Any ideas how the Galaxy 550 will fare in 2012?

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Zach

167 posts

Master Geek

#79367 17-Mar-2011 01:43

I've checked out the 'Samsung Galaxy 550 i5503T' and it appears to be a really good, cheap android phone. I'd be happy to buy it now but there's no real urgency to get rid of my current phone which works fine.

My main question is to anyone who uses it as an mp3 player daily. I've seen the DoubleTwist app and it looks nice for music playback. Would it be a good replacement for an ipod nano 6g?

I'm also wondering if there will be any predictable price drops, or later models in the next 12 months. I wouldn't want to buy it at its current RRP of $349 when it was $249 a few weeks ago, and $190 on boxing day...

Thanks!

old3eyes

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#449125 17-Mar-2011 08:47

I suspect it will have been superseded by 2012 with a better model..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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heavenlywild

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#449128 17-Mar-2011 08:49

Yes, like most technology, 12 months is a very long time. You might not even be able to get it by 2012.

jonathan18

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#449193 17-Mar-2011 12:09

Also, remember this phone only comes with 2.1 with no sign of any official upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I love my phone especially since it only cost $ 190, but 2.2 would offer some great features such as flash support and installing apps on the SD card (I regularly rerun out of space).

At full price, other phones probably offer better value for money, eg the 2 degrees Huawei.

pando

235 posts

Master Geek

#449217 17-Mar-2011 13:08

I bought my partner the i5510 and to be honest like every phone i've had a listen through they just don't have the audio quality that a dedicated music player has so if you're serious about listening and use good quality headphones then you'll most likely feel a little disappointed.

kiwijunglist

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#449313 17-Mar-2011 17:57

unlikely to sound as good as ipod nano, if you don't notice the audio quality drop then it can be a useful replacement. At $349 i would either spend $170 and get a u8150 from trademe, or try and get Huawei x5 for just a bit more. Otherwise the Samsung i9003SL will have very good sound quality (The i9003SL is the Galaxy S i9000 without super amyloid screen and for a cheaper price, it's not readily available yet. The i9000 had very good audio quality, almost as good as ipod touch/iphone)

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

Zach

167 posts

Master Geek

#449425 17-Mar-2011 23:27

Thanks for the replies! The U8150 looks good too; I haven't looked at other phones much but I think I'll wait until boxing day as long as my phone holds out until then.

I didn't think about the quality of the audio chip, so that's another thing to look out for. Thanks.

nigelj

856 posts

Ultimate Geek

#449427 17-Mar-2011 23:44

The Galaxy 550 is a good phone, but I have had issues with it, in fact, mine is currently back for repair at Telecom.

For instance, Phone Coma & WiFi issues are common problems w/ the 2.1 firmware (also, I don't think any of the international vendors have 2.2 firmwares for the 5503. Definitely make sure you get a phone w/ the 2.2+ firmwares (just my opinion).

Edit: Also something to consider, the 5503 is quite snappy for quite low powered device, not all the others are that snappy from what I've seen/heard.

jonathan18

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#449452 18-Mar-2011 07:10

Speaking of problems, I need to also mention the issues with the GPS chip in the Galaxy 5: I've read elsewhere of comments about this phone's poor GPS performance, which I can back. Even the guy in DSE begrudgingly admitted after 10 minutes fiddling that my phone wouldn't pick up a single satellite (when a few days old, it would find them but terribly slowly). So, just another thing to be weary of.

sleepy

326 posts

Ultimate Geek

#449473 18-Mar-2011 09:07

Puzzled i bought one of these after xmas and so did my deleivery driver we both use the gps a lot when it picks up our accent(easier to type) and are both running 2.2 not officially of course. Been a great phone i dont use the music much but the driver does.

bluey

78 posts

Master Geek

#449485 18-Mar-2011 09:36

jonathan18: Speaking of problems, I need to also mention the issues with the GPS chip in the Galaxy 5: I've read elsewhere of comments about this phone's poor GPS performance, which I can back. Even the guy in DSE begrudgingly admitted after 10 minutes fiddling that my phone wouldn't pick up a single satellite (when a few days old, it would find them but terribly slowly). So, just another thing to be weary of.

Try "GPS optimisation" app. Works well for me on my 15503t

dafman

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#449559 18-Mar-2011 13:16

For only $100 more, have a look at the LG P500. It runs 2.2 and has a bigger screen with higher resolution. It also comes with an in-car kit for windscreen mounting and pre-installed NZ maps. I've had my phone for 3 months and it has not disappointed at all.

NzBeagle

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#449562 18-Mar-2011 13:20

In regards to music playback, I recommend trying out PowerAmp, it almost brought my Android up to the level of my WP7 device.