Samsung Captivate Android Phone (AT&T)

Finally a true alternative to iphone. July 18, 2010

Reviewer:  Steve Forlini 

I've been holding off my upgrade for a while waiting for the next iphone (iphone4) or android to hit ATT. I went to the ATT store early this morning to finally decide between the iphone 4 and the captivate. I loved the feel of both units, but the captivate's curved body feels sleaker in the hand. While I was very impressed with crispness of the iphone screen; I powered on the captivate and I was even more blown away by the vibrance of the super AMOLED screen. I have spent all day playing around with the phone and have not noticed any sluggishness whatsoever; which was something I feared when looking through online reviews.. I mean c'mon it has the fastest processor out there. Also I read a blog that was spreading a rumor that the Galaxy S phones have a death grip like the iphone 4.. this is completely false as I live in New York where the iphone 4 has problems and have not been able to replicate the effect using multiple grips. So in conclusion I can't say that the phone is an iphone killer for sure.. but it is in my book. It all comes down to personal preferance. I have used the iphone os before and compared to the customizability of Android it comes off as old, locked-to-a-grid and bland. For your referance, I'm 20 years old; and I'm loving where ATT is going with android.

Things I've noticed:
Doesn't have computer software support yet, unless you search for the Samsung Kies software on your own. It detects my device and is compatible.

At first I thought that the USB wouldn't snuggly fit the phone but then I realized that I didn't open the sliding door all the way. But it fits perfectly fine when it is open.. my bad.

The ATT stock apps can not be deleted from the apps menu, but they can be removed from the home screens. It kind of increases the number of items in the menu by alot, but atleast some of those apps I might actually use.

Updates:
You can download full office productivity suite in the Android Marketplace for FREE. It is called "quickoffice for captivate," and it syncs with your Google docs account and dropbox. I think that it is only free for certain phones as it is named "quickoffice for captivate" on my phone, but on my friend's droid it reads just quickoffice and costs around 10 bucks.

I love using this phone for taking video, in good light of course ;). The sound quality comes through very clear as long as you don't block the mic at the bottom.

An amazing phone with some features you might not know about August 1, 2010

Reviewer:  M. Stevens  (Tuscaloosa, AL) -

If you're looking for a capable and versatile smartphone, then you absolutely must consider the Captivate. I think most of the other reviewers have covered the basics of how the Captivate compares to the iPhone (and beats it), so let me mention a few features that you might not know about.

1. The phone supports syncing with Exchange out of the box. Not only does it sync e-mail, but it also handles contacts and calendar. I use it for my work e-mail, and it performs flawlessly. Needless to say, you can also connect via POP3 and IMAP.
2. VPN access is also available for those who need to connect to their corporate networks.
3. The basic browser is quite capable, but if you want something else, then you can choose Dolphin Browser, Opera Mini, or Skyfire, to name a few.
4. Although MS Office documents and PDF's aren't supported out of the box, Quickoffice for Captivate and Adobe Reader are free downloads.
5. Google Navigate offers free voice-guided, turn-by-turn GPS navigation. No need to pay AT&T for their service.
6. Wi-fi access is silky smooth. To enable it, pull down the notification drawer at the top of the screen and touch the wi-fi button. Wi-fi will turn on, and if you have never connected to an available network, a list of what's available will appear. Choose the network you want, enter any required login information, and click Connect. That's it, and, from then on, the phone will automatically connect to that network if it's available.
7. I want to mention a little-known app called Google Shopper. Install it, and you'll be able to shop for books and CD's by simply starting the app and pointing the camera at them. The app scans the cover or barcode and shows you prices from online and local merchants. Much faster than having to manually look up titles while you're standing in a bookstore aisle. College students wondering how badly the campus bookstore is ripping them off on textbooks compared to other sellers will appreciate this app.
8. And I can't forget to mention the Captivate's voice recognition capabilities. You can search by voice, and, if you switch the default keyboard from Swype to standard Android, you can use voice dictation for almost anything that you can type. And while it does make mistakes, they don't happen often.
9. Google Voice is available for the Captivate, something Apple will probably never allow on the iPhone. Need separate phone numbers for work and personal use? Then Google Voice is what you're looking for.
9. And finally, if you need or want Push-to-Talk similar to the service that Nextel offers, well, there are several free apps for that. They will only connect you to other Android users running the same app, but, for a business needing to have this functionality and interested in getting several Android phones, then such a solution is worth looking at. The apps are still a little rough around the edges, but give them a little time to mature.

My point here is that, although this is one beautiful phone, it's also extremely good at handling business tasks. Yes, it handles Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter beautifully, but it will also keep you in touch with colleagues and clients as well, if not better than, any other smartphone out there.

Can't Find Any Better Android Device July 18, 2010

Reviewer:  TechGeek  (D.C.) -

Yes Friends!! after having my hands on DroidX, Nexus One.... I would say this is the best available Android Device with 3 perspective
1. Screen Clarity
2. Great User Interface
3. Pricing

Apart from that, here are some Pros:

1. Excellent Bluetooth Connectivity
2. Moto Blur like feature is cool
3. DLNA ( Which mean you connect this device to Samsung DVD player and Bingo...it integrates all the music and videos straight to the TV)
4. TV out capability is very good if not execellent
5. Phone and Speakers are astonishing ( YEAH!! No Antennae Reception issues)
6. 5MP is very good
7. Phone is even lighter than Droidx and Nexus One ( Was surprised with this result)
8.16 GB INTERNAL STORAGE
9. 512 Mb RAM, that mean any updates more than FROYO is possible (Remember do not buy any Android device less than 512 MB).
10. 3G speed in my area came to about 2.4 Mbps, which is about .3 Mbps faster than Nexus One ( when compared simultaenously)
11. Faster Wifi

Now here are few Cons:

1. No out of market App support ( off course this affects only small community of users, and blame it on At&t here)
2. 5 MP Camera is excellent, but a Flash would have been a Bonus.
3. No Notification Light, although the LED slot is visible ( not sure if this is a defect in my phone or it is standard, I will check back with Samsung and Update the review)
4. Wait for FROYO until September 2010.
All in all, if you are confused between iPhone4 and Captivate; My first and last choice will be Captivate coz of excellent Large screen and Freedom from iTunes. 4 Inch screen make Iphone4 look like a Baby. I am just surprised that Samsung has come up with such a Beauty!! and Nokia's, RIMs are still wondering 'WHAT WILL CONSUMERS LOVE??'

Fix the bugs and this is a 5 star August 28, 2010

Reviewer:  MS "I have a Gadget Probelm"  (Atlanta GA) -

I have owned a lot of phones. This one is awesome except for a few bugs in the phone that are extremely annoying. IF and when Samsung implements a fix, it gets a five star:

1) AGPS - the GPS as shipped does not use AGPS (cell phone towers) to find an initial position. using Google maps can take 15 minutes to estimate where you are. There is a fix out there on the internet, but you need to be a little techno to be able to implement it
2) GPS reception and lock. Even when you do eventually get a GPS lock (this can take anywhere from a few minutes to 20 minutes) the lock comes in and out. The GPS is almost completely unusable. After having several other phones and stand alone GPS devices, this is a huge disappointment. Please note: these are two separate GPS issues. Hopefully there will be a fix out there.
3) Laggy response. The phone os slow to update whenever you need to write something to memory. You will see this for example when marking an email as read or opening an email. You can see a 5 second delay. Again - there is a fix out there on the internet, but you need to root your phone to implement it, void your warranty, risk getting in trouble with the Phone cops etc. Note - when not writing to disk the phone is awesomely fast
4) Other little annoyances - long hyperlinks in an email aren't recognized i.e. when I get an electronic boarding pass emailed to me, the phone does not recognize the link and I can't use it.
5) No Skype - not Samsung's fault, but Skype has an exclusive relationship with Verizon. Still sucks to be a consumer.
6) Every once in a while, my email accounts just disappear. I have to reenter all of my details and download all of my email again.

Phone still gets 3 stars - it is awesome. Read all of the positive reviews and I agree with those. Just beware of the bugs. Hopefully they will get fixed.

Update - Jan 4 2011

A quick update on the bugs mentioned above:

1) AGPS seems to be fixed - there is a Samsung app in the market to restore settings.
2) GPS - GPS lock and positioning is still horrible. There was an update pushed out with "enhancements" but still the same problems. It still can take 10 minutes to get a GPS lock.
3) Still laggy response. It can take 10-15 seconds to open an email.
4) Still a problem
5) Skype is now released and works on all phones EXCEPT for the Captivate (and other Galaxy S phones). It is supposed to work for the next update (Andriod Froyo) but not Froyo update yet from AT&T
6) This problem appears to be fixed.

For the people with a Phone that shuts down frequently. I had this problem with my first phone. I returned it and got a new one and haven't had the problem since. If you get this problem just return it before the 30 day exchange period runs out.

Also - Samsung (or AT&T) appear to be pretty slow in updates. This phone still has "Eclair". "Froyo" which fixes a lot of bugs and adds features was released in May of 2010. We are still waiting....... The GPS problem has been known since the phone was released in July of 2010 and we are still waiting for a fix.....

THE iPhone 4 alternative August 5, 2010

Reviewer:  Zooguitar  (Los Angeles, CA) -

I'm a lifelong Apple user (Apple IIc, original 1984 Mac, various Macs through today), but I could never really wrap my hands around what I thought was too high a price for what the phone offered. Still, after playing with so many iPhones belonging to friends, and considering the ease of integrating it into my regular Mac lifestyle, I was ready to buckle down and buy the iPhone 4.

Thank goodness for product delays! I ended up doing more research with the time, and it turned out that the Samsung Galaxy S (Captivate for AT&T) was truly a great phone. You're getting a screen and processor that are indistinguishable in performance to the iPhone 4. The interface is practically the same as the iPhone. But you cannot beat getting an iPhone like device WITH expandability! I love the fact that my Captivate can store more (thanks to a 16GB SD card I bought for $25) than the top of the line iPhone, and still cost less. Plus, I can replace the battery easily without breaking warranty. Lots of programs to help you sync your iTunes library (and if you use Gmail, it's even easier to sync the rest). I would recommend the Galaxy S HANDS DOWN to anyone considering an iPhone.