Looking for a smartphone below the price of RM1000? Samsung has the answer for you all! With a 800Mhz processor, Android 2.2 froyo, a 5MP camera and a 3.5-inch 320×480 screen along with a host of other useful features, it’s hard to recommend a more decently speced Android at this price point. Firstly, I need to make a shout out to Samsung Malaysia and Jason Ong from Advertlets for lending me the phone for this mini review. You can check out his review on www.mynjaz.com.
First Impression
In my opinion, the Samsung Galaxy Ace look like the Android version of an Apple iPhone 4. The design of the Ace is very similar to iPhone 4. In terms of weight, Ace is lighter because the body is all built in plastic material. However, Ace is not exactly that slim compared to an iPhone but is definitely
one of those slim smartphones in the market.
Interface/O.S
The built in Android 2.2 Froyo is very good and stable O.S. I find the interface of the Ace is also almost similar to an iPhone. The ability to customize your phone homepage, widgets, and interfaces of the Ace is one of my liking. You will be able to 'experience' more with your smartphone unlike the iPhone 4 whereby you are restricted on the customization part.
I also think that the messaging interface of the Ace is very good and is almost similar to the iPhone 4 messaging interface. However, the space between the alphabet is too narrow to my liking, person with bug thumbs be aware! In overall, I find that the Ace interface is also very similar to an iPhone but because of Android ability to customize your interface make Ace a better option for those who like to 'play' around with their smartphones.
Performance
Even with a 5-megapixel camera, I dislike the image taken by the Ace. Its clearly lack of sharpness and contrast. But it is a decent camera for this price range of Android. Other than that, it is quite a smooth phone. I managed to go through few days with the Ace without complaining on the sluggishness and speed of it. However, I'm quite disappointed with the performance when it comes to gaming and applications. Angry Birds is almost unplayable in the Ace as it is too sluggish and slow.
I would like to point out that the major weakness in the Ace is the battery performance. The battery drained way too fast for a normal usage. I need to charge the Ace three times a day in order for a normal daily usage. This is proven that the battery is very poor and it can be very frustrating.
Conclusion/Verdicts
Pros: cheap and affordable, fast , slick design, nice interface with Android 2.2
Cons: very poor battery, poor camera, certain applications can be sluggish and slow.
If anyone is looking for a cheap and affordable Android or smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Ace is a very good buy. But you will need to keep in mind to bring your charger around because the battery performance can be very frustrating.
Rating: I can give a 8 out of 10 for its performance and price tag. However, I believe that the battery is drained out too fast.
Therefore is a 6/10 for me.
