Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 review: Ace in the hole

Final words

The Samsung Galaxy Ace has good features for its price: a decent 3.5” HVGA screen, 800MHz processor, pleasing 5 megapixel camera, good build and, of course, Android 2.2 Froyo. However it fails unexpectedly where inferior phones have been known to deliver: disastrous video recording and poor codec support.

But compromises are always a part of the deal in the midrange. The important thing is to have no regrets about the compromise you made. And the Galaxy Ace is the right phone for the job. It’s also the right phone for Samsung as they seek to update their midrange droid lineup.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace currently costs about 260 euro, which sounds quite fair. And we think you won’t be disappointed if you decide to give it a shot. If you are looking for an affordable Froyo-powered droid, the list of alternatives isn’t too long.

The LG Optimus One uses the same chipset as the Galaxy Ace, but its processor is clocked at 600MHz instead. It also has a lower-grade 3 megapixel snapper and a 3.2” HVGA display, both contributing to a more compact body. The Optimus One is also cheaper than the Galaxy Ace and has some headstart.

LG P500 Optimus One

The Samsung Galaxy 551 is a QWERTY messenger that costs about the same as the Galaxy Ace. It bets on a bit smaller screen with the lower WQVGA resolution, downgraded camera and processor, but comes with a full hardware QWERTY keyboard, which will be appreciated by heavy texters.

Samsung Galaxy 551

Then, there is also the HTC Aria/Gratia (delete as appropriate for your market). Running on Android v2.2 Froyo and keeping the HTC Sense on top those come with HVGA screen, albeit of smaller size. The higher asking price and slower CPUs however makes the HTC duo far less attractive than the Galaxy Ace.

HTC Aria and Gratia

Our last stop in the Android midrange is the Galaxy Mini. A smaller QVGA screen and less impressive camera and CPU will save you a pretty penny. But the Galaxy Mini is as smart as the Ace with Froyo and TouchWiz inside. If you are looking for a cheap droid, the Galaxy Mini is hard to beat.

Samsung S5570 Galaxy Mini

There’s competition for the Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 outside the droid realm too. The Nokia C6-01 is a similarly priced alternative with a smaller but better screen: it’s ClearBlack AMOLED display. The Nokia smartphone boasts a rich feature set with 8MP still imaging, HD video and free sat nav. Ultimately though, it’s Symbian against Android.

Nokia C6-01

We’ve been all over the Android midrange and the Samsung Galaxy Ace makes even more sense. It’s holding middle ground in an increasingly segmented smartphone market. There’s plenty of space between lower and higher midrange, between a Galaxy Mini and a Galaxy SL. It feels safe to be right in the middle – and it feels good to have all that space to itself. The Galaxy Ace is not a power player but it’s keen to play.