Samsung Galaxy Ace - the 'Sleeper Hit'

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Given that it was released at a similar time and with similar features to the iPhone 4, expectations weren’t high for the Samsung Galaxy Ace but it had a very dramatic impact on high street and online mobile phone sales, being described as a “sleeper hit” – quite a feat when compared with the powerhouse that is Apple marketing.

Although both manufacturers have since announced successors to both machines, there are still those who adore their machine and have no intention of giving it up.

Samsung Galaxy Ace (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So how does the quiet and reserved Samsung Galaxy Ace compare with the iPhone?

The Camera

For many people, the appeal of any smartphone is its duel ability to make calls, access the internet and take pictures and photographs. Therefore, any phone which is going to not only crack but dominate the market would have to have a powerhouse of a camera phone and the Galaxy did not disappoint with a 5 mega pixel camera for high resolution images.

The Wi-Fi
 

Whether you’re on business or pleasure when using your phone, Wi-Fi is the be all and end all for many people and whether they realise they’re accessing it or not, many people couldn’t live without Wi-Fi. Therefore when releasing the Galaxy (which sounds a lot more sci-fi than intended) they made sure it was compatible and could support Wi-Fi to a high standard.

Touch Screen
 

Thanks to Apple and their followers, buttons are so last century and the Galaxy is no exception with a full touch screen facility as well as a variety of multi-touch features.

Shape and Size Matters
 

The Samsung Galaxy Ace is intended to be slick and stylish to match its peers as well as the rest of the Samsung Galaxy family. It is one of the thinnest smartphones at only 12mm thick and the screen is an impressive 3.5 inch screen that dominates the front of the phone.

Processing and Connectivity 
 

The various abilities of the Samsung Galaxy Ace, including 800MHz processor, HSDPA 3.5g web browser and speeds of up to 7.2MBPS mean that internet connectivity is a snap wherever and whenever you happen to be looking.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace works on an Android 2.2 Operating System which some might have heard being called “Froyo” what this does is to ensure that Google services are available with more downloadable content and more space to put this content on, as opposed to some Blackberrys which can open but not support the size of certain pages, which can be extremely frustrating.

The Future
 

As many people are aware, Apple have since gone on to produce the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S with an announcement on the iPhone 5 being hailed as imminent.

In the same space of time, Samsung has also released its own follow ups to the Galaxy Ace and these have been similarly well received. The company’s next release will be the Samsung Galaxy S3 and, although no formal plans have been announced, it is expected that this will be released to coincide with the iPhone 5 once again.

This post was written by Terry Brightman - a total gadget geek and proud owner of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone.

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• Samsung Galaxy Ace, Three PAYG, £100 +£10/15 top-up @ Three Mobile
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• Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus hands-on (video)

Things to Consider Before Getting Your Teen a Cellphone

The pace at which technology has been changing seems to have sped up tremendously over the last few years and with this change, so have the prices as well. When cellular telephones made their debut, they where rather bulky  and pricey. There were no prepaid options available and you would be tied down to a contract for a minimum period. The charges associated with these contracts were expensive and coverage was sketchy at best. Those who owned cellular telephones in those days can attest to the weak signal, dropped calls and high bills. Bringing me to a very vital point when  considering buying a cellular telephone for your teenager:The bill.

Monthly Bill

If your teenager has been nagging you to purchase a cell phone for them, then I would advise that you inform them before hand of the implications of overspending. They came to you for the phone, so it would only be prudent that they pay for a portion of the bill from their monthly/weekly allowance. This will not only discourage them from racking up enormous bills, but will also help them to learn some financial management skills. Another good option would be to offer them a prepaid telephone. The call rates on this option are a bit higher, but they will think twice before making a call.

Driving

For many parents, having their child give them a call once they have arrived safely at a particular destination  - or if they are in trouble - would be reason enough to buy them a cell phone. The prudent thing to do, however, is to ensure that if they will be driving, that they make use of either a hands free kit or an ear piece. There is a huge drive the world over to impose heavy fines for anyone caught either talking or SMS’ing while driving. Many accidents have been caused by teenagers who have  either been talking or SMS’ing while behind the wheel of their cars. They get wrapped up in their conversations and lose focus on the road ahead.

Ensuring discipline

With the constant change in technology, the cell phone of old has changed and is now able to not only make calls, but also take photographs and videos and a few can facilitate live video chats. Many would use these functions for harmless fun, but there have been a few recorded instances where predators have made contact with teenagers via social sites and exploited the teenagers via these functions. Educate your teens on the positives of these functionality, as well as the very dangerous negatives.

A cell phone for many teens is seen as a stepping stone in your trust relationship on their journey into adulthood and as the parent, you have to walk the tightrope with ensuring that the methods that you employ to keep your child safe and your bill low are openly discussed.

Nathan Johnston has children of its own and enjoys writing about how he raises them especially when a blackberry curve 8520 black and samsung s5570 galaxy mini are among the goods they demand.