Key features:
* Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
* 3.6 Mbps HSDPA support
* Smart dialing
* 3.2" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of WQVGA (240 x 400 pixel) resolution; multitouch input
* Android OS v2.1 Eclair
* TouchWiz 3.0 UI customization (on both, I5801 has Orange UI too)
* 667MHz CPU; 256MB RAM
* 3.2MP autofocus camera with face, smile detection and geo-tagging;
* QVGA@15fps video recording
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support
* microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
* GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
* microSD slot (32GB supported, 1GB in the box)
* Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
* DNSe audio enhancement; Stereo FM radio with RDS
* Accelerometer and proximity sensor
* 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery
* Superb audio quality
* Document editor
* DivX/XviD support
* File manager comes preinstalled
* Swype predictive text input
Main disadvantages:
* Display resolution is too low; poor sunlight legibility
* Editing complex documents is very slow
* No free GPS navigation solution
* No Flash support for the web browser
* Video recording is poor
* The all-plastic body is a real fingerprint magnet
And we’re across the finish line. The two Galaxies performed very well for their relatively low standing in the Android world. The only feature that was consistently a problem is the screen – WQVGA is just not enough for a 3.2” screen.
Other than that we have very little to complain about. The CPU ticks faster than the majority of non high-end Androids. It lagged when it came to editing complex Office documents, but to do that properly you really need the power of a 1GHz processor.
Still, having a document editor is much more than we expected – even some of the top dogs don’t have one on board. Bluetooth 3.0 is also a pleasant surprise, as is the 802.11n support.
You might want to point to the camera as another downside, but you really can’t expect more in this price range. And videos aside, the camera on the Samsung I5800 Galaxy 3/I5801 Galaxy Apollo is good enough to update your profile on Facebook.
We said that the Galaxy duo is lower-mid range but let’s see who its main competition might be.
The Samsung I5700 Galaxy Spica is the major obstacle between the Galaxy 3/Galaxy Apollo and your pocket. It has a 3.2” capacitive touchscreen but has HVGA resolution, which makes for a much sharper image. Also the CPU is clocked at 800MHz, not too far off the current maximum for a mobile phone.
The Spica’s age is showing, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just check out the price and see – it’s noticeably cheaper than the Galaxy 3 (though if you find an Orange plan that suits you, the Galaxy Apollo may turn out cheaper). On the other hand it has Bluetooth 2.1 (and not 3.0) and no Wi-Fi n, but that’s it basically.
The HTC Wildfire is in the same segment as the Samsung I5800 Galaxy 3. It beats it with a 5MP camera, though the lower-res screen (3.2” QVGA) and slower CPU (528MHz) are points against it. It does feature HTC Sense though, which some might prefer over TouchWiz.
The petite Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini is impressive with its small size. The camera is better at 5MP and VGA@30fps and features good social networking integration in the software. The software is holding it behind though – Sony Ericsson is working on an Eclair update, but for now it’s v1.6 Donut.
Cheaper entries into the Android world are the LG GT540 Optimus and the HTC Tattoo. They cut down on the features somewhat (smaller resistive screens, slower CPUs with older software, etc). Still the Optimus offers more resolution and just like the Galaxy 3 packs DivX/XviD support, so it’s a viable alternative for movie buffs.
As you can see it’s hardly a clear choice – you’ll have to weigh the features and the price difference. But as a single smartphone package, the Samsung I5800 Galaxy 3/I5801 Galaxy Apollo offers a very competitive solution.
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