Admittedly, I am an HTC fan.  So when I got the chance to review a Samsung Galaxy S Continuum, I told myself I that I would have to keep an open mind.  For those not keeping track, this is one of Samsung’s latest and greatest line of Android devices, a Galaxy S!  I’d have to give it the benefit of doubt and put in a fair fight.  

My first impression of the phone is that it looks very sleek and pretty. The 3.4 inch super AMOLED screen is very bright and vibrant.  The phone is light but doesn’t feel too flimsy. Compared to other Samsung devices I have tried out, like the Fascinate, this one feels a tad bit more durable. Being a girl and having smaller fingers, the phone fits quite nicely in my hand. Here are some of the specifications that make the Continuum a great device.

• Carrier- Verizon Wireless
• 1GHZ Hummingbird Processor
• 2GB 512MB ROM 384MB RAM On Board Memory
• Advanced dual Super AMOLED™ displays with dedicated Ticker display
• 312 hours Standby Time/420 minutes Talk Time
• 5.0 Megapixel Camera/digital zoom x4 w/ LED flash
• microSD, up to 32GB supported

One thing I do not like, nor do I completely understand is the “ticker”.

This is what Samsung labels as a “dual screen”.   This ticker is just a 1.8″ 96×480 screen that is right below the main screen.  This makes the main screen that much smaller.  The ticker is explained by Samsung to serve the following “Customizable Ticker Experience”

You decide which type of messages you think are important enough to appear on the dedicated Ticker display. You can choose news updates, SNS messages, RSS messages, sports updates, social networking posts, just to name a few.

Now, to me this is a great concept and I really like where Samsung was trying to go with this. They just did it all wrong in my opinion. To me, the ticker should be integrated with the OS. When setting up the ticker for notifications I have to re-log into my accounts, and it doesn’t even allow for Google integration. For example, there is an RSS reader available, but I can not sync it with my Google reader. I have to add every RSS individually. Another thing I think is silly is instant messenger via the ticker. I have to log into my Gtalk account, which this is all from an Android device….and the whole greatness of Android is having everything integrated. To me, having to re-log into things and not having Google syncing capabilities is just a waste.

Not only that, it just takes up valuable screen space.

The Continuum is currently running Android 2.1 ahead of the Gingerbread 2.3 announcement in December 2010.  This phone was released in November of 2010 and it’s not even running 2.2 yet?  To me this is a total fail. Another thing, there is no LED light on this phone.  If it is plugged, the screen is off, and is charging.  I just have to assume it is charging, and also just assume I don’t have any notifications.  Unless I saw the notification come through the moment it did, I have nothing to remind me that there is one.

I know a couple of people who have Galaxy S devices, and they are not only impressed, but also quite happy with their phone.  I know it seems like I don’t care for this device, but really, it’s a good phone.  A normal ‘Gal that loves good looks and wants the newest thing out there, would probably be happy with the Continuum.  Now for the ‘Gal who is just a little more tech savvy, and wants something she can tweak out, it might not be the best fit. However, this device can be rooted and doing so will allow the user to experience the newer version of Android. Check out a previous article that was published about a Gal rooting her phone. Still need some more facts? Here is Samsung’s “Official Video”  on the Continuum.

Stacie is the Associate Editor of AndroidGals and lives in Wichita KS with her geeky AndroidGuy Drew and their three puppies. She loves modding her Android devices and is a huge fan of CyanogenMod. She is involved in quite a few Android related projects including helping out with the Big Android BBQ, and any Android fun that comes her way. Away from the site she enjoys riding her Andy green Kawasaki ZX-10, or on the back of her and Drew's VMAX!

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