Named after the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, the Samsung Spica is a spicy touchscreen cell phone and the latest in an aggressive franchisee.
The Galaxy Spica offers a spacious, 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen, featuring 320 x 480 pixel resolution. The result is amazing color representation, but the screen suffers from, well, fingerprints. Fingerprints show up on this screen more dramatically than on other phones. But don’t let this stop you if you love the phone, and I’m speaking as someone who polishes my phone display daily. Touchscreens attract fingerprints, so clean the damn thing. And stop complaining.
On the front of the phone you will find a D-pad, or directional pad, and slight but important changes in the remaining frontal keys make for a better overall experience. For example, the new key on the Spica, on the left, is translucent and can be used for pulling up various applications, such as phone contacts and messaging. It feels right and feels intuitive. It brings a smile.
You can arrange the home screen in a variety of ways to fits your style, and the powerful operating system allows you to customize considerably. This is a phone that blends personality and functionality, and the net result is something that feels less like metal and more like home.
Less slippery than its predecessor, the Spica feels comfortable in the hand. It offers a 3.2MP camera, certainly enough pixels to capture a killer shot of Bigfoot or that UFO that’s been buzzing your cabin for months.
When put up against the top tier touch screens currently available, this writer believes the Spica falls short overall. However, that is only because of a hyper-sensitivity to what is available, what is currently possible and pricing.
Having owned Samsung phones in the past, I am well aware of their quality, durability and reliability. If I had to pick, this phone in this tier would not be my first choice, but it is an excellent device nonetheless. Less prudish and perhaps more practical customers will enjoy the many benefits offered by the Samsung Galaxy Spica.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- James Dylan, CNETHot on the heels of Samsung's first Android phone, the Galaxy, comes the company's latest offering, the Galaxy Portal. The Portal is essentially a cut-down version of the Galaxy with less memory and a TFT, rather than AMOLED, screen. This is reflected in the price, though. The Portal can be picke...
- PhoneArena Team, PhoneArenaThe Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 is worth it, despite its minor shortcomings, because it offers something that no other Android handset does – proper multimedia functionality.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy Spica user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Spica with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Spica has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides Helpful Links Share / Embed
Maybe one of your friends will find this review helpful? Please help us spread the word.