Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 review: Corby with brains

Introduction

Don’t know what Android is? Don’t sweat it. Prepare to want one. The Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 looks like a Corby, but walks and talks like a smartphone. More importantly though, it’s got no problem finding an audience to talk to. With so many Corby phones around, there must be enough users mustering up their courage to take that extra step – and upgrade to something more advanced and more exciting.

We’ve seen plenty of Corby variations – QWERTY keyboards, 3G, Wi-Fi. There’s even music Corbies. Those who thought a smartphone was in order, can finally have their told-ya-so.

Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 official photos

With the Galaxy 5, Samsung are encouraging young users to give smartphones a thought. A Corby smartphone makes it all so much easier. The name says it all: we’re looking at a cheap and friendly touch phone with premium connectivity and a smart OS. In a way, this is some good news and some bad news. No one would say no to high-speed network data and Wi-Fi. But smartphone just sounds too scary for some. Well, not any more.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE, UMTS 900/2100, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• 2.8" capacitive TFT touchscreen of QVGA resolution, 16M colors
• Android OS v2.1 Eclair
• 600 MHz processor
• 170 MB onboard storage, microSD card slot (up to 16GB), 1GB card included
• 2 megapixel camera with geotagging, QVGA video @ 15fps
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• microUSB slot
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Excellent audio
• FM radio with RDS
• TouchWiz UI v3.0
• Accelerometer for UI auto-rotate
• Social networking integration with direct file uploads
• SWYPE text input method

Main disadvantages

• Small QVGA screen: not to good for browsing, limited choice of apps
• No multi-touch support
• Poor still imaging and video recording
• No DivX video support
• microSD slot under the battery cover
• No dedicated camera key
• No secondary video-call camera

Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 live shots

There’s much to question about the Galaxy 5 if you’re a seasoned smartphone user. This isn’t who this phone is for though. It’s a Corby, remember? There are weak spots of course, but calling them deal breakers would be too much. The Samsung Galaxy 5 is for those who take one step at a time. An entry level smartphone for learners, not pros.