Hardware

This device features a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, meaning it’ll be very very bright and has 480 x 800 pixel resolution. This crushes the mid-range competition for brightness and in most cases for resolution as well, but doesn’t quite match the Galaxy S II for either energy efficiency or, again, brightness. Thus is the difference between Super AMOLED and Super AMOLED Plus – though you won’t likely notice it unless you’ve got both phones in your hands at once.

This device has a relatively solid construction throughout, but when you do handle the phone often you’ll notice the slide-out action happening a little TOO readily, the power button’s placement on the side of the device making a strange bit of accidental flipping happening for your humble narrator more than once. Similarly there is a bit of a downfall on the back cover as it’s easily the thinnest piece of plastic Samsung has ever produced for a smartphone. Once it’s on though, you may well forget about how light it is. This device won’t win any awards for perfect toughness, let’s just say that.

The keyboard is OK, certainly not on the same level that HTC has gotten to with such hits as the recent T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide, but not quite as tightly knit and difficult to type with as the Motorola DROID 3. It lights up for nighttime typing, and as with all extendable keyboards, the whole unit becomes much easier to play racing games with – racing games such as the greatest racing game available for the mobile platform today, Asphault 6, and what do you know – there it is pre-installed!

Software

While the fact that this device does have a pretty decent display and a keyboard for those of you not quite ready to take the plunge with on-screen keyboards just yet, the real power lies in the fact that this handset employs the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor. While this processor may seem less powerful than some of its competitors as it is clocked in at 1GHz per CPU core, you’ll see the results in these benchmarks say otherwise.

The Tegra 2 processor also affords you access to an elite set of games otherwise not available to those without said processor. These games can be found in the NVIDIA Tegra Zone as seen both online and on device as well. This means you’ll be able to play Zen Pinball when its eventually released – yes!

As for the user interface, you’re using one of the newest versions of Samsung’s TouchWiz as introduced back when the Galaxy S II lineup was revealed for the USA. This is Samsung’s finest user interface over Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread yet, and your humble narrator has no complaints. Software is your usual set of Samsung and AT&T added applications as well as the Google standard fare including the Android Market, Gmail, and of course Maps.

Pro-tip: as with essentially all recent Samsung handsets, you can take a screenshot by holding down your home key and tapping your power key. Slick!

Camera

The camera is 8 megapixels powerful and capable of 720p video, and while it doesn’t have the massive amount of editing software built-in like HTC devices do, it does get the job done with some lovely results. Have a peek at a photo or two below and some 720p video as well, and mind the Target:

Battery

This device has a 1650 mAh sized battery inside and hasn’t lasted any less than 10 hours on a single charge for me thus far while using the device for email, web surfing, and playing the occasional game. Playing streaming videos fares not nearly so well at 4-6 hours, but you’ll likely be doing so with your MHL/HDMI converter cord (that you do have to buy separately) to output to your HDTV. That will have you charging at the same time as playing, so no worries!

Wrap-up

This device is surprisingly high quality. There were only two moments when I had my doubts, one of them being when I put the battery in for the first time since the back cover is so very very thin, and the other when I first started to hit the power button and realized I’d have to find a new way to hold the handset because the slide-out keyboard wasn’t held nearly as tight as it was on other recent keyboard phone models from other manufacturers. That said, once I got going, it all went well.

This certainly isn’t the Galaxy S II, but it’s pretty darn nice. Take a look at the brief comparisons in the videos above to other devices on AT&T right this moment, then see if you’ve got any other questions you’d like to ask and ask them in the comments below – we’ll be sure to answer!

With the release of Android 2.3, many Android phone customers are getting short on patience with the slow to come 2.2 update. Their frustration apparently warranted AT&T to include an explanatory video along with their Facebook message. The video showed a Q&A format with AT&T’s Android Senior Project Manager, Dante Martin, to answer some questions about the Android updates and basically to explain why the process takes so long.

Samsung’s Epic 4G and Sanyo’s Zio on the Sprint network already began receiving their updates earlier this week. And according to AT&T’s video, the Aria should be getting its Froyo update very soon.

[via Android Community]

From Around the Web

Apple Releases Software for 27-Inch LED Cinema Displays: Even if the 27-inch LED Cinema Display isn’t quite out yet, that’s not stopping the company from making sure that all the software out there that would need it, gets updated to support the upcoming hardware. Not that customers have to wait long, considering the display went on sale last Friday, and shipping times are still listed as 1-2 weeks. As for the software update, it’s measured at 75.79 MB, and if you don’t have Mac OS X 10.6.4, it won’t work. Features include subtle tweaks to the System Preferences settings, which include ambient light sensor settings. [via MacRumors]

R3 Media Network

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“An update to improve the Samsung Captivate’s GPS performance is now available. Captivate customers will receive a notification on their device that an update is available and will simply need to download the file to update their phone. The updates will be pushed to customers’ devices over the next few weeks.

The update for the Captivate will also improve additional device functions, such as media scanning time, add the full version of Quickoffice and address Microsoft Exchange 2003 policy support.”

Sluggish media indexing is one thing we discovered Verizon had addressed in their Galaxy S handset, the Samsung Fascinate, so we’re glad to see it brought over to the AT&T phone as well.  Prior to the update, GPS on the Captivate could be sluggish to find a fix and, even then, inaccurate in its positioning.

[via Android Community]

Best of all, there’s no need to root your phone beforehand, and the whole process is reversible should you need to return your Galaxy S to the carrier at some point.  Obviously any modification of this sort runs the risk of leaving you with a bricked phone – and we can’t see too many warranties holding up to unofficial tweaking – but the reports in general seem pretty positive about the unlock’s stability.

[via Android Community]

There’s also Android 2.1 with Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0 UI, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0 and 720p HD video recording.  Onboard memory is 16GB, with a microSD card to expand that, and you also get the Swype keyboard preloaded.

The AT&T Samsung Captivate is available now, priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement and mandatory voice and data plans.  Meanwhile AT&T’s contract-free price for the smartphone is $499.99.

We’ve already got a pretty decent idea of how the Captivate will perform: inside the new casing it’s basically the same as the Samsung Galaxy S we reviewed a few weeks back.  Unfortunately while the style may be different, the less-then-impressive hand-feel is unchanged.  In comparison to rival flagships like the iPhone 4 and Motorola DROID X (read our review), the Captivate feels plasticky, though at least it’s lightweight and the plastics are of decent quality.

The Super AMOLED display remains eye-catching, with strong backlighting and vivid colors.  It’s obviously not as pin-sharp as the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, but it’s certainly among the best screens on an Android device right now.  In bright, direct sunlight you’ll still want to shade it with your hand, but generally outdoor visibility is improved over, say, the AMOLED of a Google Nexus One.

It’s also fast, though we’ll be keeping an eye out for the same occasional lag and pauses that periodically marred the Galaxy S.  Samsung’s TouchWiz UI isn’t to everybody’s taste, and there’s still no way to easily turn it off and return to the basic Android 2.1 interface.  Android is growing increasingly distinctive with each iteration, and sometimes TouchWiz feels a little too much like it’s aping iOS.

We’ll be putting the Captivate through its paces over the next few days, ahead of the full SlashGear review.  Until then, enjoy the unboxing and hands-on video!

That gets you a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, UMTS/HSPA, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0, along with Android 2.1 and the company’s own TouchWiz 3.0 UI enhancements.  The Captivate also gets a 5-megapixel autofocus camera capable of 720p HD video recording (though, like the European Galaxy S, lacking an LED flash), 16GB of onboard storage and a microSD card slot.

There’s also DLNA media streaming, all the usual Google Android apps – including access to the Android Market – and a 3.5mm headphone jack, gyroscope and accelerometer.  The casing redesign looks pretty slick, too, and we’re hoping AT&T’s Captivate feels a little less plasticky than the European version.  For more on the Samsung Galaxy S, check out our full review.

[via Android Community]

There’s also WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and HSPA for up to 7.2Mbps downloads, AT&T’s network depending.  Samsung will preload their Social Hub, which pulls in Twitter, Facebook and MySpace messages, while AT&T will slap on their Navigator app and AT&T Family Map.  There’ll also be the regular Google Android apps, including access to the Android Market, a multitouch-compatible browser and DLNA media streaming support.

The Captivate’s 5-megapixel camera will be able to record 720p HD video, while there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, gyroscope and accelerometer.  AT&T can’t tell us how much the Samsung Captivate will cost, nor when exactly it might arrive on shelves, but we’re already drooling.

[via Android Community]

Samsung Galaxy S hands-on:

Press Release:

AT&T AND SAMSUNG MOBILE ANNOUNCE UPCOMING AVAILABILITY OF THE SAMSUNG CAPTIVATE™, A GALAXY S™ SMARTPHONE

New breed of smartphone powered by the Android™ 2.1 platform features 4-inch Super AMOLED touch screen, 1GHz application processor and innovative entertainment and social networking features

DALLAS, June 17, 2010 — AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.**, today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Captivate™, a Galaxy S™ smartphone. The Android™ 2.1-powered Samsung Captivate will bring users a fully integrated entertainment, messaging and social networking experience packaged in an alluring, streamlined design surrounding a stunning 4-inch display.

The Captivate’s powerful set of Web-based features is maximized with the addition of AT&T’s High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology, which provides a considerable speed boost to the nation’s fastest 3G network when paired with expanded backhaul. Speed plus AT&T’s dedicated focus to mobilize everything – including video content, social networking, music and messaging – is reflected in Captivate’s strong feature set.

The Captivate represents a new breed of smartphones powered by the open and innovative Android platform, with full support of Google Mobile Services including Android Market™, Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™ and more. Users can also access the Android Market™ and customize their experience with more than 60,000 exciting and useful applications. The Captivate also features Samsung’s Super AMOLED display screen technology, a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor and Samsung Social Hub, a feature that integrates the user’s social networking services, messages, personal and business email, calendars and contacts.

”Add up Captivate’s amazing screen, huge amounts of onboard storage, a super-fast processor, all fueled by the nation’s fastest 3G network and a nationwide Wi-Fi network and you get a smartphone we know our customers will crave,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.

“With the launch of the Captivate, AT&T customers will experience a groundbreaking handset with world class features that are unique to Samsung’s Galaxy S class of devices, including Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen technology and 1GHz Hummingbird Application Processor,” said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. “The Captivate represents a new breed of smartphone that will truly change and enrich the way consumers interact with their device on an everyday basis.”

Leading Hardware Features
The Captivate provides a premium viewing experience on its large, brilliant 4-inch display powered by Samsung’s Super AMOLED touch screen technology. Super AMOLED technology yields thinner displays, delivering one of the thinnest, most responsive full-featured smartphones in the industry. Samsung’s innovative display technology makes watching movies, viewing videos and playing games come to life like never before, even in bright light and outdoor environments.

In addition, the Samsung Captivate is designed with a six-axis sensor that combines the smartphone’s accelerometer and gyroscope to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right. The Captivate’s user interface also supports a series of advanced touch screen gestures capabilities including multi-touch pinch, long tap and zoom and vertical and horizontal swiping. This series of versatile gestures provide easier and quicker access to many applications including location-based services, Web browsing and digital photos.

Powering the Captivate is a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor, which produces amazing 3-D graphics, faster upload and download times and full richness of HD-like multimedia content. The Captivate is also outfitted with 3D sound capabilities, giving the user surround-sound stereo quality, when listening on hard-wired headphones.

Features for All Users
The Captivate keeps users connected with Samsung’s Social Hub, which is built around Messaging and Contacts, both of which initiate the sending and receiving of information, whether it is e-mail, instant messaging, social network updates or SMS messages. Additionally, calendar information from portal calendars, such as Google Calendar™, and social networking services are displayed together in one calendar with two-way synchronization. The familiar text messaging experience is enhanced with group messaging and “reply all” functionality for up to 10 contacts, a threaded conversations format, a consolidated inbox, and enhanced multi-media display.

In addition, AT&T customers who choose Captivate can take advantage of AT&T Address Book. A Web-based service, AT&T Address Book syncs contacts to an online address book so customers can access and manage their mobile contacts from their handset – or their PC. Also available to users at no additional charge is access to AT&T’s entire national Wi-Fi network — any Captivate with the Wi-Fi turned on will automatically connect when in range.

Not just for social networking and messaging, the Captivate truly brings your home and office computer to the palm of your hand with support for push email and integrated calendar services, including Google™ and Yahoo for consumers and small businesses and ActiveSync for enterprise users. Messaging is simple and easy with the Captivate’s virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology, which allows users to input text faster and in a more intuitive way with one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard.

True Mobile Entertainment
In addition, the Captivate features best-in-class entertainment features, including future access to Samsung Media Hub, a full library of video and literary content powered by some of the biggest names in entertainment. Samsung Mobile looks forward to sharing additional information about Media Hub in the near future and the Captivate will feature a pre-loaded app that can take users to download Media Hub in the future. The Captivate features Samsung’s All Share application, which enables inter-device connectivity through DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, allowing users to send user-generated video content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices, such as TV’s, monitors and laptops, allowing for a rich, interactive entertainment experience.

The Captivate is packed full of features that enhance users’ daily life, including a 5.0-megapixel camera/ camcorder with auto-focus and HD video recording (720p)***, MP3 player, 3.5-millimeter headphone jack and expandable memory for photos, videos and music, up to 16 GB. This combined with an on-board 16 GB of storage allows for up to 32 GB of capacity for music and video.

The Captivate also includes AT&T Navigator, which offers voice-guided and visual turn-by-turn GPS driving directions with automatic reroute, full-color maps, and real-time traffic alerts and AT&T Family Map, which gives families the ability to track a child’s location from a PC or cell phone and request location updates at any time.

Additional key specifications of the Captivate include Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), full HTML browser with tap & hold zoom), Bluetooth® 3.0 technology. The Captivate also includes tri-band 3G connectivity and quad-band GSM technology, which allows AT&T customers to make calls in more than 220 countries and download data in more than 195.

The Samsung Captivate is scheduled for release in the coming months at AT&T retail locations nationwide or at http://www.att.com/wireless. For more information or to register for notification when available visit www.att.com/captivate . For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2010, Q1-Q4 2009 and Q3 and Q4 2008 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.
*** HD video recording – Capture high-definition (720p) videos and photos for playback on your HD television.

1 3G coverage is not available in all areas.
2 Coverage not available in all areas.
3 Largest Wi-Fi network claim based on non-municipal company and owned and operated hotspots. An 802.11 b/g enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for additional services details and locations .
4 International roaming charges may apply.