Samsung Galaxy S: To Infinity and Beyond!

We could get all galactic on you, throwing space quotes left right and centre, making obvious comparisons between the Skywalker quest and that of the latest Samsung being, which just so happens to harness  the power of Android. But that would do this handset no justice; no Star Wars skirmish or Trekkie clash could ever accurately describe the task ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S. Prepped to do battle with the Apple warlord, this droid is gonna mix things up.

Whether it’s for the sophisticated innards or its brazen exterior, this handset is guaranteed to get you noticed. Samsung have made no secret of the Galaxy’s most favourable feature, the screen, or rather all 4inches of Super AMOLED greatness. The Samsung Galaxy S is without a doubt, the touchscreen title holder in every respect. The daddy of displays sports a 4inch-capacitive Super AMOLED fuelled touchscreen which is further enhanced by that proprietary TouchWiz technology that Samsung have thrown in for good measure. Better still, those beloved designers have acknowledged that we’re a fickle bunch so have provided plenty of eye-candy both inside and out.

For starters the slim waistline of the Galaxy S gives it a sleek streamline feel, rounded edges soften the blow of carrying a larger partner around and a few carefully placed buttons effectively merge the screen into the bodywork. Flip it over and you’ll find dotted detail on the rear cover and that instantly recognisable Android marking. Despite being a little on the large side the Samsung Galaxy S is surprising light, coming in at just 118gs which isn’t bad considering the monstrous front panel it houses. Put all this together and this new Galaxy is fast becoming a very attractive package.

Delve inside and you’re greeted with an eclectic mix of Android and Touchwiz technology. It’s the company’s third Android handset and only the second packing Touchwiz of the 3.0 variety, having had a few ‘trial runs’ if you will we’re expecting great things from this terrestrial being. The homescreen is typical of  a high powered smartphone,  7 customisable screens each waiting to be filled with any of the 8 different Samsung widgets that are on offer, from the conventional clock and weather tools through to the all important social network feeds, ‘buddies’ list, which is essentially photo contacts, and something called Days. This uses a similar method to HTC’s footprints, take a photo and it will pull through all the updates, notes and reminders and what not that you pair it with.

The quick access toolbar takes its natural place at the bottom of the screen. The four different options are currently preset to dialler, contacts, messaging and apps but these can be changed. The  standard Android notification area is onboard and can be accessed with a nifty swipe downwards to the bottom of the screen, this holds all your usual info – Bluetooth options, battery life, notices and will also provide a quick link to the music player, if it’s switched on. The menu set up is effective and easy to use, horizontal swipes bring up different pages all in the uniform icon-grid style.  The user experience as a whole is undoubtedly Android, however TouchWiz is on permanent standby providing attractive features and simplifying the mobile process.

Having moved away from the household Snapdragon processor and opted for the Samsung 1GHz Hummingbird, we were sceptical about how much power the Galaxy S was packing. Those worries were unnecessary because the S is one of the fastest, most responsive handsets we’ve had the pleasure of playing with in a long time, not to mention the multitasking capabilities. You can ring your friend, search through your images, send a multimedia message and have a browser open in the background without experiencing lag, a pretty impressive feat you’ll agree.

While messaging options may not seem like the most exciting thing to talk about, the text input on the Samsung Galaxy S is definitely worth a mention. ‘Swype’ provides a whole new texting experience, instead of tapping keys you’re meant to sweep your finger across the virtual keyboard to write. Start with the first letter and glide between the rest to spell out your desired word, this leaves a visual finger trail noting your movements across the screen. It takes a while to get used to it and on more than one occasion we sent unreadable messages but it’s one of those features that you can show off in the pub.

Perhaps one of the most important features of the Galaxy S is the video functions. Not only can this beaut capture video in HD, making it a real contender in the pocket HD recorder stakes, but has DivX support too so you can play all those films of yours at the push of a button. Added extras include DLNA support, which lets you stream videos and photos to DLNA-enabled TV’s or media players, (a computer with WiFi and DLNA capabilities would also work) and a decent 5mp camera, suitable for everyday snapping.

Whether it’s multimedia you’re after, a super speedy smartphone or just a pretty screen, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S can deliver.