Samsung Galaxy S i9001 Plus preview: First look

Samsung Galaxy S Plus I9001 360-degree spin

At 119 g, the Galaxy S Plus has the same friendly weight of the original – to disprove initial reports, the handset has no metal on the body.

Design and construction

The Galaxy S Plus is exactly the same dimensions as the original Galaxy S, down to the slim waistline of just 9.9 mm and the weight of 119 g. It’s not a small phone by any means but it’s really fine for a 4-incher.

Still, it remains perfectly manageable and pocket friendly. The handset is slim enough to allow easy single-hand operation.

Spot the differences: Samsung I9001 Galaxy S Plus and the original Galaxy S

Design-wise, it’s a flashback from last year – a replica head to toe, save for minor details like the back panel pattern and the lighter-colored trim around the display.

The Galaxy S Plus copies the design of the Galaxy S

The phone uses the same SuperAMOLED WVGA (800 x 480) display. You get to enjoy excellent viewing angles and great contrast on a 4” diagonal. The downside is it’s based on the old PenTile matrix with fewer subpixels than the updated SuperAMOLED Plus screens.

It’s still a SAMOLED unit we’re talking about here, so image quality and viewing angles are top-notch nonetheless.

The same SuperAMOLED display as the original Galaxy S

The layout of controls is the same too. The Power/Lock button is on the right-hand side. On the left you’ll only find the volume rocker.

The top features the 3.5 mm headset jack and the MicroUSB port, protected by a sliding cover.

Right side of the phone • Left side of the phone • Bottom of the phone • Topside

The back panel looks darker and omits the “with Google” logo. It has the same kind of fake holographic finish: smooth on the outside but underneath the see-thru layer there’s a different pattern used. Overall, it looks better than the original.

The battery is a 1650 MAh Li-Ion unit – higher capacity than in the original Galaxy S. A higher-clocked CPU uses more power and a bigger battery makes sense. We’re yet to see though whether the new model will be able to match the standby and talks times of the original Galaxy S.

The back panel and 1650 MAh Li-Ion battery

At the back you’ll also find the 5 MP camera lens and the loudspeaker grill. There’s no camera flash much like on the original.

The Galaxy S Plus held in hand

The all-plastic build is nothing to be excited about. One thing to note perhaps is that fingerprints are less of an issue in the new edition. The design allows comfortable handling and the styling is clean and uncluttered.