Samsung Galaxy Y Full Review

Times have changed over the years, but never did we see the smartphones reach the consumer market with such a blow that feature phones would almost disappear. 

The new Samsung Galaxy Y offers a complete package for a fairly low budget, But is it actually a full smartphone ?

Lets find out in this iGyaan review :

Build Quality and Hardware

The Galaxy Y is well built to an extent where you wont be disappointed by any thing in terms of the exterior of the device. The screen is not tough so a screen protector is essential for the device. Every-thing else is built to last and will not need any extra care, solid built, tactile buttons and no rattle or noise from the body of the device.

In terms of the Hardware Specs:

Screen and Multimedia

The screen on the device is a 3 inch 320×240 px capacitive display, its a relatively low res display, but its leaps and bounds better than the one found on the Pop and Fit. Why ? You ask. There is a massive difference in the pixellation levels of the Galaxy Y and the POP, on the Pop you aslo only get Android 2.2, this device comes preloaded with 2.3.5 and a display that does not bother you at all with reading webpages etc.

The screen is decent for movie playback and the speakerphone is loud enough to get the message across. This device will feature as a portable media player for many a youth, but don’t expect it to replace a TV or even an iPod. Audio quality is good but is only limited with the hardware chip used. The maximum throughput of sound is limited hence will not deliver performance compared to even the Wildfire S. The Audio is not really an issue because an everyday user will not notice it, as the device produces a loud sound with or without the earphones, whcih is mostly enough for a consumer.

Phone, Network and Messaging

The device is an excellent phone, with robust network connectivity and a solid signal strength. We noticed no dropped calls in the extensive network tests conducted. Audio (incoming and outgoing) on both channels was crisp and loud, with no feedback issues. The “Y” gets a great rating because it does a good job of what its basic purpose is: to make and receive calls. 

Messaging on the device is also easy and is demonstrated in our video review. Typing is simple thanks to an error correction algorithm by Samsung, which utilizes a most common error path and auto corrects the text errors. Pretty fancy for a sub 7k phone. You also get SWYPE inbuilt on the keyboard making it very useful indeed.

Data, Internet and Battery

By now we have learnt that Android devices are no too data friendly. Turning data on and off when required will boost your battery life enormously. That being said this device also features 3G data connectivity and HSDPA upto 7.25 Mbps. The connections are stable and not too power consuming, the Wifi Hotspot feature works great and does not suck the life forces from your device, like it used to on previous devices.

Internet connectivity is stable on both Wifi and 3G and the browser loads all sorts of Flash content, with a bit of hiccups. Browser is easily readable and on a screen this size you cant expect much more. The basics can be accessed from this browser, but its not a replacement for your computer.

Battery Life 

Companies talk about battery life in their own mood, we do some extensive real life tests to get out the best from the device.

• Talk Time 2G  : 6 Hours
• Talk Time 3G  : 4.5 Hours
• Standby Time : 36-72 Hours
• WiFi Surfing : 4-5 Hours
• 3G Surfing : 3.5 Hours
• Music : 7 Hours
• Video : 2 Hours

Conclusion:

We Rate the GALAXY Y : 4 on 5

Unboxing Video

Review Video 

Image Gallery