Samsung Captivate vs. Apple iPhone 4
Key Differences
- Operating system: The Samsung Captivate is an Android-powered device featuring Samsung’s custom user interface called TouchWiz (version 3.0). The Android platform and TouchWiz include a number of differences, and depending on personal opinion, enhancements when compared to the iPhone OS — perhaps most notably superior customization options and the ability to add widgets. Many users, however, prefer the simplicity and minimalism of the iPhone OS. The latest version of the iPhone OS also offers multitasking, although the multitasking capabilities as compared to Android (a seasoned multitasker) are still somewhat limited. Android users will also be quick to remind you of other Android advantages such a free turn-by-turn GPS directions, voice-to-text, the ability to install any application you wish without being limited to only approved apps, and more. Certainly, the differences are many (and beyond the scope of this comparison), and the choice between the two popular operating systems is one of personal preference.
Side-By-Side Comparison
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 |
 |
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Samsung Captivate |
Apple iPhone 4 |
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|
Wirefly’s Price
(as of publish date) |
$49.99 |
Not available at Wirefly |
| Carrier |
AT&T |
AT&T |
| Operating System |
Android |
iOS 4 |
| Interface |
TouchWiz 3.0 |
|
| Display |
4″, 480 x 800 Pixels, AMOLED |
3.5″, 960 x 640 Pixels |
| Data Speed |
3G |
3G |
| Global Roaming |
Yes |
Yes |
| WiFi |
802.11 b/g/n |
802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 3.0 |
Bluetooth 2.1 |
| GPS |
aGPS |
aGPS |
| Mobile Hotspot |
No |
No |
| Camera |
5-megapixel, autofocus |
5-megapixel, LED flash and autofocus |
| Front-facing Camera |
No |
VGA |
| Video Capture |
HD; Up to 720p |
HD; Up to 720p |
| HD Output |
None |
None |
| Apps |
Android Market |
Apple App Store |
| Adobe Flash Support |
Adobe Flash Lite |
No |
| Storage Space |
16GB on-board; Support for up to 32GB microSD card |
16GB or 32GB on-board flash drive |
| Keyboard |
Virtual QWERTY |
Virtual QWERTY |
| Battery |
Up to 5.83 hours talk time; up to 340 hours standby |
Up to 7 hours talk time; up to 300 hours standby |
| Processor |
ARM Cortex-A8 Hummingbird, 1000 MHz |
Apple A4 |
| Memory |
RAM: 512MB |
|
| Microsoft Outlook Support |
Yes |
Yes |
| View Word Docs |
Yes |
Yes |
| Weight |
4.16 oz |
4.8 oz |
| Dimensions |
2.53″ x 4.82″ x 0.39″ |
2.31″ x 4.5″ x 0.37″ |
- Power: In the mobile phone food chain, both the Samsung Captivate and iPhone 4 are tops dogs. The Captivate is equipped with an ultra-fast fast 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and 512MB of RAM. The Apple iPhone 4 has Apple’s own A4 processor, which hovers around the 1 GHz mark as well, although Apple hasn’t disclosed specifics on the processor.
- Display: The Samsung Captivate has a large and gorgeous 4-inch display with 480 x 800 pixels. Because f its large display, the Captivate is an ideal mobile device for movie-watching and web browsing. The iPhone 4 has a relatively moderately sized display (as smartphones go), but offers an impressive and industry best 960 x 640 pixels. As such, the iPhone 4 has many more pixels-per-square-inch than the Captivate, making it a significantly higher resolution device. The Captivate is equipped with an ultra-thin Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen. The AMOLED screen will provide a number of advantages, including a brighter screen, less sunlight reflection, and reduced power consumption.
- Camera: Both devices are equipped with an advanced 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and the ability to record HD-quality video up to 720P. The iPhone 4 offers on-board video editing capabilities by way of a mobile version of iMovie. The iPhone 4 also features an LED flash, while the Samsung Captivate does not have a flash. The iPhone 4 offers an impressive video chat experience (limited to WiFi) that can utilize either a front-facing VGA camera or the rear 5-megapixel camera while the Captivate is not equipped with a front-facing camera.
- Samsung All Share: Featuring DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, the Captivate will be able to wirelessly send user-generated video content to other DLNA-enabled devices, such as TV’s, monitors and laptops.
Shop Now for Phones from AT&T Wirelesss, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
| Up to 450 min. usage; 500 hr. standby |
Related posts:
- Samsung Fascinate vs. Apple iPhone 4
- Samsung Galaxy S 4G vs. Apple iPhone 4
- Samsung Focus vs. Samsung Fascinate vs. Samsung Captivate – Comparison
- T-Mobile G2 vs. Apple iPhone 4
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November 23, 2010
can you play Farmville from Facebook on the Captivate?
November 14, 2010
i’ve gotten the captvate and used the iphone, the captivate is better if you are willing to put in a few minutes to learn how to use the captivate.
November 13, 2010
I have the Captivate and i love it. I used to have the iphone and i hated it. The internet was slow and i couldnt receive pictures through text only through email. All i can say is that the captivate is the best phone i have had. It has great clarity when im on the phone and the only time i have missed a call is if my phone is on silent. Im still trying to figure out how to syn it to my laptop and other stuff but i also just got it and i figure out something new everyday.If you dont want to be dissappointed go for the captivate. And also the captivate is eco friendly…
November 11, 2010
I am seriously considering the captivate.i have had samsung phones the last 8 years with only one sony ericson crap phone in between…my question is. can you chat on facebook with the phone?
November 11, 2010
i have the captivate and yes there is actually a special “social” page on the captivate that allows you to upload your twitter, facebook, or myspace page and recieve updates without needing to download an app for it.
November 22, 2010
yeah u can chat on facebook, but not on the facebook app. u just need to download the app ncalled Nimbuzz and there u can just by multiple accounts, all in one place like yahoo, skype and facebook all together.!
November 11, 2010
i am seriously considering the captivate…can you chat on facebook on the phone?
November 8, 2010
Has anyone else ahd a problem with their captivate randomly shutting down…quite often actually! other than that i love it…just wondering if anyone has any suggestions or input?
November 8, 2010
has anyone had a problem with their captivate randomly shutting down…alot!!other than this its an awesome kickass phone and i love it!
October 29, 2010
I had to try it! Captivate…
October 24, 2010
They may look similar because of the vibrant screens and grid style app displays, but the Captivate is the true Smart Phone…iphones are for trendy wannabes and simpletons, and apple is too cult like so I was more than happy to try Android. I absolutely love my Captivate and haven’t thought twice since purchasing it a month ago. Great reception, great call clarity, GPS is well functioning (though some have issues apparently), apps are super responsive and diverse. Apple might have more apps but android is adding new ones very frequently. that’s not much a deal breaker for me. Great multi-tasking! I love how I can buy accessories that aren’t proprietary too. Much more convenient.
October 22, 2010
I have been an iPhone user for about a year now, and once i heard all the hype about the craptivate i went and bought one. I was instantly dissapointed. The captivate feels light and cheap, where the 4′s design feels solid with some weight. The texting is miles behind iPhone. My iPhone4′s internet is significantly faster than the captivate’s, and youtube is like dialup on the captivate. Constantly rebuffing, i could not get through a video to save my life without it stopping several times on the captivate, where the 4 would breeze through without a pause. Mind you theese phones were tested in the exact same spot, so no signal loss, even though the captivate could not get anywhere near the same signal strength as the 4 in the same location.
The 4′s screen quality shits all over the captivate, and iOS is so much eaiser to navigate. I didn’t buy a PC, i already have one of those, and dont need my phone to be just as complicated. Not to mention all the driver problems. My brand new $200 phone should not have problems right out of the box connecting to my PC (and it looks like im not the only one with that problem) sure i can just go download new ones online, but thats not the point.
Then theres the fact that i cant teather without first successfully linking the captivate to my PC at least once, but the iPhones MYWI app will have your phone turned into a wirless hotspot in minutes. WITHOUT having to connect it to your pc first, oh and the fact that you can jailbreak it as well without PC interface.
October 29, 2010
look dude, i have an iphone4, but even i know you’re full of crap, and a Jobs worshiper. It comes down to what you want: captivate software is better, iphone hardware is better. Multitasking sucks on the iphone4. The only reason i got the iphone4 over the captivate was the camera flash.
January 11, 2011
you work for Apple don’t you.
October 19, 2010
is anyone going to mention on the fact that iphone doesnt play flash and probably wont ever i mean if you are going to pay a data plan so that you can surf the web, i think that you should be able to do just that
October 16, 2010
I have been debating between, the Captivate, IPhone and the Torch. I think the phone I will be getting is the Captivate. My sister has the IPhone and she loves it, but I want to try something different.
October 19, 2010
I was in the same debate with the three phones, I’ve read every review on each of them, I think. I know Ive seen every review of each of them on YouTube as well. But can’t actually do the purchase/upgrade. I have an iPhone 3GS currently and had the original iPhone before that and before that the BB Bold. I love my iPhone, dont love, love it, but once I got used to my BB Bold, I loved it to. Just could not access my bank info over the phone b/c I couldnt press “number” keys to get to the recordings I needed. So that how I got to my original iPhone.
Does it lag like the reviews say? Does the pressing of the buttons/icons lag? I’m a school secretary and by no means “in the business of business” so I dont need all that, and I dont FB, Twitter or MySpace, but I text msg like crazy and talk on the phone like crazy, hahaha. I do like taking pictures but dont expect my “phone” to be a camera, per se. Maybe when I have grandkids that will change! Hopefully that won’t be anytime soon!!!
So any suggestions? I’m leaning toward the Captivate, but the BB Torch would be so much fun on CRACKBERRY.COM and I’ve never even looked at the “android market”….hmmmmm
I appreciate any TRUE info you’d care to share, if any! I hope your day is a good one and thanks in advance.
October 29, 2010
i bought the iphone4, but i’m gonna return it for the captivate i think. I dont want to be a follower, i want something different.
October 11, 2010
I picked up the Captivate on Friday October 8th. I think the video comparison above was spot on. My wife has the iPhone, but I can’t bring myself to buy any apple products so I went with the Captivate. My battery last longer; pictures, video and sound on both are high quality; easy to use; lots of apps; but the larger screen was the deal maker for me over other smartphone options. I’ve only had it for four days, but I’m very pleased.
October 2, 2010
I know it was a metaphorical comparison, but for the record, standard helicopters have very breakable plastic windows. Only the civil designation of “utility” helicopters (categorized as such by the FAA) have (strong) glass windshields. So I guess what you meant to say was, “stronger than the windshield of a utility category helicopter.” I’m just saying.
September 28, 2010
definately the captivate even though no third party site downloads
(((
September 16, 2010
Does anyone knows the difference between both phones as far as sound goes? I mean I actually would like to know does either of these 2 phones have loud ringers or does both of them rings loud?
September 13, 2010
After much research on the iPhone 3 & 4, Blackberry Torch & Captivate..I noticed the reviews were much better on the Capitvate from the AT&T user reviews and Cnet.com. To help you understand, I had a really old Blackberry Pearl when I upgraded. So I had a smartphone but not the new smartphone with much better apps. I was used to going a day and a half on a battery, because I text and talk way too much for work and personal. What I am noticing on the captivate are…Pros: expandable memory, love the speed of the internet browser, the screen is amazing, the camera quality is so much better than my regular digital camera. Even though there is no flash-there are settings that help to take a good picture. Just think when there is a flash on the camera phone most of the pics look flashed burned (at least they did on my ancient phone). Cons: THE BATTERY & I am also getting a forced closed message on when I click on a few of my contacts that were synced from google. My understanding is I have to delete them and re-add them to fix this issue (why??). So my question to those that say your battery lasted 2 days on the captivate, is how? Do you not use any apps? Do you not text or call alot? If you do-then help me understand what I am doing wrong. I allow the battery to completely die before charging it, I installed the advanced task killer and I turn off the wifi & gps when I am not using it & my battery still lasts only 10 hours or less, which is a huge change coming from a day and a half on the other phone.
I am thinking of taking it back for an iPhone 4 but I hear the battery is also just as bad. Any help/advice/opinions?
September 29, 2010
iPhone4 battery was terrible! I had the blackberry pearl and loved it, but wanted to see what the iphone was all about. Hated it… switched to blackberry torch, which I think might be worse than iphone and looking to get Samsung Captivate!
October 11, 2010
I’ve had the Captivate for 2 days now and just connected it for a recharge. I went through yesterday and heavy use today downloading apps and getting used to the phone. I switched from the Iphone 3GS whick had a horrible battery. I think the 3GS may have a bad battery but it’s only a year old. My initial impression is that the battery is very good in the Captivate and it won’t be long before a larger battery and back plate come out for it. That’s a great thing about removable batteries, they’re cheap and easy to change.
My initial impression of the Captivate was wow, I had to jailbreak the Iphone to get some of the features this phone has. I really like the phone and it doesn’t drop calls from my house. I live in a remote area with poor reception and the 3GS drops calls often. So far no dropped calls on the Captivate. I do notice a small signal decrease if I hold my hand along right side of the phone. Rambling, guess I’ll write a review after a week or so.
Maybe you just got a bad battery, I’d take it back and get a replacement battery, it should last most of the day and longer with the management that you’re doing.
October 20, 2010
To LB:
I have had the Captivate since July and I absolutely love it. Here’s the catch with ANY SMART phone batter: don’t have all applications running all the time. Many of the apps run in the background and people don’t even know it. I downloaded an app called “Task Manager” and it allows me to kill apps that I am not using….when you go to kill the apps, you will be astounded at all the stuff you touched that’s still running and it thought there weren’t. My phone has lasted more than two days because of this app.
Also, since it’s a SMART phone I also downloaded an app called “Lookout” which (believe it or not) is like a SMART phone anti-virus protection software service. I believe they have a free version but I upgraded to the $4.99 version (one time fee).
The only con I found is I cannot access ALL of my college’s website and I could most of the time on the 3GS when I had one…that’s really the only con for me. Other than that….
I LOVE THIS PHONE!
September 10, 2010
I have a blackberry torch should I return amf get the captivate?
September 9, 2010
I’ve had the samsung captivate for almost two weeks now and so far I’m not to impressed with some of the features. For example my gps does not work at all. Which eliminates using any location based apps. Also I can’t get the email on the phone to actually work right. It won’t update. Anyone have any tips before I resort to returning this? I know the update is supposed to fix gps, but any idea on when this may be available? Thank you.
September 8, 2010
Writing this from my new captivate…love it!!! Best phone i have ever owned and in my opinion the iphone killer…love my 48 gig phone!!! Yes it comes with 16 and my 32 micro sd bumps it up!!! LOVE this phone and will never look back.
September 8, 2010
after years of jailbroken iphone happiness, i finally had enough…two iphones in six months breaking(not because of jb btw, my wife’s iphone is stock and did the exact same thing)…tried out the moto backflip bc the android platform intrigued me…needless to say the backflip wasn’t the best of phones…after less than a week moved on to the bb torch(talk about buggy…lost count of battery pulls)…now going tomorrow to move on to the captivate:) i am over crackberries and iphones and am looking forward to moving on…hope the captivate can do it!!!
October 21, 2010
Are you still happy that you have the samsung captivate, my concerns are how good is the signal of not dropping calls and are there plenty of app’s for service?
Thanks,
Bradley
September 1, 2010
Having been a Blackberry user for many years, I decided to take the obvious next step to the Torch. It was a step in the right direction but fell short of being completely satisfying. There is a lot of lag when opening emails, the browser, even when answering the phone. Disappointed, I am ready to return it. Having purchased the iphone 4 for my wife (she won’t use anything but iphones), I am not thoroughly impressed with it either. Apple is boasting about facetime, which you can only do using WiFi. A flash, my blackberry five years ago had one. The high number of pixels are a waste on such a small display (if you need a magnifying glass to truly see the difference, it’s not worth it). Multitasking: quite late in the game with that one too. And above all a locked up boring OS. The obvious alternative are the android devices. The top device in that arena with at&t is the Captivate. I would buy it in a heartbeat except for the fact that some idiot thought a flash in this device was not needed. After years of making fun of iphone users for not having a flash, I cannot make myself buy a Captivate. What else is out there?? Nothing. So I think I am going to return the torch and go back to using my Bold for the time being. Maybe in a few months there will be another Android device with everything.. a flash, high res screen, Android 3.0, etc. and I won’t be able to resist it. Also, something that I don’t see on any blogs is the fact that at&t is going to roll out 4G soon. I have heard from friends at at&t that it could happen December/January timeframe, but only available at that time in major metros. Being in Atlanta, I am sure we would be one of the first cities to have it. I am also sure they would like to get it out before Christmas. No doubt, android devices are most likely to be the first ones out with 4G. Apple probably wouldn’t come out with a new device till next summer. Well.. I guess I’ll be getting an Android 3.0 4G phone with a flash and all the bells and whistles in December. It is decided!
November 8, 2010
I upgraded to a blackberry torch and returned it within 30 days. I did go for the captivate
and this phone is amazing. I love it and it offers everything the Iphone does. I agree, I am dissapointed that with everything Samsung put into this great phone they left out a flash for the camera. I really would love to know why? This phone would of blown away the Iphone had someone at Samsung thought it was important and it definatly was. Captivate Takes great photo’s but needs a flash for indoor pictures in low light settings. Maybe they will come up with something that does not require another phone purchase!
August 31, 2010
The iPhone 4 does NOT have premium glass! it will shatter the second it touches the ground. Suppose to be stronger than a windshield of a helicopter, i droped mine from about 2 feet and it shatter into a thousand pieces! they clearly did NO testing on this phone. Not to mention all the problems with the signal. Apple has irritated me beyond imagination. I will never buy another iPhone
August 30, 2010
how come no one hanst complained about thhe captivate’s suck youtube video quality? zthe picture on the captivate screen has weird green tint to it and the youtube video are the worst compared to the i phone.
September 6, 2010
Learn to spell before you post a complaint about a device. With spelling and grammar such as yours, no one will take your input seriously.
October 19, 2010
you have to change the quality of the video to high that will change the quality of the video itself
August 27, 2010
I was all for getting the Iphone 4! I got to the store and came home with the Captivate. I’m VERY happy with it. The SWYPE keyboard is awesome! Only con is the no flash on the camera. My battery has been great. I usually charge it every 2 days.
August 26, 2010
I posted a while back about my experience with the captivate, I was torn on what to do-take the captivate back in exchange for the iphone, or stay with the captivate. I returned the captivate after a long and drawn out mind battle(and believe me its a tuffy). Heres my take after having owned a captivate for nearly a month and though not an apple fan have been an iphone user for many years now:
Absolutely nothing compares to iphone OS as far as usability, interface, and of course the most important for me-speed. No lag whatsoever once the home button has been pressed. Now, I will say besides a slight increase in speed and a better camera(with flash), not much different from 3gs, so still trying to figure whether to take back the 4 and stick with 3gs opening doors in case something equally as good does happen to come out. Oh it truly does have pixels so tightly packed the naked eye cannot see them, bonus I guess but most videos stream in widescreen so, very hard to see. The captivate had amazing colors, truly amazing actually, was slim as well but wide and tall, and though yes you could carry extra batteries I must say the battery life on the captivate was incredible-2 days no problem, heavy use-at least a full day. The iphone however horrible battery life even with all the complaints, come on apple, make it a little thicker and increase the battery life!
So, in conclusion I think its a push, what are you looking for:custom options great colors and long battery life? captivate. Although expect it at the cost of a choppy OS and lag(oh and the captivate email sucks too-cant access folders) and not the easiest OS to navigate.
Or, extremely fast OS, easy use features, great email, and a much more usable camera(with flash, oh and video calling-not sure when that will come in handy but cool), at the cost of short battery life.
As far as quality of the two out of the factory-Iphone very sturdy feeling, weighs a little more but worth the feel, metal buttons and switches, nice well built feel. Captivate-cheesy feeling(highly recommend insurance as I suspect even a short fall will prove fatal)cheap buttons and horrible layout
Guess its all in what youre looking for in a phone(or a portable computer really) or ultimately who you are a fan of and what you are used to.
August 24, 2010
Im choosing the Captivate getting it on wirefly in one week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 23, 2010
Samsung should be decapitated for making a phone with out LED flash. It’s 2010 for christ sake…
August 30, 2010
its not samsung, its at&t dipshit, the verizon version has flash which is called samsung fascinate…every carrier makes there own version of the phone…the original phone is call samsung galaxy s…
August 23, 2010
I have been a 3G user since launch. I was due for an upgrade and walked into the ATT store with full intentions on ordering the iPhone4. I did , however, spend the last week researching the ATT droid phones just to be informed. I had a secret desire to kick Apple in the face and move on. The only problem is I just havent’ seen anyone stack up to their device.
After playing with the Samsung Captivate and the iPhone4 in the store for about an hour I finally took the plunge. I decided the only way to tell if I truly could like the android phone more was to buy it and try it.
Besides the obvious missing features, (camera flash (WTF), front facing camera) I can’t find any reason why the captivate wouldn’t be preferred. It is truly a decision of pure personal preference. Performance-wise there really is no difference, although, there might be a difference when android 2.2 comes to the captivate at the end of September. This update boasts up to 30% performance increase on android devices. That’s a nice change from Apples updates which tend to bog your device down with each release.
I’m one day into using my Captivate and it amazes me at least once every hour. I wish the marketplace was as robust with apps as the iTunes Appstore but I think that will come with time. The Android is simply amazing and customizable. It has truly satisfied the boredom I had with the iPhone OS. iPhone4 has a few new bells and whistles but it is really just more of the same locked down platform.
My two cents…..
August 23, 2010
I really want to like the Captivate/Android, but I tried the Captivate in AT&T store for 10 min, and it reset twice on me. I’m new to smart phones, so was I hitting the equivalent of the James Bond Red Button by accident somehow, or is it just that unstable at the moment? Also, I really like the keyboard for the iPhone 4 (with the key helper that pops up above your finger to help you hit the right little key under it). Is there an equivalent keyboard widget available for the Android? Swype just wasn’t doing it for me!
September 6, 2010
The resets were probably caused by the phone being in demo mode. Not sure why AT&T display models do that. It doesn’t happen on the “real” phones.
August 18, 2010
I had the iphone since the very first time came out. I upgraded from first Iphone to 3G then 3GS then 4G. I had the iphone 4G for close to a month and I returned and I replaced it the the Captivate. Except for the annoying menu bar on the bottom that sometimes you have to hit several times to register, I’m very much satisfied with it. The keyboard swipe is amazing and accurate, of course for it to work well you have to be a good speller. Most application that I used on the Iphone is available on the Captivate like copilot, SlingPlayer, Fring, facebook, Fox News. etc. Smartphones are battery and memory hogs and having the options to carry extra battery and memory is a huge plus for me. If you like to watch movies and videos and surf the WEB on the go, carrying an extra battery or two helps.
August 11, 2010
I have experienced all the iphones through 3gs, mine finally broke just weeks of the captivate coming out. With all the hype about the iphone 4 I was tempted but at the same time I wanted something different. I opted for the captivate, I was impressed, though here are the flaws as far as I can tell:The processor is for sure choppy, hopefully fixed with an upgrade yes, but who knows, hitting the home button can take seconds to actually get ‘home’. After closing all running programs is has yet to impress me with speed. The reception is not the greatest, though Im not sure on Iphone 4′s reception so hard to compare. The no flash on camera sucks, why no flash!? This is 2010! Granted how many pictures will you need to take in the dark, but when you do need it itd be nice to have, or how bout for flashlight use? Come one samsung. Pros:screen is freakin amazing, brilliant colors and watching any sort of movies is great. Customizable yes, to a certain degree, whoever is in charge of what programs we are allowed to download and not allowed to download should be shot, cant download stuff if not ‘supported’ by android, but still much more custom options compared to Iphone. Swype keyboard slower than regular keyboard, super cool idea but not realistic. The keyboard on this screen is superior, great for texting. All in all I think its a push, it boils down to whether you an apple fan or not. It boils down to whether you want a super user friendly phone or a somewhat confusing phone till you get the hang of it but at same time has more down the road capabilities. I must say however that when I held the two together side by side, the Iphone felt much more heavy duty, not like a fragile little baby such as the captivate, theres my opinion, still wondering what to do…. might still take it back and switch it out for an iphone
August 11, 2010
I have an iPhone 3G and am eligible to upgrade in September. I’m seriously considering the Captivate because to be honest I am getting bored with my iPhone 3G, and though the iPhone 4 has Facetime, LED flash, and multi-tasking (finally, jeez), the Android operating system, ability to customize, widgets, etc. seem really cool. I tested out a Backflip and Aria for a while and am impressed with Android and so I think I’m leaning toward the Captivate next month!
August 11, 2010
I was an iphone fan since day one. However I recently converted over to the captivate. I have NO complaints what so ever. It only lacks the flah for the camera. Im extremely satisfied with the captivate.
August 8, 2010
Hello, I am a new captivate user. I have had a chance to work with the new iphone 4 prior to getting this phone initially I was impressed, me not being an apple fan. this was a big deal to my friends who would hear me go on about apple. I had been holding out on replacing my aging HTC Tilt, I had used androids before but being an at&t user only watered down versions of the android were available, that was until the captivate came out.
The interface experience is very smooth and me not being an iphone owner means I am not set in my ways with smartphones that are touch only interfaces. The iphone is more intuitive initially because there are fewer options so you learn the phone faster. That said there are fewer options, so you hit the walls off possibility much faster with the iphone, this is not where I want to be when the honeymoon is over with my phone. The display is crisper on the iphone, but when you use the captivate and experience the super AMOLED screen it will blow your mind to the point that when the color black touches the edge of the border of the screen you can’t tell where the screen border is.Amazing.
Diehard iphone users will be happy with the iphone 4 and I can understand that, but as far as being more complicated, no I don’t think so, a couple of extra clicks here and there to get so much more capability. You shouldn’t have to break your warranty just to customize your phone.
I really like having a choice being an AT&T user, finally.
The cameras in both are good the flash an forward facing camera will definitely be nice when used with wifi. However, bluetooth 3 on the captivate, and hdna, who knows what you’ll be able to do with it in the future. Maybe use a bluetooth camera for the two way video conferencing in the future. Very exciting possibilities.
Try both phones for yourself give both a chance really see for yourself.
Good hunting
August 7, 2010
After being a diehard Blackberry user for over 3 years, I decided I wanted something a little more “stylish”. I looked at the iphone4 but wasn’t impressed as it seemed heavy and clunky. I wasn’t wowed by it at all so was a little disappointed. Then I found the Samsung Captivate. It did wow me so I got it. Have had it a week now and it’s amazing. No complaints. Better reception than my blackberry which I thought was impossible. Has synced with my work email, personal email, and outlook calendar with no problems.
October 22, 2010
how did you sync the outlook calendar?
August 6, 2010
The battery specs you list are totally erroneous. The following is from the manufacturers:
iphone 4 battery info from http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
Up to 7 hours on 3G
Up to 14 hours on 2G
# Standby time: Up to 300 hours
#
Internet use:
Up to 6 hours on 3G
Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
# Video playback: Up to 10 hours
# Audio playback: Up to 40 hour
Captivate battery info from http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/mobile/mobile-phones/at-t-phones/SGH-I897ZKAATT/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=spec
Talk time
Talk time
The length of time that caller can talk with their cell phone without recharging the battery
up to 5 hours 50 minutes
Standby
Standby
Status of operation of equipment that is ready for use but not in use
up to 300 hours
October 29, 2010
i have an iphone4, and you are right. i live in a 2g area b/c at&t doesnt have 3g where i’m at. And i get about less than half that.
August 5, 2010
I have owned both phones. I started off with the iPhone 4 and I am currently writing this review from the Samsung Captivate. I have owned this phone for less than 24 hours and so far it is a piece of crap. I am getting terrible service. Comparable to the iPhone 4. The display on both phone is amazing I would give the edge to the Samsung captivate. That is pretty much all the captivate had going for it. Web browser is terribly slow. YouTube videos take forever to load. I am taking this phone back and going back to my iPhone. Should I just wait for the white one?
August 7, 2010
You are an idiot, I have had both the iphone 3gs and the captivate, I have seen and used the iphone 4. The captivate is way faster, on the web, the battery life is way better as well. Infact, an iphone 4 owner and I were playing golf and he had to use my captivate on the 8 hole til the end because his iphone 4 battery died. If you are getting slow performance out of the network with a captivate, then you are just in a bad area, the captivate’s phone capabilities are infinitely better than the iphone.
August 4, 2010
You need to fix the talk time on this page. Samsung only rates it at 5hrs 50min.
August 2, 2010
I’m getting the Samsung Captivate definetley the best android from att it’s available on wirefly.com for 99.99
August 1, 2010
I bought a captivate and returned it 4 days later. This phone sucks. I could not get it to sync to a computer. It just kept saying it was intstalling drivers all night. It could not open adobe files. The email applications were terrible. Most applications were terrible. I have my iphone 4 in the mail now. Do not let anyone talk you into thinking this phone is better than the iphone. The iphone is far and away better.
August 7, 2010
YOU are like the typical apple customer, you have no idea how to use a computer or a smart phone so lets just say this, the iphone is better if you are technologically illiterate. If you have a brain the captivate rocks!
September 6, 2010
Right on Man!! I’m with you. I get me Captivate in the mail tomorrow and I’m 100% sure that I’ll be 100% happy.
August 28, 2010
all u have to do is download the driver u genius…and then download the sideload wonder machine and install all the non-androidmarket apps…its beautiful!!!
September 3, 2010
So how exactly do you do that cause Im pretty computer illiterate lol. But I love my Captivate. Just wish it had a longer battery life. Oh well thats what car chargers are for lol.
July 29, 2010
So after owning every iteration of the iPhone since the first and more than a week of owning the Captivate, here are my conclusions for those on the fence between the Galaxy S and the iPhone 4.
The SAMOLED screens have to be seen in person to appreciate the richness in color, pictures or even videos will not do it justice. Samsung apparently has dibs on the screen technology for more than 12 months before you see it on any other phone manufacturers’ devices. So basically, if you want the unreal colors offered on these phones, it’s either the Captivate on AT&T, the international unlocked Galaxy S, or a Galaxy on a different carrier.
BUT! Steve Jobs also totes the same game at Apple, the IPS retina display won’t appear on any other phone for at least a year as well, and the sharpness in detail on the iPhone 4 display is unrivaled in the mobile market as of right now. Reading text is like reading real print, inked without a pixel or dot to be found in the lettering. Surfing the internet is easy when you can read the text at any zoom level, sharp and clear as can possibly be to the human eye.
Another thing to consider is how tech-savvy you are. iOS4 is intuitively easy to to use, so easy my 6 year old nephew can navigate the menus of the iPhone and play a game by clicking on the app icon he wants. Android OS is a free and open platform, yet navigating the user interface can be complicated and lacks a unified experience (ie: many apps has some menu key function to access different functions and settings, which is up to you to tinker around with and discover). Prepare for a steeper learning curve with android, but the customization involved can payout greatly after everything is finally setup.
July 26, 2010
@Khoi I run Froyo 2.2, Build Number FRF91, on my Nexus One (ATT 3G version) and the overall speed is noticeably different, no exaggeration when they say 450 times faster (at the very least), also 2.2 comes with USB Tethering and Wifi Hotspot (up to 6 computers) which works like a dream, just as fast as my Comcast connection.
@Adrian Once you go Android, you never go back!…just do it.
@buba Swype keyboard isn’t that great, Graffiti and TouchPal are much better keyboard options.
August 15, 2010
Hey I noticed you use the NEXUS ONE att version ..where can I buy a replacement for mine at a reasonable price. It’s a lot harder to purchase this phone ever since Google closed shop on it…thanks so much
July 25, 2010
Android is a great OS…but I love the simplicity of the iPhone OS. I respond to “help” emails from user’s of our company’s Android and iPhone apps; for Android users, the number one question is “How do I…?” Some users don’t even realize they can utilize the Menu key to gain additional options in various apps. Although clever, the Android OS is not very intuitive. Bottom line…some prefer iPhone, others Android. Choice is good.
Baaa…
July 24, 2010
OK well i have the iphone 4 and i feel like i want to return it and get my money back to get the captivate. what do you think i should do should i get the captivate cause it looks like a really good phone or should i keep my iphone 4?
July 31, 2010
I have an iphone 3gs I love it but after seeing what iphone4 has, I felt a bit short, I want more customization and less restraints. I finally bought the samsung captivate and I’m absolutely loving it. With the voice to speech it really makes things a lot easier. The lager screen is also a plus. The best part is my mobile me account worked out of the box, so no hassle on syncing my contact list, if your using google or yahoo the contacts can also be exported. As far as song, photo and movie syncing- I found this great software http://www.doubletwist.com/dt/Home/Index.dt which mirrors your playlist from itunes (no wasted hard drive space and converting) obviously AAC protected filed won’t play but its all in there and its free for both for MAC/Windows OS and also downloadable on android market place, your song ratings also updates back to itunes. I really thought hard about it, I want to make sure I’ve got my ground covered and android is really an amazing os that will only get better, cant wait for 2.2
August 7, 2010
I took the Pepsi challenge. Strayed away from Blackberry Bold to see what the hype was with these touch screen smartphones. Initially i bought the Iphone4 but I was unhappy with reception among other functions. Specifically, I could not get the phone to sinc with my bluetooth handsfree device. All that was left was that I was happy with media management but we are talking phones!
The Samsung Captivate outweighs the Iphone4 in several different capacities. Stack them up on both their webpagesand see for yourself! Apple fans are closed minded and cannot admit defeat. My captivate has 16 GB on board with up to 32GB additional capacity for the same amount of money. Its a no brainer!
September 2, 2010
Like everyone says, it depends on what you like. I only got the Captivate b/c I lost my phone. I was going to return the Captivate and get the iPhone4 since my phone was found and mailed back to me.BUT needless to say, I LOVE THIS PHONE. I find out something new about it everyday. I’ve only had it for a little over a week though. You can customize some of the apps to fit YOU, like Handcent. The screen is the best one i’ve seen thus far and once I got used to it, it was very easy to use and im technologically challenged. It may not have as many Apps as Iphone but who needs them anyway. It does have some of the same major apps like Pandora, Shazam,etc. All in all, I really like this phone.
July 20, 2010
The iPhone 4 also has 512MB of RAM, for the record. (It isn’t mentioned in the description, and it is left blank on the table.)
July 18, 2010
Surprised to see nothing mentioned about the much hyped feature of Samsung SWYPE keyboard !
July 18, 2010
When I run a task manager on my Captivate to monitor RAM usage, the maximum amount of free memory I can ever achieve from killing all apps are 165MB average. I’m assuming the rest of the 512MB ram is being harnessed by Android OS 2.1 itself. Here’s hoping the 2.2 update will make more efficient use of the ram, because despite the Hummingbird processor packed into this lightweight phone, you can feel the inescapable lag that every Android phone on 2.1 or prior has in terms of the fluidity in interface. Side by side comparison with my iPhone 4, the Captivate has superior color saturation and contrast. It is true however that pixelation is much more apparent on the Galaxy SAMOLED, so the iPhone 4 wins in the sharpness and crispness department when it comes down to clarity. Basically; photos and movies are nicer on the Captivate, while reading text or browsing the web is better on the iPhone 4.
July 11, 2010
Inquiring minds want to know when Wirefly will be selling the Captivate and if they can do better on the $199.99 price.
July 9, 2010
When will the Samsung Captivate be available through Wirefly ?