Now then, a while back, I did a comparison between the HTC Desire and the Sony Ericsson X10 (well, and the HTC Legend, too), to see which one was the best. And I reckoned it was the Desire, ‘cos it’s a beast of a phone. However, there’s a new phone that’s come out recently, which might pose a bit more of a threat to HTC’s Android flagship phone.
It’s the Samsung Galaxy S, and although it’s not getting as much coverage as the HTC Desire, it’s entirely possible that it might even be better than that superphone. And this could be an interesting matchup, because there’s no guarantees the Desire will win. So, which is better? Well, folks, there’s only one way to find out…
F I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I G G G G G G H H H H H H H H H H H H H T ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Round 1: Design
Right, first up, looks, and this is a category Samsung phones traditionally do well in because, well, they’re Samsungs. If there’s one thing the Korean manufacturer knows how to do in its sleep, it’s “make a pretty phone”. And they’ve done the same with the Samsung Galaxy S, it really is a looker… but in all honesty, I still prefer the HTC Desire. I like the rounded corners, and the overall industrial design a little bit more than the Galaxy S, although it’s a close run thing.
Round 2: Pooowwwwwwwweeeeeeeeer
Right then, here’s a category where both phones are fairly evenly matched, since they’re both running 1GHz processors, albeit with different 1GHz processors: with the HTC Desire, you get a Snapdragon processor, while with the Galaxy S, you get Samsung’s own Hummingbird chip. And in all honesty, the Samsung Galaxy S probably has the marginally better deal in this instance, based on the fact it can push polygons a lot better than the Snapdragon (thanks to the GPU bit of the chipset).Well, on paper at least. In practice, it actually seems to be a little bit glitchy in places, and experience a bit of slowdown that you just don’t get on the HTC Desire. Here, have a look:
However, that may well be more to do with the OS. More on that in a sec. But on pure power, the Galaxy S has to be the winner, since it’s got the same clock speed on the processor, but the Galaxy S has got a bigger screen, at 4 inches. And it’s a Super AMOLED screen. Which beats everything.
Round 3: Interface and Usability
Now then, here’s the area the HTC Desire really excels at, since it uses the HTC Sense interface. The Samsung Galaxy S makes a sterling effort, with the TouchWiz UI on top of Android but no, I’m sorry, it doesn’t beat Sense. It tries, and it comes close, but no, it’s not as good. And the interface is the thing that I reckon was causing the glitching in the video above, so that’s another mark against it. So, while it’s good, it can’t beat the interface on the HTC Desire.
There is one area, though, where the Galaxy S firmly mullers the Desire, and that’s with the onscreen keyboard. Because it has the Swype keyboard, built in, right out of the box. And the Swype keyboard is the best virtual keyboard I’ve ever used, bar none. So, on the stock, out-of-the-box experience, I’m going to have to call it a draw between the two phones, in terms of interface, purely because, wile the Desire has Sense, the Galaxy S has Swype. And if you don’t know how the Swype keyboard works, then here, watch and learn (although be warned, they’re just typing gibberish, but you’ll get the idea on how it works):
Conclusion: “Gah, I can’t pick a winner, you do it…”
Yep, as useless a conclusion as that is, I’m going to have to say that, on balance, both the HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S are as good as each other. Not the greatest conclusion, since it doesn’t really help you make a buying decision, but it’s true. The Galaxy S has the bigger/better screen, and the Swype keyboard, but then, the Desire is better in every other way.
So, I can’t decide. Therefore, the winner of this fight between the HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S is either the HTC Desire or the Samsung Galaxy S.
Essentially, what I’m saying is: whichever one you go for, you won’t be disappointed.
More news as it happens! And next time Technical Markus does a review, he might actually be able to reach a useful conclusion! Be sure to subscribe now to get all the latest action from the world of mobile phones!
Read: Control apps on your TV with a Samsung Galaxy S
Read: HTC Desire outsells rivals by a furlong
Read: HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.2 latest
June 10th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Very interesting. Thanks for the video link showing the glitchy UI on the Galaxy S – yes I agree it’s poor in comparison to Sense.
One other factor to consider hower and this would be the deciding one for me – the memory. The Galaxy S has loads more user memory, up to 16gb internal plus a MicroSD slot for up to 32gb as a slow microSD card. The Desire has a slot too, but if all things were otherwise equal, the extra memory which I would be able to fill within a day or two with a carefully selected sub-set of my favourite movies, music, apps and games would win my coin every time…..
… that is if we ever see the Galaxy S
At the momemnt, it may have been launched but no-one has any in stock and and you cannot buy one anywhere so it’s nothing more than a virtual phone.
I have coin burning a hole in my pocket just now and I keep telling myself not to buy the Desire but to wait for the Galaxy S. It’s tough to resist to the lure of the phone that is actually available.
June 13th, 2010 at 12:53 am
I have a HTC Hero, still hanging on Android 1.5 (!!!). Probably HTC Desire buyer will see 2.2 next year and nomore else. My phone was (pretty) good at the time I bought it. Now, thanks to ****** customer care and idiot programmers, I won’t buy another HTC phone anymore. Go for Galaxy!!
June 14th, 2010 at 8:06 am
Hiya, if it’s any consolation for HTC customers out there (Desire in particular) HTC are planning to roll out Android 2.2 (Froyo) to customers this year. The HTC Desire is pencilled in to get the update this month. Thinking positive HTC will honour their word, although I am biased as I love HTC(sorry Luca). Having said all that, I am very excited to see if the Samsung Galaxy S lives up to its reputation.
June 15th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Desire pros:
Flash LED, Android updates, HTC Sense, price
Galaxy S pros:
Super AMOLED, DLNA, BT 3.0,powerfull GPU
YOUR CHOICE?…
June 29th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Was due an upgrade last week. Vodafone operator (I’m in UK) asked me when I would like to receive my iphone 4. I said I don’t want that rubbish, send me a Galaxy S. (I had done a tonne of research beforehand). My other phones (for work) include BB Bold 9000, HTC HD2. I have used iPhones and the Google Nexus and G1 too, and yes, I have spent ages using the Desire as well. And the Desire is one of the best phones on the market.
But take it from someone who has used a Galaxy S for a week now. THE GALAXY S IS THE BEST SMARTPHONE ON THE MARKET.
- Let me run this by you.
- Bluetooth 3 allows fastest BT transfer rates known.
- I have 64GB of ram on my Galaxy S (SD card plus internal).
- Dedicated GPU, the display is more than twice as capable in animation as the Desire (check out clip on Youtube comparing it to nexus and desire).
– DLNA. Seriously folks, this phone is a NAS box in your pocket. I have a Class-N network at home. This not only connects to WPA2/AES secured networks, but over a good (n-class) connection will stream video from a NAS box OR FROM THE PHONE to any working media client. I have tested it successfully with WD NetHD, PS3, Xbox 360 and Zyxel PMA1100. This is fantastic.
- Battery life is getting steadily better. At first I wasn’t too impressed, but now a week later, it runs almost 40 hours of normal operation without needing to see a wall plug. As the battery level gets critical it shuts down access to non-essential applications (media player etc) so you can still make calls. I made a good ten minutes of calls to my wife (rare, I know!) with the battery critical. She loved it and I was impressed.
Seriously folks, this is a no brainer right here. If you’re a sheep and want to follow the Iphone 4 head, go ahead and do it. If you are interested in actually owning a device that can fulfil most technical tasks and don’t mind digging a little deeper to find out (and if you’re reading this site, you should be), then get the Galaxy S. The Desire is good. The Galaxy S is better
July 6th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Josh – can you comment on the quality of the camera on the samsung galaxy s? ive read there is no LED flash so i’m guessing photos aren’t that great? i really want to get the samsung but the lack of a flash for the camera is really putting me off.
cheers.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:12 am
Hey Jim.
You’re right, the lack of Flash does diminish the usefulness of the camera, but aside from that the picture quality is very good in both still and video modes (it records at 720p HD). The camera settings are also largely adjustable (macro mode, iso settings, effects, smile capture etc) which leads one to think that samsung did put a lot of work into making sure this feature of the phone was highly regarded. The lack of Flash must surely be a mistake, or perhaps an attempt to ensure the battery has as good a chance of lasting a day as possible.
The more I use this phone, the more I like it. I do still have the BB Bold 9000 though that spends more time in the drawer than on my desk now. The touchscreen does smudge easily, but also cleans easily. The build quality is actually very good, just the lightness of the phone puts the user in doubt. If you’re not a fan of touchscreens, then this will be a learning curve, but like I said, I have used the industry best keyboard in the Bold 9000, and I rank the Galaxy S touchscreen with Swype enabled a very very close second.
I hope this helps you Jim.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Cool to see people comparing these two phones. But it is just a pain in the arse as I cannot make up my mind. I’m sick of my Nokia E71 and have spent enough time with my iPod touch to know I would get on fine with a touch screen.
The big draw for me is the 720p video and memory. I want to replace my ipod when I am out and about, and also be able to take video and pictures of my family on the fly without lugging a video camera around. Is the lack of flash on the Samsung a deal breaker? Are the photos indoor poor?
July 13th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Hi Afflicted.
TBH, the lack of camera flash on the Galxy does have a negative impact on indoor/low light and night shots, so it is doubly annoying that Samsung saw fit to leave this out. The camera on the phone is really very good and in combination with the video playback and sound quality of the MP3 player, my ipod touch is gathering dust. In fact I haven’t seen my Touch in weeks!
If Samsung had included a flash for the camera on this phone, it would have been nigh on perfect. The camera quality is good and everything else is also top drawer. But I still keep a proper Olympus digital camera in my bag for when the need arises.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
You finding the battery life good when using it as an iPod? This seems to be the one for me and the idea of inexpensively have a 24gb iPod replacement suits me down to the ground. A 16gb SD is only £15ish so it looks like this is the one…just the damn flash issue!!! DAMN SAMSUNG! So close. Desire….or Galaxy S. Dunno. Swines.
July 14th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Like I said, my iPod is barely used now, am even thinking of putting it on ebay. Battery life on the Galaxy S is good when used as MP3, I have an hours commute to and from work each day, use the phone moderately and pretty much only have wifi and bluetooth on at home. I easily get at least a day out of it. I must say though, the initial battery life was a little over six hours but now it has settled at around the 30 to 40 hours mark. And with regards to the sound quality of the MP3 player, it is superb, really. I use it with Koss Portapro’s on my commute and it easily sounds better than the Touch. And I would never even consider the Desire now I’ve had this for a while. Still, shame about the lack of flash on the camera.
July 14th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Thanks Josh! I have just ordered one!
July 15th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Nice.
Samsung should pay me commission!
July 15th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
I’m a HTC Desire user. I understand how great is Galaxy, even that is better than HTC, I also saw the comparison HTC Desire vs Samsung Galaxy S playing Quake 2, but for me, and just for me, is better the fluency of the Operative System. For what I see in different videos the Galaxy has some slow runnings while surfing into the system options. Android 2.2 Will have a lot of improvements for desire and also galaxy. For exmple, the Desire will be able to record 720 HQ videos, nexus one(I’m not sure if Desire)will be able to work with 802.11n wireless networks, and finally, I’m not interested on bigger screens.
Conclusion: I think not all depends on what is better, but something in what our likes or dislikes are, or also the personal needs. many of us even don’t need to buy a HTC Desire non Samsung Galaxy S.
Thank you for reading and sorry for my bad engish
July 16th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Sorry when I spoke the operative system fluency, I mean the Desire’s OS is better.
July 16th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
- Galaxy S records 720p HD video already.
- Galaxy S works with 802.11n wifi already.
- Galaxy S dedicated GPU offers a proven approx. 2x frame rate improvement over the Desire.
Of course, everyone is entitled to chose which they prefer.
I’m just pointing out the facts
July 17th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Sorry Josh but the first and second point will be the same in 2 months, but is true that the GPU from Galaxy is good. But what I really see as an advantage on Galaxy, not the 3d capacity, wich is not useful for me, but the battery durability.
For example some may also say that swype text imput is an advantage for Galaxy but I’m runing Swype 1.60 on my desire perfectly.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:48 am
I just blogged about the merits of both phones…
http://www.afflicted.me.uk/2010/07/why-the-iphone-4-wont-die-and-why-i-wont-buy-one/
July 17th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
External sound (without headphones) on Desire is disgusting, like all HTCs. Is the Samsung any better ?
When off, does it wake up for alarms like any good phone should ?
What about sound quality and network sensitivity ?
July 19th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Good point, external sound quality on the Galaxy S is average. The microphone sensitivty as a speakerphone is pretty good, but thats about it.
Another major negative is the Galaxy S does not wake up for alarms. I don’t know why Samsung didn’t think of this at launch, but apparently that will be enabled on the next firmware update.
Sound quality on a call is good, sound quality for media playback is excellent and network sensitivity is also very good.
The screen quality has to be seen to be believed, and this weekend I watched a film streamed in Full HD over an N-class network from the Galaxy S as a DLNA media server on my PS3 as client onto a plasma screen. The frame-rate was excellent and the phone didn’t miss a beat.
The film was Lost In Translation. The wife chose it…
July 19th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Just got talked into the Galaxy over the Desire by the Orange sales person, my first new phone in years. My IT guy recommendd the Desire so didnt know anything else. But from above and the jargan that goes over my head, I think i made a good choice. As Desire was 2 week wait and not free!
From their specs on the orange website i think Galaxy’s has been striped down, or does it not have things like- 3.5 mm audio jack, USB compatible, vibrating alert which are listed for the Desire. I hope the Galaxy vibrates. that is gutting about not waking for alarms.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Great blog Afflicted, it made me laugh too.
@Craig, the Galaxy S does have a 3.5mm audio jack, and it is recessed like the original iPhone’s. it sounds superb too but the 5.1 feature works better on movies than on music. It is USB enabled, and has vibrating alert too, but then, doesn’t every smartphone have that these days.
I just downloaded the Tricorder app on my Galaxy S yesterday. It’s now my favourite app
(* sigh *) where did my life go so wrong…
July 20th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Just been reading your posts, had an iphone 4 took it back as it was full of problems and decided to go for the samsung galaxy s. This is the first time ive used android since the HTC Magic and im sooo happy. Im still a little torn though the Desire just keeps nagging away at me even though i love the galaxy s, its seriously the best phone ive ever had and ive had them all (well nearly). I chose the samsung because of the large screen which is great for browsing. Some of you were talking about the battery life improving after time is this true as its the only let down
July 20th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Yeah, battery life was shocking for the first few days, but it seems that if you condition it properly, it does improve quickly. I get about a day and a half out of mine now.
Also in my last post, I wrote that the 3.5 mm jack is recessed. I meant to write “it is not recessed”.
July 21st, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Got my Galaxy yesterday. Its great! The only issue I have is texting. I’ve been a Nokia predictive texter all my life. Cant set used to the Qwerty Swype testing. Is there a way to change it to like a phone keypad text, or is there an App to do this.
I have noticed it some time switches off the Wifi at home.
July 24th, 2010 at 1:46 am
How does the Galaxy audio (via headphones) compare to an iPod?
I listen to music pretty much all day long, and I ended up back with my iPhone 3g after returning an HTC Desire due to frankly awful music playback.
July 26th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Craig,
I’m not sure about the Galaxy…however I have the HTC Desire and yes, you can change the keyboard to a T9 predictive text keypad. Maybe that’s the phone for you
Personally speaking, I think HTC Sense alone makes the Desire far better than any other similarly spec’d Android handset.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Thanks Zibbi, bit late now though.
Must read the instructions.
July 29th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Superhones they are, so speed and memory shouldn’t be a issue.
This day’s today hardware is tommorow old age…but software really is what makes the diference, and software can make a superphone laggy..check HTC support updates
, now check samsung 
.
photos…flash…no word about? is really flash important in smartphones with a nice camera?…well, let me put this way, how big is the size of the lens? how much light goes in there?
I don’t know, desire as flash and nice materials
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
think there is an error on posting here.
m!
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:21 pm
thanks all for a great blog.
2 questions.
1). is there any place in denmark /europe where i can buy this without subscription?
2). if you use gps googlemaps, do you pay for datatransfer all the time when running/driving around or is it free?
best regards.
Mike@hope.this.ones.gets.posted.com
August 4th, 2010 at 8:13 am
I went to a shop and found the two phones on display right next to each other, so I gave them both a quick go:
With my big, fat fingers (and poor typing skills), I prefer to put the phone on the side when typing, since it makes keyboard a little larger.
To my great disappointment, I discovered that the Desire doesn’t let you do that???!!!
August 5th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
It does. I’m using a desire and it does that on mine. Also I think that the UI on the galaxy is a dealbreaker and also the lack of flash. Just my opinion.
August 6th, 2010 at 11:17 am
The HTC Desire does let you type with the phone on the side, its in one of the options to disable this feature, the phone you were trying in the shop must have had that switched off.
The HTC desire is a fantastic phone, I am sure that any purchasers will not be disappointed.
The music quality is superb, which is why I was surprised at the comment about someone returning the phone due to poor quality music.
The HTC Desire also has the HTC Sense UI on top of the Android system, this enhances the users experience and makes the phone a pleasure to use.
August 8th, 2010 at 1:40 am
I have the Samsung Galaxy S 16GB.
The screen is amazing and overall the phone is fairly fast and pleasant. Touchwiz 3 isn’t so bad.
It has many nice features but I am going to return it and get the Desire instead because the Samsung has terrible GPS performance. It cannot be used at all for navigation, really, really lousy. Beware. No fixes work yet, they’re all snake oil and at this time people aren’t even sure if this won’t be a hardware issue instead of firmware.
Maybe it’s the new broadcom chip, maybe it’s something else… but the galaxy S has no GPS and I sure as hell won’t be carrying a TomTom around with me after paying 600 euros for a smartphone.
Adios Samsung!
August 9th, 2010 at 10:54 am
I’ve had no problems with my Galaxy and its GPS.
Craig
August 11th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
I have the HTC Desire and although it’s a nice phone, I have really bad signal issues with it. I know its not my network, although 3 ain’t great, because my E71 was fine at home, but the Desire only get two bars, the E71 got 5 full bars.
August 11th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
@Josh – yeah mentioned getting about one day’s worth of battery life or even 1.5?
What kind of usage are we talking about here? (for me, I’d say I’d use about 2 hours of music a day, texting, browsing a some phone calls). Do you know what the max usage you can get away with while still managing to keep it going for one day?
I’m stuck between this and the BB bold 9700 (browsing is abysmal on that, yes, but that’s my other choice). You mentioned at first you only get about 6days of battery life – is that just because you were playing with it alot (obviously it IS your new phone, right?! haha)
August 12th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Hi Guys,
Im torn between the desire and Galaxy S. After moaning at T-Mobile over various things and threatening to leave I have been offered some tempting packages. I said I wasn’t interested in an iPhone but I was interested in the HTC Desire. The operator said Desire’s are very hard to get hold of at the moment and pretty much no one has them but they do have Galaxy S’s available. Is this just a ploy to punt the new samsung phone or are the Desire’s genuinly hard to get hold of? I’m suspicious because I bet if I bought one as a new customer on T-Mobile they would have them in stock for sure
Anyway, my concern is based around 2 things.
1. The lack of the sense UI which I have used in the past and loved.
2. That the galaxy S will not get the 2.2 update in the pipeworks. The feature I am most concerned about is being able to us the phone as a wifi hotspot. The HTC desire will no doubt get this update eventually but I am uncertain that the Samsung will.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
August 14th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
@JonG
If you have a look around ebay, you can get either HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S at around £300-£350, so both are available that way. I’m sure it’s a ploy. Take a look at some of the sites like this one comparing the 2 phones and see what you want / need. They’re both so similar.
Galaxy 2.2 is on its way in September – google ‘Galaxy s 2.2′ and it’s confirmed on its way in September.
My 2 struggles have been – lack of flash on Galaxy S and lack of video output on Desire. Both are deal breakers as I use both regularly. Let’s hope the HTC Evo finds its way to the UK…
August 15th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Hi guys, I have been very lucky to own both of these handsets. I can’t praise Samsung galaxy s highly enough. It’s absolutely brilliant in every aspect apart from 2 faults of which one in is minor and one major. The minor fault is that it suffers from picture quality without flash. The other fault this phone has really spoils every good thing this phone has going for it. The pathetic Touchwiz UI, which really slows down this monster of a phone and doesn’t offer anything special on top of the stock Android experience. Enough said of the faults, I would still like to praise all the qualities of this phone that I enjoyed before I sold it. The best display bar none. Excellent multitouch. Excellent Browsing.Excellent Navigator. Excellent keyboard. Excellent Sound quality. Excellent video camera. Decent speakerphone. Decent battery. The best gaming phone ever. Shame about the lack of high quality 3d games on Android. Just like to mention that I never experienced any problems with the gps. Now for the HTC Desire. What can I say? It’s the closest any phone has ever come to being the finished article. I don’t have words to describe this really but I must try. First of all I would like to say that I’m presently using it with froyo 2.2. This phone has no major faults. It has a few minor faults. Firstly the screen has hard visibility in direct sunlight. Secondly the battery is just average. Thirdly the multitouch is not perfect for gaming. Please note that the first two faults will be fixed with the next line of HTC desires being built. (HTC are installing SLCD screens that improve sunlight visibility and battery in there new phones). Now to the good parts. This phone has the best browsing experience bar none. The HTC sense UI is the ultimate way of enjoying Android functionality hands down. Excellent keyboard. Excellent Navigator. Good camera and video camera. Good music and video playback. Very good screen apart from in direct sunlight. Excellent trackerball. Very useful physical buttons. All in all. The best phone in the market even with iPhone 4 in competition. If you want a blazing fast phone, go and buy this phone. It is also very user friendly, so anyone can quickly learn how to get the best out of it.
August 15th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
jong this is not a ploy, tmobile use locked tmobile stock, get down to carphonewarehouse who have loads in stock and unlocked and they can do the exact same upgrade ad tmobile for you and same deal.
go for the desire
August 17th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Something about the Samsung Galaxy S which is *very* annoying… The headphone jack. Samsung uses the same 4 pole layout as Nokia.
What this means is that you won’t be able to use most off-the-shelf headsets if they include a microphone. So, all of those high-end headsets (Shure, UE, etc) which work on most other phones won’t work with the Samsung without purchasing an adapter.
While the adapters are cheap, it’s an incredibly annoying surprise that one has to do this when the overwhelming majority of phone manufacturers use the dominant standard (aka compatible with iPhone) rather than the Nokia standard.
Other than that the phone is a decent one, save for some glitches here and there: GPS issues, occasional lag with the current stock firmware, Swype not available for all of the languages the phone supports (in my case Swedish)… The location of the power button is also an issue. It’s surprising how often that button can accidentally be pressed due to its location (on the side) and how little force it takes to press it. If you walk around with your phone in your pocket then you may want to find a phone which either has the button on the top or requires more force to press it than just a graze.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Hello. Just wanted to say that people are sending in some really good, useful comments about the two big handsets of the year so far (iPhone aside, of course). It warms my cockles to see people taking the time to let us all know how they’ve found the phones and offering really good insights. So thank you all and keep ‘em coming. Also, remember you can review phones and rate them by going to the phone page on site i.e. Samsung Galaxy S or HTC Desire and hitting the green box. Each month we select a reviewer to win an iPod too.
August 18th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Came across this site/page after Googling for a comparison between these two phones – some really excellent and useful comments so far, making it all the harde to choose which one to go for!
One question, which is a dealbreaker if the answer is no. HTC Sync states that it will sync with Outlook with Contacts, Calendar etc. I can’t see any mention of the same thing for the Samsung Kies software.
Can anyone confirm whether you can, or can’t, sync with Outlook with the Galaxy S? If you can’t then that’s my decision made for me, it’ll be the Desire.
August 22nd, 2010 at 11:13 am
I have been reading the posts in hope it will help me decide which phone I should get though I failed miserably. I am as decisive as a leaf. I can’t decide for myself. On one hand I really like the specs of the Samsung galaxy S, extremely appealing, on the other hand I am worried about the software support from samsung.
perhaps if I state my main uses of the phone some of you who have more experience could pin point the guidance I seek.
I don’t really care about the pictures and the lack of flash.
I do care about the touch screen response quality since I never used touchscreen phones (well I do have a Nokia n900 but it’s out of my league.)
I do care about sound quality and video quality, video quality not only when browsing the internet but can I watch movies on it with good quality? (and running smoothly).
Interface isn’t THAT important tho I gotta admit the HTC Desire looks awesome.
That’s about it I guess…I need a conclusive decision since I am ocd’d like that. like a 5 year old trying to decide who is the strongest character in the series he loves cuz he will be the coolest.
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:41 am
Looks like the outlook sync is a deal breaker for me, found some sites saying that the galaxy sync to samsung’s own app and then to outlook. some complains. HTC sync seems to be more direct. Is any owner able to share this information?
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:28 am
I am about to get one of those two phones today and probably it would be the Desire. I like Samsung products very much – innovative, well designed, built to last. I possess a few Samsung products and I would say the after sale support is poor in terms of software updates and support. Often I do not even get a reply to my emails to them even though they have been sent through their official site for queries. In terms of hardware I must admit the Galaxy S is superior but in terms of usability Desire wins me(smaller handset easier to hold, faster interface, a camera flash needed for my loft conversions where I would need to take a picture in near dark conditions).
August 23rd, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Just about to buy myself a HTC desire, so not in the best position to comment, but if the only up-sides to the Galaxy S is the screen and swype. You can get swype off the app store, so that sorts that out, and I feel the other advantages of sence etc massivly outway the slightly larger screen.
Just my 2 cents.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Well in response to my earlier question, after reading further, the Samsung Kies software doesn’t get a great write-up. I’m also concerned about the lack of/slow support/software updates that seems to be reported for Samsung and I expect that HTC will have 2.2 for the Desire long before Samsung do for the Galaxy.
I finally managed to get my hands, or fingers!, on a working Desire today and I was convinced – it worked so quickly and smoothly. I couldn’t do a comparison to the Galaxy next to it as it wasn’t working – not a good sign! lol It was too late anyway, I was sold on the Desire. Whilst the Galaxy has that slightly bigger screen, looking at them side by side I actually thought that was a downside as it made the whole phone just that bit bigger overall, so for those and other features that the Desire has, I walked out with a Desire. It’s currently sat in it’s box and about to be opened!
August 27th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
“…I expect that HTC will have 2.2 for the Desire long before Samsung do for the Galaxy.”
Just been setting up/playing with the Desire I Bouhgt today and was very, but pleasantly, surprised to see that it’s already installed with 2.2!
August 28th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
I heard that Samsung Galaxy S has a poor ring volume and there is no way to get it louder. Is that true?
August 30th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Sick Comparison.
My HTC desire has only 512 MB ROM and 2GB SDCard memory in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy-S even though the price were similar.
Galaxy-S has 2 GB ROM and 16GB internal SD Card and also supports 32 GG additional SD card.
The HTC Desire is cribbing of low space to store application and does not allow to install on the SD Card.
Battery dies within 24 hours even if everything is turned off (GPS, Bluetooth, Least screen brightness, and using Advanced Task Killer)
HTC Desire-Sickest Phone
September 10th, 2010 at 11:22 am
I have 3 choices based on availability , price and specs but bit confusing
Milestone 2 Not available in INDIA
Milestone ( low ram but has physical keyboard )
Desire ( available but no physical keyboard and i feel its battery is going to xxxx me) INR : 24k approx
Nexus One ( Multitouch is not as good as others , No google stores here for repair , Google is out of stock with N1 ) INR 24k approx
Galaxy S ( Available but highly priced around $ 700 , INR 29000
And Tommie what do u want to do with a big ROM , its RAM what matters for faster performance
September 11th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Hi Guys, I have no experience of the Galaxy s but have had a unbranded Desire from release, before froyo it was way ahead of all android phones even the N1 It had Flash on board, usb tethering as standard, and a host of features being released in froyo, I had voice to text etc. All the new apps taking advantage of 2.2 are amazing, wifi hotspot which 2 of my friends used with there I phone 4s whilst visiting me in Spain. It has worked faultlessly. I downloaded the beta of angry bird great game no problems, check out the comments all the other top phones struggle to run it even though it is 1.6- compatible, except the desire. The desire is the finished article HTC worked on it after the NI to be the best. They have the EVO etc in the US, but look how fast 2.2 was pushed to non branded desires, not long after the N1. The samsung has some great features but no flash(camera) or date for 2.2 no brainer at this point.
Install Swift key keyboard and N1 gallery (cool iris) and your sorted.
When HTC designed the desire it was to beat their google branded N1 and it did and does. It is being released in the US shortly tells you something this far into its shelf life, Plus it will get Gingerbread probably before the S gets froyo. After all Google is HTC number 1 bed partner.
September 11th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Just a quick follow up, have just watched a you tube video of the IPHONE galaxy s, same icons sideways scrolling, same 4 permanent icons to the bottom and it even looks like an Iphone, come on Guys, good phone, no initiative.
September 12th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
please! Tomorrow (Monday) i’m gonna buy a phone! But i don’t know which of this 2! Galaxy or Desire???
) something that Desire doen’t have — but i took many, many photos at the night “with the Flash” (something that the Galaxy doesn’t have…) So which one? i know that Galaxy has EVERYTHING (HD video recorder, Super AMoled…blah blah blah –but i can’t without flash!! –but is the Desire good??? it it worth to buy Galaxy and do not have pictures at night??
I hear that the battery at Desire it sucks, and it’s not so good the screen in the sun!
I Love Galaxy but the i REALY DON’T LIKE THAT IT doesn’t HAVE A “FLASH”…
and the Desire doesn’t have video-call.
Help me which one to choose!!! (for help: I had Samsung Omnia! This One year i did not do none video-call (ok maybe One but really ONE- for 5 seconds
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Thanks for ALL the comments on here… it has really helped me finally make a decision – going for the HTC Desire!
In Canada the Desire is 29.99$ while the Galaxy is 149.99$ on 3 yr contract, so I think the price difference plus the general praise for the Desire have sold me here!
Thank you thank you thank you!
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Glad we could all help!
Shame you don’t live in Blighty, otherwise we could’ve sold you one.
Also, good call. My mate in Germany’s just got her Desire, and she’s as absolutely smitten with it as I am with the HD2!
October 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Great comments about two great phones – all very useful.
If I can add my 2c. I run an HTC HD2 and Android 2.2 (have reflashed the ROM & use a Android Froyo build) & I have to say that its brilliant. I havent used a Galaxy, but have “played” with an HTC Desire alongside my HD2 & there wasnt much in it! The HD2 screen is better & bigger!
Anyway – what I am saying guys is you can pick up a S/H HD2 for a lot less than a new Galaxy / Desire. Go to XDA Developers – reflash your ROM & away you go!
I now have two phones in one – a blindingly quick WinMO phone (running latest Energy ROM) plus Froyo 2? Best of all worlds!
BTW – a much better keyboard than Swype (I have Swype) is Swiftkey! Blows Swype away!
Hope this helps @)
JellyW
October 6th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I’ve wittled it down to the HTC Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S.
I went in to the telco shop for the Desire but they have no stock and can’t say when they will have more. Galaxy S is in stock. Got home and browsed the net a bit and to my understanding the 2.2 update has officially been released for the galaxy S.
Has anybody updated to 2.2 on their galaxy S. What are you thoughts? And what about using launcherPro? Cos that looks like a really neat interface too.
As a side not: browsing and using the phone as a media player are my 2 biggest considerations, with the user interface following closely behind, when deciding between these phones.
October 6th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
To add to my question, if anybody HAS used android 2.2 with their galaxy S and also has experience with a htc desire, how would you now compare the two phones now that the base OS is identical?
Thanks
October 7th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Hi, i am looking at these phones. Just wondered what the music playback quality is like for these phones as i use my phone on my daily commute to Manchester n back each day, so the one with the better quality sound and features would probably win it for me
October 7th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Thank you for help. Based on above I’ve just ordered the Galaxy S… my friend ordered a HTC but not sure which model but will find out. I think mine will be the better phone, well certainly the biggest and we all know size is everything!!
October 14th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Hi, my major use for s smartphone other than the obvious, will be Skype. Need a phone with a nice large screen and front facing camera – am currently looking at Nokia N8, Galaxy, Iphone. Am not sure which model of HTC supports video chat on Skype and also if the required app is available in India.
Any opinions? Is there any model I’m missing out on?
October 24th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Right im getting a new phone and after reading these i really can’t make my mind i mean they both look good but i need somone telling me like for the galaxy whats good and bad about it.
and on HTC DESIRE whats good and bad about it .
PLZ HELP i cnt make my mind !!
November 2nd, 2010 at 3:01 pm
great comments!! and am still struggling, if i list want i want someone point me in the right direction.
good picture quality and video.
good music playback
good apps and internet
which one ? (help!!!)
November 13th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I am an Desire USer… but shifting to galaxy S soon
thx for the details…. u guyz are good helpers !!! i will post my experience soon .. (hopefully in december)
its not that i dont like Desire,(since i will be giving that to my wife)
but its just that … all the tech Geeks adore Samsung Galaxy S !!! i want to see it to Belive it !!
November 14th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
@Colin
good picture quality and video. === Samsung Galaxy S
good music playback ====== Almost Same but Samsung has better quality
good apps and internet ====== both have Android so same apps. but run better on SAmsung Galaxy s
which one ? Galaxy s… but HTc Desire will also not disapoint u in any way !!!! Galaxy is just a little ahead of it…
Like u;ll play videos on SLCD and same on Super Amoled.. u;ll get what i am tryin to say !!
November 15th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Great thread all.
I’m also deciding between these 2 handsets (using iPhone 3GS at the mo, but don’t want iPhone 4).
Ringtone / Txt volume is important to me – I’ve heard that the Samsung is quite poor in this area, can anyone who has experience of both mobiles please shed some light on this for me. Thanks.
November 19th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Hello all.
As you’ll see if you scroll up to the earlier threads, I have had my Galaxy S since July 2010. I upgraded to Froyo about two weeks ago, and the phone just gets better. My wife had a HTC Desire for a while but got the phone supplier to replace it with an iphone 4, which she adores.
In my opinion though, having had access to arguably the three best smartphones on the market (four if you include the Blackberry Torch I use for work), the Galaxy S is far superior.
After five months of real world ownership, installing and deleting apps, relying on the sat nav when driving other peoples cars and being away from a power source for 48 hours on occassion, the Galaxy S has cemented itself in my mind as the best mobile phone you can buy today. It is so much better than the competition that it beggars belief. I haven’t the time to list it’s features as I did that in one of my July posts, but I will say that if you get the chance to upgrade it to 2.2, then do that as soon as possible cos it makes a great phone, even better. With 2.2 it is faster, the gps signal is even better than before, power monitoring is improved and even multi-touch feels somehow smoother with improved pinch-to-zoom, etc.
Battery life is unchanged. This is an A+ phone.
Peace out.
November 23rd, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Hey Josh,
thanks for all this info mate… just wondering .. how are you finding Samsung Kies ? has it given you any problems ?
November 24th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Hey Addi.
Kies is a clunky piece of software, but it is as bad as the Nokia, Sony and RIM software I have had to install before. If you have a fairly powerful computer, like an i3 or i5 or even a Core II duo, it won’t give you any problems. And if you follow the instructions, it works fine. And another bonus, it uninstalls easily and completely when you no longer need it.
That said, I only used it once to update the OS from 2.1 to 2.2 and you don’t need to touch Kies to sync your google account or anything of that nature.
December 3rd, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Hi,
I have a galaxy s and have problems when plugging into a computer. I have selected Mass Storage to download photos and the phone isnt recognised. It is only recognised when I use Kies (which isnt good) and I cant download it to my work computer.
December 4th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
I have had my HTC desire 2 weeks from brand new 02 shop im reading that the 2.2 is out but my box says 2.1 have i been swindled with an old phone???
December 4th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Try setting usb debugging to enabled under the settings menu.
December 11th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Excellent thread, i too am in the hunt for one of these phones and a friend of mine has got the galaxy s. The screen on this phone is amazing! I have had a good toy around with it and i couldnt find anything to fault it, but have to mention i am not experienced in these type of phones. Scrolling through pages and web access seemed very good. The video camera is also of exceptional quality for a phone. I had my first go at the angry birds game and i’am truely addicted, it played great and looked great. On battery life he did say it was getting better day by day, at present he was getting about 38 hours with a fair bit of twiddling. I’m falling for the galaxy, maybe im buying with just my eyes, but if u can, get a good look at this phone before you decide. Also comes boxed like a rolex.
December 18th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Damn.. I’m so confused about which phone to buy.. Here in india htc desire and samsung galaxy comes at around 550$. I like htc for its htc sense but galaxy’s screen is a great attraction.. Htc is a clear winner in hardware by my hear goes for galaxy s for its screen..
January 15th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I too am struggling between these two phones. Does anyone know if both these phones come with 2.2 out of the box as of January 2011? I’m on contract with O2 and I’m unsure if I’ll be able to root the phone while on contract.
It sounds that with the Galaxy you’re paying for the screen, ROM and storage space and battery life… with the Desire you get a more friendly UI and a camera flash.
Does that sound about right?
I’m really trying to get past the lack of camera flash on the Galaxy, but if 2.2 is “officially” released, I may be able to get past it.
Any help deciding is welcomed… I’m looking to upgrade at the start of Feb.
Many thanks!
January 17th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
i’ve owned both these phones firstly the htc and secondly the samsung so i’ll keep this short and sweet go for the samsung it is packed with features that the desire does not have my favourite is being able to instantly reject calls by adding them to the reject list the other one being i can play all my media from my phone on my samsung tv wirelessly as well as a multitude of other stuff …….
January 17th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
oh one other thing the camera on the samsung is superb crystal clear hd quality and the panorama pics are brilliant there are multiple camera settings and up to now i havent missed the flash…
February 5th, 2011 at 1:55 am
Hi guys,
one of the comments above is very important. In some websites they are mentioning that the speaker volume of Samsung Galaxy S is below average while Desire’s excellent. While watching videos and browsing internet is extremely important, I bet the difference between these two cannot be horrendous, but I would be truly pissed if I start missing calls while partying or in the street because the ringtones volume is too low on the Galaxy.
Any feedback from the owners?
February 9th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Josh:
Does the 2.2 upgrade sort out the alram wake up issue?!?
February 12th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Which is best for using with google maps, and GPS?
February 18th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Here is honest feedback from someone who has just bought Galaxy S. The phone is laggy, thought the 2.2 update would help but it actually worsened it. There is no LED to notify missed calls or new emails/messages. Email often does not open, it is simply stuck on ‘loading’ and then afterwards ‘connection error’. Not recognised when connected to a PC, you have to use Kies. Fire up Google Maps and it takes ages. There are numerous forums where you will read about attempts to help battery life but why all that for a brand new phone? Saying that all these phone have poor battery lives. This phone is beautiful, sleek, nice screen and I really want to like it but functionally it is lacking. I will be returning for a HTC Desire, not the new Desire HD which I hear has similar issues as the Galaxy. Seems these latest efforts at smartphones are struggling. HTC Desire in my opinion is more stable of both phones.
March 7th, 2011 at 6:19 pm
mike i have to agree it has went a bit laggy(though not a lot) i notice it especially in the app store but i havent been hit with connection errors or anything like that browser is still pretty quick and i am still quite happy with it hasnt caused me any problems so i’ll be sticking with it. Trevor i would say they are both about the same in the satnav dept used both and i was equally impressed to the point that the garmin never sees the light of day…
March 10th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Hey guys, totally rad to see u guys discussing phones. I’m an Indian living in kuwait, and i’m going to buy my first Android smartphone. I want to leave my old Nokia in my drawer and jump onto the bandwagon. Now the question is just whether to get te Galaxy or the Desire.
I personally prefer Samsung to HTC as a brand, but the positive reviews for the HTC Sense has me leaning towards it. I guess the price will be what decides it in the end (along with what freebies I get in the box!)
March 14th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
if you consider heaphones and a charger as freebies you’re in luck you get them with both lol seriously though i know what you mean a few freebies wouldnt go amiss considering what you pay for these phones even just a dashboard mount for using the gps but no you get nothing.just the basics unless you can get the salesman to throw something in your choice will be down to personal preference.
March 22nd, 2011 at 3:57 pm
This is a very useful thread! I’m currently on a Nokia C6, but have been cursing myself that I didn’t jump ship to Android when I upgraded last year. My contract isn’t up until January 2012, by which time I imagine HTC and Samsung will have produced something very special – and I’ll hopefully have as much difficulty choosing between them as a lot of people in this thread did with the current iterations. I’m currently leaning towards HTC, for what it’s worth. I’m also using the time to learn about Froyo and Gingerbread and all that good stuff – I intend to be armed with as much info as possible when I upgrade, and this is all very helpful to me. I really wish Nokia had gone to Android and not Microsoft – I’ve been a user forever (one of the reasons why I didn’t make the move last time), but due to the poor performance of my current phone, the risible Ovi Store and a past bad experience with a Windows Smartphone, I’m jumping ship. Come on, Samsung – make me NOT want an HTC, because that’s where my money’s going to go…