If you have been waiting for a decent Android phone which allows you to use a physical keypad, you might try the Samsung Captivate Glide. Albeit not a razor-thin phone, this Android phone is rather sleek and perhaps even sexy. It succeeds the Epic 4G and looks like a cross between the Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S II.
It's fair to call this phone is chunky, with dimensions of 4.9 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches and a weight of 147 grams, but the screen is also rather large, measuring 4 inches. The Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, but if you have used a Galaxy S II, you will not be impressed with this screen’s brightness or energy efficiency.
Inside the all-plastic body of the phone is 8 GB of internal storage coupled with a standard 1 GB ROM and a microSD slot which allows you to expand the memory up to 32 GB. The phone’s processor, the Tegra 2 CPU, deserves mention due to its performance and Samsung should probably use it more often. The phone's primary camera is 8 MP and the secondary camera is 1.3 megapixels. Picture quality is decent but several reviewers have complained about the Captivate Glides's shutter speed being excruciatingly low.
The phone boasts of Samsung’s best user interface to date, the latest TouchWiz, which offers a smooth experience over Gingerbread - Android’s version 2.3.5. Unfortunately the phone comes stuffed Samsung bloatware and apps like Amazon’s Kindle, Yellow Pages, Social Hub, FamilyMap and others you may not want.
Overall, the Samsung Glide promises a talk-time of 8 hours, has a reasonably bright display and good audio quality. It's likely a nice fit if touchscreen typing is not your thing and you're looking for a powerful Android phone with a QWERTY keypad.
Need to know: Samsung Captivate Glide
1. Good connectivity options including Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi a/b/g and n. (The Good)
2. Snappy processor. (The Good)
3. The all-plastic body can be a turn off for those wanting a high-end and stylish Droid. (The Bad)
4. Lacks a dedicated button for the camera. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- GSMArena team, GSMArenaThe Samsung Captivate Glide is aiming for the interest of a special group of people – the messaging and social network junkies, which abound here in the United States. We believe that, especially for those who are already fond of Android, the device will be a welcome upgrade. It also has plent...
- Sydney Myers, PhonedogIf you love having a physical keyboard, there are few options out there. There are even fewer options if you want a quality, high-end phone. The Captivate Glide is an excellent all-around smartphone, but it fails in perhaps the most important area, the keyboard. The physical QWERTY is simply too wid...
- Sherri L. Smith, Laptop MagRight now, the Samsung Captivate Glide is your best choice on AT&T if you want Android plus a physical keyboard. It offers solid performance with a bright display and strong audio. However, the flat keyboard on the Glide doesn't provide the best tactile feedback, and the phone offered below-average...
- Dan Seifert, MobileBurnThe Captivate Glide offers an attractive package for those who want a powerful smartphone, but aren't satisfied with a virtual keyboard for their text input.
- Dan Seifert, MobileBurnThe Samsung Captivate Glide is going to appeal to a particular user - the one that wants a physical keyboard but also wants a reasonably modern device that has at least some high-end features. Thankfully, the Captivate Glide impresses on most fronts, and has only a few weaknesses. Those who want a h...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Captivate Glide user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Captivate Glide with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Captivate Glide has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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