Samsung Galaxy Spica
Key specs
Critic consensus
“Hot on the heels of Samsung's first Android phone, the Galaxy, comes the company's latest offering, the Galaxy Portal. The Portal is essentially a cut-down version of the Galaxy with less memory and a TFT, rather than AMOLED, screen. This is reflected in the price, though. The Portal can be picked up from T-Mobile for free on a relatively inexpensive, £20-per-month contract. You can also buy it for around £300 SIM-free.”
“The Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 sports a snappy 800MHz processor, but in reality, the presence of the mighty hardware is almost undetectable, because the phone doesn’t feel noticeably faster than the T-Mobile G1 or Magic... or the first Galaxy. The CPU, however, makes the quality Xvid and DivX playback possible at relatively high resolution. Moreover, the handset offers good sound quality when you listen to music and performs very well in terms of in-call quality (8/10). Voices sound loud and clear on both ends of the line and our only gripe relates to their sharpness.The Spica is equipped with very robust battery and will keep your hone operational for 3 days before you have to recharge it in case of moderate daily use and for day and a half on heavy-duty use, meaning lots of calls and serious Wi-Fi abuse.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
Named after the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, the Samsung Spica is a spicy touchscreen cell phone and the latest in an aggressive franchisee.
The Galaxy Spica offers a spacious, 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen, featuring 320 x 480 pixel resolution. The result is amazing color representation, but the screen suffers from, well, fingerprints. Fingerprints show up on this screen more dramatically than on other phones. But don’t let this stop you if you love the phone, and I’m speaking as someone who polishes my phone display daily. Touchscreens attract fingerprints, so clean the damn thing. And stop complaining.
On the front of the phone you will find a D-pad, or directional pad, and slight but important changes in the remaining frontal keys make for a better overall experience. For example, the new key on the Spica, on the left, is translucent and can be used for pulling up various applications, such as phone contacts and messaging. It feels right and feels intuitive. It brings a smile.
You can arrange the home screen in a variety of ways to fits your style, and the powerful operating system allows you to customize considerably. This is a phone that blends personality and functionality, and the net result is something that feels less like metal and more like home.
Less slippery than its predecessor, the Spica feels comfortable in the hand. It offers a 3.2MP camera, certainly enough pixels to capture a killer shot of Bigfoot or that UFO that’s been buzzing your cabin for months.
When put up against the top tier touch screens currently available, this writer believes the Spica falls short overall. However, that is only because of a hyper-sensitivity to what is available, what is currently possible and pricing.
Having owned Samsung phones in the past, I am well aware of their quality, durability and reliability. If I had to pick, this phone in this tier would not be my first choice, but it is an excellent device nonetheless. Less prudish and perhaps more practical customers will enjoy the many benefits offered by the Samsung Galaxy Spica.
What people actually want to know
When was the Samsung Galaxy Spica released?
The Samsung Galaxy Spica was released on November 15, 2009.
How long does the battery last on the Samsung Galaxy Spica?
The Samsung Galaxy Spica has a 1,500 mAh battery.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Spica have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Spica has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Where can I get support for the Samsung Galaxy Spica?
Visit Samsung's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Samsung Galaxy Spica manual?
You can view and download the Samsung Galaxy Spica manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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It sounds like you have a hardware problem rather than software. I suggest you bring your phone to the place where you purchased it and have it checked to find out what the real problem is.