Samsung Galaxy R ~ Review

Introduction:

That the Samsung GALAXY S II is the most attractive device in the company's stables is something that cannot be questioned. In terms of sales, Samsung's flagship has been passing milestone after milestone, and as of today, more than 10 million units have flown off the shelves.

But there is one device that combines a pretty similar set of features, yet comes a tad cheaper than the GALAXY S II. We are talking, of course, about the Samsung Galaxy R, which we have in our hands today.

The Samsung Galaxy R is more or less a downgraded version of the company's finest smartphone. It passes on the 1.2 GHz Exynos SoC in favor of NVIDIA's Tegra 2 chip, the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display has been replaced with a marginally smaller 4.2-inch Super Clear LCD screen, and the camera on its back has been taken from 8 down to 5 megapixels. Besides, the otherwise plastic back of the Galaxy R has been treated to a nice metallic finish, which we actually find to be an improvement over the plastic feel of the GALAXY S II.

So, without any further ado, let us now take the second best player in team Samsung for a spin and see what goodies it has to offer.

The package contains:

microUSB cable
wall charger
in-ear earphones
rubber tips for the earphones
User guide and warranty card

Design:

The Samsung Galaxy R feels nice and solid, but it isn't quite as sexy as its bigger brother. For starters, is is noticeably heavier tipping the scales at 4.76 oz (135 g), which is 0.67 oz (19 g) more than what the S II weighs. The Galaxy R is also a hair thicker with a waistline of 0.37 inches (9.45 mm).

But despite the slight differences between the two devices, the Galaxy R is still a pleasure to look at. While the S II has an overall plastic feel, the back of the R sports a finish that resembles brushed metal and serves as a reminder that you are holding a premium device in your hands.


The Samsung Galaxy R feels nice and solid

All of the hardware buttons that the smartphone has are well exposed and provide plenty of tactile feedback. At the same time, they are hard enough to prevent any accidental presses while the device is resting in your pocket.

What dominates the front of the Samsung Galaxy R is a 4.2-inch Super Clear LCD display with a resolution of 480 by 800 pixels. When put side to side to the screen of the Galaxy S II you hardly notice the difference in size, but you surely notice the difference in colors. The display on the R looks much brighter, with slightly more natural, less exaggerated colors, but those of you looking for punchy contrasts, vibrant colors and super deep blacks will prefer the Super AMOLED Plus screen on the S II. With good viewing angles and above average sunlight legibility, though, we were impressed with the screen of the Galaxy R as well.


		Samsung Galaxy R (right), Samsung Galaxy S II (left)
Samsung Galaxy R (left), Samsung Galaxy S II (right)


Front	Buttons below the display	Front facing camera


Volume key on the left	Power key on the right	3.5 mm jack on top	microUSB port on the bottom

Overall, The Samsung Galaxy R may not be as slim and lightweight as the S II, but it doesn't lag too far behind. It is still one stylish, attractive device, and the 4.2-inch display that it is equipped with is sufficiently bright and eye-pleasing.