Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Proclaim Review
The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim is an entry level smart phone offered by Straight Talk. It's one of the first smart phones available from Straight Talk and provides some decent specifications for its low price. The 1 GHz processor isn't a speed demon, but it'll do everything you need it to. Similarly, the Android 2.3 operating is definitely starting to get long in the tooth; nevertheless it still runs smoothly on the Proclaim and offers a lot of features. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim is beginning to look like a relatively attractive phone, especially since you only have to pay $150 (or less) for it. But Straight Talk now has some new Android handsets in its lineup; most have better specifications and provide a better value than the Proclaim. So, can the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim compete with its Straight Talk rivals and is it still worth picking up? That's what we're going to find out in MobileTechnology Review's comprehensive written review of the Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Proclaim!
Hardware:
The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim is a pretty small, pocketable device. The Proclaim's dimensions measure in at 11.4mm thick, 114.3mm tall, and 59.7mm wide. But despite its small measurements, the phone is somewhat hefty at just over 4oz. Moving to design, the look of the Galaxy Proclaim harkens back to older Samsung handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S and the Samsung Nexus S. And like these handsets, the Proclaim also features a Samsung hallmark; plastic. The entire device is constructed out of black plastic and, as was said, that is no surprise as this is a Samsung product. The front display and area around the display are made from plastic as is the back of the phone, which features a nice feeling texture. Speaking of in-hand feel, the Galaxy Proclaim feels very nice, its curved edges and design fit into your palm perfectly. The device is small, therefore easy to handle and there are no hard edges that did into your hand. Overall, the Proclaim is an enjoyable phone to hold. On the build quality side of things, the Samsung device feels very sturdy and will most likely stand up to quite a few drops. The worst that might happen if the Proclaim slips out of your hand is a misplaced battery and battery door. With design, in-hand feel, and build quality out of the way, we can look around the handset. The left side of the device is home to the volume rocker and micro-SD card slot. The right side, on the other hand, features only the small power/lock button. The 3.5mm audio jack is located on the phone's top edge, while the micro-usb charging port and microphone are on the bottom. A 3 MP camera lens, Samsung logo, and small, mono speaker cover the Proclaim's back. The front contains the slightly curved 3.5 inch screen with Android capacitive buttons below and the earpiece above. All of the hardware buttons have decent tactile response, but are extremely tiny and difficult to press (especially the power/lock key). The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim doesn't pack much in the screen department. The plastic TFT LCD display is 3.5 inches in size and has a resolution of 320x480 (165 ppi). The small size is to be expected on a phone in this price range, but the resolution isn't. 165 pixels per inch makes for an extraordinarily grainy display that is inexcusable, even on a phone as cheap as the Proclaim. Color balance is very inaccurate and viewing angles are as bad as they come. Samsung should have splurged a little a put in a display that's not directly out of 2008. Rant over, let's talk internal specifications. The Galaxy Proclaim is powered by single-core 1 GHz processor paired with 512 MB of RAM. These internals are the norm for devices in the same class as the Samsung and get the job done. The processor is not exactly a speed demon, but it's quick enough for most people. The amount of RAM is good and allows for relatively speedy multitasking. This processing package can handle most of the demands put on it by Android 2.3 and is decidedly average performance wise, although it could be speedier. The Proclaim includes 4 GB of internal storage which can be augmented by a micro-SD card. The phone's battery is 1500 mAh in capacity and provides adequate battery life, rated at up to 5.5 hours of talk and 15 days of standby. Personally, with our test Proclaim, we witnessed the battery ballooning and then it stopped working entirely. Hopefully this was just a problem with our test unit. Anyway, the built in mono speaker is pretty quiet and tinny, so I would suggest listening to your music through a nice pair of headphones. Connectivity, such as 802.11 b/g WiFi, 3g data speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps over Straight Talk's network (which piggybacks off of Verizon's network) are included with the Galaxy Proclaim. In short, despite it's low cost, the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim still manages to offer a decent hardware. If you look past the below-mediocre display, the Proclaim's hardware doesn't seem that bad and will suffice for most people.
What's in the box:
- Samsung Galaxy Proclaim
- Wall Charger
- 1500 mAh Battery
- 2 GB micro-SD Card
- Service Guide/User Manual
Software:
The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim runs a now-outdated version of the Android operating system, Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Samsung's own Touchwiz UI overlay sits on top of the Android 2.3 experience. The software on the Proclaim does not differ much from other Samsung handsets running Android 2.3. The Touchwiz overlay makes the experience feel cartoonish and somewhat bogged down...
Review will be completed soon!
*It is always possible that some specifications or facts may be incorrect. We try our best at MobileTechnology Reviews to provide accurate information, but we occasionally make mistakes. If you notice that something is wrong or incorrect, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we'll fix it!
Hardware:
The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim is a pretty small, pocketable device. The Proclaim's dimensions measure in at 11.4mm thick, 114.3mm tall, and 59.7mm wide. But despite its small measurements, the phone is somewhat hefty at just over 4oz. Moving to design, the look of the Galaxy Proclaim harkens back to older Samsung handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S and the Samsung Nexus S. And like these handsets, the Proclaim also features a Samsung hallmark; plastic. The entire device is constructed out of black plastic and, as was said, that is no surprise as this is a Samsung product. The front display and area around the display are made from plastic as is the back of the phone, which features a nice feeling texture. Speaking of in-hand feel, the Galaxy Proclaim feels very nice, its curved edges and design fit into your palm perfectly. The device is small, therefore easy to handle and there are no hard edges that did into your hand. Overall, the Proclaim is an enjoyable phone to hold. On the build quality side of things, the Samsung device feels very sturdy and will most likely stand up to quite a few drops. The worst that might happen if the Proclaim slips out of your hand is a misplaced battery and battery door. With design, in-hand feel, and build quality out of the way, we can look around the handset. The left side of the device is home to the volume rocker and micro-SD card slot. The right side, on the other hand, features only the small power/lock button. The 3.5mm audio jack is located on the phone's top edge, while the micro-usb charging port and microphone are on the bottom. A 3 MP camera lens, Samsung logo, and small, mono speaker cover the Proclaim's back. The front contains the slightly curved 3.5 inch screen with Android capacitive buttons below and the earpiece above. All of the hardware buttons have decent tactile response, but are extremely tiny and difficult to press (especially the power/lock key). The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim doesn't pack much in the screen department. The plastic TFT LCD display is 3.5 inches in size and has a resolution of 320x480 (165 ppi). The small size is to be expected on a phone in this price range, but the resolution isn't. 165 pixels per inch makes for an extraordinarily grainy display that is inexcusable, even on a phone as cheap as the Proclaim. Color balance is very inaccurate and viewing angles are as bad as they come. Samsung should have splurged a little a put in a display that's not directly out of 2008. Rant over, let's talk internal specifications. The Galaxy Proclaim is powered by single-core 1 GHz processor paired with 512 MB of RAM. These internals are the norm for devices in the same class as the Samsung and get the job done. The processor is not exactly a speed demon, but it's quick enough for most people. The amount of RAM is good and allows for relatively speedy multitasking. This processing package can handle most of the demands put on it by Android 2.3 and is decidedly average performance wise, although it could be speedier. The Proclaim includes 4 GB of internal storage which can be augmented by a micro-SD card. The phone's battery is 1500 mAh in capacity and provides adequate battery life, rated at up to 5.5 hours of talk and 15 days of standby. Personally, with our test Proclaim, we witnessed the battery ballooning and then it stopped working entirely. Hopefully this was just a problem with our test unit. Anyway, the built in mono speaker is pretty quiet and tinny, so I would suggest listening to your music through a nice pair of headphones. Connectivity, such as 802.11 b/g WiFi, 3g data speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps over Straight Talk's network (which piggybacks off of Verizon's network) are included with the Galaxy Proclaim. In short, despite it's low cost, the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim still manages to offer a decent hardware. If you look past the below-mediocre display, the Proclaim's hardware doesn't seem that bad and will suffice for most people.
What's in the box:
- Samsung Galaxy Proclaim
- Wall Charger
- 1500 mAh Battery
- 2 GB micro-SD Card
- Service Guide/User Manual
Software:
The Samsung Galaxy Proclaim runs a now-outdated version of the Android operating system, Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Samsung's own Touchwiz UI overlay sits on top of the Android 2.3 experience. The software on the Proclaim does not differ much from other Samsung handsets running Android 2.3. The Touchwiz overlay makes the experience feel cartoonish and somewhat bogged down...
Review will be completed soon!
*It is always possible that some specifications or facts may be incorrect. We try our best at MobileTechnology Reviews to provide accurate information, but we occasionally make mistakes. If you notice that something is wrong or incorrect, shoot us an email at [email protected] and we'll fix it!
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