- 3G-enabled, Android 2.1-powered smartphone with 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and 16 GB internal memory
- Pre-loaded with The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition, James Cameron’s Avatar movie, Kindle for Andoid app, and more
- 5-megapixel camera with HD video capture; Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity; microSD expansion; Swype keyboard
- Up to 4 hours of talk time, up to 96 hours (4 days) of standby time; released in July, 2010
- What’s in the Box: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, USB cable, wired stereo headset, quick start guide
Samsung Vibrant Android Phone
Amazon.com Product Description
Ideal for those looking to combine mobile entertainment and communication in one device, the Android-powered Samsung Vibrant for T-Mobile is pre-loaded with a variety of games and video–including The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition (a T-Mobile exclusive) and James Cameron’s blockbuster, Avatar. It also comes with the pre-loaded Kindle for Android app–enabling you to search and browse more than 500,000 books–and offers access to MobiTV streaming video.
Enjoy on-the-go entertainment with pre-loaded games and video on the bright, vivid 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display. |
One of the slimmest smartphones on the market, the Vibrant measures just 0.39 inches thin and weighs 4.16 ounces. |
Enabled for T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, the Vibrant offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites. And the 3G-enabled Vibrant will benefit from the enhanced speeds of T-Mobile’s upgraded HSPA+ network, which is being rolled out nationwide to reach up to 185 million people by the end of the year and offers speeds close to 4G connectivity (read more about HSPA+ below).
With integrated Google technology, the Samsung Vibrant brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, Gtalk, YouTube, Picasa, and contacts/calendar synchronization. The Samsung Vibrant also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you’ll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.
Optimized for watching videos on the go as well as game play, the Vibrant offers a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display for a bright, vivid viewing experience. It’s equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with digital zoom and autofocus, and it also captures HD video. Other features include a 16 GB internal memory, microSD memory expansion (for up to 32 GB of additional storage from optional cards), Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, intuitive typing via integrated Swype keyboard, and up to 4 hours of talk time.
Entertainment On The Go
The Samsung Vibrant for T-Mobile includes the following pre-installed applications and content:
- Exclusive The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition brings exciting new gameplay and endless possibilities all on your mobile phone. Enjoy unexpected moments of surprise and mischief, as you choose whether (or not) to fulfill your Sims’ destinies and make their wishes come true.
- James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar comes pre-loaded on the internal 16 GB memory, and it’s optimized for viewing on the Vibrant’s high-resolution screen.
- Amazon’s Kindle for Android app provides the best reading experience available on your Android phone. You’ll be able to access your Kindle books even if you don’t have your Kindle with you as well as automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync. (Learn more)
- MobiTV mobile offers access to live and on-demand TV on your phone, including favorite channels such as MTV, NBC, COMEDY CENTRAL, ESPN and more are available. Plus, when you subscribe to MobiTV, your first 30 days of service are free.
- Slacker Radio allows you to listen to free personalized radio and choose from millions of songs from thousands of artists. Listen for free to over 100 expert-programmed radio stations from every genre or create your own custom stations.
- Gogo Inflight Internet service offers an added bonus: up to six months of free in-flight Wi-Fi access on their device, with Internet access on 2,500 daily flights in the continental U.S. and growing.
Key Features
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- Powered by the Android 2.1 operating system with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market.
- Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile’s HSDPA/UMTS network (1700/2100 MHz bands) with enhanced speeds thanks to T-Mobile’s HSPA+ super-fast network (limited to areas with HSPA+ network coverage; see more about T-Mobile’s 3G service and HSPA+ rollout below).
- Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands).
- Integrated A-GPS for location-based services and navigation via Google Maps.
- 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor speeds up everything–from playing games to watching shows to opening files from work.
- Innovative 4-inch capacitive touchscreen Super AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen reproduces sharper and brighter colors with better battery consumption (480 x 800 pixels, 16 million color depth).
- Swype input system allows you to input text faster and easier by gliding your finger around the keyboard, moving from letter to letter in one continuous motion. The Swype technology then calculates what word you’re intending to type (learn more below).
- 5-megapixel camera with up to 3x digital zoom, multi-shot capabilities, and multiple shot modes.
- HD video capture capabilities
- Multi-format digital audio player
- Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Next-generation Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity provides faster throughput while minimizing on power requirements. It’s compatible with new Bluetooth 3.0-enabled devices as well as backward compatible with older Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as headsets and printers. It includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
- 16 GB internal memory
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (a 2 GB card is included).
- YouTube app for streaming video over 3G and Wi-Fi connections.
- Rich HTML e-mail application seamlessly syncs your e-mail, calendar and contacts from Gmail as well as most other POP3 or IMAP e-mail services. The Gmail application provides features such as conversation view, spam filtering, search, and labels that Gmail users enjoy on their computer while offering new features such as integration with the phone’s contact list. And it multitasks, so you can read a Web page while also downloading your e-mail in the background.
- Full HTML Web browser enables you to view more pages and enjoy better Web content delivered efficiently to your phone.
- Instant messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. It also supports advanced text messaging features, enabling you to easily flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of group conversations through threaded text messaging.
- Text (SMS) and picture/video (MMS) messaging
- Google Calendar app syncs with the Web-based version, so any event that you add to your phone will show up on the Web-based Google Calendar (and vice versa).
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off.
Vital Statistics
The Samsung Vibrant weighs 4.16 ounces and measures 4.82 x 2.54 x 0.39 inches. Its 1500 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 96 hours (4 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile’s 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).
What’s in the Box
Samsung Vibrant handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, USB cable, wired stereo headset, quick start guide
Learn More
Kindle for Android
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Enjoy your favorite books on the go with Kindle for Android. |
Kindle for Android is a free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their Android phones. Like all Kindle apps, Kindle for Android will include Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which saves and synchronizes a customer’s bookmarks across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and soon Android, so customers always have their reading material with them and never lose their place. The Kindle Store includes over 500,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books that people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99.
- Search and browse more than 500,000 books, including 105 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, directly from their Android device
- Access their library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers for free
- Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and soon Android
- Choose from five different font sizes and three color modes: read in White, Sepia, or Black color modes and adjust the brightness of the display from within the app
- Read books in full color, including children’s books, cookbooks, travel books, textbooks and graphic novels
- Read in portrait or landscape mode, tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages
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Swype Keyboard
An alternative to the Android virtual keyboard, the Swype virtual keyboard allows you to input text by swiping the finger with one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard. Based on testing, speed and accuracy are equal to or better than the traditional keyboard-tapping method. You can activate the Swype keyboard by pressing and holding in a text field, wait for popup to appear, click Input Method, and then select Swype.
Simply Trace a Path
In the image to the left, the word “quick” was generated from tracing the path shown above in a fraction of a second, by roughly aiming to pass through the letters of the word. A key advantage to Swype is that there is no need to be very accurate, enabling very rapid text entry.
T-Mobile Services
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You’ll enjoy 4G-like speeds with HSPA+ enabled areas, with a theoretical capability of up to 21 Mbps peak download speeds (and typical download speeds averaging between 5 and 8 Mbps).
While T-Mobile doesn’t currently offer mobile phones with HSPA+ compatibility, many 3G devices can benefit from enhanced speeds when they’re on the HSPA+ network today–including the Samsung Vibrant.
High-Speed Data Connectivity via T-Mobile’s 3G Network
In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.
While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.
Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:
- E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
- Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
- Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging
Activities that work best on a 3G network:
- Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
- Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
- Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
- Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website
T-Mobile’s 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.
This is now Tmobile’s premier phone. Since Tmobile doesn’t have the Iphone, the Droid or even 4G, this is their best. It’s okay and definitely better than the My Touch but it’s no Iphone.
There is no camera in the front and not even a flash–how cheap can you get Samsung? Samsung always makes boneheaded mistakes on phones by trying to make them “unique,” and this phone is no different. There is no notification light to let you know you’ve a text or voicemail. Go in the shower and come out, if you got a call the only way you will know is by turning on the phone. The notification light hardly uses any battery and this is simply a really stupid mistake by Samsung.
Also, the charger is on the top. It is the only phone I know with the charger on the top so if you’re trying to make a call while charging it’s very awkward to say the least.
So for the same price as the Iphone 4 and the Droid X, you get a phone that has only 5MP with no flash, no camera in the front, so-so battery life, a paltry 2MB memory card, and no notificaton lights for calls. Frankly, the only reason to get it is because you’ve Tmobile, which does have great customer service and good prices–but can Tmobile at least join the 21st century and get a real phone to give its customers something that doesn’t seem like yesterday’s news?
Rating: 3 / 5
I was ready to jump ship to AT&T and the iPhone till I heard this phone was coming out. Picked mine up yesterday and I love it (except for battery life).
PROS: Great UI, great unified email, browser, maps, etc…seems to be on par with/surpass iPhone. Cool built it power analysis tells you what your battery is being used up by.
CONS: battery life! The great looking screen is a battery HOG! In the 8hrs since a full charge 75% of the drain was due to the screen. . I even have the brightness turned all the way down and the screen time-out set to the minimum.
Rating: 3 / 5
First I have to say I love the phone almost everything about it. No that that’s out of the way I’ll get to the deal breaker. I happily purchased my Samsung Vibrant , played with it loved all the features etc.. The I brought it home I quickly noticed that as soon as I turned on to my street I lost all signal, I thought that was strange seeing as all my other T-Mobile phones had signal. Inside of my house I lost all signal including 3g. Here is where it got real weird I put the phone down on my night stand I noticed all of a sudden I would get 4 bars and 3g, as soon as I picked up the phone again I would lose all signal again. I tried calling people and had people try calling me and nothing no service. I returned the phone and got another one same problem. I finally had to settle for my second choice the 3g slide and lo and behold I get signal. I was really bummed because I was so looking forward to T-Mobil’s new flag ship phone. It does me no good though if I cant call anyone with it from my home. I hope they fix the problem so I can go back out and get it again.
Rating: 3 / 5
I won’t write about phone specs of what it can do since EVERYONE probably heard/read it enough about the 1ghz cpu, 5m camera, etc. Yes, it does NOT have a Front facing camera and flash but no big deal. I’ll get down to review. Phone is beautiful, with glamorous display. It looks better in person than watching a youtube video review about the display. It’s thin, but sometimes it gets kinda warm/hot and that’s the trade off. It is very light to hold and doesn’t feel that cheap plastic feel for me at least. Touchwiz has pros and cons. It’s nice but sometimes, it can get a bit laggy. No big deal since 2.2 Froyo update will be coming up in August/September or soon. That’ll make it 2-5x faster. Camera is gorgeous but it wastes tons of battery, I heard up to 20% per hour or so…so just take a picture, and then exit the camera application. I don’t use widgets since it’s a battery drainer. People complain about the no flash for camera but there’s a “night mode” where it makes it great for taking pictures so that’s a definite plus. Four buttons on the bottom of phone are very responsive w/ haptic feedback. Swype keyboard is also very useful and works 99% of the time. One thing it needs about keyboard is international keyboard like Korean for me. The Android market kinda sucks to be honest, coming from the Apple App store. App store feels way more polished and cheaper with lots of more games and higher quality. The games on Android are more expensive and aren’t that fun, also lower quality. THe battery icon is kinda off for the phone so a “Battery Indicator” App is very useful. People complain about the GPS not working but I found a solution for that. I will post the link on the bottom. Navigation works perfect but GPS location doesn’t work indoor like apartment, it’s kinda off by few hundred feet or so but works very accurate outdoors. I get 12+ battery life with these following settings. Have email accounts manual sync with auto sync off. Turn Wifi, Blutooth, GPS off, use and turn on only when you need it. I also use automatic display sensor but some ppl turn the brightness down but I’d rather have it auto so it’s brighter in the direct sunlight. Another tip, I used the Application killer app but after researching, Android 2.1 already efficiently kills unused app so that is completely unecessary. Also, it screwed up my phone where my Wi-Fi wouldn’t work and it kept on saying “Unable to scan network” so after hours of researching, you have to Factory Reset it and then wifi works again. So, do not download task killers. One more thing, with the Google Navigation, it’s still on after you press the menu key so make sure to press the settings button and press “Exit Navigation” so navigation doesn’t run on the background and make sure to turn off GPS after using navigation. 3G speeds work very fast for me in LA and preloaded Avatar looks amazing with the Super AMOLED. Vibrant will be the fastest phone with the upcoming Android 2.2 Froyo update so overall, this phone is highly recommended.
P.S- I have an iPod touch with iTunes as my major music source. After doing research, I wanted to sync my Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant with iTunes and found an easy solution. It’s almost like direct syncing with an iPod. For those of you having music on iTUnes and wanna sync it to Vibrant, here’s a useful site. It takes like 2 min to set it up. Very easy.
MY OVERALL CONCLUSION/LAST WORDS:
Pros: 1Ghz Hummingbird Processor with 512mb RAM (I think)
5MP Camera with Night Mode and other Modes (720P Vid Record)
Thin/Sleek/Slim/Light Design with 4′inch Super AMOLED Display
Samsung Touchwiz 3.0 with Swype
Avatar/Gogo/Sims3/Other Preloaded Apps
16GB Onboard Internal Memory with Expansion Option for SD Card slot
Android 2.2 Froyo Update in Near Future
Cons: No Front Facing Camera
Touchwiz slightly buggy/laggy at times
Battery Icon not accurate
Not the Best Battery Life
GPS requires manual fix by owners for some people
Could’ve used Metal/Higher quality materials
Android Market kinda sucks/Needs to improve
Not an HSPA+ Enabled phone for FASTEST 3G. (Still pretty fast atm though)
GPS Fix Link:
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iTunes Sync Link:
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Hope I helped all of you Samsung Vibrant users! Definitely Recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
I got my phone on release day from my local T-Mobile store. All I can say is “awesome phone”.
Phone runs android 2.1, and it’s lightening fast. I have only lost reception once and that was in a known dead spot. I have been with Verizon for about 10 years, but got absolutely fed up with their high prices and poor customer service. Going over to T-Mobile has been a welcome change. On the day this phone came out, I rushed down to the store to check it out. I liked it, liked the open o/s standard of android and was ready to buy. I mentioned to the store manager that I had seen the phone here on Amazon the night before for $149.99 and to my surprise he offered to match the price (something Verizon would have never done…they wouldn’t even match their own website’s price the last time I renewed my service). The manager went and looked up the Amazon ad for his paperwork and found the price on Amazon had dropped to $99.99. He proceeded to actually mat h the new lower price than what we had agreed upon. All I can say to this is KUDOS T-Mobile!
Pros:
Features are top notch (5/5)
Reception is good (4/5) (only because it loses a bar, sometimes two if you hold it in your left hand…still much better than iPhone’s reception)
Internal memory is excellent 16gb (5/5)
Screen is crisp and bright (5/5)
Battery life has been very good so far (5/5)
T-Mobile service is much cheaper than Verizon or AT&T
Processor is extremely fast (5/5)
Cons:
The loss of signal when in left hand
Rating: 5 / 5