Samsung's Galaxy range continues to pull in the punters, and the Galaxy S2 is undeniably one of the most sought-after phones on the planet right now. However, as if to prove that not everything the Korean company touches turns to gold, we've been given the runt of the litter - the disappointing Galaxy Pro.
Clearly intended to steal some of RIM's thunder, this Android-powered BlackBerry rival boasts a 39-button qwerty-keypad, a fact which will instantly make it appealing to keen texters and typists. The keypad is unquestionably the handset's highlight as it's comfortable to use and makes typing a real pleasure, even if you're used to touch-screen interfaces.
Of course, by including such a large number of physical buttons, Samsung has been forced to cut corners elsewhere. The 2.8-inch landscape screen is pretty poor, with a low resolution of just 320x240 pixels. This means images look blocky and ill-defined and the screen itself has a washed-out appearance. Compared with the Super AMOLED displays featured on some of the other Galaxy-branded devices, the Galaxy Pro's screen is a real letdown.
The fact it has a landscape orientation rather than the traditional portrait one also causes headaches. A lot of Android apps and games aren't designed to work in landscape mode, which means you'll have to awkwardly hold the phone sideways to use them, which is hardly ideal. This shortcoming is a direct result of including all those lovely buttons; if the display had been turned the other way around, the Galaxy Pro would have been a much longer device.
The final insult, as far as the display is concerned, relates to the quality of the touch tech used. Although the display is capacitive - which offers superior responsiveness over cheaper resistive touch panels - it lacks multi-touch capability. This means you can't use pinch-to-zoom commands to make images, websites and maps larger, and it also makes games like Angry Birds insanely difficult to play, as they rely heavily on multi-touch gestures.
Performance wise, the Galaxy Pro holds few surprises. It has a 800MHz processor, which puts it above most budget Android phones but sadly still isn't powerful enough to handle Adobe Flash. The low resolution of the screen means navigating around the menu system is actually pretty nippy, but we'd rather have had more display detail if we're honest.
Another gripe is the inclusion of Android 2.2: with so many other phones sporting 2.3, it's galling to have to use an outdated version of Google's OS.The Galaxy Pro is clearly intended as a mid-range device and it shows from the materials used in its construction. There's a spot of chrome here and there, but it's not metal, merely shiny plastic. The back of the handset sports the now traditional ‘bump' at the bottom, and the textured battery cover improves grip.
Although it possesses reasonably appealing design, the phone feels a little cheap and nasty. At least the overall weight of 103 grams means it won't rest heavy in your pocket.
Thanks to its 3.15-megapixel camera, the Galaxy Pro manages to pull back a little bit of respectability. It captures decent snaps, even if they have a tendency to be a little dull at times. The inclusion of auto-focus makes close-up photography possible, but the lack of an LED flash means you'll need decent lighting at all times.
Video recording is uninspiring - VGA quality is the best you can hope for. Needless to say, you shouldn't rely on this phone to capture your tender family moments unless you're a fan of abstract art made up of fuzzy pixels.
Despite the bold moniker, the qwerty-packing Galaxy Pro feels amateurish. It's saddled with outdated software, a rubbish screen and a so-so CPU. If you're looking for an Android device just to text and email on, then you may find the Galaxy Pro to your liking. However, the real fun of using a smartphone comes from the myriad applications, such as browsing the web, using Google Maps, downloading games and so on. The Galaxy Pro isn't particularly adept at any of these tasks, which kind of misses the point of having Android on there in the first place.
Some would argue there's little need for Android phones to compete with the BlackBerry line, and the Galaxy Pro certainly backs up this sentiment. It's a confused device that has too many shortcomings to justify the inclusion of the admittedly decent qwerty keypad. If you like your buttons then we'd recommend you pick a phone like the HTC ChaCha, which isn't without its faults but offers a much better experience than the Galaxy Pro.
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