A great majority of all the Android smartphones announced and released in the last five years were designed to work mainly with full touchscreen displays for user input. However, there’s still a small percentage of models that have actual hardware buttons for use alongside the screens when doing anything. The Samsung Galaxy Chat is one such model, and it comes with not just a 3-inch screen but also a full QWERTY keyboard for typing. Does it truly offer the best of both worlds?
The Galaxy Chat’s design is based on a solid concept. It’s a capably equipped Android phone with typical entry-level features—4GB storage, 2MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HSDPA data, and so on—and it has a hardware keyboard for easy typing on the go. For those who find it hard to type on virtual keyboards, this is a good pick. Texting buffs and e-mail junkies will surely enjoy it. However, its other specs are genuinely disappointing and may affect the overall user experience negatively.
Consider the fact that it uses a QVGA resolution panel for its display. This resolution is just too low to really enjoy the benefits of its operating system. When you put that together with its use of a rather slow and dated processor, you get a pretty grim picture. If you don’t care about being able to run the latest Android apps or if you think that just having a physical keyboard is enough to make up for the terrible screen, this phone is worth considering.
Need to Know: Samsung Galaxy Chat
1. Default OS is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and can be upgraded to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. (The Good)
2. Designed with a built-in QWERTY keyboard for easy typing. (The Good)
3. Touchscreen uses QVGA resolution—240x320 pixels. (The Bad)
4. Poor camera and battery performance. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- TT Gadget editor, TelecomTigerSamsung Galaxy Chat is a good mid range smartphone with touch and type facility and lot many exiting features. The famous ChatOn service comes with a dedicated key on the keypad. It lacks with camera’s dedicated key, poor 2 megapixels camera and slow processor. The design of this phone is good and i...
- Ray S., PhoneArenaThe Samsung Galaxy Chat's biggest assets are its stylish appearance and well-made physical QWERTY keyboard. Sure, it may not give you much of a speed boost compared to the on-screen QWERTYs of today, but there are still a lot of users out there who just can't get used to typing on glass. Truth be to...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy Chat user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Chat with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Chat 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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