Review Samsung Galaxy S 4G (T-Mobile) Review of Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S 4G Rated 4 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

In the television commercial, the Samsung Galaxy S 4G is a beautiful woman in a pink dress. Reviewers found many beautiful features of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and were impressed by the gorgeous Super AMOLED touchscreen, fast 4G data speeds, entertaining media, long battery life and excellent call quality. T-Mobile calls it the fastest phone running on its 4G network, and reviewers' test results proved this to be true.

Reviewers compared the Samsung Galaxy S 4G to its predecessor, the Samsung Vibrant, and called it a minor upgrade with the new features of front-facing camera, 4G data access, mobile hotspot and silver tone finish. Since the Vibrant was released in July, and most Vibrant users will not be eligible for an upgrade, reviewers noted that the features don't warrant a new purchase yet. However, new smartphone buyers should consider this Laptop Editor's Choice.

Reviewers did not like that the camera doesn't have flash, there is no HDMI port, screen unlocking is difficult, and the current pricing is high (T-Mobile first announced a price of $149.99 that was raised to $199.99).

Specs of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G include Android 2.2 Froyo, a front-facing camera, 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz processor, 16GB microSD installed, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi calling, Bluetooth, and a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording. It comes with a copy of the movie Inception, T-Mobile TV, Samsung Media Hub (to buy video), Pandora Radio, and DoubleTwist software with AirSync for Wi-Fi media synching.

The Wi-Fi calling has landline quality and uses wireless calling minutes. Video conferencing is the best with Qik so far but not as neat as Apple iPhone FaceTime. Video playback is good while video streaming is pixelated. The movie Inception is described as awesome.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4G has many desirable features and is now discounted to $139.99 at Amazon Wireless for new customers with a contract and $149.99 for renewing customers. It is clearly marketed to heavy data users who like video, media and music. If you are in the market for a new T-Mobile smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S 4G is definitely worth a test drive for those with "a need for speed."

The Samsung Galaxy 4G appears in Wireless and Mobile News Top Ten Best Android Phones Now an' Later, the best smartphones so far for 2011, and is listed in Review of Reviews.

To learn how to use the Social and Media Hubs, read this Samsung Galaxy S tips and tricks article.
Bonnie Cha at CNET rated the Samsung Galaxy S 4G 4 out of 5 for its impressive 4G speeds, front-facing camera, large capacity battery, Android 2.2, 5MP camera and gorgeous/responsive Super AMOLED touchscreen. She didn't like that the camera doesn't have lash, lower internal memory than the Samsung Vibrant but not worth an updgrade from Samsung Vibrant but a top pick for new smartphone buyers. It has silver reflex finish on the back. You can make calls over Wi-Fi but it costs wireless minutes. Entertainment apps include the movie "Inception' Slacker Radio, Kindle for Android, and DoubleTwist software with AirSync for Wi-Fi media synching. 720p HD video recording was quite good. Call quality was excellent.

Jamie Lendino at PCMag rated the Samsung Galaxy S 4G 4 out of 5 for its slim design, gorgeious touchsreen, very fast 4G HSPA+ data speed, media, and solid battery life. He didn't like the buggy TV app. The new chrome styling makes the Vibrant look cheap. He found the best download speed to be 6.39Mbps while theoretically it could go up to 21Mbps. Call quality was excellent while Wi-Fi calls were brittle sounding. Battery life was excellent at 17 hours. He thought that the Media Hub has a tedious login process. T-Mobile streamed video looked pixelated while standalone video looked fine. Test photos were sharp and clear.

Mark Spoonauer at Laptop rated the Samsung Galaxy S 4G 4 out 5 for the fastest T-Mobile data speed, media apps, 720p camcorder, battery life and gorgeous Super AMOLED touchscreen. He didn't like that it lacks a camera flash and HDMI out port. He found the lock screen and lag times annoying. It is priced higher than other Android 4G smartphones. A curved bump on the bottom makes it easier to hold. It Is DLNA-streamable. The Swype keyboard was easy to use in one hand. The speaker was "pretty loud." Processor benchmark tests were about the same as the Vibrant. Peak download speed was 5.5Mbps and upload speed was 1.7Mbps. It can used as mobile hotspot for $15 a month. The movie Inception looked awesome. Photo color quality was good but a little fuzzy. Qik video conference was better than other times he used the service and had decent quality. Call quality was clear while Wi-Fi calling had landline-like quality. Battery life was excellent at 7 hours and 5 minutes. It received Editor's Choice.