Galaxy 5 comes with Android 2.1 (Éclair) platform. So you will get all standard function that Éclair have. Except that it has NO multitouch function for this phone. It’s kinda lame actually. People buy Android phone usually because of the multitouch.
Anyway, I’m not going to review about standard Android function. You can have that when you buy other Android phone. So, what makes this phone unique than other Éclair platform’s phone?
Galaxy 5 features the TouchWiz UI, which means it comes with 7 home screens, all available for you to personalize as you wish. Default home screen for TouchWiz UI will be at the first screen, unlike HTC Sense which is at the center. But that’s not a big deal because this mobile phone is quite responsive when swiping through home screens. So far, no lag using the phone. Good thing about TouchWiz is, it has the power controls on the notification drawer. Easier for you to switch on/off your Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.
The main menu of this phone is different from other Android phones where it is divided into pages. The menus are not listed vertically like standard Android phones. So the swiping is sideways, not like typical Android phones where you swipe up and down. Just like iPhone huh?
In addition to the Google apps, there are some Samsung widgets you may want to use. My favorite is the Daily Briefing because you can stay informed on current affairs.
The Daily Briefing widget shows you the latest news, stock developments, weather reports, and your appointments for the day ahead. This is a handy widget, especially when placed on the home screen so you can see from a quick glance what’s happening.
It also has Accuweather – a weather update app. This is somewhat similar to HTC Sense’s interface, although it can’t beat HTC's animated weather widget. LoL!
Since there’s no multitouch, when using the web browser, you have to double tap to zoom or use the zoom in and out icons on the bottom. The web browser loads pages fast and has text reflow. Unfortunately, no Flash player here yet.
Galaxy 5 only has a 2 megapixel camera but it has different scene modes, white balance, ISO, etc. But there is no flash. But since this is an entry level phone, the camera is probably the least of the concern.
I did not save pictures I took using this phone but you can visit Calvin Chew blog to see the pictures.
One of the best things I like about this phone is that it has the option to let you choose between Samsung's alphanumeric keypad and a QWERTY keypad in portrait mode. Not forgetting the Swype function. The screen is really small for typing but the keyboard are relatively responsive.
Another thing, which I feel a lil bit like a loser if compared to my HTC Hero is, this phone comes with FM Radio! Not just normal FM Radio, but Stereo FM radio with RDS.
So, is it worth to buy or not? It depends on you. If you want an Android but can’t afford higher-end Android phones like the Galaxy S or maybe ehem, HTC Hero, then Samsung Galaxy 5 is an option for you.
It’s not really a sampah phone. It comes with WiFi, camera, GPS (though many claimed unreliable), and all the basic Android features. At least it performs faster than my HTC Hero. I miss playing Angry Birds on this phone. Much smoother when compared to playing it on my HTC Hero!
*Again, many thanks to Rebecca and Advertlets for providing the phone for this review.
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