We've already got the Captivate for AT&T, the Epic 4G for Sprint, and the Vibrant for T-Mobile — all three of which come armed with eye-popping 4-inch displays, slim profiles, speedy 1GHz processors, and five-megapixel cameras — and now Samsung’s set to finish its lap of the four big U.S. carriers with the Fascinate, due in the coming weeks for Verizon Wireless.
Sure, we’ve had plenty of other impressive, high-profile smartphones arrive on specific carriers over the last few months, including the jumbo-sized HTC Evo 4G for Sprint, the Motorola Droid X for Verizon, and of course, the iPhone 4 on AT&T.
But with its slim, sleek line of Galaxy S phones, Samsung’s doing something a little different — namely, it’s got a Galaxy phone for all four of the big carriers, rather than doling out exclusives to one carrier or another. (Samsung will also have a Galaxy phone for regional carrier U.S. Cellular.)
Names and cosmetic differences aside, the four Galaxies are fundamentally the same phone — well, excluding perhaps the Epic 4G, which adds a slide-out QWERTY keypad, a front-facing camera for video chat, and support for Sprint’s 4G WiMax network to the mix. And what I’ve seen so far of the Galaxy phones, I’ve liked — a lot. (That said, I haven’t had the chance to get hands-on with the Fascinate yet.)
Yes, the Evo 4G and the Droid X take the day in terms of sheer screen size — 4.3 inches, to be exact — but I actually prefer the slightly smaller 4-inch (not to mention gorgeous-looking) Super AMOLED displays on the Galaxy phones, as well as the slimmer, lighter (about four ounces or so) form factors. I've also been impressed by the peppy performance of the Captivate, Epic, and Vibrant, which are all powered by Samsung’s speedy 1GHz Cortex A8 “Hummingbird" processor.
Not everything is perfect in Galaxy-land, however. For one thing, Galaxy handset users are still awaiting an update to Android 2.2, the latest version of the Android OS — which, among other things, adds support for Flash. An update for 2.2 is coming, Samsung swears, but exact timing is still up in the air. (Owners of the Evo 4G, the Nexus One, and both Motorola Droids are, incidentally, already doing the Android 2.2 thing.)
Another nagging problem: iffy GPS performance on the Captivate and the Vibrant, which both reportedly have trouble locking onto GPS signals, if they can get a lock at all. Samsung has admitted to the bug and promises a fix will arrive in September, but still, buyer beware.
Anyway, back to the Fascinate, which was announced back in July but has yet to debut on Verizon — in fact, we still don’t have an exact release date, although recent word has it that it’ll come in for a landing sometime in September.
As with the other Galaxy phones, we’re talking Android 2.1, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a 1GHz Cortext A8 processor, and a five-megapixel camera with HD video recording. The 4.1-ounce Fascinate also boasts 2GB of internal storage, a microSD slot for memory expansion, and the ability to act as a mobile hotspot for up to five nearby Wi-Fi-enabled devices, although the hotspot feature will surely entail an extra monthly data charge.
How much? Still no official word on that from Samsung or Verizon, but keep in mind that the Captivate and the Vibrant both sell for $199 with a new, two-year contract; I’d expect the same for the Fascinate. (The 4G-ready, QWERTY-equipped Epic 4G on Sprint goes for $249 with a two-year service agreement.)
I'll report back with hands-on impressions once I get my mitts on a review unit. In the meantime, check out Verizon’s promo video for the Fascinate, below:
— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.
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