Samsung Galaxy S Advance i9070

Overview

Pricey but Feature Rich

Samsung Galaxy S Advance Design and Build Quality

The ever popular Galaxy S series is back with the Advance i9070. The trendy-looking device has the curvy edges that Samsung uses standard on the S series. A 4 inch super AMOLED screen is put on top of the bar-shaped touch device. The entire chassis is made of plastic like other S series devices before it. This takes away from the device's ability to give it a real premium feel.

User Interface and Comfort to Use Samsung Galaxy S Advance

Samsung's own TouchWiz 4.0 sits on top of the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The device is easy to navigate through and one-handed operation is possible.

Messaging and Emails

Sending text and picture messages will be no problem on the Galaxy S Advance i9070. You can switch to a virtual full QWERTY keyboard when typing a message. Your work and personal emails can be set-up through an application so you can receive and send emails on the go.

Gallery, Photo Viewer and Video Player

The gallery will allow you to view your photos as well as upload them to social networks like Facebook. The video player will play a multitude of files such as MP4, DivX, WMV, H.264, and H.263. Videos look good on the Super AMOLED screen.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance Music Player and FM Radio

The music player will play MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC+ and FLAC files. An FM radio feature will allow you to listen to local talk and music stations with ease. Audio quality via the loudspeaker is solid, though for a better experience you will want to use the headphones.

Samsung Galaxy S Advance Camera and Image Quality

Equipped with a 5MP camera, the device has a low shutter lag so pictures turn out really well. There is also a front-facing 1.3 MP camera for video calls.

Connectivity Options

Connectivity is a high point on the Galaxy S Advance. It is a quad-band device that can hop onto 2G GSM networks 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz. You also have access to 3G HSDPA 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz. Wi-Fi is also enabled on this Android device if you want to gain faster access to the internet. With Bluetooth and USB support, you can share your files with ease. This device is part of the Digital Living Network Alliance so you can also connect with other DLNA compliant devices.

Organizer and other Utility Tools

There are a slew of organization tools that are readily available on the Advance. These tools include a to-do list, clock, world time, alarm, calculator, stopwatch, scheduler, and countdown timer.

Web Browser and Applications

An Android browser allows you to access the internet with ease. Some pre-loaded applications found on the device include ChatOn, SNS, Google Talk, and Instant Messaging.

Google Maps and GPS

It is no surprise that Google Maps is the navigation application found on the Advance.

Value for Money and Verdict

This mid-range device comes in at a price of Rs. 18999 (approx., may vary). It is disappointing that the Advance does not have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich readily available on the device. While the device has decent features, the pricing is simply too high. If you are able to spend this much on a device, it would be better to find one that is worth the price tag.