VHA finally announce the Galaxy S is ‘Coming Soon’

Buzz Moody – August 30, 2010 - 17:46

Good news, Vodafone & Three have just announced via their blogs that the Samsung Galaxy S is ‘Coming Soon’.

You’ve been talking about it for a while, and you’ve been asking when we’ll get it, now we can officially say “The Samsung Galaxy S is coming to Vodafone/3 very soon”.

Obviously no dates or pricing just yet, but we can’t imagine this beast being sold on any cap above $59 for $0 upfront, although the tech specs (~~which are, let’s say.. wrong~~ They have just posted up the right ones) mention it being Networked Locked. The ~~dodgy~~ tech specs can be found after the break.

Out with the old

In with the new

Posted in: News, and Phones

Source(s): Vodafone Blog

About the author...

Buzz founded Ausdroid in March 2010, and while he has stepped back from active responsibilities around here to focus on his education, Buzz brings us some of our biggest news stories, reviews and latest rumours. We hope to have him... (read more)

Squidgy

yes! looking forward to seeing how much it is, and hopefully it puts the price of other androids down.
Hayness

Fiinnaally something official. Really hope it’s coming over the next few days and it better be free on the 49 cap. Voda always seems to be in direct competition with Optus, so I cant understand why they would go free on the 59, especially considering the current 59 cap is actually the 69 cap with 10 dollars credit.
Cheese

Praise the christian jesus!

59 dollar cap isn’t so bad – they’ve just added a shitload of data to it
http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody

I’m still laughing at QVGA
Skiingbadger

Vodafone’s site says the screen will be the 480 x 800 super amoled one – where is the QVGA coming from? Sounds weird.
- http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
  
  Ahahahaha they just changed it on their blog. FAIL.
Michael

The screen should be super amoled. Just about to switch to Optus.. But a little bit worried about the price due to the $10 more with X10 compared to Optus.
- http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
  
  The price isn’t confirmed, I’m just assuming it will be around $49-59
- Lakrisi
  
  it’s $39 on virgin
http://louisgale.blogspot.com Xcalibur

Im afraid 3 VHA have seriously f$^!ed up on this one. We need to wait for the official word, but it looks like its going to be late and overpriced. Now for a long time ive been deciding between the iPhone 4 and this (the best Android phone at the moment). A guy at work has this phone from Optus, so i have had a lot of time to play with it. My wife has the iPhone 4 so i am able to do a really good comparison of the two. Let me give you my 5c in case anyone is interested. I know this is a tangent but there is politics on TV so im bored …

Im really passionate about the Android platform – the screen on this phone is just so damn nice. As a developer i look forward to this platform much more than Objective C development. However, i have to say Android is quite a way behind iOS at the moment in terms of functionality and polish. The SGS suffers badly from lag and jittering in all the apps we have tried. Before i continue let me say the phone DOES have the lag fix applied and it did make a difference. However, loading apps and other transitions, even just sliding from one home screen to another is obviously jittery. Apps constantly just freeze while the CPU does its work with no indication anything is in progress. Things like rotating the phone just snap-change the screen without any visual cues. Compare this to the iPhone where the apps really do run very smoothly, absolutely no lag at any point in any app i tried. The UI is very polished and has nice visual cues all over the place giving it a much more finished feel.

Despite all this i STILL long for an Android phone because the potential is so great – the home screens, wallpapers, wonderful free range of apps and wonderful open architecture is much more inviting. So i really hope you dont screw this up like im thinking 3 – up until now you have been a really competitive provider but lately … i think you are being trumped in many areas.
- ChaosDave
  
  Dude i feel your rage, i’m with Virgin and have been waiting for literally 5 months for them to get a HTC android phone and still nothing! Could you put the laggy samsung S down the shovelware UI they have slopped on top?
  - http://louisgale.blogspot.com Xcalibur
    
    Sorry i cant comment on whether TouchWiz is at fault here since i havnt tried any other Android phones to compare. However many vids show the same hardware on other phones reall blazing so i guess you could be on to something there. We have tried disabling a lot of services and UI components to see if it makes a difference, but until we can get a vanilla 2.2 distro onto it like Cyanogen (coming soon hopefully) we just wont know. My gut feeling though, is that it will be really fast. As much as people hate it though, i actualy quite like TouchWiz – ever tried the vanilla UI? YUK. Mind you some of the third party stuff is good. Guess this is what 3.0 is hopeing to fix.
http://louisgale.blogspot.com Xcalibur

Oops in the ramble i forgot my main point – $59 is too much – my wife is paying $49 for the iPhone with a shitload of data (1GB). For most people, more data is unnecessary and justifying an extra $10 is really not going to float with us. The $49 cap is the sweet spot for many of us and Optus offer it, so you need to match it.
http://kafkaris.com JK

VHA is pushing my loyalty to 3 to the limit… if after all this waiting it is still priced over Optus I’d take that as a kick in the teeth from VHA.
Pulpy

Was checking this site everyday this month hoping to finally see this article =)
Simmo

Pulpy – me toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
http://techanist.com Lucas

the biggest issue i have with the samsung is the software, Touchwiz should be killed off or at the very least install a kill switch in the software so it can be turned off completely
- http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
  
  Vote [1] Android UI Killswitch
  - ChaosDave
    
    u have my vote
- Amos
  
  Since this is an open platform, I got the impression that it should be possible to install a virgin Android 2.2 on it and move on. Is there any down side for doing this (if it’s possible at all)?
  - http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
    
    You can, but it takes a little bit of effort & voids warranty
Simmo

Does anyone here have this phone?? Worth getting?
- ilzy
  
  yep, I sure do and there are quite a few members of the forum here who own one also, I personally highly rate the SGS, given that TouchWiz isn’t the best UI out there, I definitely prefer vanilla Android or HTC Sense over it, but an overall awesome Android handset and with the 2.2 (froyo) update coming end of next month, will be even better!
  
  Also it is the highest selling Android handset to date in Australia, so that’s definitely another indicator
green

Vodafone CBD says probably ten days from today – they’re waiting for stock to come in.

Stinks being down near the bottom of the globe, technology takes ages to get here!
Simmo

Thanks Ilzy – its just that some ppl mention there is some lag? even with some fixes? Truth is i have friends with the iphone and i wouldnt hear the end of it if i got the SGS and it was second rate to the iphone…. im trying my best to steer clear of the masses
TechHead

Ok. Just to clear up a couple of misunderstandings that may exist. I have had the Galaxy S for around a month now and I have used friend’s iphone 4. My phone is rooted and has the 1gb lag fix applied. Prior to this it would lag quite embarrassingly with some applications. Now, it does not lag. In case you didn’t get that I will say it again, no lag!

Many people try to use android like iphone. The middle button at the bottom does not close the app that is running. If you want to close an app, use the back button (bottom right). If you don’t understand basic multitasking and have heaps of apps running the phone will lag because there isn’t enough memory for that. If you are seeing the memory warning then you need to change your habits. Multitasking is dead easy to manage with the task manager (long press home button) built into the jg4 firmware update. If that doesn’t suit you just use the back button or be a sheep and go buy an iClone and cop the all the restrictions.

Please forgive my frustration if you are not technically-minded. I tend to assume people on a tech blog like this are savvy but that is not always the case. Sorry noobs :[

Now, to you Samsung, why should we have to fart around with rooting & lag fixes (risking our warranty). I’m expecting the 2.2 update to fix these things. Your hardware is awesome. Cpu gpu combo is unrivalled, let’s fix that ui eh?
- http://louisgale.blogspot.com Xcalibur
  
  Sorry to tell you mate but the 2.2 update does NOT include changes to the file system (lag fix) or any GPS fixes. I know this because we applied the 2.2 update to our test phone and it still has the issues. Sure you can change the TLUS server but at the end of the day, something is wrong with the GPS algorithm. This is what worries me a little about this phone – Samsung have the chance to absolutely dominate the market here and they are just not executing. They have promised a GPS fix ‘sometime September’ but even then we do not know for sure it will be fixed.
  
  You say the lag fix completely fixed your phone but i would be wary of this until you have tested it for quite some time. Many of the threads on XDA and other sites state that the lag fix tends to exhibit slowdown after some extended usage and especially when many apps are open. After all, if you look at what it is doing its not fixing the core problem, but applying a patch over the top of a fairly fundamental flaw in the IO layer. Samsung really need to address this properly and we are not seeing any signs of that happening.
  
  I want to wait until 2.2 is properly released as having full access to the memory and optimisations to the JIT compiler seem to really make a significant difference to the experience, but again, Samsung are dragging their feet on that again. In short, this phone has amazing hardware and is a fantastic phone, but noobs/people expecting an out of the box smooth experience need to be made aware of the issues, not just told sweeping statements like ‘its awesome, way better than the iPhone’ as some have said. I never thoguht i would even consider an iPhone but as i stated above, love it or hate it they have really got the device down to a very slick experience.
TechHead

I hope vha puts the sgs on a good $49 plan for the sake of those people who have waited for them and not caved in to optus like me :[ Ok, we’re back on topic now
croz

Went into the voda store on george st sydney yesterday & was told the SGS will be instore mid next week.
Cheese

On the phone to voda right now – It’s launching today. Check the website.

Apparantly free on 59, 5 dollars on 49.
Simmo

Cheese – not too sure which voda your speaking to but they havent got it yet! Not even on the website!
Cheese

It was up there last night. Apparantly “they were having some trouble” with the website, so it got taken down but “the launch is definately today”

The rep took my email and said she’d email me later today when they had got it sorted and it was back online.

Might be monday at this rate, but certainly it doesn’t sound far away finally.
abhi

Guys I think vha is just playing the waiting game, they won’t be launching the galaxy s till late October. This announcement was just to keep customers from jumping to optus/virgin. Here is a simple explanation as to why i am saying this. For VHA to launch galaxy s they first need to get the phone to all their retailers, which is quite a task and usually takes a minimum of 3-4 weeks to complete. As of now there is not a single 3/Vodafone retailers who is stocking the galaxy s which would mean that even if vha decides to launch the galaxy s today we won’t be getting one for at least a month. I think the guy is previous thread who was saying that it would be launched in October was right. Finally for VHA I have just jumped ships and that too for a good deal the galaxy s on virgin @ 39 for first 12 months and then @ 49 for the rest 12.
- http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
  
  Some stores said they’d have it in by late this week or next week. We’ll certainly find out though.
  - Lakrisi
    
    I was on the phone with Voda customer care today and they said with in 2 weeks probably. but still can’t give us a exact release date. If they gonna overprice this just like Telstra I will be jumping ship too . I got my eyes on Virgin too.
- Lakrisi
  
  how much value and Data you getting for your first 12 months ? Because I know that 2GB Data & $300 cap credits includes on $49 cap. But how is your deal works with having $39 for first 12 months?
  - abhi
    
    I am on the easy cap (not smart cap) since i don’t use that much that, I get $450 of call value and 500MB of data for my entire contract. However if I find that the data is less then I have the option to jump to the $49 Smart cap whenever I want. (A friend of fine who works at Virgin was able to get me the $10 of deal for the first 12 months instead of the $100 joining credit) So far Virgin’s performance has been great.
abhi

……..late next week, two weeks, three weeks, guys they are just trying to stall you. Consider for yourself if the launch is so close what’s stopping them from announcing the launch date. I mean with say apple we knew the launch date over a month ago.
Amos

@Abhi: “So far Virgin’s performance has been great.”

NOW you are talking

I’m very happy with Three’s network, coverage, prices and service (you actually can get things done with a bit of patience over the phone). My concern about moving to Optus or Virgin is is around what I’ll actually get, as opposed to what they advertise.

Then there is the “merger” with VHA, who knows what it will bring?

That’s why for now I’m hanging on with them.
- abhi
  
  The merger will only add free calls to vodafone and somewhat better coverage (actually it already has). In terms of service I have just shifted so i am in no position to say how it is however so far the transition from three to virgin has been quite smooth (like clockwork). I have called the customer care twice so far and didn’t had to wait for too long to be attended to.
  At the end of the what matters is how you use your mobile, i mean i never exceeded by $49 cap on three (i also had a $5 x series package). So even if most of my friends are on three (won’t be for long since they all have taken a shine to my galaxy s) it doesn’t matter, the cap value would cover my calls.
  - Amos
    
    Thanks abhi.
    
    How is the network speed?
    I too not much of a talker. Most of my short calls are to my partner so this should be the main point.
    
    Back when I was with Optus (admittedly over two years ago) on a $29 cap our bills where always twice the cap and data speed was horrendous. As soon as we moved to Three this has stopped – our mobile bill was cut by over half and data speed and coverage, at least were we are, was never a problem.
Dennis

an interesting found……

Samsung
Galaxy S
RRP: $759

http://store.vodafone.com.au/compare-sony-ericsson-xperia-x10-with-samsung-galaxy-s.aspx
- http://ausdroid.net/ Buzz Moody
  
  Incredible find!
abhi

@Amos
The data speed is definitely lower than that at three but for me that is not a concern as i said previously i do not use much data since i am almost always in a wifi zone. As for bills, it is true that vha gives more cap value on equivalent caps but in the end you have to figure out for yourself if your plan would be able to cover all your calls i mean i never went over my cap on three and as things are looking now i don’t think i will exceed my cap on virgin as well.
GS

The galaxy s is coming out on 6 October. Confirmed by a three rep (not store staff) who was luckily in store (in chadstone) when i went in to ask about it.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~lahg/procreate/ Xcalibur

Three have posted the SGS on their site on the $59 cap:

http://shop.three.com.au/mobile-details/Samsung-Galaxy?intcmp=blog:post:samsung-galaxy-s
GS

Well yes it is up on their site buy it is only on pre-order. It says it will take 2 weeks once the order is approved. You know what this means? 2-3 weeks to get the order approved and another 2 weeks to get the handset so oct 6.
Finally

Galaxy S will be in store on 20 Sep. That is the official release date. (You might want to camp outside stores since they will all get limited stocks)