Forever Andriod – My Samsung Galaxy Ace

I thought I would relaunch this blog with a quick review of my new phone, the Samsung Galaxy Ace, one of these:

http://www.samsung.com/galaxyace/ace_overview.html

The Galaxy Ace is a lower spec than others in the Galaxy series, noteably the Galaxy S, they could have fooled me!

I love this handset already and Ive only just got it, and cannot believe how good it is for the price.

Like a lot of Android users (as I now consider myself) I had toyed with the idea of getting an i-Phone. I would still maintain that the iPhone is the coolest thing on the market, and the interface is a tad more pretty and slick, but the Ace is not far behind in my opinion.

Firstly I really like the size of this phone. I had considered an HTC Desire, but size wise its closer to a tablet. I saw someone use one in a bar the other day and it looked like they were putting a place mat up to their ear! Great phone no doubt, but not exactly pocket size. The Ace on the other hand is just about right, a smallish size and slim with a rounded back. I also like the option to switch out the back plate for black or white versions. The back plate is “grippy” too with a pattern on it, that has a nice feel.

The sides of the phone are a metalic effect, but actually plastic, unlike the iPhone.

I would have to concede that the Samsung Galaxy Ace does feel a little “cheapy” compared to the iPhone or HTC Desire, physically that is. It just doesnt feel as solid or robust, but you get what you pay for… and a little more with this phone.

That aside this thing looks cool, I believe Apple are Suing Samsung over the design of this phone at the moment, and you can certainly see the Apple in the Ace! A very similar shape, size and design.

The touch screen is excellent, very responsive. One thing I was not sure about was how easy it would be to type on a touch screen phone, however, with the addition of “SWYPE” this phone is really easy to type with, as seen here:

With “Swpe for Android” you really can type very quickly with this phone.

I guess the main advantage over Apple is the availability of apps for the Andriod platform. For example, if you want to download some music there are a few apps that will source the track you want from online radio stations such as last FM. I am not sure how legal this is. One issue I did notice with some of the apps is that they wanted permission to access personal details / address books etc. I think this is a drawback of Android, security that is. Being a more open platform it is more open to abuse as well as innovation, so I am being pretty careful what I install on it.

The google apps based on Maps such as latitude, street view etc are amazing toys, though I dont use them for anything practical. I do use the Ebay app to place last minute bids though. DroidStats is another useful app that helps you keep an eye on your data / call usage to avoid unwanted bills!

Whilst on the subject of internet usage, the browser in the Galaxy Ace is pretty good too, most sites just work, and unlike Apple this phone will play flash

The MP3 and Video features are good too, though the camera is not the best in the world it is perfectly adequate for my needs. On that note you can see more details on the spec of this phone on GSM Arena here:

In terms of pricing, the Galaxy Ace is extremely competitive given its style and feature set. I used a site called mobile phone deals to compare contracts before buying. Sites like that are really useful as they allow you to compare prices on thousands of deals across lots of different retailers and networks, pretty cool.

The only thing that would have been nice which was not included with this phone is a carry case or protective case of some sort. I know a lot of phones dont come with this and its something you often have to pay extra for, but it would have been nice to have something thrown in with it. I am trying my best to look after this handset and dont want to scratch the glass etc.

Anyway, if your after a cool smartphone on a budget, I can certainly recommend this one! My parting shot is a cool video review I found: