Samsung Galaxy Fit - Review

“It may not look like much, but it does most of the basics as well as smartphones that cost three times as much”

Galaxy Fit - The feature-packed phone

As smartphones begin to replace feature phones (you know, the ones that don’t let you update your Facebook status while watching a high-definition Hollywood flick you just downloaded after seeing an advert for it on Angry Birds), mobile manufacturers are increasingly beginning to target the bottom end of the market.

This has been a hit and miss process so far to say the least, with the manufacturers struggling to produce handsets that can replicate the main functions of high-end smartphones like the iPhone at a lower cost that aren’t teeth-grindingly frustrating to use.

However, with the Galaxy Fit, which will set you back about £100 sim-free, Samsung have produced a functional, user-friendly handset that comes with all the major features you’d expect of a smartphone without you having to give up eating to be able to afford it.

Galaxy Fit S5670(black) £99.89

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Everybody needs good Android

The Galaxy Fit uses Froyo, otherwise known as Android 2.2, as its operating system. While navigating about the device isn’t as fluid as on more pricey Android-powered smartphones like the HTC Sensation, it is perfectly functional and fuss-free.

The three home screens are easy to customise so that all the widgets most useful to you and shortcuts to the functions you most commonly use can be kept close at hand, removing the need to continually delve deeper into the device.

The toolbar at the foot of the display, which features buttons to make calls, send texts, see your contacts and access the apps menu, remains wherever you go on the phone, which is another nice touch.

Bodyswap

The casing of the Galaxy Fit clearly seems to be one area where Samsung have looked to cut costs to keep the device affordable. It looks like what it is - a cheaper, smaller, less sophisticated version of the higher end Galaxy phones.

The plastic back cover in particular feels very flimsy, especially when compared to the brushed metal that is commonplace on many mobiles now. It is also a pain in the backside to take off, but chances are it would loosen up with time.

On the plus side, the power button on the right side and the volume rocker on the left are well placed, which is not something that can be taken for granted with many of today’s devices, while the only physical button on the front has a pleasing wood effect finish.

Feature Echoes

Autofocus and panoramic features were
nice touches on the camera

Samsung have made the one thing many people want from a smartphone very simple - and that is integrating your email and social network accounts together in one place - with the Social Hub app.

Registering five accounts with the app took less than ten minutes and, while the 3.3in display prevents you from cruising around Facebook as you would on a computer, it’s fine for updating your status or uploading photos while on the move.

The 5Mp camera that the Galaxy Fit packs is something of a surprise given that it is the equal of that incorporated into last year’s iPhone 4. The autofocus and panoramic features are nice touches and easy to use, although the results are a little bitty.

The Galaxy Fit’s browser also makes an impression for an affordable smartphone in that it manages to make bookmarking webpages as simple as it should be and also allows you to open multiple windows.

Although the mobile coverage you get from your network will always ultimately rule what internet access is like from your phone, the Galaxy Fit showed no signs of stress from more strenuous online activity, nippily loading and playing the video for Elastica’s classic Connection via the YouTube app.

Accessing, navigating and downloading from Android Market also proved to be pretty seamless in all but one aspect - finding where Angry Birds has actually downloaded to on the phone is proving something of a challenge!

If there is one feature of this phone that feels like a let-down, it’s the music player, because it’s so basic. While the sound it produces is surprisingly meaty, the lack of settings and token equalizer feel like missed opportunities, but one might surmise this is inevitable when a phone is being made for a price.

Balance of power

Possibly the most disappointing aspect of the Galaxy Fit is the battery life. Generally it seems grand, but for some reason, once it begins to run out of juice it seems to be coasting on fumes pretty quickly, and, curiously, it also appears to lose charge when left off for longer periods.

The display, touchscreen, speaker and speed of the Galaxy Fit could all be picked at, but it would be pedantic to do so because it is always going to be the most expensive aspect of smartphones - the hardware - that is sacrificed to make them more affordable.

Find your perfect Samsung Galaxy Fit

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