This isn’t a full review for the Samsung Galaxy 4.0 Android MP3 Player, just some observations after tinkering with it for about an hour.
- This is to the Samsung Galaxy Phone what the iPod Touch is to the iPhone.
- The “4″ actually stands for “4 inch screen” not “version 4″. Thus the 5 is a 5in screen. Quite a confounding naming scheme if you ask me and the 5 reminds me of an awkward adolescent. Even the 4 is just a teeny bit larger than I would have preferred.
- It’s cheaper and feels more industrial than an iPod with a few more features (GPS, flash, micro SD slot).
- There is no “quick start-up” guide so I put the battery in and plugged it into the USB-walljack adapter, thinking I ought to charge it first. After waiting an hour I tried turning it on but nothing happened so I unplugged it, popped/replaced the battery, and tried again — voila! WTF?
- The touch screen feels like a second-hand citizen with more controls done via buttons than swiping so the result is an amateurish blend of functionality and finish.
- It took me a while to get connected to the corporate WiFi and the device made no attempt to inform me that the lack of a proxy was what was preventing it from getting to internet services.
- Trying to sync to Gmail, for example (continuing the previous point), said it “Might take a few minutes” and then a couple later it finally said I had a lousy connection. It probably could have determined this faster and reported something much better like: “You appear to be behind a firewall”, “Wireless is not connected” (seriously, the first time I wasn’t connected at all and it still spun for a good minute or two … doing … what?)
- Can’t setup Google Account behind a proxy which makes no sense considering all those services are HTTP-based.This also means that you can’t browse apps in the market place, so it’s essentially an isolated toy until I get home or to a coffee shop.
- The Task Manager and the details it provides is awesome for a power-OCD-user like myself, but I wonder who else cares?
- The plastic casing looks cheaper than an iPod but doesn’t scratch up in nanoseconds which is nice.
- Damn, this is 3.55mm too, so it looks like I need an adapter for my “nice” headphones.
- Web browser looks ungainly. I logged into Google Voice and the interface you’re presented with is a pile of dung compared to what you see in Safari on the iPod. Actually, scratch that, it just looks like a pile of dung (no comparison necessary).
- There is a settings button for the onscreen keyboard right next to the period. Bad, designer, no donut!
- I like the three buttons at the bottom better than the iPod’s one button, but it took me a bit to figure out how to use them (configure, home, and back). The “back” button is the best because you know exactly what to press to escape whatever you fell into.
- I totally dig that the buttons vibrate the device ever so slightly, it provides tactile feedback that the iPod completely lacks.
- Go away input box, how do I make you go away?! Why can’t I scroll when you’re in my face?!
So far I’m satisfied with the purchase, but I wouldn’t recommend it to the average consumer. It feels designed for nerds who are willing to explore and put up with usability harshness in favor of more powerful capabilities. Based on what I’ve seen, I also get the since that a Samsung Galaxy Tab is probably far inferior to the iPad. I wonder if Amazon will shrink the Kindle Fire and make their own pocket device (Kindle Candle?).
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