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Globe’s Android: Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica

Just found out that Globe is offering its own Android phone too with the Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica. Now I didn’t see that coming considering Globe has its hands locked on the iPhone OS, a competing platform, for years.

The Samsung Galaxy Spica looks promising and from the specs alone, it seems better than my HTC Hero (recently crowned Mobile Phone of the Year at Mobile World Congress 2010 ).

Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica
3.2 inches @ 320 x 480 pixels
800MHz Samsung processor
180MB internal storage
up to 32GB on microSD
3G/HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
GPS (SGPS only, no A-GPS)
3.15 MP autofocus camera
Android OS v1.5 or v2.1
1500mAh Li-Ion battery

I think it’s the cheapest (or best bang for the buck, if you will) Android phone locally available — about Php14,995 on Globe Prepaid, Php10,900 on Globe 500 and totally free on Globe Plan 1800 (with free 1 month Super Surf). The speedy processor here is essential as Android handsets tend to slow down over time (the perils of multi-tasking).

As a comparison, Smart is also offering the Android-powered HTC Magic for free on Plan 1800 .

Update: Went to a Globe Business Center and they could not verify the Android version. I had to wait in line for my turn but did not have the patience so I left. Found an un-locked unit being sold for Php14,900 but they would not un-box the handset unless I pay for it first (bummer). Already sent inquiry to Samsung and Globe but no response yet.

Update: Got SMS from a Samsung rep that told me it’s Android Donut out of the box and upgrade-able to Eclair.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

208 Responses

  1. Avatar for Jm Jm says:

    san po ba nakakabili ng galaxy spica sa iba kacng globe store wala cla eh..

  2. Avatar for Wreek Wreek says:

    Mine is for sale like new complete seldom use with black sicon case and extra screen protector 9k o9204798377′ 092281*****

  3. Avatar for nenmaroon nenmaroon says:

    what is the current price of this phone? Please help me,,, BIG THANKS!!! :)

  4. Avatar for NemOry NemOry says:

    @sir Abe, matagal q nang d na upgrade sa eclair ung akin v1.5 po akin. . .panu q kya ma uupgrade OS q panget 1.5. . .huhu.

  5. Avatar for samsungspicaGlobe samsungspicaGlobe says:

    cno po meron alam ng unlock codes ng samsung I5700?nkalock po sa globe?salamat

  6. Avatar for sylv3rblade sylv3rblade says:

    @GlobeSpicaUser
    CM 6.1 alpha 7.3 is stable but still an alpha build.

  7. Avatar for GlobeSpicaUser GlobeSpicaUser says:

    @everyone: has anyone have news on stable froyo ROM for the spica?

  8. Avatar for GlobeSpicaUser GlobeSpicaUser says:

    anyone have news on stable froyo update for spica?

  9. Avatar for leemar leemar says:

    @alyssa

    gumamit ka ng apn ng globe or smart.

  10. Avatar for Missteryous Missteryous says:

    Paano po gumamit ng internet sa galaxy spica na hindi gumagamit ng wifi, ung gumagamit lng ng load?

  11. Avatar for erstie erstie says:

    i have the same problem with eugene.. this is just the first time i used the net via wifi and even though i got connected still i can’t open pages on the web.. plss help..

  12. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    @eugene: even when you’re connected to a wi-fi spot or internet plan?

  13. Avatar for eugene eugene says:

    i cant use my GPRS on my samsung spica. can anyone help THX :)

  14. Avatar for MsDoktora MsDoktora says:

    Hello, i hope someone could help me on how to download apps on my sd card instead sa phone memory… mejo small kasi un memory ng phone… thank you so much

  15. Avatar for kingtsy kingtsy says:

    @dongv: have you tried htc ime? I like it than the android kb.

  16. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    @dongv: I had a samsung kb when i bought it nung V1.5 pa sya. once upgraded nawala yung option for it. I don’t remember it being great anyway.

    about the wifi-sleep: actually i’ve never had to leave my Wifi on that long so I actually don’t know if it disconnects when it sleeps.

    one other option is to get the TASKER app. binili ko to kasi its the best productivity app ive used. (http://tasker.dinglisch.net/) you can make a task/profile na when your phone sleeps keep the wifi on or whatever you can dream up. try it. galing sobra. mejo mahal sya to buy though but its free to try

  17. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    thanks, will try to get use to the android kb instead, does your spica comes with other kb like samsung kb?
    what I means with the wifi is the wifi-sleep, I have to set to never or it will automatically disabled when spica slept and when it wake up after 30 minutes or more, the wifi can’t be connected again but have to off then on the wifi in order to connect

  18. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    @dongv: ah ok. well i only use the android keyboard. i got used to it after a while na. yea the gesture type keyboard never worked for me either.

    about your other problem, so when the phone display goes off tapos when you wake it up your wifi wont connect? im confused, how do you know the wifi works for you in the first place? anyway i find the spica slightly picky with wifi AP. minsan my netbook gets a healthy signal while my phone which is sitting right beside it can’t even find the signal.

    sorry i said i’d help you pero reklamo din ako hehe

  19. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    @monkeyboner, sorry, pati myself hilo na rin,
    its on 2.1 update 1 already, also napansin ko wala siya samsung keyboard installed only 1 keyboard which is android kb, I tried swype but can’t really get use of it,
    ano maganda kb for spica?

  20. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    @dongv

    sorry mejo nakakalito yung post mo but ill try to help ya :

    If you’re using Android 1.5 (Cupcake), upgrade to the latest OS (Eclair is the latest for Spica) ASAP.

  21. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    got a spica, I think this is not from local, checked and it has no APN, does this mean no data service will be used? afraid kasi baka sjy high ang bill ko dahil sa data, sahil din dito walang ‘3G’ logo sa signal bar ko? I have tried to turn off ‘use 2G only’ but still no ‘3G’ logo.

    also I have a problem, when it sleep, I can’t connect to wifi when it woke up, if I turn off the wifi-sleep naman, parang lakas sa battery,

    is there any tutorials for dummies? parang bobo tuloy ako when I holding this phone, nakakahiya,

    but its a great phone, after 24 hrs, I already have itch for a bigger screen Android phone, iPhone 4G skipped my upgrade plan already,

  22. Avatar for coldfire coldfire says:

    thanks monkeyboner….another thing is can i change qwerty keypad to alphanumeric keypad?

  23. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    “can anyone help…need to save my market apps on sdcard…thanks”

    you can download Astro File Manager from the Market. It’s an owzum file manager plus it has a ulitity to backup all your applications onto your SD card.

  24. Avatar for coldfire coldfire says:

    can anyone help…need to save my market apps on sdcard…thanks

  25. Avatar for NemOry NemOry says:

    Sir yuga pareho pala tayo prob….gusto ko tlaga ma upgrade….I hope if you apgraded it…can you inform here…and how….im stock sa 1.5,,,,huhuhuhuhuhuhu….. nemoryol****@****.*** email nyo me guys talk tayo

  26. Avatar for NemOry NemOry says:

    sir YUGA…I need help…..my galaxy spica i5700 is from globe…and is not openline….can you help me how to open line??maybe you know how???huhuhuhuh…..chaka android 1.5 palang xa….gusto ko sna ma upgrade sa 2.1….I hope somebody can help me….

  27. Avatar for MsDoktora MsDoktora says:

    guys, pano ba maginstall ng apps sa sd card instead na sa phone memory? pano ba ginagawa un root? un guy kasi sa samsung hindi marunong… thanks

  28. Avatar for leem leem says:

    i cant use my spica’s gprs/3g connection thru my globe’s prepaid sim pero sa smart sim ok naman, please help me, by the way my sim is a 9yr old globe prepaid sim. pero sa ibang phone like nokia working naman ang connection.

    please help. ano ba setting dapat?

    thanks

  29. Avatar for Veronica Veronica says:

    My GT I5700 says “this could be a temp. problem or your phone may not be provisioned for data services. if continues, call custo. services”. please help.

  30. Avatar for Nishi Nishi says:

    I got mine from globe, i don’t know kung san pa meron, parang limited lang yata yung white. Halos lahat ng store puro black yung nakikita ko.

  31. Avatar for fearless_wiz fearless_wiz says:

    huy guys! do you know where I can find the white version of this phone? wala kasi ako makita sa sm north…

  32. Avatar for Shutdown Shutdown says:

    anyone know how to install apps2sd?
    or how to intsall apps in the sd card

  33. Avatar for archer archer says:

    another query, do you guys experience the not so good battery life of spica? My battery life only last for 1.5 days with only these activities: occasional texting, 40-mins surfing the web and sometimes browsing the phone. My display brightness is set to 0%, no apps running in the background, and all connections(wifi bluetooth etc)are off.

  34. Avatar for archer archer says:

    How do I install an app to my cellphone? i always receive the error message saying no app opener for this something like that.

  35. Avatar for need help need help says:

    wow kuya!! dami mo naman alam, iba talaga pag IT. :)
    eh san kya ako pwd magpa root kuya? pwd ba sa samsung service center? sabay software update to 2.1 na pag bumuli ako ng unit?

    ahm isa pa sanang question kuya, kasi ang balita ko sa ibang cp for example, upto 16gb expandable mem, pag nilagyan mo cya nga 16gb ay nag hhang na.
    same ba yan sa spica? or ok pa rin cya kht lagyan ng 32gb mem?
    ilang kuya mem card na nka lagay sa spica mo?

  36. Avatar for John John says:

    @need help

    Ikaw magconfigure ng 3g/gprs/mms settings mo.
    ung root is oneway to modify your spica para sa sd card cya ma install lahat ng apps. kasi 180mb i think lng ang capacity ng spica built in mem. id magdownload ka ng apps and games sa built in mem kasi cya ma save. so e root mo cya para sa sd na ang mga apps.

  37. Avatar for need help need help says:

    @john

    Ahm.,yung root yan ba yung upgrade version to 2.1 eclair na sinasabi?
    tpos kuya may nabasa kasi ako sa mga comment, pag bili mo ng spica mo, kw ba ang mag configure sa wifi,3g connection, etc pra gumana? o automatic na ok na and ready to use.

  38. Avatar for John John says:

    @need help,
    malakas cya kumain ng bat pagnka 3g and wifi always. Android market is free register kalang sa google. and if magdownload ka u need wifi syempre if wifi free na yun. pero if mag3g ka meron na bawas sa load mo. as far as i experience hindi pa cya laggy. nakaroot kasi spica ko, ang jet laggy talaga.

    so far so good pa spica ko.

  39. Avatar for need help need help says:

    @john

    salamat sa reply buddy =)
    wow interesting!! ka-excited naman yan, cguro mag spica na lng ako.. isa ko kasing prob sa spica is yung design nya, parang walang masyadong dating.. hehe
    pero importante naman is yung features dba?
    as of know, anu mga na-encounter mo na problem sa phone mo? yung battery life ba nya pang matagalan dn naman? hnd naman laggy? & yung pag DL ng apps sa android market at pag connect sa google may bayad or free lang?
    pasensya kung maraming tanong :D

  40. Avatar for John John says:

    @need help
    depende sa gamit mo pre, got an jet last year. and it did not cater my needs as an IT guy, the best feature lng ng jet is the camera and the wifi, limited lng ang downloads. since i got the spica, it makes my day beautiful(lol) coz it’s in android flat form and it’s the 2nd best todays mobile flat form. it updates me from news, weather, twitter, facebook. since it is from google, im always sync with my gmail, google calendar, gmail contacts, and even gps in google maps. as web developer i can even edit my projects from server using dropbox. and upload it to remote server using andFTP. lot of games. in games i got armored strike(like gunbound)online game. and zenonia like zelda rpg. overall, love the android mobile flat form.

    :D

  41. Avatar for need help need help says:

    samsung galaxy spica or samsung jet?
    need your opinion guys, im very very confused what to buy ;(

  42. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @Newbie:
    are you sure you have the correct apn settings, if you’re using 3G?

    wifi or 3g can be used to access the android market, as long as there’s good data connection the market is accessible.

    if you’re using globe, i believe somebody already posted the apn setting for both postpaid and prepaid. not sure about other network providers though.

  43. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    what will happen if i do the hard factory reset?will i lose all my applications?

    thanks,

  44. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    In my account it shows here this message.

    “this could be a temporary problem or your phone may not be provisioned for data services. if it continues.call customer care”

    The following products are not yet available in this dashboard.
    1.Android Market Publisher Site

  45. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    @john

    i already registered to google mail but still when i try to connect using quick setup then when i tried to sign in, still i can’t connect.is it ok if i use a 3g connection in signing in?

    thanks,

  46. Avatar for John John says:

    @Newbie
    you have to register at google. android is link to google accounts. then in your account setting sync yout google account there. then u will have access in everything from email to maps and market.

  47. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    @narcoleptic

    what could be your suggestion for my spica coz right now i can’t access my android market using a 3G/GPRS connection. is it possible that i can access the market through Wifi connection??

    Thanks..

  48. Avatar for John John says:

    I Have Spica 2.1 and i already rooted it this is my version now.
    kernel: 2.6.29
    build number: LK2.03.3/SamdroidMod

    Leshak is updating the spica for froyo 2.2, and im waiting for his update.

  49. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @Newbie:
    i think it’s a firmware issue, but i could be wrong.
    i’m also running on 2.1 but here’s my specs:

    Firmware Version: 2.1 – update 1
    Baseband Version: i570EDXJC2
    Kernel Version: 2.6.29
    Build Number: ECLAIR.DXJC4

    i didn’t encounter any issue when i flashed my phone to this firmware.

  50. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    Eto po yung Firmware Version ng Spica ko..

    Firmware Version: 2.1 – update 1
    Baseband Version: i570EDAJD1
    Kernel Version: 2.6.29
    Build Number: ECLAIR.DAJD2

  51. Avatar for Newbie Newbie says:

    i got my new spica eclair 2.1 . how to install non-market application coz i cant activate my android market? ..and my laptop cant recognize my phone as an andoid. your help will be much appreciated. can samsung service center here in manila help me?

  52. Avatar for confused boy confused boy says:

    hello po jan sa mga may experience na in using samsung galaxy spica. pa tulong naman po pag bigay ng opinions kung dapat ko ba bilin itong unit, why?
    other option ko is samsung jet, nokia 5800xm, c6.

    ang sakin lng naman is, responsive touch, hnd laggy, good camera & vid quality, have more apps(themes,games,etc),long lasting battery life, good speaker,user friendly.

    thanks in advance na po, d kasi ako maka pili ng unit sa dami ng mga bagong models ngayon.
    excited to have my first touch phone :)

    godbless

  53. Avatar for jedd louie jedd louie says:

    meron n rin poh akong spica gling ibang bansa kso 1.5 lng po san ko po ba pwedeng dalin to pra mpaupgrade ng 2.1???thx poh sa tutulong..wla nga lng po akong reciept ng cp ko kc pdala lng po ng papa ko..=))

  54. Avatar for Joh Joh says:

    Got one too.. Already in 2.1, but you can’t root it if ur version is jc4 it’s official from samsung update, we’ll just wait for the update.

    Android is really better than windows mobile for me. im using google the most, from email to contacts and docs.

    im on smart service. if you can’t activate your Smart 3g/MMS/GPRS, just visit in here for full setting guide: http://bit.ly/9cmjAp

  55. Avatar for muffix muffix says:

    Just got the i5700 this afternoon
    got it for P13.2k
    and already running at 2.1 firmware
    any advise on what to install?
    TIA

  56. Avatar for simar simar says:

    got one postpaid from globe, its 2.1 already.

  57. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @wippee: the upgrade is free at samsung service centers. just bring your receipt.

    @Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4: haven’t rooted my phone yet.

  58. Avatar for wippee wippee says:

    uhm. free lang po ba yung pag-upgrade from 1.5 to 2.1. im gonna buy one in 3 months. hihi, masyadong excited. Glad to have it as my first phone. im 13. :)

  59. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    @idlewild, @nikofoos, rooted na ba yung mga JC4 firmware niyo?

    anyone rooted their spica on jc4 firmware na?

  60. Avatar for archer archer says:

    have you guys tried installing a live wallpaper? does it work?

  61. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @bryanflurry: i tried playing a divx movie, but sadly it failed. based from what i’ve read online, i think we need to follow a specific format – if i may put it that way – in terms of fps, codecs and resolution. still trying to figure out how. haven’t tried it yet but i’ll tell you once i’ve done so.

    i’ll follow you on twitter, and send you a dm.
    ^_^

  62. Avatar for bryanflurry bryanflurry says:

    @narcoleptic Are you having problems with the divx player? It won’t play the divx files :( Also, do you have twitter or other ways of contacting you?

  63. Avatar for Nishi Nishi says:

    Here is the setting for myGlobe Internet and myGlobe MMS.

    For Postpaid only.

    Globe APN:

    Globe Internet:
    Name: myGlobe Internet
    APN: internet.globe.com.ph
    Proxy:
    Port:
    Username:
    Password:
    Server:
    MMSC:
    MMS Proxy:
    MMS Port:
    MMS Protocol:
    MCC: 515
    MNC: 02
    APN type: internet

    Globe MMS:
    Name: myGlobe MMS
    APN: mms.globe.com.ph
    Proxy:
    Port:
    Username:
    Password:
    Server:
    MMSC: http://192.40.100.22:10021/mmsc
    MMS Proxy: 192.40.100.20
    MMS Port: 8080
    MMS Protocol:
    MCC: 515
    MNC: 02
    APN Type: mms

  64. Avatar for Andrei Andrei says:

    Dear everyone, thank you for the feedbacks. Kakaupdate ko lang po nung phone ko to 2.1. Ngayon po, nagkaproblema ako, hindi na po ako makasend ng MMS. Pati po GPRS and internet settings, nawala na rin po.

    May solution po ba kayo rito? BTW, Globe po ang line ko.

    Thank you very much!

  65. Avatar for Mayk Mayk says:

    @epoLzpie you don’t need an 8GB or 16GB microSD to upgrade. I had mine upgrade in Samsung (Sincere Electronics Service Center,
    Garden Level Bonaventure Plaza Ortigas Avenue Greenhills, San Juan
    Phone : 726-6624 / 410-5001
    Fax : 3834768 &3834773), it took less than 1 hr, including the queuing. The upgrade will be all stored in the ROM, SIM card and SD card will be removed prior to upgrade.

    Default launcher is Pantheon, from Samsung, so far I have tried replacing it with Helix Launcher, LauncherPro and Helix Launcher 2 (all available for Free in Android Market). Helix Launcher 2 doesn’t work, always FC. Helix Launcher is simpler and faster than Pantheon, but I’m currently using LauncherPro which I think is the best so far.

  66. Avatar for epoLzpie epoLzpie says:

    hi guys, had my spica for more than a week now. good thing i found this forum, helps me a lot to appreciate my phone. i have a lot of things to learn about this phone. currently i’m still running on 1.5 but planning to upgrade once i buy an 8gb or 16gb sd card, so i can really enjoy my phone.

  67. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    @orphen77: Samsung GHILLS will update any Samsung phone as long as you have the receipt of purchase. I forgot mine but they still updated my Spica. nice!

  68. Avatar for pinoygeek pinoygeek says:

    Guys try to visit spicamanila.tk, it is a forum dedicated to users of galaxy spica, your queries can be answered there quickly and also you can post things that could help others too…

  69. Avatar for Orphen77 Orphen77 says:

    Question lng po.. Khit po b s mga stall s greenhills aq bumili ng galaxy spica, libre upgrade p dn po b pagmgpapaupdate aq ng firmware s samsung greenhills.? O kelangang s samsung store mismo aq bumili.?

  70. Avatar for archer archer says:

    hey guys, is the display screen AMOLED or TFT? in some reviews it’s stated that the phone has AMOLED screen but others said TFT.

  71. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    @lenlen

    Just extract the drivers to a location on your hard drive.

    Connect your phone to the computer via USB then as the computer detects your phone as new USB device, it prompt you to install the drivers. Locate the driver and proceed.

    If remember it right, install the modem driver first then the USB driver.

  72. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    google i/o is coming and with it the possible release of version 2.2 aka froyo. hope samsung will continue updating this device so we could all enjoy the improvements such as:
    * JIT compiler (450% speed boost over 2.1)
    * OpenGL ES 2.0 enhancements
    * flash 10.1 support
    * enable FM radio
    * USB tethering and wifi portable hotspot
    * install apps to SD card without rooting
    * automatic updating of apps with a new version of the market

  73. Avatar for SPICAmanila SPICAmanila says:

    Guys, owners and admirers of the Samsung Galaxy i5700 Spica in the Philippines are gathering at certain forums to share our passion for this very promising device.

    WIth the permission of Boss ABE.

    See you guys at
    www.spicamanila.tk

    and / or

    tipidcp.com (search for Spica at the Forum Search Box.

    WAITING for Boss ABe’s Review!

  74. Avatar for lenlen lenlen says:

    @esomo
    Sir how did you install the drivers in the intructions??? thanks…

  75. Avatar for faultybiceps faultybiceps says:

    got my spica for Ps13,800 at quality cellular west avenue last thu. Had OS upgraded to 2.1 at Samsung service center at Greenhills Bonaventure for free (showed them the purchase receipt) last fri.Took all of 30 minutes including wait.

    Was informed that Globe settings were automatically configured. Loaded on a prepaid Globe sim. Went to smart cyberzone hoping to use my postpaid smart sim to no avail. Dismayed when informed that PC Studio works for XP only. Am working on Windows 7 for a month now. Need help on this.

    Phone worked as expected both network and wireless connection at home. Relatives immediately located in the US using Latitude. Receiving free text from them using Google Voice. Going over Market free apps

    What more can i say.

  76. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    am still can’t make up my mind getting a i5700 to replace my iphone, can anyone give me some advantage going for Android? TIA

  77. Avatar for Nishi Nishi says:

    i’m a android 2.1 user, i upgraded my spica two weeks ago and i’m very happy with the upgrade my unit came from Globe, if you guys want to upgrade your spica to android 2.1, i can offer you my service just to bring your spica in my office in ortigas. it will just take less than 30 mins to do the upgrade…

  78. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    @labora, you can try upgrading it yourself. It’s fairly easy..just follow the instructions here http://www.greaky.com/2010/02/samsung-i5700-galaxy-spica-android-21.html#/news/

  79. Avatar for labora labora says:

    is there other samsung service center where you can upgrade to 2.1, particularly down south?

    tried moa and festival service centers, sadly it’s either they’re not familiar with the upgrade yet or they can upgrade but i need to leave the phone with them for about 4 days.

  80. Avatar for labora labora says:

    is there other samsung service center where you can upgrade to 2.1? particularly down south.

    tried moa and festival service centers, sadly it’s either they’re not familiar yet with the upgrade or they can upgrade but i need to leave the phone with them for about 4 days.

  81. Avatar for bryanflurry bryanflurry says:

    @monkeyboner – try syncing your contacts with your Google account via WiFi or 3G (Settings>Accounts & sync)

    @Surgeon – libre lang ang upgrade sa Samsung, dalhin mo lang yung purchase receipt

  82. Avatar for Surgeon Surgeon says:

    may bayad ba magpa-upgrade to eclair? thanks!

  83. Avatar for ianemuel ianemuel says:

    other than Samsung Greenhills, where can I take my phone for an upgrade to Eclair version? Thank you!

  84. Avatar for monkeyboner monkeyboner says:

    updated my i5700 to Android 2.1 Eclair at Samsung Greenhills. very happy with it. its like a whole new phone! Sadly the Samsung PC Studio phone still doesn’t recognize the Galaxy Spica so you can’t sync and edit your contacts easily. (Cmon Samsung get your act together!)

  85. Avatar for arrow arrow says:

    if not on globe, where can i buy samsung spica outside? is it available on samsung stores in SM malls?

  86. Avatar for archer archer says:

    thank you very much for the info idlewind! I will choose spica instead of omnialite. I hope there will be available units at the cellphone store this week. how much is it now?

  87. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @bryanflurry: np! i thought i was the only one experiencing that when i upgraded to 2.1

  88. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @archer: handcent sms might be what you’re looking for as it offers group sms/mms:

    http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.handcent.nextsms

    you can also specify multiple recipients by delimiting each with a comma.

    for document viewing, the free version of documents to go allows you to read word and excel files:

    http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.dataviz.docstogo

  89. Avatar for archer archer says:

    @surgeon thank you for your reply.

    does it have a feature wherein i can send a text to multiple recipients once?

  90. Avatar for Surgeon Surgeon says:

    @ archer: walang office docu reader ang spica, but you can always download an application for that..

  91. Avatar for glenn glenn says:

    if you are using an old globe telecom (prepaid )sim card (about 4-5 years i think, like mine)

    to setup gprs use the the following settings:

    APN: www.globe.com.ph
    proxy: 207.177.042.214
    port: 8080

    that is if the new APN: http.globe.com.ph is not working in your phone

    also make sure that the gprs service of globe telecoms is activated. if you are not sure dial 211 and talk to a customer representative

    that’s how i manage to get gprs on my spica. so far i only manage to open facebook, ebuddy, www.google.com on my local browser. i still can’t connect thru gprs in my other android apps (gtalk, gmail, ebuddy, opera mini, default mail client) and lastly i can’t seem to open websites that has an https protocol

    hope this helps

  92. Avatar for archer archer says:

    Guys may “group send” ba itong spica? mahilig kasi ako magforward ng text to many contacts. Sa text, example nakareceive ako ng isang text which is more than 160 letters, mapuputol ba yun?

    May office document viewer ba gang spica? I am choosing between spica and omnialite..

  93. Avatar for glenn glenn says:

    please ignore my post, i found out what’s causing my my phone not to connect to gprs and its Globe! they had my gprs deactivated when i activated my roaming. now i have to wait for a couple hours to have my gprs activated.

    i’m really happy that i chose spica over the brittle nexus one lol

  94. Avatar for bryanflurry bryanflurry says:

    @narcoleptic

    I think you are on to something! Tried it a few times and the dark/dim bug is only present when the WiFi is on. Thanks for the tip :D

  95. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @bryanflurry: forgot to post here, but i kind of discovered what’s causing the dim camera.

    after reflashing to jb3 then jb4, i thought it would be fixed, sadly it did not. i found out that (well in my case), when my wifi is on and connected to a network, the camera would turn dark/dim. tested it a lot of times. wifi is causing the camera malfunction. since i’m always connected to a network at home and at work, the camera is dim at those times, but is in normal state when im not connected.

    i hope that it’s the same with your case. ^_^

  96. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    I’m also experiencing the camera bug after the upgrade.

    Question: Is it possible to use the Directio/GPS of Google Maps here in the Philippines? I want to use it when driving to locations I’m not familiar with.

  97. Avatar for bryanflurry bryanflurry says:

    @nikofoos
    Called Samsung the other day and told me that the only branch that (currently) does upgrade to 2.1 is in Greenhills. So I went there and got mine updated. The typing seems much responsive compared to 1.5. Replaced Pantheon with HelixLauncher easily by installing it via Market, no rooting required. Build number: ECLAIR.DXJC4

    @narcoleptic
    It seems that there’s a bug in the camera software. I’ve been experiencing it also. Randomly, the camera would be really dark or dim than it really is.

  98. Avatar for glenn glenn says:

    sir,

    how to activate gprs in spica? im using globe prepaid and currently globe, and samsung center had no idea on how to activate the gprs on my spica

    still running on android 1.5
    my simcard is 5 years old (dunno if this is relevant, but i used to have internet access using this sim card on my LG KS360).

    according to globe you just have to set the APN to http.globe.com.ph and to their surprise its not working. maybe some dude here had successfully setup their spica

    thanks in advance

  99. Avatar for Surgeon Surgeon says:

    guys, may marerecommend ba kayong music player app na may eq? thanks!

  100. Avatar for arnel arnel says:

    pano mag install ng apps? hindi ko makita sa android market kung pano mag install ng apps. TIA

  101. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    re: asian firmware update at samsung service centers. now, if only i could go back to android 1.5 again…hay naku…too late…

    please share naman when and how you’ve succesfully rooted your JC4 firmware, ok? please… please…salamat!

  102. Avatar for Nikofoos Nikofoos says:

    @Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 yep asian version, they had it for a month or so but they only released it to the public recently because they were still running tests

  103. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    @idlewild great link to HTC keyboard, far from perfect parin siya but wayyyyy better than stock android keyboard! some keys get in the way when typing parin sa HTC keyboard.

    @nikofoos, any info on what firmware version this is at the samsung service center? i’d expect it’s asian firmware? not based on europe naman di ba?

  104. Avatar for nikofoos nikofoos says:

    Hey guys which one of you have gotten their update from the aervice center of samsung i wrnt there the other day and they told me that the official firmware is out already

  105. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    @narcoleptic, same here! i can’t root JC4, also tried JB3 (one firmware above JC4) no can do too. I followed Sammeer Prabhakar guide (maganda sana kung nagwork, could’t get over the adb shell mount command, i get mount not permitted!), as well as LMKs mod (new OPS) and LK10s (old OPS) to no avail. I moved from one firmware to another and applied all three guides but can’t root JC4.

    Personal root objective is to remove Pantheon and have a fast tweaked Spica. Helix Launcher seems great looking to me. LMKs mod would have made me very happy, had it work.

    Any help guys on rooting JC4?

  106. Avatar for Rporter Rporter says:

    @taiwo:

    Performance and budget wise, Samsung I5700 is the best choice.

    No 14K HTC phone can match the performance of Samsung I5700.

  107. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    have successfully flashed to JC4.
    All’s good except that i can’t root my fone, which is no big.

    Have noticed that my camera, when in image mode is dim, totally dark. I have to capture at least one or more images before it becomes normal like it used to when i was running 1.5. I don’t know if i’m the only one experiencing this.

    Can anybody shed a light on my issue? Thanks!!

  108. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    Installed the HTC IME and testing it now..

    Thanks for the tip.

  109. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @Esomo: try these other keyboard options. might work for you.

    HTC IME: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=5475283
    ShapeWriter Keyboard: http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.shapewriter.android.softkeyboard

    HTC IME offers 3 keyboard layouts namely, QWERTY, phone keypad, and compact QWERTY. you won’t find this in the market so you have to download it to your SD card and install using your file manager.

    if you type mostly in english, the ShapeWriter is a good alternative. it works similar to the Swype.

  110. Avatar for fina fina says:

    Hi! I’m looking for a supplier of celfones specifically samsung galaxy spica, i have orders of spica unit, i’m looking for a supplier in sm north edsa. If someone is interested please contact me at sun cell 092287***** or landline 7382641.

    Thank you!

  111. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    @narcoleptic – i used the firmware image in the guide and then later downloaded and used the JC4 version.

    Yeah the keyboard is really a pain specially for me that’s still new to soft keyboard. I installed Smart keyboard which is better bcoz the keys are not too close to each other.

    Yeah speeding up my typing improves my accuracy and always try to type in landscape mode.

  112. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    Overnight observations on Eclair. Back when my Spica was still Android 1.5—signal strength came in 5/5. Very agressive and tenacious acquiring Globe’s signal, why do I say this? Because at home, our family of mixed make phones and cellular provider of 5, all have one thing in common, hard time receiving a strong signal when indoors. Smart seems strongest on Nokia N73 3/5 to 2/5. Sun and Globe are often 1/5 or 2/5 at most. With Android 1.5 I was at a steady 4/5 or 5/5 sometimes! But now with Eclair, my signal has dropped to 3/5 or as low as 1/5. Still no problems, but I missed the satisfaction of having the best signal among my family members.

    Standard clock and alarm problem with Eclair. I had a total of 2 days and one night to observe Android 1.5 (before getting the courage to try upgrading firmware, you see) and I woke up the morning with the dafault clock and alarm setting in Android 1.5. I used Ringtone MP3 from Market to wake up to my fav MP3 ringtone. Now with Eclair, the alarms I set up failed to initiate. I used the default alarms. Even when I was waiting for it to happen, it never came. I tried to use Ringtone MP3 from Market again, it also failed to ring or buzz. I had to look for another Alarm from Market, hopefully tomorrow morning it will not fail to wake me up.

    In Android 1.5, you couldn’t use MP3s for Ringtones unless you used a third party app from Market. With Eclair you just need to create a folder “Ringtones” in your SD card and they’ll show up for use when setting up your Ringtones. For notifications though, you can only used the default Android ringtones. So in effect, with this limitation I am back to using the third party Ringtone MP3 app downloaded from Market.

    So far, these are what I noticed going to Eclair. One gripe though, I don’t like the implementation of Android for their text input. The keyboards are all too prone to mistake, especially on portrait mode. One thing I noticed though, the more you take note of your typing the more mistakes you make, speed up your typing and almost “intuitively” your mistrokes are lessened considereably.

  113. Avatar for Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 Globe Spica Eclair 2.1 JC4 says:

    i found most instructions very confusing so it was through trial and error that i got over the initial shock that i might have bricked my spica. below is an outline of what worked for me. am now running JC4 latest Asian firmware (i needed support for chinese input). caution: going straight to JC4, they say will give you a problem with 0.00Kb when you check your applications that are running, and that you won’t be able to download apps from Market. so i took their advice and flashed to one firmware lower JB3 first, THEN flash to JC4.

    1. important before upgrading firmware, when still in android 1.5, must install USB drivers. make sure you activate debug mode to check your PC has recognize your spica as 1. android USB modem (not CDMA modem or anything else) by going toSetting->Application->Development->USB debug mode 2. android usb composite device. Back up you data too.

    2. remove back cover of spica and remove sim and micro sd card

    3. press vol down+camera key+power (spica will enter download mode). your spica will turn on and show it has entered download mode.

    4. hook up to pc via supplied cable. (your pc will not recognize your spica as a phone, usb modem or external memory module) just continue.

    5. fire up odin 4.03, load proper CSC and what not. no need to tick on Debug mode and PDA format.

    6. follow procedure by sammeer prabhahar, samdroid forum and sriharsha_madineni instructions, all are in common instructions Odin 4.03. wait for message “usb closing and rebooting” and you’re done.

    *****
    For those who have problem connecting via 3G, simple lang, check your APN. i got my spica via prepaid, but the unit was supposed to be for a postpaid account. i paid attention to the chatty sales rep at Globe and remembered her saying so. So i checked my APN and it was set indeed set for postpaid.

    Postpaid SIM APN: internet.globe.com.ph
    Prepaid SIM APN: http.globe.com.ph

  114. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @Esomo: what firmware version did u initially use?
    did u tick the one package check box when u used I570EDXJC4?

    thanks for the reply.

  115. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    I followed this guide – http://www.greaky.com/2010/02/samsung-i5700-galaxy-spica-android-21.html#/news/

    Although I encountered the 0B space available problem so I downloaded and used the patch I570EDXJC4.

    The download site is also stated on the guide.

  116. Avatar for narcoleptic narcoleptic says:

    @Nikofoos: my lock and camera buttons are wobbly.. hehe…but no big

    @Esomo: what firmware image did u use? and can you provide a link to the flashing steps that u followed? thanks!!

  117. Avatar for Nikofoos Nikofoos says:

    I bought mine 13.9k eastwood mall, so anyone notice that on their phone? the wobblyness of the lock button?

  118. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    Hays finally fixed my upgrade issues by flashing a newer firmware image.

    Enjoying Eclair now..I really need the Exchange support.

  119. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    orange shop
    i heard that some shops in moa and south mall are also selling it for 13.7k

  120. Avatar for pedrosantosjr pedrosantosjr says:

    @bastard: Aling store sa V-Mall? Thanks

  121. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    13.7k at v-mall

  122. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    Got mine in SM centerpoint Manila @14.2k

  123. Avatar for pedrosantosjr pedrosantosjr says:

    @Nikofoos Saan mo nabili yang 14k Spica?

    To EVERYONE ELSE who bought the Spica: Saan kayo nakabili and how much? I want to know kung saan yung pinakamura eh. Thanks

  124. Avatar for Nikofoos Nikofoos says:

    Just bought my samsung galaxy spica, it is an awesome phone. I have a question for you other owners, is your lock/unlock button on the right side a little wobbly/flimsy? I compared the feel to the camera button which had a little wobble but the lock button was noticeably more flimsy. I went to the shop today and asked if it was really liked this and the guy told me yes, it is really the make. It’s not that it is a big deal but I just wanted to know if it is really the make not just an isolated case. I know at 14k I can’t complain as well but yeah can I hear from you other owners? Thanks!

  125. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    It took 3 mins only to upgrade. Though I’m experiencing lags. I tried installing home++ as suggested by idlewild but I can’t. I’m getting “not enough space..” error and when I checked I have zero available space in the internal memory.

    Can anybody help me here?

  126. Avatar for flecher flecher says:

    @idlewild Thanks, I live in Manila so I need to ask Samsung service here. How long did it took to update the firmware?

  127. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    Yes successfully upgraded mine to 2.1. Testing testing….

  128. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    I want to try Android, is it recommended? am stuck with an iPhone and Treo,
    ok ba Android for me, someone wants to sell me her i5700 at 12k with official Samsung warranty, week old lang, mahirap daw gamitin compare to iPhone kasi,
    pls help me decide if I should take the plunge

  129. Avatar for labora labora says:

    using pc suite my upgrade to 2.1 failed, still using 1.5

    anyone know any other way to upgrade?

  130. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    @labora: are you upgrading to 2.1 via the PC studio or using the Odin tool?

  131. Avatar for labora labora says:

    @napry: thanks dude that solve the problem of sammy pc suite not recognizing my spica. and now upgrading to 2.1

  132. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @bastard: the update i got from the service center already comes with samsung’s customization, pantheon, so i consider it already official.

    the update should have been available thru pc studio but at its current state, this tool is really crap.

    like i said, samsung should really sort out their upgrade strategy. users are already getting frustrated.

  133. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    i think if the 2.1 is not available at all samsung service centers, then most probably, its not the official one from samsung (the one with personalized ui by samsung based on posts on the net), but the standard android 2.1. And if its flashed using Odin tool then it’s the standard 2.1.

    As per samsung’s press release, the 2.1 update can be done using their update service via the pc suite, and what i’ve read is that the official one has already been released in europe and the latest was in india.

  134. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    Tried upgrading earlier today but got stuck at some point. I used Windows 7.

    I’ll try again perhaps tomorrow, using WinXP.

  135. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @BigBird: samsung really needs to sort out their strategy in rolling out the 2.1 updates. if you read user comments in gsmarena, some service centers are already offering the updates while others are not. like i said in an earlier post, i had mine updated to 2.1 at our local service center so it’s official.

    @esomo: here are a couple of sites offering guides on how to do the update manually:

    http://samsung-firmware.webs.com/samsungandroid.htm
    http://www.greaky.com/2010/02/samsung-i5700-galaxy-spica-android-21.html#/news/

    just take heed of the warnings.

  136. Avatar for Surgeon Surgeon says:

    thanks Bigbird!

  137. Avatar for esomo esomo says:

    Bought mine in SM centerpoint @14.2k. With additional 2.5k for 16GB SD card.

    Planning to upgrade to 2.1 this weekend. Currently reading and downloading firmware and tools.

    Sa mga naka upgrade na baka may pointers kayo mabibigay. Thanks.

  138. Avatar for Esomo Esomo says:

    I bought mine in SM centerpoint @14.2k. Added 16GB SD card @2.5k. Planning to flash to 2.1 pero gathering muna info and tools needed.

    Sa mga nakapag upgrade na sana help us din to flash our own.

  139. Avatar for Nikofoos Nikofoos says:

    Are they selling screen protectors for this phone in GH already?

  140. Avatar for BigBird BigBird says:

    @Surgeon – Yes prepaid na po and openline. Sa netgears, theater mall ko nabili.

    Triny ko pala ipa-upgrade to 2.1 sa Samsung service center sa SM north edsa pero sabi nila nag-eerror pa daw pag inupgrade, this means wala pang official upgrade for this model.

  141. Avatar for Surgeon Surgeon says:

    @ bigbird: prepaid ba yang nabili mo? ayoko kasi ng plan eh.. thanks!

  142. Avatar for BigBird BigBird says:

    Btw I bought this unit in Theater Mall in Greenhills for 13,800. Its still quite hard to find this model in various stores since this is still new. Here are prices from various stores that I had inquired:

    Theater Mall, Greenhills – 13,800 *- black casing
    Robinson’s Galleria – 14,400 *- black casing
    SM North Edsa – 16,600 *- black casing
    – 13,700 *- white casing

  143. Avatar for BigBird BigBird says:

    I bought Samsung Galaxy Spica I5700 last weekend.
    Here are my review:

    CONS: (1) GPS is not accurate. I live in Tandang Sora, QC. My location points at a place in San Fernando, Pampanga. (2) I spent many hours just trying to make Samsung New PC Studio to work with my phone, but to no avail it will not just detect the phone. This I think would be the way to upgrade the phone to Firmware 2.1 (Eclair). (3) Keyboard is a bit crowdy, so its quite hard to type, I am thinking of downloading a keyboard app as a replacement though.

    PROS: (1) Android OS rocks, even at version 1.5. I had Ipod Touch before, and I was able to jailbreak this and install Ipod Apps. I think the games in Ipod are more mature and better (e.g. need for speed, and other EA games). But the potential of Android apps to compete with Ipod/Iphone apps is very promising. (2) Color and sensitivity of touch screen interface is good. (3) Fast processor speed with multitasking capability.

  144. Avatar for preytz preytz says:

    yung sa globe po ba? pwede i credit card kahit prepaid unit ang bibilhin?
    thanks and please reply

  145. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    @flecher: SM davao. called them in advance to confirm if there’s an update to the phone’s firmware, specifically related to bluetooth.

  146. Avatar for flecher flecher says:

    @Idlewild: Which samsung service center did you had your phone updated Android Elair 2.1? i just bought mine and having the same problems with my file transfer w/ bluetooth. thanks

  147. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    had mine updated to 2.1 at a local samsung service center. told the technician i was having problems with file transfers over bluetooth and he offered to flash it with the latest firmware. from what i’ve seen during the update, the technician was probably using the odin multiloader, the same tool you see in guides for doing the update manually.

    as for 2.1, it was laggy at first which is somewhat caused by the default home launcher, pantheon. replacing it with home++ did the trick and improved the performance.

  148. Avatar for jay jay says:

    kla q amoled screen i2 wla b mgnda review sa galaxy spica i2 meron gsm arena

  149. Avatar for Step Step says:

    i’m planning to get samsung i5700 from globe. i want to know what are the available language for samsung i5700?

    thanks

  150. Avatar for jay jay says:

    wla bang review i2 ni sir yuga

  151. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    just to ensure that your fone won’t connect to the internet by itself, you can try one or both:

    1) Download APNDroid to turn off 3G/Edge/GPRS, it changes the APN Settings

    2) On the dialer key-in *#*#4636#*#* then go to
    Phone Information, click the Menu button then click More then disable data connection and disable data on boot. The icon on the notification bar wherein it indicates which type of network you are using will disappear. You can still use wifi btw.

    hope that helps.

  152. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    for those who would like to try alternative soft keyboards, here’s one ported from HTC:

    http://forumuk.samsungmobile.com/PostsList.aspx?ForumPostID=172801

  153. Avatar for napry napry says:

    @ gtpet4u: go to phone settings and uncheck the option where it says use the phone as memory card only. Voila, the software can now recognize your phone.

  154. Avatar for napry napry says:

    I got the phone, Samsung i5700 Spica and it indeed delivers what it says. Im very happy with this phone except for the following:

    1. It comes with Adroid 1.5, not the latest 2.1. I have been waiting since March for the 2.1 upgrade but up to now, no official update is available (although there are downloadable “roms” availble. Risky).

    2. Since it is an android os, it will attempt to connect to internet whenever possible. Be sure to disable this feature because you might incur considerable charges. Even with wifi at the office and at home, I was charged 1200 on the first five days because it tries to connect via 3G especially with the GPS on. I had to have the GPRS deactivated from my subscription to prevent it from connecting outside. Be careful with your settings and with what you install.

    3. The UI is very responsive and fast, sometimes you tend to activate commands unintentionally especially during calls where you ear touches the screen. Careful….

    4. The globe unit was white. I was expecting the black version.

    5. Globe service sucks. It was sim locked and the customer service could not help me when I wanted to re-connect to the GPRS via prepaid Globe sim. The phone model is not supported by GPRS activation settings.

    6. Overall, I can say I am a very satisfied user but a very disapponted subscriber.

  155. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    @patricia: it’s good. if like me, u find it ridiculous on spending a lot of bucks on fones, its a really good find and worth the price. based on samsung’s press release, you can personally update ur fone using their pc suite (which by the way sucks big time when running on windows 7 LOL).

    @jay: mine’s running completely fine on 3g network, didn’t adjust any setting. but i’d prefer running on 2g, just to save up the battery. hehe

    have been reading some forums with regards to upgrading to the standard 2.1 version..kinda having second thoughts, i’m afraid i’ll brick my fone. can anyone suggest a good tutorial on how to do this?
    any nice feedback would be highly appreciated. ^_^

  156. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    finally got one and i have to say it’s definitely worth the price. the stock android (v1.5) is actually good. might probably hold off the 2.1 update until it’s officially available.

  157. Avatar for Jay Jay says:

    @patricia, you will be able to upgrade the firmware for free when Samsung Philippines decide to distribute it through their software.

    BTW, did anyone successfully set this phone to use GPRS/3G data connection? (For a prepaid sim card) I can’t get it to work.

  158. Avatar for patricia patricia says:

    @bastard how do you find the galaxy? will the samsung store upgrade ir fone once the update is out for free??? ;) thanks!

  159. Avatar for bastard bastard says:

    got mine at 13.7k yesterday at v-mall. with regards with the warranty, as i understand, the warranty is covered by samsung and not the store itself where you bought it. are there any downsides with upgrading to 2.1 firmware when its not officially from samsung?

  160. Avatar for terence chan terence chan says:

    also have spica, bought it more than 1 month ago for p13.7k. same with jay, i flashed it with the 2.1 fw (JB3, earlier version). i really recommend this phone. walang lag and you get 2.1 fw pa, beats the hero which sells for more than 20k here and is still on 1.5. good value for the price.

  161. Avatar for Jay Jay says:

    My spica runs eclair 2.1 with the official samsung firmware (I570EDXJC4). It may not be available through the samsung’s software provided with the phone, but you can manually do it by using a custom software.

  162. Avatar for Aja Aja says:

    great phone. i bought mine in uae for 995aed (12200 pesos). the only problem with this phone is that it doesn’t have an android market icon.

    so what i did instead was i sent gphone file manager apps on my email account and downloaded it on my phone and installed it. i put all the apk files on my sd and install it one by one.

    got tons of games and great free apps. loving it!

  163. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    looks like this is a great value Android phone to try out the OS.
    is it sure capable of upgrading to 2.1?

    how much lowest & where to find?

  164. Avatar for Lucien Tiojanco Lucien Tiojanco says:

    I just downloaded the a Philippine JA2 firmware from Samsung’s FUS server yesterday. My brother won’t let me install it on his phone to test though but I’m quite sure it’s not yet version 2.1.

  165. Avatar for Chris Chris says:

    downside ng spica, pag 3g use, 3 hours lang, drained na battery, pero, still a great phone… Anyway, available po ba yung HTC magic as prepaid sa smart?

  166. Avatar for idlewild idlewild says:

    saw this one priced at around 15K at a local shop here in davao. if only i had waited longer, i would have surely bought this instead of the S5233W. this is really the cheapest android phone i’ve seen so far. hope we get more android phones here in the philippines.

  167. Avatar for rye rye says:

    @abe

    Thanks a lot! we’ll just wait for galaxy spica’s turn.

  168. Avatar for rye rye says:

    @pedrosantosjr

    memo express and a store that starts with B near the Sun Shop. Sorry I can’t remember the exact name.

    @RJ

    I agree. That’s why I’m always waiting for Abe’s review. Yup, with the prices that I am seeing, its definitely worth it (well, it depends on the review of Abe, :grin:).

  169. Avatar for xpac xpac says:

    aw it got only 3.2 screen?
    should have been around 3.6+.

  170. Avatar for RJ RJ says:

    @rye:
    I would say na di masyadong reliable yung user reviews sa gsmarena. Lagi namang may inerereklamo yung mga tao dun(usually Indyano).. They would expect a very nice phone pero di ba, be realistic.. 13.5k-16k is a good enough price for that phone.. Kung maghahanap pa sila ng mas maganda pa dun, prepare to shell out 40k+ for a phone.. I kinda got tired reading user reviews sa gsmarena., ang dami nilang demands tapos ganun lang yung budget nila..

  171. Avatar for RJ RJ says:

    wwwaaa!!! this is uber cool!! An Android phone with Google Experience GUI.. I don’t want HTC Sense GUI kasi minsan yung updates di kaagad nare-release kapag yung phone manufacturer may sariling GUI.. will definitely buy this.. saan nabibili to?? saan pinakamura??

  172. Avatar for ethan ethan says:

    I’m planning to buy a samsung s5620 monte when i spot this i5700..

    10.3k is the lowest price of monte.
    *Not a smart phone, small screen.

    13.7k is the lowest price of i5700.
    *Android, bigger screen.

  173. Avatar for gtpet4u gtpet4u says:

    Hey guys! just bought a samsung GT-i5700 Galaxy Spica at Mall Of Asia Memo Express. To all those interested in buying one, you could purchase one at Hello or Memo Express. I got mine for P16k. I have a question though, after installation of New PC Studio the PC couldnt detect the phone itself. it just say “unregistered model detected cannot continue with communication” kinda weird. although the MicroSD is working perfectly fine. Nice phone better than my previous HTC Hero cause its not laggy and definitely better response on the touchscreen since the screen’s like glass or hard plastic (better than Hero’s). It’s OS is Android ver1.5 cupcake.

  174. Avatar for pedrosantosjr pedrosantosjr says:

    Hi, where exactly in MOA? The Samsung store? I’m really interested. :)

  175. Avatar for rye rye says:

    hi abe, would it be possible that globe can send you a review unit? gusto ko kasi malaman gano to talaga kaganda like you reviewing other androids.

    • Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

      @rye – I still have 2 Samsung phones lined up for review (Genoa & Monte). Maybe after these are sent back.

  176. Avatar for rye rye says:

    yes abe, its available at MOA. I want this phone. ganda. :(

  177. Avatar for patricia patricia says:

    question lng po, if the update for galaxy spica rolls out (let’s say on april) will the new batches of cellfones from globe still have version 1.5 or will it have 2.1? thank you! ;)

    • Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

      @patricia – it will still be v1.5 but I guess you can request Sales reps to upgrade it to 2.1 for you once you buy one from them.

  178. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    @pedrosantosjr – as indicated in my updates, several stores in Mall of Asia are selling the Spica unlocked.

    @anonymous – emailed you a copy of the test results in PDF.

  179. Avatar for anonymous anonymous says:

    The speedy processor here is essential as Android handsets tend to slow down over time (the perils of multi-tasking).

    -pede mahingi source nito or opinion lng ba to?

  180. Avatar for pedrosantosjr pedrosantosjr says:

    Will Samsung stores be selling the Spica unlocked? I’d really prefer an unlocked unit.

  181. Avatar for jen jen says:

    any review for Samsung S8000 Jet

  182. Avatar for taiwo taiwo says:

    Please note: Speed doesn’t make multitasking better. The amount of RAM does.

  183. Avatar for Dodie Dodie says:

    What does it mean to be Globe Prepaid? Does it mean I’ll need to buy a new prepaid sim card to avail for it, or I can use my current sim? Lost. P14,900 is pretty cheap for a phone like this.

    • Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

      @dodie – you get a free Globe SIM if you buy the Spica but you can use your existing Globe SIM with it.

  184. Avatar for dongv dongv says:

    seems like a good smart phone, never tried nor planned for an Android phone,
    any advantage over blackberry or iphone?
    sorry, newbie on this phone platform

  185. Avatar for Lucien Tiojanco Lucien Tiojanco says:

    Phone runs on Android version 1.5 (firmware version JA1) with a guaranteed update to 2.1. The update is slowly being rolled out, and was first released in Germany. The last time I checked Samsung’s FUS servers, the latest Android version 2.1 firmware released were for United Kingdom (JC4) and Hungary (JC2) (both dated 04/06/10).

    And yes, I can access their FUS servers directly. That’s how I get my Omnia II firmwares in advance. I’m currently running the official JA5 for the Philippines and have access to the latest firmware (JC4) which is for China and Morocco. :-)

    BTW, here’s a tip – JA1 means it was the first firmware (1) developed in January (A) of 2010 (J). That also means that the latest Android version 2.1 firmware (JC4) is the 4th (4) version released in March (C)of 2010 (J)

  186. Avatar for rye rye says:

    mas maganda parin ang HTC HERO kumpara dyan… tsaka nabasa ko na yung review nyan sa gsmarena last night.

  187. Avatar for snpklsdmbldr snpklsdmbldr says:

    any news about the HTC Desire? will they release it here in the Philippines? :D

  188. Avatar for irv irv says:

    glad to see a lot of Android phones hitting our shores.

    i hope and pray that this will eventually spur Google to let us buy apps in Market.

  189. Avatar for Miguel Miguel says:

    Can’t compare the HTC Hero with the Spica – they are in a different price segment.

  190. Avatar for pedrosantosjr pedrosantosjr says:

    I was surprised too when I saw that the Spica and the HTC Tattoo were on Globe’s lineup. It’s really tempting – the prospect of an Android 2.1 device with an 800 Mhz processor for 15k (or less).

    Please update ASAP when you have further info from Globe or Samsung. Been looking for this phone for days.

    Found a guy on ebay selling the Spica for 13.5k. He claims that his units come with 1-year Samsung warranty, which I found weird because Samsung stores don’t seem to have the Spica yet (although the SM North EDSA branch already has the original Galaxy in stock, for 16+k).

  191. Avatar for simplynice93 simplynice93 says:

    A must-have cellphone for us. Hopefully I can get it this year.

  192. Avatar for kiddo kiddo says:

    @Rom i agree.. my 3megapixel D900i cam takes way better pictures than my friend’s samsung Jet (5mp)..or is it just me. lol

  193. Avatar for daddy joey daddy joey says:

    my friend has been using that smartphone for more than a month, and it seems he’s very satisfied with the performance and the apps available.

  194. Avatar for mcv mcv says:

    That’s probably because the i7500 has a crappier 528MHz processor. People have been complaining about not being able to upgrade from 1.5 to 2.1 and the processor is the primary reason.

  195. Avatar for taiwo taiwo says:

    The HTC Hero is way better simply cos it’s got more RAM than the Spica. The Spica’s ram is too low and surely multitasking on it will be frustrating. Additionally, Samsung’s mobile phone support sucks!
    I heard its gonna get Eclairs (2.1) update(whenever that comes) but i wouldn’t consider buying it when i factor in longevity (ask owners of the i7500 – Samsung’s first android handset)

  196. Avatar for Arnold Arnold says:

    pantapat ng globe sa HTC Magic which is also free at plan 1800.

  197. Avatar for Jon Jon says:

    Wow. If only I needed a new Android phone. Very nice. I see it does not come with that crazy custom UI Samsung phones usually have. I’d rather stick to the default home screen, but if HTC Sense could be ported to this one, that would be perfect!. I do hope it has 2.1 out of the box though.

  198. Avatar for Rom Rom says:

    I think even with it’s 3.15 megapixel cam it would still be better than HTC Hero’s crappy 5mp cam.

  199. Avatar for Rom Rom says:

    I think even with it’s 3.15 megapixel cam it would be better HTC Hero’s crappy 5mp cam.

  200. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    @Rommel – still waiting for confirmation from Globe but hopefully, it will be 2.1.

  201. Avatar for Rommel A Rommel A says:

    I think this phone`s selling price outside is Php 13,700.00 if I am not mistaken,the cheapest Samsung Android phone. Will Globe offer Android OS 2.1 on their Php 15k tag?

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