Samsung Captivate (AT&T)

Pros: Screen is vivid and 4 inch, Phone has HDMI out via USB AND the out video not app dependent - shows screen; android activity bar has quick-on/off activation of wireless, bluetooth, etc.; Bluetooth 3.0, night shot capability, overall great phone.

Cons: The menu buttons at the bottom are dim when lit.

Summary: All Galaxy S variants are reported by Samsung to have:
? 4-inch SUPER AMOLED screen (800 x 480)
? Android 2.1 with TouchWiz Interface (2.2 is due in Sept)
? Samsung?s Social Hub / Media Hub
? 1GHz Cortex A8 ?Hummingbird? CPU (fastest)
? 5MP with 720p video recording
? 3.5mm Headset Jack
? Wi-Fi b/g/n (n is the fastest)
? Bluetooth 3.0 (latest one)
? 512GB RAM
? A-GPS, accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, light sensor, FM Radio
? Mini USB for accessory hookup
? The Vibrant and Captivate have 16gb internal storage
I have owned the Captivate for one week now. Two weeks ago I bought a Vibrant, the sister phone through T mobile but had no service in or around my home for a half mile. The two are comparable but they are great phones whichever choice. I have scoured the internet reading about phones before and after my purchase and have come up with a few conclusions. 1) android is fast becoming the phone OS of choice, 2) HTC, Samsung and Apple have the market and 3) Android phones offer bells and whistles that cost extra on the iPhone.
A flash? Don?t really need it.
One thing that has several people posting negatives on this phone is the lack of flash. Well, in SOME cases that may be a problem. Consider though that these little LED flashes don't throw off much past three feet anyway. On the XDA forums they demonstrate this phones capability in night shot and it si fantastic. The entire field is lit up on a pic at 9:30 at night. I tested it and found that it works well except in situations where a light source casts light in a darker room. This the picture comes out dark. (something like a lamp in the background).
Another usual concern is the front camera
I looked at the Evo 4G and the iPhone. Since I did not have a contract with anyone I was able to really shop. This feature was not that important to me so I did not make it a point for purchase.
The galaxy phones are very lightweight. My friend has an HTC evo 4g and it is heavy compared to this phone. It is a nice phone too but the Galaxy S phones have the latest in technology - fastest CPU, excellent GPU, bluetooth 3.0, the best screens (not the evo LCD but SAMOLED), etc. They are hard to beat. I also shopped the iPhone. It is a beautiful phone but limited in screen customizing, and dialog boxes that interrupt when using if a call or text comes in. Plus the screen is smaller- this coming from a heavy Apple user with five macs and a mobile me account! I still chose the best product. IMO. I hope this helps you to make the best choice. There a many features on these phones that are just being discovered so be aware of that when reading reviews. One review I read really bashed Samsung for putting out a phone with RCA out for hookup to legacy devices, etc. stating how behind they were not realizing the many options . Well, the stereo Bluetooth 3.0 (not 2.0 or 2.1 found on others), DLNA communication and USB/HDMI cable takes the phone to new levels of connectivity. I was convinced I had to have a physical QWERTY keyboard but after using swipe AND android?s FREE speech to text, I have no need for pushing some tiny little keys. All this and just think, android?s new update Froyo 2.2 is due out soon to only make these even better and faster! I cannot imagine someone unhappy with one of these phones.

Updated on Aug 6, 2010

I forgot to mention that I am able to sync with my mac via bluetooth easily. I pulled my contacts with a saved vcard file in address book and also my calendar syncs perfectly with google calendar and transfers to the phone.

Updated on Nov 5, 2010

I started having some trouble with the phone specifically with syncing calendars and even problems with exchange compatibility. Then the buttons at the lower part of the screen would not always activate when pressed (touch screen). The battery life is short. I have to charge it every night even with minimal use. I am seriously considering the iphone 4.