Samsung Vibrant Android Phone (T-Mobile) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)T-mobile, the first carrier to even have an android phone (the G1), blew its lead with the OS on a stream of mediocre handsets. While the other carriers got newer and better devices, T-mobile lagged behind, until now. Finally, at long last, a quality handset has arrived: the Vibrant. With its good looks, blazing fast speed, and quality OS, T-mobile customers can finally upgrade to a great phone.
*Hardware*
The Good:
-The first thing you notice about the Vibrant is its big beautiful screen. The 480x800 AMOLED screen is sharp and beautiful, easy to type on, and shows plenty of detail.
-The phone itself is thin and light, with a nice curve near the bottom to hold onto.
-1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor is faster in benchmarks than a 1 GHz Snapdragon and offers enhanced graphics procesing
-The buttons are not buttons but touch sensitive surfaces, like a flat screen TV.
-16gb of onboard storage is awesome. Add a 32gb microsdhc card and you've got 48gb, more than the iPhone.
-3G connection takes advantage of T-mobile's ever expanding 3G network, currently the fastest of any carrier in many cities.
-5 megapixel camera takes decent pictures and records video at 720p.
The Bad:
-The big compromise here is the camera. While the EVO and Incredible have 8MP cameras, the Vibrant has only 5MP. Flash and Front Facing Camera are glaring omissions from this otherwise high end phone.
-The plastic feels a bit cheap, but this is the case with most phones these days.
-Garish T-mobile and Samsung logos detract from the smooth appearance.
*Software*
The Good:
-Android 2.1 is stock on the phone with a promised upgrade to 2.2 in the near future. The latest versions of android are fast, more battery efficient, and have fewer "force close" errors. Some highlights include animated wallpapers, 7 home screens, and support for flash in web browsing.
-The interface is fast and smooth.
-Samsung has managed not to screw up the interface to this phone like it did on the Behold 2. The customizations are useful and unobtrusive.
*Included Accessories*
The Good:
-2 backplates (shiny blue or shiny purple) for customization.
-Nice gelly earphones are higher quality than most phones.
-Charger is a solid usb/wall combo.
-Avatar movie shows off the phone's beautiful screen.
-Free Sims 3 game is a fun way to kill some time.
The Bad:
-2gb MicroSD card is a bit lame compared to the 16gb internal memory, but easily upgradable.
Overall this is a great phone. Some hardware compromises prevent it from being the best Android phone ever, but it is still the best Android phone for T-mobile, and is the phone many customers, including myself, have been waiting for. The phone looks great, is blazingly fast, and has plenty of bells and whistles.

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Ideal for those looking to combine mobile entertainment and communication in one device, the Android-powered Samsung Vibrant for T-Mobile is pre-loaded with a variety of games and video--including The Sims 3 Collector's Edition (a T-Mobile exclusive) and James Cameron's blockbuster, Avatar. It also comes with the pre-loaded Kindle for Android app--enabling you to search and browse more than 500,000 books--and offers access to MobiTV streaming video.



Enabled for T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, the Vibrant offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites. And the 3G-enabled Vibrant will benefit from the enhanced speeds of T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ network, which is being rolled out nationwide to reach up to 185 million people by the end of the year and offers speeds close to 4G connectivity (read more about HSPA+ below).

With integrated Google technology, the Samsung Vibrant brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, Gtalk, YouTube, Picasa, and contacts/calendar synchronization. The Samsung Vibrant also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

Optimized for watching videos on the go as well as game play, the Vibrant offers a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display for a bright, vivid viewing experience. It's equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with digital zoom and autofocus, and it also captures HD video. Other features include a 16 GB internal memory, microSD memory expansion (for up to 32 GB of additional storage from optional cards), Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, intuitive typing via integrated Swype keyboard, and up to 4 hours of talk time.

Entertainment On The Go
The Samsung Vibrant for T-Mobile includes the following pre-installed applications and content:

Exclusive The Sims 3 Collector's Edition brings exciting new gameplay and endless possibilities all on your mobile phone. Enjoy unexpected moments of surprise and mischief, as you choose whether (or not) to fulfill your Sims' destinies and make their wishes come true.
James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar comes pre-loaded on the internal 16 GB memory, and it's optimized for viewing on the Vibrant's high-resolution screen.
Amazon's Kindle for Android app provides the best reading experience available on your Android phone. You'll be able to access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you as well as automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync. (Learn more)
MobiTV mobile offers access to live and on-demand TV on your phone, including favorite channels such as MTV, NBC, COMEDY CENTRAL, ESPN and more are available. Plus, when you subscribe to MobiTV, your first 30 days of service are free.
Slacker Radio allows you to listen to free personalized radio and choose from millions of songs from thousands of artists. Listen for free to over 100 expert-programmed radio stations from every genre or create your own custom stations.
Gogo Inflight Internet service offers an added bonus: up to six months of free in-flight Wi-Fi access on their device, with Internet access on 2,500 daily flights in the continental U.S. and growing.

Key Features


Powered by the Android 2.1 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network (1700/2100 MHz bands) with enhanced speeds thanks to T-Mobile's HSPA+ super-fast network (limited to areas with HSPA+ network coverage; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service and HSPA+ rollout below).
Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands).
Integrated A-GPS for location-based services and navigation via Google Maps.
1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor speeds up everything--from playing games to watching shows to opening files from work.
Innovative 4-inch capacitive touchscreen Super AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen reproduces sharper and brighter colors with better battery consumption (480 x 800 pixels, 16 million color depth).
Swype input system allows you to input text faster and easier by gliding your finger around the keyboard, moving from letter to letter in one continuous motion. The Swype technology then calculates what word you're intending to type (learn more below).
5-megapixel camera with up to 3x digital zoom, multi-shot capabilities, and multiple shot modes.
HD video capture capabilities
Multi-format digital audio player
Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Next-generation Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity provides faster throughput while minimizing on power requirements. It's compatible with new Bluetooth 3.0-enabled devices as well as backward compatible with older Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as headsets and printers. It includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
16 GB internal memory
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (a 2 GB card is included).
YouTube app for streaming video over 3G and Wi-Fi connections.
Rich HTML e-mail application seamlessly syncs your e-mail, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP e-mail services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone's contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your e-mail in the background.
Full HTML Web browser enables you to view more pages and enjoy better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
Instant messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. It also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging.
Text (SMS) and picture/video (MMS) messaging
Google Calendar app syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung Vibrant weighs 4.16 ounces and measures 4.82 x 2.54 x 0.39 inches. Its 1500 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 96 hours (4 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).

What's in the Box
Samsung Vibrant handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, USB cable, wired stereo headset, quick start guide


Learn More
Kindle for Android
Kindle for Android is a free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their Android phones.Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android will include Amazon's Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer's bookmarks across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and soon Android, so customers always have their reading material with them and never lose their place. The Kindle Store includes over 500,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books that people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99.

Search and browse more than 500,000 books, including 105 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, directly from their Android device
Access their library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon's servers for free
Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and soon Android
Choose from five different font sizes and three color modes: read in White, Sepia, or Black color modes and adjust the brightness of the display from within the app
Read books in full color, including children's books, cookbooks, travel books, textbooks and graphic novels
Read in portrait or landscape mode, tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages


Swype Keyboard
An alternative to the Android virtual keyboard, the Swype virtual keyboard allows you to input text by swiping the finger with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. Based on testing, speed and accuracy are equal to or better than the traditional keyboard-tapping method. You can activate the Swype keyboard by pressing and holding in a text field, wait for popup to appear, click Input Method, and then select Swype.

Simply Trace a Path
In the image to the left, the word "quick" was generated from tracing the path shown above in a fraction of a second, by roughly aiming to pass through the letters of the word. A key advantage to Swype is that there is no need to be very accurate, enabling very rapid text entry.

T-Mobile Services
T-Mobile's New, Expanding Super-Fast HSPA+ Network
As of June, 2010, T-Mobile has upgraded its traditional 3G network to HSPA+ in 25 major metropolitan areas across the U.S., and it plans to continue rolling out this network upgrade to over 100 metropolitan cities and up to 185 million people by the end of 2010. HSPA+ provides our fastest data speeds, up to 3 times faster than AT&T and Verizon's standard 3G networks, while allowing simultaneous voice and data capabilities for the ultimate wireless voice and data experience.



You'll enjoy 4G-like speeds with HSPA+ enabled areas, with a theoretical capability of up to 21 Mbps peak download speeds (and typical download speeds averaging between 5 and 8 Mbps).

While T-Mobile doesn't currently offer mobile phones with HSPA+ compatibility, many 3G devices can benefit from enhanced speeds when they're on the HSPA+ network today--including the Samsung Vibrant.

High-Speed Data Connectivity via T-Mobile's 3G Network
In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.

While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

Activities that work best on a 3G network:

Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

T-Mobile's 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.

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