Dual-core processors are so last year, don't you think? However, there isn't anything wrong with that since the advancement of quad-core silicon is now paving the way for dual-core chips to invade the mid-range market. Take the Samsung Galaxy S Advance, for example: it is powered by a NovaThor U8500 chipset made by ST Ericsson with 2 cores humming at 1GHz.
In addition, you get a 4-inch Super AMOLED display with WVGA resolution, 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash, 14.4Mbps 3G radio, and 8 or 16 gigs of on-board storage.
Not too shabby for an Android mid-ranger, we must agree, but it is the smartphone's real-life performance that we are most interested in. That said, let us fire it up and see what the handset is capable of.
Box contents:
Wall charger
microUSB cable
Wired stereo headset with in-ear headphones
Replacement rubber tips for the headphones
Quick start guide
Design:
Upon holding the Samsung Galaxy S Advance for the first time, we noticed that it sports more than a few design cues present in other Samsung devices, such as the Galaxy Nexus. And that, of course, is a good thing as it adds a dose of premium feel to an otherwise mid-range device. On one hand, we have a curved glass display meant to follow the shape of the user's face more naturally. On the other, the fine texture on its back feels nice to the touch and adds a bit of extra grip. Furthermore, it is slightly thicker and heavier at the bottom, which makes it a bit more comfortable to grasp. Sure, the handset may be made entirely out of plastic, but thankfully, that doesn't spoil its otherwise pleasing looks too much.
You can compare the Samsung Galaxy S Advance with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.
The outlay of the three Android buttons located under the smartphone's display is familiar as well: a big physical home key is located in the middle, accompanied by two capacitive buttons for the menu and back functions. Fortunately, the capacitive buttons are not prone to accidental presses. Last but not least, the volume rocker and power key, which reside on the smartphone's left and right side respectively, respond with an excellent click when pressed.
Display:
The 4-inch Super AMOLED display on the Samsung Galaxy S Advance has a resolution of 480 by 800 pixels and uses a PenTile pixel arrangement. When HD smartphone displays are concerned, that shouldn't really make much of a difference, but on this WVGA display, small text appears slightly jagged, but not to the extent where it gets annoying. Looking at the good side of things, the display exhibits bright, punchy colors and high contrast levels, just like the case is with today's AMOLED displays. Also, it is bright enough to be used comfortably in broad daylight.
Samsung GALAXY S Advance 360-degrees View:
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard
Space to zoom in/out.
Drag the picture in the desired orientation to rotate the phone.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed: