Welcome to the Samsung GALAXY S how-to videos. We’ll show you how the Samsung GALAXY S works and answer some common questions asked.

 

Samsung GALAXY S is a full touch Android^TM 2.1 (Éclair), updateable to 2.2 (Froyo), device with a large 4” WVGA SUPER AMOLED screen. It is equipped with a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus, smile shot and self shot. Running on a 1 GHz processor, it also has a large 16GB internal storage which is expandable up to 48GB when paired with a 32MB MicroSD card.

 

It also comes with Wi-Fi 802.11n (600Mbps), high speed connectivity via HSUPA 5.76Mbps/ HSDPA 7.2Mbps and GPS (via Google Maps). Power-packed features encased in a sleek device - 9.9mm thin and weighing only 118g.

 

 

Here’s a video on what to expect in the box when you buy your Samsung GALAXY S.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Q. Does Samsung GALAXY S support Chinese?

A. Samsung GALAXY S does support Simplified Chinese input, with both pinyin and handwriting modes. There is also Korean language support as well.

 

Change the language input to Chinese 

 

Press and hold within the message input box > Tap on Input Method > Select DioPen Chinese IME

 

For Pin Yin: please ensure that you are using the QWERTY keypad layout

                  > Tap on the ‘Ab’ key so that it changes to ‘中_P’.

 

For Chinese handwriting: Tap on the Settings key

                                     > Select Handwriting box

                                     > ‘中_P’ will change to ‘中_S’.

 

Press and hold the Settings key to get to DioPen Chinese IME settings to change the pen thickness and pen colour.

 

Change the language input to Korean, Thai or Vietnamese   

 

Change the input method to Samsung keypad > Press and hold the Settings key to get to Samsung keypad settings > select the language of your choice.

 

 

Super AMOLED + Camera & Video + Layar

 

 

 

Q. My phone seems to be laggy after a while. What could be the problem?

A. There may be many unnecessary programs running in the background. You can see them by pressing the center square home screen button. Kill the unnecessary apps effectively with a Task Killer application. We recommend Advance Task Killer which can be downloaded from Android Market^TM.

 

Q. Does the Camera have a Self shot mode?

A. Not only does the camera have a Self Shot mode, it also has Marco Mode, Blink Detection and Face Detection. Other interesting camera features include Smile Shot, Beauty Shot, Cartoon Shot, Action Shot, Vintage Mode, Auto Contrast, Outdoor Visibility and Touch Focus. Touch Focus allows you to focus on any point you touch on the screen.

 

Q. What is the resolution of the video recording?

A. The resolution is 1280 x 720. (HD recording up to 30fps)

 

Q. What is Layar Reality Browser powered by Tele Atlas?

A. A first on Samsung GALAXY S, Layar powered by Tele Atlas possesses the greatest number of POIs, custom fitted specifically for the Samsung GALAXY S.

 

 

Swype + Write&Go + ThinkFree +WirelessTethering + Aldiko

 

 

 

Q. What is the Swype Technology used in Samsung GALAXY S?

A. Swype allows a user to enter a word by sliding a finger or stylus from letter to letter, lifting only between words. It uses error correcting algorithms and a language model to guess the word intended. It also includes a tapping predictive text system in the same interface. Swype is designed for use on touchscreen devices with a traditional QWERTY keyboard for text input.

 

Q. What is Write & Go on Samsung GALAXY S?

A. The GALAXY S has an application called “Write and Go” to take any notes down, save for sending out later, updating your Twitter profile or creating a calendar event.  This changes the perception in the past where you need to decide where to save the note before writing anything down. 

 

Q. Can I edit or view my Documents, Excel and PowerPoint files?

A. Yes! ThinkFree Office Mobile includes a word processor (Write), a spreadsheet program (Calc), a presentation program (Show), and a WYSIWYG HTML and blog editor (Note). ThinkFree Office Mobile reads and writes to Microsoft Office file formats (.doc, .xls, and .ppt). ThinkFree Office Mobile has a look and feel similar to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, providing a degree of familiarity to new users. 

 

 Q. What is Wireless Tethering?

A. Tethering is the use of a mobile device such as a mobile phone to supply Internet access for another device e.g. laptop, which is otherwise unconnected, using the mobile device as a modem.

 

 

Steps to Activate Internet Tethering

 

Menu > Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile AP settings > Activate Mobile AP > Go to Laptop Wireless Network Connection > Refresh Network List > Click Connect > Key in Network Key > Connect

 

Q. What is Aldiko?

A. Aldiko is an e-book reading application that runs on any Android device which enables you to download and read thousands of books right on your smartphone.

 

 

Social Hub

 

 

 

Q. What is Social Hub?

A. Social Hub is a service provided by Samsung that offers a convenient, single-point access to all your email accounts, calendars, personal contacts, IM and SNS information. Integration of these information are done at ‘Messaging’ and ‘Contacts’ which are natural starting points for accessing, sending and receiving information. Social and work calendars from all portals and social networking sites are colour-coded and displayed in an integrated view via 2-way synchronization.

 

Please note that only the basic version of Social Hub is offered currently. All Samsung Wave and Galaxy S users will get to upgrade to the premium service once it is made available. Basic service does not support push capability for POP email, IM and SNS. Data charges from Operators apply.

 

Q. Does Samsung GALAXY S come with threaded SMS?

A. Samsung GALAXY S has conversation mode which is similar to threaded SMS. Unfortunately, there is no way to disable this if you do not like threaded SMS.

 

Android Market^TM

 

 

Q. Can Samsung GALAXY S support Android 2.2 Froyo when it is released?

A. Yes. GALAXY S is updateable to Android 2.2 (Froyo). You can visit our service centre once the software upgrade is ready. You’d be the first to know if you sign up as a member at Samsung Mobile website www.samsungmobile.com.sg.

 

Q. Can I download the applications and install them on my memory card?

A. For Android 2.1 (Éclair), this is not possible. But fear not, there is 2GB of internal memory on your GALAXY S for just apps. Android 2.2 (Froyo) should allow installation of applications on the memory card.

| Posted by Admin 11-Aug-2010

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WHEN I caught the Samsung Wave in my hand I was immediately and magically drawn to it – for the look, weight, size and feel. Although I liked the form, fit and finish I did not know what to expect from Samsung’s bada platform as I had not heard anything from my peers or read anything about it.

 

 

 
In my hand, I loved the cool metal casing. It just felt better than any plastic, and it imparted resilience in my mind. The glass capacitive touchscreen that stretched almost to the left and right edge of the face impressed me even more than the Samsung GALAXY S’s massive 4.0-inch screen. The Wave’s screen is only 3.3-inches but it is still a WVGA (Wide VGA measuring 800 x 480 pixels) SUPER AMOLED display.

 

 

 
The Wave’s external buttons and controls are straightforward. On the face you have the capacitive touchscreen and three buttons at the bottom. The right button is used as a Close call or the button to turn on and off the device. At the centre is a raised diamond shaped button that is a singular button, and not a D-Pad for directional control. It brings up the main application screen. On the left is the Call button.

 

 

 

 

Looking at top of the Wave, there is a 3.5-mm headphone jack, sliding cover microUSB and a small opening that is used to let out the speaker audio when using speakerphone. I love the sliding USB cover. No more lost or broken off covers.
 

 

On the back side of the Wave, you will notice the oddly shaped digital camera. The camera lens will always be the same shape it is. Just that Samsung decided to make the glass window stylish and shaped it like a diamond with a matching LED flash. The shape does not add or detract the phone's picture-taking capabilities. Notice as well the rear cover finish is brushed aluminum as is most of the body.

 

 
The location of the battery makes it impossible to change out the SIM and/or microSD flash memory card without removing the battery first.

  

Now that I’ve covered all the cosmetics and hardware let me tell you that my biggest worry when I looked at the Wave was whether or not there is proper application support for the hot applications – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others.

 

 
It was a relief to find direct support for those applications. If those applications are not able to satisfy your cravings, you can always try out Samsung’s App store.

 

 
 
Here’s a shot of the Facebook application. Looks neat, tidy and easy to navigate.

 

 
The album view mode of the Facebook application looks quite like the media file viewer (See below).

 

 
When I was first introduced to Samsung’s 5-megapixel with my Samsung Jet, I immediately fell in love with the quality and capabilities of the built-in camera software. I am happy to see and report that the same great software setup and features made its way into the Wave. Some of the features have been tweaked a bit but otherwise the camera works great. The video capture capability is something not to be missed. It doesn’t capture 720P or 1080P HD video. But what it does capture in DVD quality turns out amazingly for amateurs. Just make sure you have adequate light for shooting.

The media browser is easy to use and useful for shutterbugs that have difficulty remembering when a particular photo was taken because the browser will neatly organize the pictures as thumbnails sorted chronologically using the date the picture was taken.

 

 

If you prefer a big overview of the photos on the phone just change the orientation to landscape and you’ll get a visual list of the photographs.

 

 
The Wave may not have thousands of applications like those available for the Android™ platform, but Samsung made sure the important applications were done without having to resort to using the Internet Browser directly to access the web applications.

Time will tell if the bada platform can grow in popularity with the key being application availability. However, even if it doesn’t become popular, the Wave is a great phone and you’ll probably often get asked, “What is it?” and comments like, “It looks great – sleek, slim and a beautiful LED screen!”

Grab one now to show off the beautiful 3.3-inch SUPER AMOLED screen, the smooth application and onscreen keyboard input.

Here are some photo samples taken using the Wave's 5-megapixel camera.

 

 

  

 

| Posted by JamCanSing 28-Jul-2010

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The first thing I noticed when I received my Samsung GALAXY S was how plain it is. That impression changed quickly when I held it in my hand and turned it on.

The shape is not revolutionary but is very comfortable given it is pretty wide. The comfort comes from having soft curved edges. Other than the curves I came to notice the soft curved bump on one of the edges and strangely without even trying to analyse the reason for the bump I believe I figured it out. It is ever so subtle but by not making the device symmetrical, Samsung gives you a way to recognise which end is the top and the bottom as soon as you pick up the phone without having to look at it.

 

 

There are very few buttons to deal with – a power button, volume up/down rocker and a centre button on the face. All other functions are activated via the huge 4.0-inch capacitive touch screen.

The GALAXY S has a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio and video output. Located near to the headphone jack is an ingenious little sliding cover that protects the microSD connector from dust or damage. This is a really cool feature because most of the other manufacturers use pop-out rubbery covers that eventually wear out or become brittle and then break.

 

On the rear of the GALAXY S body is the 5-megapixel digital camera and surprisingly it does not have a LED flash or Xenon flash. This may limit your usage to only daylight or brightly lit subject shooting. Look out below for my usual gallery of photos. The rear cover features a scale like imprint that reminded me of reptilian skin but it also has an interesting iridescence to it.

A peek under the rear cover reveals the large battery with a capacity of 1500mAh (milliamp hours). It is a pretty big capacity but there are many other factors to consider when looking at just how long the battery will last.

The telco SIM has a slot as does a flash memory microSD card slot. You’ll also notice the speaker for speakerphone operation and if you recall the rear cover has 6 small holes that fit over the speaker.

 

Powering up the Android (version 2.1) operating system installed GALAXY S is quick. As I had not seen the 4.0-inch screen in person prior to receiving mine, I was blown away by the screen that greeted me. The colours are vibrant and the screen is bright, but what contributed to my wide eyed look was the cool animated wallpapers that also interact when your finger taps on them. Samsung's own user interface that deviates away from the stock Android setup. It is nice and with the 1GHz processor and 16GB of internal memory the whole package felt good and fast. The screen touch sensitivity seemed just right and with the slightly larger girth also meant that the onscreen keyboard had larger keys and were better spaced for faster typing.

 

 

A short technology lesson and background on the screen. The GALAXY S uses a SUPER AMOLED (Amorphic Light Emitting Diode) and the 'SUPER' designation means it is superior to other AMOLED systems. For instance, last year Samsung unleashed AMOLED technology when it released the Samsung JET. When I look at the Samsung JET and the GALAXY S side-by-side the new GALAXT S SUPER AMOLED is definately better. Note, that older screen technology uses LCD technology and may incorporate LED backlighting but it pales in comparison to the SUPER AMOLED. A benefit to using SUPER AMOLED technology is the reduction of power consumption and it is quite viewable even in bright direct sunlight conditions.

 

As the GALAXY S is using Android for the operating system you may find that the included applications are generic applications. However, you may not know what the applications are and I thought I'd share some of the applications with you. The GALAXY S is currently exclusive to SingTel and that gives you some unique applications - MobileTV, IDEAS, AMPed, inSing, and the TrafficLive Widget. Also included with mine were some Samsung Apps. This included: Vlingo Voice, Asphalt5, English Dictionary, Chinese Dictionary, blinkx Beat, Road SMS. The other applications are straighforward as are those included with Android. If that's not enough just open the Market to find a free application. Strangely I liked some of the built-in software. I liked the Mini Diary and Memo function. I would have liked to have seen direct link from the Memo to the Calendar for reminders or task lists.

 

 

 

The rest of the phone functions like the telephone and keypad as well as the contact list, email and browser works and does so without issues. So, there isn't anything to fear for the regular mobile phone operation. Moving along to the area that interests me the most, the built-in digital camera. The GALAXY S sports a 5-megapixel camera but does not feature a LED or xenon flash. 5-megapixels is more than enough for many instances especially if you drive your software properly for in-camera processing of the captured images.

The camera interface is straightforward and you can interact with the touchscreen to choose your focusing point. Take note there is no physical shutter button so you will need two hands at all times for operation as a one handed approach makes it difficult to press the virtual on-screen shutter. Two hands also makes for steadier shots, try not to depend on built-in functions like steady-shot or anti-shake. These functions help you but are not always able to 'fix' a blur photo because of the demanding photo taking environment - low light and/or moving subjects.

 

The shooting modes will impress the 'point & shoot' users as it emulates those cameras.

 

The photo results can be browsed using the Gallery application. The Gallery can display your photos in different modes. Thumbnails and an informative 'calendar' type view. The latter mode will lump photos taken on specific dates together.

 

 

There is a built-in slideshow function and as the GALAXY S has a TV-out function you can easily view and share your photos on a bigger screen.

 

I really like panorama photos and have diligently created two to share. The night shot is tough because if you leave the camera settings to Auto ISO your photos turn out very noisy. So, I manually forced the ISO to 100 and then, as best as I could, took the photo without shaking.

The sunrise panorama was shot in the vertical orientation to catch as much detail as possible.

I shot a variety of photos ranging - macro, outdoor, indoor, landscape, food and architecture. This should give you a good idea of how capable the camera is and with such a capable smartphone and thousands of Android applications available, I feel the GALAXY S is a winner. The superb screen, responsive operating system and hardware makes using the phone a joy. I was always drawn back to the phone just to interact with it that doing so so often meant my battery life suffered. If you are a hardcore social media user, I think you'll need to think about having a charger nearby or a spare battery.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the photos and if you get a GALAXY S, you're sure to enjoy taking photos with the phone. In fact, you'll also like shooting videos with it as you've seen from the included sample of the singing and dancing teenagers.

 

-# END #-

| Posted by JamCanSing 17-Jul-2010

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A new Wave has arrived!

 

Samsung Wave is a full touch Bada platform phone (Samsung Open Platform) with a large 3.3” 16M colours WVGA AMOLED screen. It’s equipped with a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus, smile shot and dual LED flash. Running on a 1GHz processor, it also has a 2GB internal storage which is expandable up to 34GB when paired with a 32MB MicroSD card.

 

It also comes with Wi-Fi, high speed connectivity via HSDPA 3.6Mbps. Power packed features encased in a sleek device - 10.9mm thin and weighing only 118g.

 

Super Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode or Super AMOLED is a display technology for use in mobile devices such as mobile phones. It differs from many other display technologies in that the layer which detects touch is integrated into the screen rather than being overlaid on top.

 

Here’s a video on what to expect in the box when you buy your Samsung Wave.

 

 

 Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Q. What is “Bada” Platform?

A. Samsung bada is a Smartphone platform released in 2010. The word "bada" means "ocean" in Korean. Samsung Wave is the first bada-powered phone and will be seen on the market soon.

 

 

Q. How many Home screen pages can I have on my Samsung Wave?

A. You can have up to 10 pages.

 

Q. Does the Camera have Auto Focus?

A. Not only does the camera have Auto Focus, it also has Marco mode and Face Detection. Other interesting camera features include Smile Shot, Beauty Shot, Vintage Mode, Auto Contrast, Outdoor Visibility and Dual LED flash.

 

Q. What is the resolution of the Video recording?

A. The resolution is 1280 x 720. (HD recording up to 30fps)

 

 

Social Hub

 

Social Hub consolidates your contacts’ numbers, email addresses, IM and social networking information at one contact point.

 

 

To set up Social Hub with your email, IM and SNS accounts,

Go to Menu > Select ‘My Accounts’ > Add Accounts > Key in relevant account details.

 

For Premium version of Social Hub, besides the Web accounts, you can also set up your social networks e.g. Facebook, My Space and Twitter. However, only the basic service is available on your phone at this moment. Basic service does not have push capabilities for POP email, IM and SNS. Do note that data charges from Service Operators apply.

 

We will notify Samsung Mobile members via edm when the premium version of Social Hub is available for the Samsung Wave. Upgrade is FREE.

 

Wireless Tethering

 

Q. What is wireless tethering?

A. Tethering is the use of a mobile device such as a mobile phone to supply Internet access for another device, which is otherwise unconnected, using the mobile device as a modem.

 

 

Steps to Activate Internet Tethering

Menu > Settings > Connectivity > Mobile AP > Activate Mobile AP > Go to Laptop Wireless Network Connection > Refresh Network List > Click Connect >Key in Network Key > Connect

 

 

Samsung Apps

 

How to download from On-device Client

 

| Posted by Admin 08-Jul-2010

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SAMSUNG Monte (GT-S5620) as a phone sits somewhere between a smartphone and a regular phone. I felt this way as I was using it because it featured a capacitive touchscreen. A capacitive touchscreen is usually found on a smart multi-touch device. Touchscreen devices are usually capable of operating in portrait and landscape modes, but the Monte works only in portrait orientation with text input through a keypad interface. You won’t find a landscape virtual keyboard which is a pity. This design limitation may be due to the screen width and resolution.

 

The display rendered colours well thanks to the 262 thousand colours display. The screen uses a not so common resolution of 240 by 400 pixels, but this is higher than even some of the latest smartphones from competing manufacturers. The slightly higher resolution gives the Monte an advantage of displaying slightly larger text fonts on the 3-inch wide screen. I found this a useful for my ever worsening eyes.

 

When I first held the Monte I was really attracted to how well it fits into my palm. It was a comfortable fit that I’m sure Samsung engineers took time to develop. The back was tapered ever so slightly and the bottom rounded off. The design was not just a symmetrical shape that went after looks and I commend Samsung for this design. Samsung did well to incorporate and maximize the design as you see from the metallic orange highlight on the sides. (*Please check stores for colour availability.)

 

Keeping a familiar button layout as Samsung’s Jet and Blue Earth, the micro USB port for charging and transfer can be found on top with a 3.5mm headphone jack next to it. On the right-hand side the Lock button and camera shutter button. Hidden behind a cover is the micro SD card slot. The left-hand side has the volume up/down rocker switch and a hole from which dangling accessories can be hung.

 

The internals, at least what internals accessible by a user from the rear, reveals a mechanism I like. It is a spring loaded slot-in for the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card. This design feature made it simple to insert my SIM without having to dig out the battery pack. Something I often have to do with other phones.

 

Operation of the phone was easy as I’m already familiar with the Samsung Jet. But new users shouldn’t worry because there has been some UI changes for the better and that makes it very easy to navigate. I really liked the numeric representation at the top of the screen indicating which virtual screen workspace is in focus. Previously, it was simply a short line. Activation and access to the built-in apps and widgets is done through a simple named button named, Widget. The widgets then appear from the bottom and you can flick to scroll what is available. A big improvement over the system used in the Jet.

 

Digging through the program icons I found something interesting and potential buyers may consider it to be the deal maker for getting the Monte. It is labeled ‘Dictionary’. It is a nifty English-to-English, English-to-Chinese or Chinese-to-English electronic dictionary. Other than the Dictionary I liked the fact that more of the Widgets are not just browser links.

 

As a Social Media networking device the Monte is equipped with the usual applications so don’t worry about being left out or falling behind all your friends' status updates. I was able to connect to and post updates using either my 3G network connection or the built-in Wi-Fi.

Google Maps, Mail and Search is included and works well. The browser installed is the Dolfin webkit browser version 1.5 and should suffice for most users. It maintains the single-handed, one-finger zoom in/out. An interesting inclusion for the browser is the ability to operate in landscape mode but the text input for inputting search text, usernames and or passwords remains as numeric keypad style and not a horizontal qwerty keyboard.

 

 

The Monte serves up a friendly connected experience but doesn’t go so far as being a smartphone and that is cool because not everyone wants a smartphone. The 3.2-megapixel camera may disappoint some as it doesn’t include a LED or xenon flash. As with Samsung’s camera software, the panorama mode still stands out as one of the talking points. Reserve photo taking with the Monte to the bright sunny outdoors.

 

 

| Posted by JamCanSing 19-Apr-2010

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