By The Motorola Droid X isn’t the only phone launching today that’s getting us happy. T-Mobile’s launching their Galaxy S smartphone – the Samsung Vibrant – today and will be available in stores once they open in a couple of hours. If you’re an online shopper, you can head over there now to buy the phone for $199.99 on a two-year contract (Even More Plus buyers can pay $499.99 over the span of 20 months). You can also buy the phone through us and instantly receive a special $50 Phandroid discount – bringing the price to $149.99!
All kinds of excitement is going on over at the Samsung Vibrant section at our forums – AndroidForums.com. Be sure to stop on by and drop a line if you’re planning on getting the device and want to discuss it with fellow Vibrant fans.
i can’t decide whether or not to get this phone so hoping for a an unboxing and review to help me decide this or the mytouch slide
What’s the chances of tmobile giving me my full upgrade 2 1/2 weeks early? My G1 is getting tired, I’ve been waiting for tmo to finally come out with a decent phone
green little robots will crush anybody in their paths.
Hey Quentyn, this phone comes with Swype preloaded right? I had a physical keyboard and a software with shapewriter. Wouldnt want to use another software keyboard without it. Thanks.
I got 2 of these for $164.99 upgrade on the website. Still says shipment pending.
Purchase the phone at Costco. It will be $99.99 or possibly even less, even for an upgrade.
I was trying to get my wife to get this phone but she was worried the screen would not work for her since she types with her “nails”. The Slide looked to be a better fit for her anyway.
@wakester – You get your Vibrant for discounted price $199 and then get her the slide for free under the BOGO deal. :)
Though I’m getting the Captivate from AT&T, I did go by T-Mo today to play with this phone and I was NOT disappointed! The screen is gorgeous, there was no perceptible lag when moving around the interface, and it felt great in-hand. This is definitely THE phone to get on T-Mo, as it will be on AT&T.
Great phone. Getting the fascinate.
Seriously, hurry the hell up verizon!
93Sleeper,
T-Mobile will work with you, just ask to be transferred to Customer Loyalty dept. and they’ll be very helpful.
T-Mobile has the best customer service of all carriers.
Good luck!
I hope this phone does well for both Samsung & T-Mobile. Samsung has let it’s users down recently, so maybe this will be it’s “comeback.” Doubtful, but hopeful. Two Q’s about this phone. 1. Is it HSPA+ enabled? 2. Can Touchwiz be disabled (aside from rooting)?
I decided to stick with Tmobile and just picked this up 2 hrs ago.
So far its AWESOME!!!!
No more lagging when opening apps.
Farewell G1…Thank u
Congrats RXR on your new phone.
I’ve ordered mine this morning and should arrive in a few days. I really can’t wait!!!
@ Sam I Am-
The Touchwiz 3.0 can not be disabled without rooting the phone. I do not know about HSPA+ but I seriously doubt the phone is enabled for it. Great phone as of right now it is the best performing (graphics wise)aside from the HD benchmark results it is for now the top phone to beat. (Of course this doesn’t mean too much since new phones are coming out almost on a daily basis. This is still a wonderful phone to pick up and I also do hope the support from Samsung and all carriers international and domestic update it to Froyo in the next coming months.
Well i did it, got it this morning 10am – and thank god i waited as almost got the Mytouch Slide! which wouldn’t have been a bad choice after my tired/old G1, but this is like stepping out of the dark ages!!!! I even turned this in a month early – just for all you fence sitters/keyboard ‘needers’ – swype 3.0 is a revelation. After using Android 1.6 2.1 is a godsend and the list just goes on, i’ve barely cracked the surface.
2 Gripes – Stupid name!!! and TMobile themselves – brand new phone launch and the store had just 2 employees, Zero Vibrant Signage or Advertising and so consequently there were just 3 people ahead of me…..2 paying a bill and 1 other like me getting a Vibrant (and this is NYC we’re talking about) I mean good for me as i was in/out in under 30 mins but what is TMobile thinking??? Who runs their P.R. – idiots!!!
I mean – Go back 2 weeks and Apple has a line of 600+ people at w 14th store, 20+ employees, and signage everywhere……and thats for version 4 of a phone that kinda sucks! jk but u know wot i mean.
Anyway – i have to go back to 1ghz heaven cya!!
Just to update…under display settings…There’s a TV OUT option… I haven’t tried it yet…but it seems like it will require the 3.5mm jack to A/V cables (Yellow, Red, white).
Not HDMI but better than nothing.
At first, I didn’t want this phone. Then I remembered it had a 4″ screen, a super amoled display, a pretty a lick looking back, and it came with some nice add ons and 16gb on the device. I really want to do the smart thing and wait for the HTC Vision or whatever Project Emerald is, but this phone is really powerful and my mytouch is acting up a lot, with me dropping it and all…. Let’s see if customer loyalty can’t get me this for around the $300 mark since i’ve been with them for 7 years now.
Oh, and to all of those Touchwiz 3.0 haters, remember….
ADW.Launcher!!!
@ Presto117
Even better, Launcher Pro!
@Eric Heymann. Thanks bud.
Got the Vibrant this morning. What a great device! Had tried the 3g Slide when it come out, but returned within the 14 day period. That was my first Android phone, and coming from my Blackberry, I was sold on Android, but did not want a keyboard. This Vibrant is one sweet phone. The screen is just amazing. Very fast device with no lag.
I got to T-mobile at 9:30 this morning. As daveB said, there was not a single sign advertising the Vibrant. No one even knows about it. The employee recognized me as I had come in a few days earlier asking about it. She pulled one out for me and I was able to get my hands on it. OOOHHHHHHHHH it felt like heaven. It’s sad that Tmobile is doing a poor job advertising such a beast of a phone. So far, I absolutely love it, and the touchwiz isn’t too bad. I may actually stick with it.
@93sleeper: I wasn’t eligible for upgrade for another 3 months. I called 611 and told them I wanted to upgrade to the Vibrant. She said they could do it and noted my account. Of course it helps that I’ve been with them for 7 years. But I would give them a call. Good luck
Man… This phone is slick, especially when it was playing Avatar. Serioiusly no signs in the store, just 7 brainwashed people trying to watch as much of Avatar as they could before thier lunch break was up. I was one of them :P
The 3.5mm video out option is actually better than HDMI out. With HDMI out you can only view pictures and video but the 3.5mm video out mirrors what ever is on your screen giving you the option to use and TV as a monitor. If you want HD video then use the DLNA.
Picked up one this morning at 10am, no signs or anything either and only two employees but I was the second into the store so I didn’t have to wait.
But to the phone. The screen, THE SCREEN!!! It’s so incredible. But it’s great, quick, plays Avatar flawlessly and I don’t completely mind the Touchwiz interface but I’m still going to use Home Switcher to go to a stock looking appearance. But at least it can be rooted, hell Samsung encouraged the rooting of this device, put out everything need to root it before the phones were released in the US. Much better than a phone that is meant to brick if you try to do something to it *cough Droid X cough* as reported on here.
But the screen makes everything worth it, and Samsung is keeping it to themselves for the next 18 months. I feel like I’m stepping out of the dark ages too from my MT3G V1, I thought Tmo was slow but it was just the phone, not the network.
I just got the Samsung Vibrant through T-Mobile today and it’s an amazing phone!! However….it does seems to have the same problem that the IP4 has with the antenna issue. Whenever I hold the phone covering the bottom left 1/4 – 1/3 (bottom right when looking at it straight on) with my hand the signal drops from 4 bars to 1 bar and sometimes no bars at all. As soon as I remove my hand from that area the signal bounces back to full bar reception. I tried it quite a few times and each time I had the same result. If I just use my thumb over that area and two to three fingers on the other side, while holding it how I would during a call, then I don’t have any issues but I’m assuming most people don’t hold their phones with just 3-4 fingers, most seem to palm the phones when talking and in that case this phone might give them reception issues.
Is Samsung going to be looking into this issue? I’ll bet that I will not be the only one who mentions this issue as the phone rolls out over the U.S. today.
I just got this phone….all I’ve got to say is WOW!
@Gregg..My phone does not do that with the gel-skin on or with out the gel-skin. Maybe Steve Jobs was right. It happens with all cell phones.
@Gregg I haven’t seen an issue with my phone yet and I’ve already made a few phone calls and alot of internet usage.
But it is true what Steve Jobs says but normally its hardly noticeable or negligible but pretty much impossible to avoid. Steve Jobs made the mistake of actively ignoring his engineers who told him that designing a phone where the outside bezel is the antenna is bad, hell logic could have told him that. Plus exposing the gap where the antennas for Wi-Fi, BT, phone and data is slightly bad, bridging the gap with something conductive like a human equals byebye signal.
I got this phone today. I left at&t (after 8 yrs) and the fanatical iPhonies. And I didn’t want the crutched captivate with its bloat ware.
Anyway, so far so good. The screen is amazing…the battery time seems a little disappointing but it is hard to tell because I am overusing it right now and the battery was partly charged out of the box. It looks a little much like iPhone though, which is annoying but the hardware on this phone is great. It is fast and crisp and the colors very vibrant!
Picked mine up this morning. This phone is awesome have my N1 to the side for now miss not having flash but thats just an update away. Gotta say this was a good buy.
@Ryan yes, all Galaxy S smartphones should come with Swype preinstalled (note: you may have to manually enable it in the Locale and Keyboard settings).
Swype is available & preloaded as the preference for touchscreen text input-for those who prefer stock, etc. Just long press on the desired area of text & you’ll have your choice to opt for an alternate input method, as an option to going into the settings.
As for the current lack of signage throughout the stores, keep in mind that TMO, of course, would not want to lay off the throttle too severely by not continuing to promote their flagship, myTouch line; however, store reset & some Vibrant signage will deploy this Tuesday. I’m happy to celebrate the greatness the Vibrant has to bring to TMO, but more importantly, ecstatic of the bar set for future heavy hitters to come Magentas way.
That & that TMO released the Vibrant about a week prior to their initial launch, maybe in hopes to get a jump on the other carriers with their Galaxyesque line. Probably a big deal to TMO to get it out even a week earlier & maybe did not have the signage available for the early thrust.
It’s too bad this thing looks like an iPhone, otherwise I might get it. I would rather endure my mytouch for a few more months.
I have a prepaid Tmobile phone, does anyone know if I can transfer my remaining money on the prepaid account towards a new contract? or transfer to a different TMO prepaid account?
I really want this phone now but don’t want to loose the money I have on my prepaid…
minus the lack of led flash and front facing camera, the thing that realyl has be having no faith in this product is that yesterday and even still today when you go to the tmobile homepage……..THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THIS PHONE…only the touch slide…..seriously WTF!!! forget the worries of samsung not support their software….the people carrying the device seem to give two sh*ts about this….EPIC FAIL!!!….and when my contract ends in a few months, if there is no evo type phone on tmobile…i will have to say adios and i dont want to
Conor, the phone is listed on their site. Look under all their phones. No, no Eco coming to TMO-but 2 possible HTC Androids that will be higher end than the Slide by Oct. Keep in mind that a current “hot” phone may not be the “hottest” in 4 months. It’s all relative anymore.
Evo*
Conor,
You do realize that sprint 4g is slower than t mobile 3g right? There was a study done on this already. So to heck with the evo. This phone on t-mos 3g will be and is faster.
Efrat,
You can do what is called a prepaid to post paid conversion. Just call the tmo activations department and they can take care of that for you.
Well i did it, got it this morning 10am – and thank god i waited as almost got the Mytouch Slide! which wouldn’t have been a bad choice after my tired/old G1, but this is like stepping out of the dark ages!!!! I even turned this in a month early – just for all you fence sitters/keyboard ‘needers’ – swype 3.0 is a revelation. After using Android 1.6 2.1 is a godsend and the list just goes on, i’ve barely cracked the surface.
2 Gripes – Stupid name!!! and TMobile themselves – brand new phone launch and the store had just 2 employees, Zero Vibrant Signage or Advertising and so consequently there were just 3 people ahead of me…..2 paying a bill and 1 other like me getting a Vibrant (and this is NYC we’re talking about) I mean good for me as i was in/out in under 30 mins but what is TMobile thinking??? Who runs their P.R. – idiots!!!
I mean – Go back 2 weeks and Apple has a line of 600+ people at w 14th store, 20+ employees, and signage everywhere……and thats for version 4 of a phone that kinda sucks! jk but u know wot i mean.
Anyway – i have to go back to 1ghz heaven cya!!
It does seem as though tmo is a bit behind the game as far as marketing goes.