Samsung Galaxy Portal I5700 Review
Phone rating: 
In a nutshell: The Samsung Galaxy Portal is an Android phone,
but it uses last year's technology. It's a good enough phone, and not
too expensive, but being average isn't good enough these days when there
are some truly amazing alternatives available.
Review: April 2010.
Samsung have come late to the Android party, and it looks like they brought
a cheap bottle of wine from Tesco with them, hoping nobody would notice the
difference.
The Galaxy Portal looks like a slightly overweight version of the Samsung
Jet, and it shares the same superfast 800MHz processor. We'd say that it's
oversized and overweight compared to rival phones, especially since the screen
size is quite average, at 3.2 inches diagonally. We also question the need for
quite so many buttons on the front, although they work well enough and the D-pad
gives plenty of control when moving around. The phone is plastic but feels solid
enough.
Although the screen is of average size and with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels,
which is nothing special compared to rival smartphones, it's a capacitive touchscreen
with a good response. The phone is easy enough to use, but nothing special.
Although this is an Android phone, it's running Android 1.5, which is frankly
a dinosaur, and Samsung haven't made the effort to wrap it in any kind of user-friendly
UI, like HTC have done with HTC Sense in the HTC Desire
for instance, or Sony Ericsson with their Timescape and Mediascape technology
in the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.
Nevertheless, you do get access to plenty of apps from the Android Market, as
well as easy access to email, youtube, and other internet-based applications.
The web browser is particularly good. You can of course customise the user interface
by downloading all the applications you want and fiddling with your home pages
(of which there are three). And, if Samsung make Android 2.1 available for the
Galaxy portal, even more options will become possible.
The technology inside is nothing special, with a mediocre 3 megapixel camera,
although perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Galaxy Portal is its huge
battery, which will power the phone for days without the need for charging.
The big feature (gimmick?) that Samsung are pushing is its visual search engine
which will show you "loads of exciting places, from new bars and clubs
to cash machines and taxis" - yawn. That's a standard feature on all Android
phones, if you really want it.
The Galaxy Portal is pretty well connected, with 3G and Wi-Fi for fast data
access, although it isn't the fastest flavour of 3G, being limited to 3.6Mbps
download. The memory is 200MB, which falls below what's on offer from other
Android phones such as the HTC Desire or HTC
Legend. You can of course add a microSD memory card for extra data storage.
To be fair, the Galaxy Portal isn't a bad phone. It's got a fast processor,
a big battery, and a decent array of tech stuff. It just feels like last year's
product, not something released in 2010. If you want Android, there are far
better choices available - from the HTC Desire
to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 or
even the Googlephone itself, the Google Nexus
One. The new Samsung Galaxy S looks set
to be the super Android phone that the Galaxy portal never was.
Features of the Samsung Galaxy Portal include:
- Android operating system
- 3 megapixel camera with autofocus
- Video camera (352 x 288 resolution)
- Display: capacitative touchscreen TFT, 320 x 480 pixels, (3.2 inches)
- GPS receiver
- Music Player (MP3/AMR/AAC/AAC+/e-AAC+ formats)
- Polyphonic ringtones / MP3 ringtones
- Messaging: SMS, MMS, Google Talk, email
- Memory: 200 MB plus microSD memory card
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack
- Internet: Chrome-Lite web browser, WAP 2.0, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA 3.6Mbps
- Quadband (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus 3G (UMTS 1900 / 2100)
- Offline mode
- Size: 115 x 57 x 13.2 mm
- Weight: 124g
- Talktime: 410 - 710 minutes
- Battery standby: 580 - 650 hours
Samsung Galaxy Portal User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 33 reviews: 
Reviewed by Megan from England on 4th Mar 2012
I've had this phone for 2 years now on my contract. It served me well
for the first year but then everything started shutting its self down
and force closing. The thing now has a mind of its own. It restarts
its self, puts its self on 'safe mode', deletes pictures and videos,and
a whole lot more.(gladly I'm getting a HTC in 2 days) I'd say if you
are on a 2 year contract and want to get this phone, don't.
Rating: 
Reply
Reply by pinkp from Bristol on 8th
Apr 2012
HTC not no better mind!!! What one did you have in mind? Still got my
portal which I use more then my HTC!!!
Reviewed by zak macdoody from england on 2nd Jan
2012
i don't know what all the moaning is about!?. i've had this phone for
nearly two years now, i upgraded it from 1.5 to 2.1. it never crashes
and it never did, much faster than most phones in its price range like
the sony x8 as it has the 800mghz processor instead of the 600.it's
my phone and my internet modem and i never have any trouble with it.i
tried many touch screen phones and this seems to be most responsive.
firmware upgrade to 2.2 would be nice
Rating:
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Reviewed by Daniel from UK on 8th Oct 2011
If I could put a minus rating on this phone I would, It is by a long
way the worse phone I have ever used. I could write all day about how
bad it is, but I will say just do not buy it!
Rating:  Reply
Reviewed by Yvonne Macdonald from United Kingdom on
22nd Aug 2011
I have had a samsung portal in March on contract and it isn;t like other
samsungs - its not user friendly and I had a lot of trouble copying
my sim card contacts onto this phone I wish I hadn;t had it to be honest
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Steven from England on 22nd Aug 2011
The absolute WORST phone I have ever owned! Sluggish, simple procedures
like reading a text takes tens of seconds to open, sometimes up to a
minute. Crashes frequently and will die even when the battery is charged!
Awful awful awful!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by richard from england on 5th Jul 2011
does this phone even have an alarm because i dont think it is a good
alarm
Rating:
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Reviewed by CaribbeanQT from Canada on 30th Jun
2011
Worst phone I have ever had!! I would never advise anyone to buy this
phone. Texting on it is crappy, and it goes off every 30 seconds in
the middle of a call. The goes off overnight (even when your battery
is 57% charged). I have only had it for 2 days now and I am frustrated.
I could just smash it against the wall. Save yourself the headache,
and buy something better.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Galaxy Chortle from UK on 5th Jun
2011
Had this phone for about 9 months and it is the bane of my life. Where
shall I start; simple functions such as the dial pad and phonebook crash
regularly, messages/phonebook/camera take literally 30 seconds to load
up (half a minute is an outrageously long time to wait just to find
your friend's name when you want to ring them or read a text), many
apps are too slow to work on a phone which is supposed to have a superior
processor in terms of speed, the touch screen is a liability and often
rings someone completely different to the name I pressed and sometimes
won't even let me unlock the phone because the slider gets confused!
If you have any sort of temper I doubt this phone will last you a week.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Oscar Mild from UK on 6th May 2011
Hate it. Had it year & awaiting delivery replacement. I hope its an
improvement. This has been one of the worst phones I have ever possessed.
Have really wanted to smash it on several occasions. Its sluggish beyond
belief, opening a newly received sms takes up to 1 minute. Not only
is the touch screen totally non-responsive (unless hands & screen are
squeaky clean)but the keys are too small. Then theres the ridiculous
number of buttons. (Lack of faith in touch screen?) You can't hold it
without pressing something annoying. No wonder Apple a soaring ahead
in this market.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by theron Pearman from UK on 4th Apr
2011
rubbish. try to connect it to a computer using a usb cable... doesn't
work. standard battery... rubbish using google navigation quickly drains
the battery... try typing on it... poor show samsung a real turkey
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by carlos from china on 7th Mar 2011
excuse my english if i make mistake, i not advanced yet, but this mobile
telephone has been a very wrong decision, i have other mobile smartphone
of which works much better. I work in phone shop where i live and compare
phones for a hobby, the galaxy europa is much better choice, much more
advanced with crisper display, portal phone old and uses disappointing
camera, phone is very average and does not match up to other mobile
telephones on market, samsung jet or samsung europa are recommended,
this phone one step behind technology. Overall phone is a pointless
buy, offers average, dated features that dont keep buyer happy, offers
no exciting aspect so not recomended. I give 2 1/2 stars not 3.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Ruth from UK on 10th Feb 2011
I'm really disappointed with this phone. I think I really wanted an
iphone and this isn't a good substitute. I find texting very troublesome
and now find myself accused of poor spelling. I also call people by
mistake by merely dusting my fingers on the screen and at other times
I can keep touching the screen and getting no response. The variable
sensitivity is probably my biggest complaint along with the signal drop
out. I miss calls frequently and have to position myself carefully to
keep a call active..... and no I don't live deep in the country but
it could be due to the network I'm on. I have experienced "freezing"
and have to restore the phone by switching it off. I wish I hadn't bought
this phone and I'm counting down the months for my contract to end.
Rating:
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Reviewed by independent reviews from england, north east
on 6th Feb 2011
although the reviewer of this mobile phone really put it down, this
is one of the better android phones I've used, its older technology
yes but ot works amazingly well, a friend of mine has an HTC (not naming
which one) and its junk, the version of android on his 2.1 and ita very
buggy, I haven't had a single error or crash or issue in general, its
an amazing phone for the price (I'm on 3 and get a hell of a lot of
minutes and internet) all in all its an amazing phone on a budget and
may I add I own this phone and in using it right now to write this review,
this is a good all rounder cheap. compact android phone bursting with
features and the app market makes possibilities endless.
Rating: 
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Reviewed by Pete from uk on 14th Jan 2011
No complaints with this phone at all. I've hd it 5 months now and it's
not bored me yet.
Rating:
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Reviewed by liam from isle of man on 18th Dec
2010
MY PORTAL WAS BOUGHT WITH 2.1 OS ON IT! AND PLENTY MORE HAVE IT TOO!GOOD.
PHONE WANTING 2.2 UPDATE.GO TO (CYANOGEN) SITE THEY WILL GET THE 2.2
UPDATE! SOON,THIS PHONE IS AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER 2.1 ANDROID PHONE!
Rating:
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Reviewed by russ from uk on 4th Nov 2010
got my phone in may 2010 on the three network at first it worked perfectly
and I was very impressed. But then things started going wrong firstly
it kept dropping it's signal so i couldn't make or receive calls and
i would need to turn the handset off and then on again to regain a signal.
then it went through a stage of turning itself off for no reason and
it didn't care if I was in a call or not, sent it in for repair worked
a few more weeks then started all over again just phoned three and now
I am swapping it for the HTC Wildfire hope thats better
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by dave from uk on 20th Sep 2010
nice phone,no droped calls ,everything works,good price i get mine for
£10 PER MONTH 300 text+300 mins and free internet access.The other phones
on the market are alot of money to pay for things you proberly dont
need ,and i only need to charge every few days.recomended!
Rating:
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Reviewed by bev from uk on 22nd Aug 2010
i've only had this a week and i'm still getting used to it. apart from
a couple of things i really like this phone. does anyone know how to
stop incoming texts appearing at the top of the screen? the only way
i can see round it is if you un-tick the notification setting box, but
then you dont know that you've got a text at all!! i leave my phone
on my desk at work and i dont like the way that anyone standing near
the phone can read my texts before i do:(
Rating:
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Reviewed by paddy from england on 16th Aug 2010
I bought my phone from t mobile and have had no issues whatsoever. It
doesn't have android 2.1, but their are many apps which enhance your
user experience making it very similar (if not better) than android
2.1. A good example of this is pandahome, giving you up to 11 homescreens
and giving you many home-editing options. Also l, I have found the internet
capabilties of this phone fantastic l, as it us incredibly fast. 5 stars
Rating:
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Reviewed by Rosie from UK on 16th Aug 2010
I've found that the alarm is extremely quiet on this. It didn't wake
me up! It's on full in the alarm menu, is there any way of getting it
louder?
Rating:
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Reviewed by Paul from UK on 22nd Jul 2010
Don't buy from T-Mobile! It comes with Android 1.5 and a software CD
that will screw up your PC. The software isn't Windows 7 compatible,
but it doesn't work so that's only half the problem. The manual is useless
and T-Mobile support no better, so it's really hard to make the phone
useful. Samsung have an upgrade to Amdroid 2.1 which you get if you
buy the phone from 3. For those of us who previously ad phones that
sync with a PC a guide to how to do all that stuff would be really useful.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Kim from UK on 4th Jul 2010
This phone is not difficult to use, it is not complicated. This is my
first smartphone so i'm still learning about it, but it's simple if
you have patience. i've only had this phone since yesterday and i love
it, bluetooth is works fine, internet is good, absolutely loving it!
Martyn, if you go into messaging, press the menu button (the one on
the left) then select settings, go down to where is says about notifications,
and tick the box where it says vibrate when notifiedm then it'll vibrate
when you get a text. To set music as a ringtone just go into your files,
find the song you want, press the menu button, then set as voice ringtone.
don't know how to change the message tone yet, haven't tried as i don't
mind the current tone. Going to rate is as a 4, only because theres
still lots for me to figure out on it! Hope i helped x
Rating:
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Reviewed by Greg from UK on 29th Jun 2010
This month I renewed my contract and upgraded to this phone, I received
the latest version with the 2.1 Android OS (Eclair)
already built in. This puts the Galaxy Portal right back in the pack
of top smart phones, while not the best it's a good contender at an
affordable price. I pay just £20 a month for unlimited internet, 5000
texts and 500 minutes. The phone itself takes awhile to get used to
but working it all out can be half the fun. All in all it has alot to
offer without costing the earth and so far I'm more than happy.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Luke from UK on 18th Jun 2010
I've had this phone for 3 weeks now and I couldn't be happier. Only
pay 20 pounds a month on contract - so this phone is a steal! Got an
8gb card on ebay for a tenner and also have spotify too. No - it is
not the best android phone on the market, but it never said it was.
The HTC Wildfire might be worth waiting
for if you want something cheap and cheerful - but the i5700 Portal
has a faster processor - so I'm stick with the Samsung. Just really
hope Samsung do the 2.2 Android Update for this phone. Conclusion -
yeah, the HTC Desire is better - but it
costs more.....so if you want cheap, fun and loads of gadgets, get one!
hehe
Rating:
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Reviewed by diane from south wales on 14th Jun
2010
absolute rubbish phone sold it on two weeks after getting it as an upgrade
went back to old nokia dont bother with this its difficult to use hard
to get it to bond with pc quite frankly im sorry i ever had it
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Martyn from United Kingdom on 6th
Jun 2010
Got the phone few days ago, so far I'm pretty happy with it. It is easy
to use. I can't figure out how to set up vibrate alert for when receive
text message. I have put the phone in silent but it not vibrate. I know
the vibrate is working as it vibrate when I press button while texting.
Anyone know how, please explain to me! Also does the alarm work if you
turn the phone off? Mine seems don't. I normally use mobile phone as
alarm to get me up for work! Rather not to leave the phone on during
night in case someone might text me (but at the moment no vibrate when
someone text me!) Otherwise the phone is great, only £17 per month for
unlimited text, unlimited internet, 100 mins call. Free MSN and Skype.
Rating:
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Reviewed by aaron from uk on 29th May 2010
i like the phone but i dont know how to set a mp3 file as a message
ringtone only as a voice call ringing ton
Rating:
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Reviewed by SamSingh from UK on 24th May 2010
I got this phone last week, yes its good phone. A bit annoyed that you
get set your own tunes as message tones also coul not use BBC iplayer
as it requires android 2.2 software apart from that the phone is ok
compared to the rubbish nokia 6500 slide I got stuck with.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Barry from London on 12th May 2010
Hi Mandy if you down load mabilo app you can download music then you
can set as ring tone you do have to set up a google mail account on
the phone hope this helps.
Rating:
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Reviewed by jo from uk on 10th May 2010
iv had my portal for a few days and love the applications on it and
the grate touch screen, the down sides iv found apart from not haveing
a flash is that the bluetooth is rubbish!!! i carnt send or recive files
and carnt set an mp3 song as a ringtone, saying that, the apps age good
and there are many to choose from, but the few things it lacks are a
real let down
Rating:
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Reviewed by Ciaran from UK on 3rd May 2010
I love this phone!!! I just got it the other day and I don't understand
why people think it's so mediocre. But I guess I think it's the height
of modern technology because I've never had an Android Phone before...
But I do know that you can update the system to Android 2.1 and I'm
going to do it as soon as I can. I also think the phone looks very nice
and I don't really mind the buttons at the bottom and I laughed when
my friend tried to navigate it using just the D-Pad and the OK button
and the look of shock on their face when I took it from them and began
doing a text on the virtual QWERTY Key Pad. I think this phone is amazing
and I recommend to anyone who wants an affordable smart-phone which
has good online features and a variety of different things to do (and
don't worry, you can make phone calls and text :P) Good Job SAMSUNG!!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Cryptic from UK on 2nd May 2010
Just don't buy this phone. I am now stuck in a 2 year contract with
this phone and it does not do what I wanted. Bluetooth is a big feature
on how I use my phone but you cannot use file exchange with this phone
as it is not supported until android 2.0. This apparently is on its
way but you can get some phones that already have it. Had I known this
I would have gone for a more up to date phone. Also need at least 1.6
to get the google sat nav and this phone is only 1.5. Very disappointing
and when I emailed Samsung about why they advertise that it is bluetooth
when you can't actually use it they fobbed me off and did not really
answer me.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mandy from England on 1st May 2010
I've just got this phone today and am finding it a little confusing
to work out - but getting there! I wondered if anyone could help with
a query though - is there any way to set a voice recording, or ringtone,
as the text message alert? The Samsung Tocco allows this, but I can't
find a way to do it on the Galaxy Portal - can anyone help?
Rating:
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