Samsung Galaxy S at the Globe Flagship Store

Hi, I want to buy a book “Samsung Galaxy tab 7 for Dummies”It can be either PDF or book format. I can pay either in MC or bank to bank. Book will need to go via LBC. Thanks
L.S Anterola

Want an Android phone with a whacking great big screen for watching video or surfing the web on? The Samsung Galaxy S and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 are two phones you seriously need to consider. Which is better? Read on to find out…

OS and Interface – Timescape vs TouchWiz
These two Androids have significant differences in the software department. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 features Android 1.6 and the Timescape/Mediascape UI, while the Samsung Galaxy S uses the newer Android 2.1 OS and the TouchWiz 3.0 UI. The Sony Ericsson ’scapes are less intrusive than TouchWiz as they leave the basic vanilla Android look ticking on underneath custom widgets and apps.

The Samsung Galaxy S’s TouchWiz interface isn’t so easy-going. It sticks a static dock at the bottom of your phone’s screen, which you can’t remove, and arranges your apps menu into pages – like the iPhone interface – although you can revert to the standard scrolling stream if you want. Neither the Samsung Galaxy S’s or the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10’s widgets are quite as good as those of HTC Sense, but you’re supplied with the usual smattering of social networking, calendar and memo functions in both cases.

Which is better? For day-to-day simplicity, we prefer the Samsung Galaxy S’s widgets, but Mediascape and Timescape are harder to replace wholesale with Android Market equivalents, so it’s a close-run battle.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S. Only just

Screens and video
These two are the real big boys of Android, with four inches of screen on show a piece. The tech they use is different though. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 uses a standard TFT LCD screen while the Samsung Galaxy S features a Super AMOLED screen. The Samsung Galaxy S has much better contrast – blacks are incredibly deep – but the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is no slouch either. The more vivid image produced by the Galaxy S means its our mobile cinema pick though.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 starts well on the video front with Mediascape, a very pretty media player app, but it doesn’t have the file type support to back it up. No Divx/Xvid support means many of the videos you’ve downloaded of the net won’t play. The Samsung Galaxy S’s media player is less swish than the Xperia X10’s, but with fab media support that includes Xvid, Divx and MKV – and even Wi-Fi streaming – there’s no contest here. If you want the ultimate mobile video player, you have to go for the Samsung Galaxy S. It’s as simple as that.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S

More after the break…

Looks and build
The Samsung Galaxy S, at 118g, is significantly lighter than the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. It’s also thinner too, but we can’t get over the sense that Samsung might have gone a bit too far with the Galaxy S. It’s a classy phone, but without a rock-solid body to lend it some weight – in the literal sense too – the Samsung Galaxy S ends up feeling a little flimsy.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10’s look might be a bit conservative for some, but we dig its more generous curves, and that its battery cover doesn’t feel like it’s on the verge of snapping in half when you try and take it off. We also find the real buttons of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 more satisfying than the touch-sensitive softkeys of the Samsung Galaxy S.
Winner – Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Camera
At first glance, it seems like the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 flattens the Samsung Galaxy S, with its 8-megapixel sensor and LED flash against the Galaxy S’s 5-megapixel camera and lack of flash. The Samsung Galaxy S does have one thing over its rival though – 720p video recording.

We have a feeling the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 may gain HD video recording with a firmware update, but for now you’re stuck with just 800×480 WVGA recording. The lack of a flash on the Samsung Galaxy S isn’t that easy to forgive though – especially when it’s holding back an otherwise decent mobile snapper.
Winner – Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

meron pa bang available na galaxy s sa Globe Flagship Store?

@zEr0-IcE and Paul: Yep, at the Globe flagship store at GB. I think that’s the only place that’s selling it now.

Di ko pa natry kung openline. Masubukan nga.

Again, loving it. Just really interested how the Froyo upgrade will happen. Globe don’t know daw when I asked eh. :)

How true what’s been circling the net that the Galaxy S is unlocked daw when you purchase one from Globe???

Coz if that’s true, I’m gonna buy one now!

@Ralph: OMG!!! I am drooling over that phone for months already…

Dammit… I am really really wanting to get one… unlocked of course.. I’m with a rival network, so I couldn’t just switch over to Globe.

Darn… inggit ko! LOL!

its free on Plan 2500 on Globe and Php 31,999 if Prepaid kit

If Globe is getting the exclusive then 2nd week of July for all other retailers is pretty soon, as what their reps say, they will have the units on June 24 so its only logical for the exclusivity to on the July 24 as well and stocks for other stores arrive probably on Aug first or 2nd week.

@Arvee
The G1 is the very first Google Phone but it isn’t getting Froyo.

@Angie @xtian1986

It’s not only Samsung. Some other manufacturers fails to give their users appropriate OS updates too. Like for example, HTC Magic is stuck with the Android Cupcake OS. The only phone, I think, which would get regular Android OS updates is the Nexus One since it’s branded as the Google Phone.

I just went to a store in Megamall and the sales lady told me (she was from Samsung) they’re most likely going to release an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S possibly on the 2nd week of July.

Also, I saw a dummy Samsung Wave on display which only means that the phone will be avaiable very soon (the sales lady also confirmed this).

I really am hoping that an unlocked Galaxy S will be released soon. I’m dying to get this phone!

That’s what we do!!

Thanks for the mention ;)

– Miguel from Novare

I think I will wait for a month before I decide if I will buy or not.

exclusive sa globe? nagiging mahal kasi lalo ung phone pag exclusive e. hintayin ko na lang to sa mga friends sa greenhills :)

@yuga

I think they already confirmed the price of 32,000 coz if you ask anyone that works there they will say it is at 32,000.

I Wonder when this handset will arrive here in Globe cebu, probably 5-7days after the launch ?

what sucks about galaxy s is it’s under samsung, and sammy is that enthusiastic in updating softwares and firmwares. ive read somewhere they’re planning on NOT updating the galaxy S to 2.2

Sir yuga, i tour mo naman kami sa Globe Flagship store.. kuha ka videos sa loob or pictures….

Good for Globe… Now let’s hope to see more of these brick and mortar shops get set up :)

Is it true that Samsung’s customer support isn’t that good? Especially on firmwares and OSes (Omnia)upgrade?

sir, ngsuicide attempt raw si villar? Sinisikreto raw nila sa press

nice very nice… I need to visit this store!!! :)

how about the iPad?

news from the ‘executives’?

I was able to try the new Samsung Galaxy S here at the CommunicAsia exhibit at Expo earlier. Super Nice!!! =)