The Samsung Vibrant, a variant of the Android-powered Galaxy S, has launched early on T-Mobile’s network to challenge Motorola’s Droid X. T-Mobile says the Vibrant has a “stunning Super AMOLED” display, and it comes with the movie Avatar. The Vibrant is one of four versions of the Galaxy S that will be offered by the major wireless carriers.
One of four new Android-based Samsung super handsets hit the market via T-Mobile stores Thursday, going head-to-head with Motorola’s Droid X in what is likely to be a busy few months in the smartphone wars.
The design of the Samsung Vibrant, a variant of the Galaxy S, is drawing comparisons to Apple’s iPhone because of its thin shape — at 9.9mm the Galaxy is the thinnest Android phone — and rounded corners, but the four-inch touchscreen is actually bigger than the iPhone’s 3.5 inches.
No iPhone Clone
“I don’t see it as a clone,” said analyst Michael Gartenberg of the Altimeter Group. “The Vibrant is one of the variants of the Galaxy S that’s hitting all four carriers. Most phones today use some variant of the iPhone layout, as the iPhone was a variant on what came before it. I don’t think there’s more to it than that.”
The Vibrant is available for $199 with a two-year plan and a $50 rebate, or without a plan for $499. A data Relevant Products/Services plan is required for smartphone features. The Vibrant has a five-megapixel camera and a one-gigahertz Hummingbird processor. The first Android phone to feature Bluetooth 3.0, it ships with 16 gigabytes of memory with an expansion slot to add up to 32 more gigabytes.
T Mobile is describing the display as “stunning Super AMOLED,” an active matrix organic light-emitting diode, a technology in which South Korea-based Samsung is a leader. To show off its display, the phone ships with the top-grossing, sci-fi film Avatar ready for viewing.
It also has pre-loaded apps for Amazon’s Kindle and a game, The Sims 3, a suburban-life simulation game published by Electronic Arts. An app for MobiTV is also included, with the media-streaming service available for $9.99 a month.
Galaxies For Everyone
The Vibrant is one of four versions of the i9000 Galaxy S that will hit the market on all four major wireless carriers. AT&T launched its version of the Galaxy, the Captivate, on June 17. Sprint Nextel has unveiled the Epic 4G, but has not announced a release date. Verizon Wireless’ Fascinate is in the pipeline, but no details have been released. A version for U.S. Cellular is also planned.
The Galaxy phones run Android 2.1 and will soon be updated with the forthcoming 2.2 version. There are minor differences in features, especially the cameras, but the Epic stands out because it operates on Sprint’s high-powered WiMAX network, only the second such phone available.
Surprisingly, T-Mobile’s web site did not prominently display the Vibrant on launch day, and it was found only in a search result that listed it as coming soon.
The Vibrant was originally scheduled for a July 21 release, but T-Mobile evidently moved it up to directly compete with Verizon’s heavily marketed Droid X. According to some published reports, the phones were not prominently displayed at T-Mobile stores.
