vibrant

Samsung has shipped 1 million Galaxy S smartphones in the U.S. since their mid-July launch, the company said Monday.

Samsung said the Android-based devices' success can be attributed in part to an aggressive ad campaign. The company has advertised Galaxy S phones on several major TV network shows. It was also quick to point out that its decision to offer the Galaxy S through multiple carriers has helped the smartphones attract customers.

Galaxy S is a line of Android smartphones, not a single device. The models released so far have been the Samsung Captivate for AT&T and … Read more

Earlier this week, we reported that Samsung promised a fix for the GPS problems plaguing its Samsung Vibrant and Captivate Galaxy S models, but at the time, we didn't know when it would release the update. However, on Friday afternoon, Samsung sent out a tweet saying that it's currently testing software and expects to release something in September.

The company didn't get any more specific about when in September, but said it would follow up with details and download instructions. It's not quite the quick fix we were hoping for, especially since the problem has been … Read more

Samsung has promised a fix for the GPS issue affecting its Vibrant and Captivate smartphones. When we'll see that fix, however, is another story.

"Samsung Mobile is aware that under certain conditions, the GPS on our launched U.S. Galaxy S devices may not be meeting performance expectations," Samsung spokesman Kim Titus told CNET. "We are diligently evaluating the situation and will provide an update as soon as possible."

As we told you last week, some Samsung Vibrant models are slow to lock on a GPS signal, while other handsets are completely unable to so … Read more

A handful of Samsung Vibrant users are finding that they are less than thrilled with the handset's GPS performance. Some are reporting that the Vibrant takes a long time to lock onto a signal, and others are complaining that the phone incorrectly displays their location.

With so many apps reliant on GPS, it could quickly become a pain point for users. Fortunately, the clever hackers at XDA-developers have found a rather easy solution. The workaround only takes a few minutes to complete and doesn't require a rocket scientist.

Like many smartphones and their respective issues, these could be … Read more

By now, there's a good chance you've seen TV commercials for the Samsung Galaxy S like the one above, but unless you're a cell phone fanatic or follow tech news, the ad can be a little ambiguous. Is the Galaxy S one phone or a group of phones? Are all the carriers getting the same model and when will they be released?

Here's what you need to know. The Galaxy S was first introduced as a single model--the i9000, to be exact--at CTIA 2010 and later shipped to more than 100 wireless providers worldwide.

With … Read more

Since I posted an article about the features I wanted to see in the next-generation iPhone, I've received several e-mails from readers calling me out for not including a larger screen as one of the 20 feature upgrades. Most readers were polite but mildly indignant. Here's what two Texans wrote me--Larry from Austin and Mike from Houston:

Larry: You didn't mention at all a larger display or screen! You may not want a bigger display, but I do and I am sure there are lots of others too. Why can't Apple come out at least w/a slightly larger screen, i.e. 3.7" or 4"? The HTC Google/Nexus Phone has a 3.7" screen but yet the phone is still basically the same size as the iPhone. The new Samsung Galaxy S phones that are hitting all four U.S. major networks this month and the next month have 4" screens but yet the phones themselves are pretty much the same size [as the iPhone 4]...

Mike: What, a bigger screen didn't make the top 20??!?!?!? That's the main reason I didn't buy the iPhone 4. Yes, my eyes are getting bad so I need the bigger screen...and every new phone coming out now has at least 4" screens...Droid X, Samsung Galaxy S, EVO. I tried out the EVO for 2 weeks and loved it...unfortunately I have 5 people on my AT&T account. Tough to switch.

Of course, they want everything bigger in Texas (or at least they say everything is bigger there), but I gotta say, I haven't experienced a desire to inflate my iPhone's screen size. That said, these e-mails got me thinking more about smartphone screens and I reread CNET editor Eric Franklin's article that tests and compares the screen performance of the iPhone 4, the HTC Evo, and the Motorola Droid. In his shootout, he gave the nod to the iPhone 4; the Evo came in a close second, and the Droid followed up in third. However, Franklin focused more on image quality and less with the actual size of the screen.

Personally, I really like the Evo, built-in kickstand and all, but I find that as a phone it's a tad bulky. I also think the same of the Droid and new Droid X. CNET's smartphone guru Bonnie Cha has a couple new Samsung Galaxy S models sitting on her desk--AT&T calls its Galaxy S phone the Captivate, and T-Mobile has the Vibrant--that I've played around with it a bit and like the design and agree with Larry's assessment that the phone is "basically the same size as the iPhone." In fact, it's a little scary how close the Vibrant resembles a slightly trimmer version of the iPhone 3GS.

As for specs, the Galaxy S "family" has a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen that's 800x480 pixels. The iPhone's 3.5-inch Retina Display offers a 960x640-pixel resolution. We measured the two screens and calculated that the Galaxy S's display offers 17 percent more overall screen area. Compare the 4.2-inch Evo's or 4.3-inch Droid X's screen with the iPhone's and you're looking at upwards of 20 percent.

So why are other smartphone manufacturers going bigger--and is it better?… Read more

Believe it or not, we have news to discuss this week that doesn't concern the iPhone 4. Android is back front and center with the Samsung Captivate and Vibrant, the first two Galaxy S models to go on sale. Bonnie gives us the scoop on both models and reports on the hot New York weather. Also in the podcast, Nicole tackles Android from the budget angle; Kent lists silly cell phone names; and, yes, we even talk about the latest controversy with Apple's handset.

Editors' note: As we shot our First Look video prior to today's announcement, we give the Vibrant's original release date at the end of the clip.

We suspected this might happen, and now it's official: T-Mobile has moved up the release date of the Samsung Vibrant from July 21 to July 15, with the same price tag of $199.99 with a two-year contract.

Oh and would you look at that? We just happen to have a full review of the Samsung Vibrant right here, so check it out to see if you should be headed to … Read more

Is T-Mobile preparing to take the Droid X on in a head-to-head battle? It certainly appears that way.

According to multiple TmoNews sources, T-Mobile is bumping the release date of its Samsung Vibrant up roughly one week to July 15 instead of July 21 as originally planned. This would pit the Galaxy S series phone in a super-phone showdown, with Android fans coming away big winners either way.

As everyone already knows, Verizon and Motorola are going to hit the Droid advertising heavily. It's rumored they pumped $100 million into the first Droid campaign, and the recent Droid Incredible … Read more