8:21 PM
my phone
Design and construction
The flagship device of Korean smartphone and tablet manufacturer Samsung as of the moment is the monster of a superphone Samsung Galaxy S2 / S II. And for good reason. The device has a massive screen and is very ferocious in terms of the components under its hood. It also comes with a price tag that might leave you a miser so if you want something more affordable and yet very capable, the Samsung Galaxy W is a very viable option.
In general, most of Samsung smartphones never got their aesthetics right and almost all of them look like they have been slashed off a block of black plastic. Even the mighty Galaxy S II falls prey to this and the Galaxy W is no exception either. The handset measures 115.5 x 59.8 x 11.5 mm and weighs in at 109.9 grams. With these numbers, the Galaxy W effectively puts itself in the middle grounds – not so thick, not so thin either. It is a lightweight though if you check how it tips the balance.
As for its construction, Samsung boasts of giving its handsets a well-built quality and feel and this is also a given in the cast of the Galaxy W. The whole front panel of the handset is covered in glass but its edges are plastic that pack brushed metal look. The back panel of the handset on the other hand is done in a matte black finish with dimple stampings to make it even easier to grip.
The right edge of the Galaxy W houses the lock button of the Galaxy W while its left flank contains the volume rocker. At the top edge of the device, we see its microUSB port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Despite the well-built quality that the Galaxy W packs, critics might still find the handset a bit cheap-looking because of the type of materials used in its construction. Well, I guess you just really can’t please everybody can you?
Under the hood
As mentioned earlier, though not as ferocious as the Galaxy S II when it comes to the internals that line up its guts, the Galaxy W is still a very capable handset that packs enough punch under the hood to get everything done in a snappy manner.
The handset is based on the Snapdragon platform and packs a QualComm MSM8255T SoC chipset right smack in the middle of its circuitry to ensure that every component in and around the chipset is doing what it is supposed to. In terms of its CPU, the Galaxy W has a single-core 1.4GHz Scorpion processor tasked to come up with the required computing power of the handset while a dedicated Adreno 205 graphics chip makes certain that all graphical matters are handled pretty well.
In terms of its system memory, the processor of the Galaxy W works in conjunction with 512 MB of RAM that acts as a backup in the running of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the operating system of the Galaxy W. As for its storage capacity, the Galaxy W comes with an internal memory pegged at 2GB. This can further be beefed up to as much as 32GB by making use of the dedicated microSD card slot for instant memory expansion in the handset.
The display
In terms of its display, though the Galaxy W didn’t get a SuperAMOLED Plus display, the one that eats up the majority of its front panel is capable enough to blast out images that are very sharp and vibrant. The display of the Galaxy W has a diagonal of 3.7 inches and is of the capacitive touchscreen type with a 800 x 480 resolution and pixel density of 252 pixels per inch. A physical home button along with two other touch-sensitive buttons are just below the display while sensors that add to the functionality of the Galaxy W are all integrated onto the device.
The shooters
The shooting department of the Galaxy W is pretty standard for a device in its class. It has a rear-facing camera with a 5MP resolution and this shooter has autofocus along with an LED flash. It can also capture images of up to 2592 x 1944 pixels and record 720p videos at 30 frames per second. A VGA snapper on the other hand is found at its front panel and this shooter is designed for use during video chats.
The bottom line
There is not much to say about the Samsung Galaxy W really. It obviously isn’t the Samsung Galaxy S II but the handset has its positive attributes as well. It may not be as classy-looking as the competition but the components under its hood more than make up for whatever shortcomings it has in the face value department. And the best part? It comes at a price point that will not break the bank.
Is the Samsung Galaxy W i8150 the best mid priced phone in the market? In terms of pure speed it is. It combines the fast 1.4GHz processor with fast HSDPA 14.4 Mbps connectivity.
LG Optimus Black. It primary competitor, the Android powered LG Optimus Black has a slower processor/graphic combo under the hood with its 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX530 GPU and only supports up to HSDPA 7.2 Mbps connectivity. Given both Globe and Smart are rolling out HSDPA+ 21.1 Mbps networks the additional speed will be useful in the Philippines.
Still at Php15,990 the LG Optimus Black has a lot to offer despite not being the speed king. It has a larger more vibrant 4-inch (700-nit) 480 x 800 IPS display protected by Gorilla Glass. The LG Optimus Black has double the amount of user available internal storage at 1GB. Physically, the LG Optimus Black has a ultra slim 9.2 mm thin profile. The Samsung Galaxy W i8150 is not a thick phone, but at 11.5 mm it is thicker.
Basically it comes down to the larger screen and slimmer profile versus processor and internet connection speed. I would think the Samsung Galaxy W i8150, being a newer phone would have a better chance of being upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, but don't count on that. With only 512MB of user storage, that might not happen. Still, Samsung was working on the Galaxy Nexus, it would be disappointing if they did not give this phone just enough room for an ICS upgrade. The ROM is actually 2GB, as big as the LG Optimus Black. So keep your fingers crossed.
It is a though call, and the Samsung Galaxy W i8150's processing and internet speed is tempting, but the absence of Gorilla Glass protection and the larger screen of the LG Optimus Black give it enough advantages. Let's call this one a draw.
HTC Desire S. The HTC Desire S price has gone down to Php19,000. The Desire S compares better in terms of speed as against the Samsung Galaxy W i8150. Both run on Qualcomm scorpion processors and Adreno 205 graphics. The Samsung Galaxy W i8150 has a 40% advantage in clock speed, the HTC Desire S has 50% more RAM. Both phone support HSDPA 14.4 Mbps.
Between the Samsung Galaxy W i8150 and the HTC Desire S, very little separates them specifications wise. The HTC Desire S will Php3,000 cost you more which makes the Samsung Galaxy W i8150. Your Php3,000 will buy you a premium looking and well built aluminum unibody case, Gorilla Glass protected display, HTC Sense which is the best manufacturer built Android user interface and a bundled 8GB SD card.
HTC has not confirmed that the HTC Desire S is getting upgraded to ICS. But among the HTC Desire S, Samsung Galaxy W i8150 and LG Optimus Black I think the Desire S has the best chance at being upgrated to ICS. Just don't blame me if the HTC Desire S is not updated to ICS, it is my best guess and nothing more than that.
Posted in: Samsung
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