Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 review: Utility droid

Introduction

Samsung’s QWERTY messengers have not exactly been setting the world on fire. They have done well though to set the scene for this one. The Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 follows on the heels of Omnia and Corby. It puts Android in a time-tested form factor and is ready to entertain upgraders coming from dumbphones and PocketPCs alike.

Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 official pictures

The Galaxy Pro has a clear objective – deliver the full Android experience, a good social package and hassle-free messaging. What does it need to meet those tasks? Well, a comfortable QWERTY keyboard obviously, possibly a touchscreen, enough processing power and at least some basic shooting skills to capture the important moments. Of course, a messenger is nothing without a proper OS and this is where the Android Froyo comes in. But let’s see what else the Galaxy Pro has to offer.

Key features

• 2.8" 256K-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) resolution
• Full four-row QWERTY keyboard
• ARMv6 800MHz CPU, 270MB RAM, 180MB of user-available storage
• Android 2.2.2 (Froyo) with TouchWiz 3.0 UI
• Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n with hotspot functionality
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
• 3.15 MP autofocus camera
• QVGA video recording @30fps
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• microSD slot (up to 32GB, 2GB in box)
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Document viewer out of the box, paid editing
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Light and compact
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages

• The QVGA screen looks bad and limits the choice of apps
• Portrait homescreen ported to landscape takes some time getting used to
• QVGA-only video recording
• No shutter key
• No Adobe Flash support in the browser
• No secondary video-call camera
• No ambient light sensor
• No dedicated video player app
• No multi-touch
• Android 2.2 Froyo, instead of latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread

It should be clear by now the Galaxy Pro B7510 isn’t your typical Android powerhouse for HD video, quality imaging or heavy-duty internet browsing. Gaming is out of the picture too. To be honest, the Galaxy Pro doesn’t quite make the grade as a BlackBerry competitor. To make up for it, it is social and friendly – and a great texter too. Virtual keyboards have been getting better but the Galaxy Pro’s superbly laid-out keypad is the prefect addition to Gmail.

Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 live shots

So the Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 it is and, although this is not the typical Android package, let’s hope the experience is up to scratch. With a handful of Samsung Ch@ts, Corbies and Omnia messengers gone almost unnoticed, we’re about to see if our Galaxy Pro here has what it takes to leave a mark. Our traditional hardware check-up is due right after the break.