Samsung I7500 Android Smartphone

After months of rumours, it seems Samsung’s first Android phone, the I7500, is finally on its way – and there’s a fair bit to get excited about. With a June launch date pencilled in for Europe, this sleek touchscreen smartphone is set to bring a breath of fresh air to the Android market, which, up to now, has mostly been dominated by HTC. Don’t get me wrong, I love the HTCs, but it’s always nice to see a new contender step up.

Officially unveiled by Samsung Electronics, the I7500 is their very first Android-powered mobile, making Samsung the first of the global top three phone makers to jump on the Android bandwagon. Samsung is a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance and, according to their execs, they’ve been gearing up to launch a seriously innovative Android phone for a while now. As they put it, Samsung’s approach is all about giving customers more choice – and, if first impressions count for anything, this looks like a strong option.

Spec-wise, the I7500 ticks all the right boxes. You get a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 320×480 pixel resolution, WiFi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera (complete with autofocus and Power LED), and quad-band GSM with tri-band 7.2Mbps HSDPA for speedy web browsing. At just 11.9mm thick, it’s impressively slim for a phone that still manages to squeeze in 8GB of internal storage – and if that’s not enough, there’s MicroSD expansion for up to 32GB more, giving you a whopping 40GB max. You also get a 3.5mm headset jack (finally), plus all the usual connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, MicroUSB, and, of course, support for loads of audio and video formats (MP3, AAC, WMA, MPEG4, WMV, and more).

One of the headline features is full access to Google’s suite of mobile services: Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, and more – all integrated, all ready to go. The built-in GPS works seamlessly with Google Maps, including My Location, Street View, local search and even Google Latitude for keeping tabs on your mates. If you fancy trying something new, the Android Market is there for all your app needs – including things like Wikitude, which uses your location to pull up Wikipedia entries about wherever you’re standing.

It’s clear Samsung hasn’t skimped on the multimedia side, either. The AMOLED display should make videos and photos look great, while the 5MP camera means you can leave your compact at home. With a 1500mAh battery, the I7500 promises decent staying power for web browsing, apps, and media.

Samsung’s first Android effort looks like it’s aiming to take the fight to HTC and finally give users another strong alternative for getting their hands on Google’s OS. And you know what? I like it. The Samsung I7500 lands in Europe from June 2009, and for anyone after a slick, powerful Android phone, it’s well worth a look.