Samsung Galaxy S 4G Android Smartphone Review


Design

The Samsung Galaxy S 4G has a look and feel that's similar to other phones in the Galaxy S line-up. After all, it has the same display, backlit buttons, and candy bar form factor. It does have a few styling differences, such as the chrome edging and back cover with a silver and charcoal gradient. We've liked the look and feel of other Galaxy S devices, so the similarities are fine by us. Overall, the phone is a good-looking device that's comfortable to hold.

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Samsung's 4-inch Super AMOLED Screen with a resolution of 480x800 covers the majority of the front of this phone. Above the display, there's a VGA camera for video chat. Below the screen, there are four backlit buttons (Menu, Home, Back, and Search) that are flush with the screen and provide haptic feedback when pressed.

Although the phone has a similar design and look as some other Android devices we've seen, its weight is less than other handsets we've seen recently. Here's how the Galaxy S 4G compares:

Samsung Galaxy S 4G 4.2 ounces
Samsung Captivate
4.5 ounces
Nexus S
4.55 ounces
HTC Droid Incredible
4.6 ounces
Apple iPhone 4
4.8 ounces
Motorola Droid X
5.47 ounces
Samsung Epic 4G
5.47 ounces
HTC EVO 4G
6 ounces

The Galaxy S 4G has rounded edges and corners. The back plastic battery cover has a smooth finish. The cover doesn't feel very sturdy when removed from the phone, but it's no worse than other plastic covers we've seen in the past.

During our review, we noticed fingerprints will collect on the Galaxy S 4G's screen, but they didn't appear to affect performance. Moreover, fingerprints didn't collect any worse than on other smartphones. When put side-by-side with the Nexus S and its anti-fingerprint coating, however, you'll definitely notice a difference in the amount of fingerprints that collect on these two phones.

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Click to enlarge

On the left side of the Galaxy S 4G, you'll find a volume rocker. The right edge of the phone houses the power button. On the top edge of the phone, there's a microUSB port with a sliding cover and a 3.5mm headset jack. Beneath the battery cover, you'll find the Galaxy S 4G's preinstalled 16GB microSD card.

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