If you are in the market for an inexpensive Android device, the Samsung Galaxy Prevail on Boost Mobile at $180 is worth considering. It falls squarely in the mid-range category, so expectations should be set accordingly. Boost Mobile requires a data plan; the unlimited everything (voice, text, data) plan starts at $50/month and drops $5 every six months of active service, bottoming out at $35/month.
Hardware
The Prevail is a light phone at 3.8 oz, which works in its favor for extended holding but contributes to a cheap plastic feel. The all-black design has a metal band around the perimeter. The 3.2-inch 320×480 screen is a low point; text and images don’t come out as sharp as you’d want. Standard sleep/wake button on top, a dedicated camera button on the side (a nice touch given the modest 2-megapixel camera), and four backlit capacitive buttons on the front with decent haptic feedback.
Software
The Prevail runs stock Android 2.2.2, which is a genuine benefit given the modest 800MHz processor and 384MB RAM. A few TouchWiz-influenced elements crept in (the Email icon, a non-stock Calendar app, touch tones), but the experience was largely clean.
The stock keyboard was a significant problem. It frequently registered single taps as double, turning “Hey” into “Hheeyy” before autocorrect stepped in and made things worse. Haptic feedback on the keyboard couldn’t keep up with typing speed, generating vibrations well after each keypress had registered. The cramped 3.2-inch screen made the keyboard feel tiny. Swype was included and worked reasonably well as an alternative.
Performance
Performance was better than expected. Screen transitions had a slight but barely noticeable lag. Angry Birds ran without issues. Apps opened within one to two seconds of tapping. Coming from a high-end Android device, the speed difference is obvious. Coming from a feature phone or low-end Android, this feels like an upgrade.
Battery
Battery life was disappointing given the low-power hardware. About 12 hours under light use and 5 to 6 hours under heavy use, roughly in line with much more powerful phones. A charger nearby is recommended.
Camera
The 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera without face detection produced passable photos when given good lighting and time to compose, but struggled with quick casual shots. Video quality was poor and essentially unusable for anything beyond basic documentation.
Conclusion
The Galaxy Prevail is a solid option at its price point for new Android users, teens, or parents looking for a capable first smartphone. It falls short for power users, heavy texters, long-time Android users, and anyone coming from an iPhone who will notice the speed drop. The keyboard is the single biggest issue, but it’s one that can be addressed with a third-party replacement from the Android Market.
