advice would be to get an iPod touch, with iOS 5, then get one of these babies, and have the best of both worlds.

Pros: Beautiful design, very competent and reliable OS, well-made.

Cons: Battery life, feels a bit plasticky to hold, speaker quality a bit poor.