Samsung Captivate User Reviews

I got this phone because I was tired of the OS of the I phone.  To my surprise I found that I really enjoy the Captivate and it's android OS.

The phone is very light and fits in my hand very well.  One of the things I read in many reviews is that the phone feel plasticky.  Really?  The phone is made of plastic what else is it supposed to feel like?  I guess I don't know the difference in between high end and low end plastic.  LOL  But it is built very well it doesn't give that bend and squeek like cheaper phones.

 The Captaviate is the perfect fit as far as screen size not too small like the Aria and not too big like the EVO and Droid X.  The Brightness of the screen is amazing.  At first I looked up one video off of my friends Facebook and it looked dull and embarssing I almost took the phone back.  But when I actually went to You Tube and looked at some things I was so impressed.  Yes I almost made a big mistake.  I think that the Captivate's screen is right up there with Apple but I would have to say that Apple's screen makes things look slightly better.  I think it's just the smaller screen that's actually makes things look the way they due.  I would love to see a 4 inch apple display then you could compare them fairly.  It seems like finger prints show up more on this screen then any other screen I have used.

As far as the operating system I think Android is pretty cool it takes a while to get used to but after that it works very well.  The best way to explain android to someone is to tell them it's like a jailbreaking an I Phone.  You can just do more things with this device.  The Touch wiz interface is ok with me becasue it's kind of like the Apple os which made it easier for me to get used to.  I don't like how the icons in the dock at the bottom can not be customized.  Another issue I have is e-mail.  There is an e-mail icon to setup your e-mail but when I try to set up my yahoo it doesn't work.  I don't know if it's just the particular phone I have or if it's the OS.  I know in the Android Market there is an app for yahoo mail so for right now I am just using that.  I love all the little widgets for just about every app you download they just make life alot easier.  I wake up every day to the Daily Briefing app which is a Samsung Widget that comes with the phone.

The camera on the Captaviate is a great camera for being 5 megapixels it's does it's job very well.  I wish there was a flash just for the simple fact I haven't had one until I got the I phone 4.  I haven't not tried the night mode I think it's called to see how the camera works in dim lighting.  But I have not been in a situation where I need to do that.

The 1GHZ processor is Fast as He**.  The is not much lagging unless you have like 20 something apps running in the background along with a live wallpaper.  The web browser pulls up pages quickly and the pinch to zoom works like a champ. 

In closing what more can I say.  I like this phone a lot and I didn't think I would.  I just wanted something different than an I phone.  I am very impressed with Android but there can be some changes to make it a little bit more user friendly and safer.  I just heard not too long ago there was a wallpaper app that was sending your information to chinese website.  This is a great alternative to the I phone 4.  Good job ATT I can't wait to see what's next. 

The design of the Captivate is a major departure from the other Galaxy S devices. A nice faux carbon fiber soft material cover the metal battery cover, which itself has a unique design.

Let's get down to the guts of the phone. The TouchWiz UI is just something that brings this phone down. Replacing the TouchWiz launhers with a launcher like LauncherPro Plus for example really bring this beast to life. With some more tweaking, most of the lag and slow downs from the stock version are pretty much gone.

(This phone can also be rooted and non-market apps can be enabled, yes you CAN side-load apps if you take the time to figure out how to do it.)

Some Concerns:
1. GPS Issues need to be addressed with a software update. (hopefully)
2. Signal meter fluctuates all the time. (Have never dropped a call because of it though.)
3. Soft key lights only stay on for 2 seconds when you release screen. This needs to be adjustable in the settings.

I bought this phone today and I absolutely love it.
It's really zippy compared to most phones on the market today. I also love the build quality, it doesn't feel cheap (it better not feel cheap for a $499 off contract price.)
I didn't have any difficulty setting anything up, and everything was really easy to use. 

My phone history goes something like this:
Samsung sgh-t119
Sony Ericson w580i
Samsung Propel
And the AT&T Fuze.

and switching over from something like the fuze was like waking up to the real world of phones. 

This phone does everything I need and so much more.

Yes, there is always something better just over the horizon with anything in technology. You hear things like it doesn't have the just released new OS, the next phone will have a better UI, etc., etc. You can sit on the fence until doomsday and there will always be the next great thing. The rule is, right after you buy your hot new gadget, it'll be obsoleted by a new one. That's the entire goal of the industry.So, where does that leave us with the Galaxy S based AT&T Wireless Captivate? Well, in my wife's and my opinion with one well thought out, well designed and simply amazing phone. Android 2.1 is a completely capable OS and the wealth of applications in the marketplace are amazing. My wife used to use her phone only for placing calls and she liked it that way.When I introduced her to the Captivate in the store her whole perspective on what a cell phone was for changed. Now she is using her phone as a tool for all kinds of things from looking up recipes on allrecipies.com right in the kitchen, navigating from place to place, keeping track of her schedule to keeping in touch with me.You can read all over what the Captivate lacks - oh, it has no front facing camera, it's only running 2.1, etc., etc. What you won't read in those reviews is that AT&T finally has a completely capable Android phone with good battery life and more features than you can shake a stick at. So, are you an AT&T Wirelss customer like we are? Stop sitting on the fence and go try one for yourself. Will you be completely disappointed in the phone? I highly doubt it. Will something new come out with bigger, faster XYZ? Absolutely, and just as soon as you sign a 2 year contract. However, you will still be left with a completely useful tool that I don't see any reason can't hold you over for 2 years when Android 4.5 will have just come out and everyone will be complaining that some phones are still only shipping with Android 4.4.Now just don't go buy one before I get mine. Yes, that's right - my wife bought that last one in my town and boy is she rubbing it in.

 At long last, a powerful Android device lands on AT&T and it's a home-run. I love the screen size and the usefulness of TouchWiz 3.0 outweighs how bad most people, including myself, think it looks. Very slim and not cheap feeling in my hand. I came from a Nexus One and feel like this phone beats it in many ways. It is very fast and the screen is the BOMB. I think the only drawback is the length of time between updates is longer compared to the Nexus, and thats it. My only wish is that they included a front facing camera like the original Galaxy S.