Samsung Captivate (Galaxy S)
Phone Scoop Review
Jul 18, 2010 by Eric M. Zeman
Phone Scoop takes the AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S -- the Captivate -- for a spin to see how well it performs. The display and battery life are amazing. How do the rest of the features hold up? read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
I Fixed my Captivate!!
Yep, today my Captivate froze for the last time. After having to take it out of it's body glove and remove the back and battery for the third time today (and about the 10th time this week) I calmly removed the Sim and memory cards then crushed the piece of garbage into two roughly equal pieces. Yea, it was expensive, but the satisfaction I got from watching the glass shatter and the wounderful, "crunching" sound it made as it passed into the next world was priceless!
PLEASE, don't make the mistake I made. This isn't an iPhone, nor is it an iPhone killer as some note. I'm sure that there are good smart phones out there that are not made by the Apple folks, but avoid this one at all costs!
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
JUST ON WORD (NOT!) :D
Where does the Captivate stand out? And is it really poised to knock the iPhone from its perch as the only smartphone on AT&T really worth considering? (NOW JUST ONE WORD! :D) YES!!!!!!!!!
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
AD more reviews below...
GREAT Android Device
I've owned this phone for a little over a week and couldn't be happier. I switched back to AT&T from Metro PCS because cheaper isn't always better. I picked up the Samsung Captivate from Walmart for $0.97. AT&T is currently selling it for $50. I haven't had any issues yet so I'm quite pleased with its performance. I have the 2 gig data plan for $25/month which is plenty for my use. Tons and tons of cool apps from the android market.
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
It's a miniature miracle!
I bought this phone 6 months ago to replace my Palm Centro. Now my co-worker, son, niece and my husband own a Captivate.
First, the hardware:
It IS a mini-computer! The screen is absolutely beautiful. I have a photo of a flower from our land along with Friendly Bugs live wallpaper. It looks like the desktop of my Dell laptop, just smaller. So bright, so clear.
At first, it used up a battery pretty fast, but WOW, you can actually change batteries, unlike an iPhone. It has never been easier. Slide down the metal latch on the bottom rear and the back lifts off. There is a great charger with kickstand that when closed becomes a nice portable battery case to take with you.
It's a perfectly sized phone, thin and easy to hold. The speakers are adequate and volume can be tweaked with software.
I won't have a phone without external memory. I love the 16GB built-in. Can't afford a 32GB card yet, but my current total of 32GB will do for now. And the processor is fast. What more can you ask for?
Now, the software:
Oh, I love the Android OS! It makes this phone totally configurable. I can take HD movies of my grandkids. I can surf the net with a fast customizable browser. I can play games, add cover art to my music and don't have download the music from iTunes!
I can attend meetings with Webex and access my company's Lotus Notes, so can take my work with me everywhere...not sure that's always a good thing:-}
I use Google mail to manage my, my husband's and my mother-in-laws travel needs and view it on Jorte, a great email app or via the web at Gmail.
I can access almost every type of file I need, browse Chrome on my puter and send a link to my phone. I can use Evernote to keep track of my To Do list and sync it with my personal and work laptop. It's a GPS, a voice recorder, a flashlight and a game console. It's a book reader, a radio player, a music lyrics finder and so much more.
Oh yeah, and I can make phone calls and text all day if I want.
I can customize to my heart's content!
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
Well...Maybe Not.
Alright let me break this phone down for you. Amazing specs in theory! I love the camera and the fast multitasking with the Android O/S. I even don't mind the AT&T bloatware that comes pre-installed, or the fact that AT&T limits you from downloading third party apps. I could live with it all, however what I will not live with is the Random shut-downs. When I say random, I mean completely random. There isn't a clear reason for these shut downs. So you might be thinking that it is because I rooted my phone and that the firmware I flashed was junk. Negative, I returned the phone after the shut downs became a multiple time occurrences each day. So brand new Samsung Captivate no rooting, didn't even install new apps. Completely stock ROM, shut down within 24 hours of return.
Think I am the only one experiencing this problem? Negative, check out this link to the XDA forums where it is currently at 81 pages of discussion of this problem.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731560
No current solution to this problem. Some of have speculated that Samsung could release a Froyo or Gingerbread update that would fix this problem. However, I can't afford to take a chance and be stuck with a piece of junk phone. I am returning this phone and not getting another one.
Pros-
5.0 Mp Camera
Android App Market
Decent Battery Life
Super fast 1GHz processor(compared to Iphone 3G)
Cons -
Android O/S 2.1 Eclair
Shut down bug
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
Simply the Best
The Samsung Captivate is w/o doubt the best Android phone AT&T has to offer. It is in the running to be the best phone in there entire stable! Period! The screen is more than awesome, the speed of the device is incredible, Skyfire (the downloadable Browser) is "almost" as good as safari, nothing is touching that camera, live wallpapers etc. The ONLY reason I gave mine back was b/c im just really comfortable and used to iPhone. And in the end I would really like something with a physical keyboard
Pros:
Camera
FAST
Android Market
Twidroyd > Echofon/Tweetdeck/T4i
Screen is simply better....than anything
Live Wallpapers
Multi-Tasking
Widgets
Ships with 16gb card
Perfect Size for typing
Cons:
Charger on top
Very slippery
No Flash for Camera
Battery lIfe not great
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
The screen is more HD than my TV!
After living and dying by apple, I decided to take a risk and try one of these alongside my iPhone 4. The iPhone is now gone! The screen is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
PROS:
Screen is big with very vibrant colors.
The phone is extremely sturdy. I have dropped it numerous times and it has one little scratch from the asphalt.
Touchscreen really responsive
Android system is ALOT better than I expected
16 GB of storage and it is expandable
Android market is really improving and has tons of stuff (Still not up to Apples yet though)
The live wallpapers on the AMOLED screen or superb
Takes amazing pictures and videos
CONS
Still hasn't been upgraded to 2.2 yet. I don't know why AT&T are always last. But the same happened with my old Blackberry curve work phone.
Battery life isn't spectacular, but getting to look at the screen all day makes up for a short battery life.
GPS doesn't work well (Supposed to be fixing that though.)
Overall, this is my favorite phone ever. I would recommend giving it a shot.
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
This phone will Captivate You!
I used all 6 Galaxy Series phones from samsung.
The Galaxy S (European International Version)
: Feels cheap and too buggy compared to the north american versions.
The Galaxy Beam (only available in Asia)
: only 800MHz processor, not enough to hold the projector it has built in.
The Vibrant (T-Mobile),
:Too Laggy, It was slow and it would freeze a lot in comparison to other ones.
The Fascinate (Verizon)
Only 2 GB of internal memory, are you kidding me?, and I don't care about 2.2 Froyo since it will come out for captivate this month.
The Epic 4G (Sprint),
Too thick and physical keyboard was a bad idea in my opinion, since the springs will give out one day you know? also this makes the phone more "Breakable". I know it has a front facing camera, but seriously how many times are you going to use that?
The Captivate (at&t) just perfect. It excells in every area:
-Fast 1GHz Hummingbird Cortex A8 Processor
-16GB of internal memory
-Android 2.1 Eclair
-Mde sturdy (Carbon Fiber-looking back)
-supports up to a 32GB micro SD card
-GSM Phone
-Super AMOLED Display (This Goes for all Galaxy S phones, just put it next to ANY phone and you will see the difference)
-Sorround Sound
-3D Graphics Card (Great for Gaming)
-Fast Data
-No Dropped Calls so far
-Looks Bigger, Thinner, and more sleek than any other Galaxy S phone out there.
-5mp camera (It might sound like something common, but the pictures look better than in any other phone for some reason) No need for flash, it doesn't make a difference anyways with the horrible LED flash the put on most phones.
-Swype Typing
-Amazing Signal
-Battery lasts about 1.5-2.0 days (rare in smartphones)
-720p HD video recording and playback
-You can sync to Mac or Itunes (theres an free app in the android market for this, I just won't say the name cuz idk if can do that here, but there is one)
-Media Hub
-Free video calling over 3G with ***** app works wonders.
-Threaded text messaging.
NO CONS AT ALL!
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
Completely amazing!
I just got this phone yesterday, but i work for at&t and i already know about all the other phones out there...This is the one I have been waiting for! So far, I have played with virtually every feature on this phone and can't find anything i dont like...
PROS:
this screen is like BUTTER (so smooth!)
swype texting
outstanding screen display
android market
battery life is as good or as bad as expected
easy to see for us blind folk
Gorilla Glass--this phone is indestructible!
live wallpapers
speakers are GREAT
so many things to do and see on this phone!
CONS:
maybe its a tad too big?
the phone itself is somewhat slippery...it falls off of things easy, i had no choice but to get a silicone case for it.
On another note, I am planning my wedding right now; I have already downloaded a wedding planning (free) app from the android market which helps me out so much. Plus, it is easy to seperate contacts into groups for fast calling/texting...oh, and I have already seen for myself that customers are realizing that the iphone is not worth the hassle that Apple puts you through, and several people have switched over to the android market. Seriously, get with the program people. This thing is amazing!!
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
A Cut above the rest
Lets stary by saying this is the best phone I have owned or used. Yes better than the iphone and evo or blackberry torch.
PROS:
Perfectly sized four inch touch super AMOLED display.
Good five mega pixel camera and stellar 720p recording.
Good service anywhere I am (new york).
Decent call quality for the most part.
Android market is good as always.
I love the way the back of the phone comes off.
Video quality is just fascinating to watch.
Crazy fast one ghz processor.
Swype texting is plain awesome.
Display is similar to that of an hd television.
So bright I keep my brightness as low as possible.
CONS:
Battery is decent but coming from a blackberry user its not too great.
Speakers not all that loud.
Aside from those cons the phone is fabulous. Much better than my mytouch or blackberry 8900 and quite easily faster than any phone I've ever used. Can't wait for froyo to add the finishing touches.
Log In to rate this review or report it as inappropriate.
Have a question about this phone? Ask in the Forum ›
Ready to buy? Shop for this phone ›
