Samsung Captivate Android from AT&T- Pros and Cons - Now with latest Android Update

It's time for a confession. I've had an iPhone for 2, going on 3 years. But I've had a wandering eye. I'm looking at the Samsung Captivate Android phone while my iPhone is turned off. And I'm starting to wobble in my commitment. I've never been much of an Apple guy until the iPhone. But now that Samsung and Android have come together for a phone on the same network I use, I'm starting to get interested. Very interested.

Here's where I checked to see if I qualified for a Samsung Captivate upgrade and you can too...

When you're checking out the Samsung Captivate Android you're looking at one of the best selling mobile phones today. Below you'll find the information you need to make a decision about the Captivate... both the Pros and the Cons.

The Samsung Captivate Android is an integrated entertainment, messaging and social networking device as well as mobile phone operating on the Android 2.1 platform. (Android 2.2 update available) It allows the user to quickly surf the web and also multitask with any number of "apps" because of the speed of the Captivate's 1 GHz processor and quick 7.2 Mbps 3G connectivity.

The Samsung Captivate Android screen size compares favorably with competitors at 4 inches. It is a touchscreen device with a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Samsung technology allows for the screen display to remain sharp indoors or out and in bright or shaded light. As an alternative to the virtual keyboard, one may also utilize the "Swype" keyboard (image below) with the Samsung Captivate for faster, more accurate typing.

The width of the phone is 0.39 inches (9.9mm) thin. It is the thinnest Android smartphone on the market.

The phone comes automatically with a 16 GB internal memory and a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder with auto-focus and HD video recording (720p resolution).

Other features of the Samsung Captivate smartphone include fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 3.0 technology for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, microSD memory expansion (for optional cards up to 16 GB in size). With normal use the battery life is rated at just under 6 hours of talk time.

Pros

• Screen display is called "vivid, colorful, and bright" by users.
• Excellent call reception and voice quality.
• Voice recognition on the Samsung Captivate performs very well
• Phone is capable of syncing with Mircrosoft Exchange "out of the box".
• The installed browser works well but alternatives may be downloaded as desired.
• Good track record for recording video with excellent sound quality.
• The free package "Quickoffice for Android" allows you to have a free complete office software package that is capable of syncing with Google docs and/or dropbox.
• Unlike the iPhone, AT&T offers insurance on this phone.
• Virtual Keyboard can be replaced with the "SWYPE" keyboard option.

Cons

• MS Office and PDF are not supported. The Samsung Captivate Android requires the download of a free office document program (see above).
• No intrinsic "Push to Talk" capacity, but available with downloadable apps.
• No "flash" available with onboard camera.
• Some users report a slow start time when using the GPS.
• At the time of this writing (January 2011) Skype capability was not available but is expected soon.
• Battery Life is always an issue with smart phone users and Samsung Captivate droid users too lament a battery life too short for their wishes.

The Samsung Captivate Android - though considered superior in functionality to the iPhone 4 - also shares the limitation of being connected to the AT&T wireless network.

You can check service availability in your area through a search function at wireless.att.com.

In general the AT&T wireless network works well in most areas. 3G availability tends to be in urban and suburban areas like most networks. Of the major networks, AT&T seems to get the most complaints in general.

Users of the Samsung Captivate Android still, by and large, express satisfaction with their purchase.

Phones that are the same basic model as the Samsung Captivate are available for other wireless networks. You can likely find one that can be used with your present carrier!

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