Samsung Galaxy R Preview

Introduction:

The Samsung Galaxy R (also known as I9103) is the first handset to walk in the shoes of the Samsung Galaxy S II. A slightly stripped down version of Samsung's flagship, it wears similar looks, packs an equally powerful core and only downgrades the camera to 5 megapixels. Actually, the Galaxy R is the first of many other versions of the S II that we expect to follow – just as was the case with the original Galaxy S, which got a separate version for each major US carrier. The Galaxy R on its part is said to hit a couple of European markets including the UK, and come with a slightly cheaper price tag.

Packing a slightly smaller, 4.2” display than the S II, the Galaxy R also comes with a new processor – dual-core Tegra 2 replaces Samsung's 1.2GHz Exynos. Additionally, Samsung has done a bit of redesign – while the S II could compete with the thinnest and lightest smartphones in the world, at the same time being made out of plastic, the Galaxy R feels solid, crafted out with both metal and plastic, all coming in a body that's a hair thicker.





You can compare the Samsung Galaxy R with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Before we look deeper at the device, though, we should note that we tested a prototype unit, so both hardware and software are subject to change. We've seen renders of the Galaxy R showing that up front the final version might look much like the original Galaxy S II.

Design:

The handset looks and feels solid. A 4.2-inch Super Clear LCD screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels dominates the front. When put side to side to the screen of the Galaxy S II you hardly notice the difference in size, but you surely notice the difference in colors. The display on the R looks much brighter, with slightly more natural, less exaggerated colors, but those of you looking for punchy contrasts, vibrant colors and super deep blacks will prefer the Super AMOLED Plus screen on the original S II. With good viewing angles and above average sunlight legibility, though, we were impressed with the screen of the Galaxy R as well.


In the Galaxy R, the phone itself has undergone a redesign. It's a bit thicker adding 0.04” of girth to the its profile which measures at 0.37” total. It's also heavier tipping the scales at 4.76 ounces. The difference in size and weight is noticeable, when holding the Galaxy R you feel the solid body, which is no longer the record beating super slim contender that the Galaxy S II was. A removable brushed metal back plate covers the 1650mAh battery and adds to that feeling, making the device look more premium in comparison to the plastic build of the S II.

Interface and Functionality:

The Galaxy R features Android 2.3.3 skinned with the latest version of Samsung's TouchWiz UI, 4.0. There's a slight change in the visuals – some of the Samsung Hubs icons were redrawn, but largely it's the same interface as we've already seen on the S II, so we wouldn't go into great detail here.

The home screen greets you with up to seven side-scrollable panes, where you can pinch to zoom out and get an overview of all of them.


We should also mention that funky and not so funky features like turn-to-mute, sensor-powered gestures like tilt to zoom in the Gallery or Browser, voice commands, widgets and all sorts of customizations are also present on the Galaxy R. Feel free to check out our deeper look at the interface in our Galaxy S II review.

Camera and Multimedia:

The camera department is where the main downgrade for the Galaxy R happens – a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with a single LED flash takes care of your photographic needs with support for 720p HD videos. Perfectionists might be disappointed as the dual-core processor could support full HD footage, but that's one of the shortcuts Samsung has taken. Except for that, though, the camera menu mimics the one on the Galaxy S II.

The most notable difference in the software seems to be the lack of tap to focus, but overall the software here is far from final and we wouldn't draw any final judgments from the current samples. As you can see, they turned out overexposed, but many of those issues will hopefully be fixed in the final version of the Galaxy R. There's also a 1.3-megapixel fixed-focus front-facing camera, a great asset for video calls.

Video capture at 720p HD offers settings similar to what you get on the camera, which is great. Video capture however seemed even less ready for prime time than the camera, so the video sample below should only serve to give you a very rough ballpark about what's to come in the final version.

Samsung Galaxy R Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy R Indoor Sample Video:



When it comes to multimedia playback, the Galaxy R is a powerhouse – it supports DivX/Xvid-encoded movies along with MPEG-4 encoded files. You can expand the 8GB of built-in memory via a microSD card slot located under the battery and accepting up to 32GB cards.



Internet, Connectivity and Software:

Browsing the web on the 4.2-inch screen is pure joy – the Galaxy R features an excellent browser with plenty of space for viewing as menus don't get in your way. Surfing the web is one area where the dual-core processor makes a difference – reasonably heavy Flash content (we mean no HD or full HD videos), pinch-to-zoom and double taps worked without even stuttering.


When it comes to software, Samsung has four hubs up its sleeve to complement the stock Gingerbread apps. First is the Social Hub, aggregating social networking and IM updates and messaging, which you can easily filter; second comes the Music Hub allowing you to buy music online and preview tracks; third is the Readers Hub acting like a bookshelf with newspapers, magazines and books which you can purchase or preview; last, but not least is the Games Hub, a neat place bringing together games from the Market, but also third-party devs creations like Gameloft games which are not available on the market.


Expectations:

The Galaxy R is a variation on a successful theme – that of the Samsung Galaxy S II, and comparisons are inevitable. The only major concern for some might be the downgraded 5-megapixel camera, but except for that both the dual-core Tegra 2 chip and SC LCD screen on the Galaxy R seem to match what the original S II has to offer. Actually, the two have so much in common it makes us wonder what Samsung's strategy for differentiating them would be or would the company just launch the Galaxy R in markets where the S II is not avaialble.

But with that similarity, comes an excellent outlook. Even though the Galaxy R is slightly thicker and heavier, on a practical usage level it aims to offer nearly everything the Galaxy S II offers for a cheaper price. It's exactly how much cheaper that will decide its future and with a release date set for the end of July/beginning of August we'll know the answer very soon.

Samsung Galaxy R Video Preview: