Review: Samsung Galaxy Ace
An Android with a lost identity.
Multitasking; 5 megapixel camera; 3.5" screen, 800 MHz CPU
Uninspiring design; No Flash support; Lacklustre media performance
DESIGN AND SPECS
Samsung Galaxy Ace
MRP: Rs 15,945
Street Price: Rs 15,200 Source 1, Source 2
Samsung, a noodle-producing company in the year 1938, became a successful wool producer post the Korean War. Later, it left a mark in businesses such as insurance, securities, and retail, before entering the black-and-white TV market. Today, this TV giant also produces memory chips, hard drives, and laptops, along with numerous other consumer electronics products. It is also the world s second largest mobile producer after Nokia. Seriously, its tagline should have been Jack of all trades .
Getting to the point, here is the review of the Samsung Galaxy Ace. Why so late, you ask. Well, the phone didn't create an impact at the time of its release, but seeing the large number of review requests, we finally decided get it done.
Design And Specs
The retail package contains a phone, charger, headset, and a micro-USB data cable. The headset looks and feels cheap, and it s not what you d expect at this price tag. The phone has a "typical" Samsung design scheme. If you ve been keeping track of Samsung s touch catalogue, you must have noticed that its phones all look identical, with a few minor changes here and there. Makes you wonder if Samsung's design team is plain dumb or just underpaid (like us). Have a look at the image to get an idea what I m talking about. Out of these phones, you can also try to guess the Galaxy Ace, to win... well, nothing.
The Ace measures 112.4 mm (h) x 59.9 mm (w) x 11.5 mm (d). The body is too plastic, including the silver-coloured rim. It features a 3.5" screen, which is slightly bigger when compared to its fellow mid-range Androids. Below the screen are three keys, namely Menu, Home, and Back. The first and last are actually capacitive keys that are only visible when backlit. However, the light turns off in around 5 seconds, which can be frustrating for new users. I guess Samsung wants to hide these keys most of the time to make its device look like an iPhone.
Here are some shots of the phone from several angles.
The back has a nice textured pattern that provides a superior grip over this 113 gramme device.
Samsung phones always look good on paper, and this one is no exception. The Ace is powered by a Qualcomm MSM7227, which is also to be found in the LG Optimus One. However, Samsung has clocked it at 800 MHz, giving it more power. This ARM 11 CPU has an Adreno 200 GPU for company. For connectivity, it features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1, and GPS. You can't expect an HDMI-out in Android phones at this price range, but at least TV-out would have been a good addition.
Display
The 3.5" TFT LCD screen can display up to 320x480 pixels. The display size gives it an edge over the LG Optimus One and HTC Wildfire S. However, the screen looks odd because of an unusual height-to-width ratio. The screen is reasonably bright, but colours look lifeless. It offers decent viewing angles, but its reflective glass spoils the experience. Needless to say, the screen quality degrades further in broad daylight.
Display
The 3.5" TFT LCD screen can display up to 320x480 pixels. The display size gives it an edge over the LG Optimus One and HTC Wildfire S. However, the screen looks odd because of an unusual height-to-width ratio. The screen is reasonably bright, but colours look lifeless. It offers decent viewing angles, but its reflective glass spoils the experience. Needless to say, the screen quality degrades further in broad daylight.
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