Samsung Captivate: Week 1.

I'm becoming a Samsung/Android fan. The Captivate is easily the best AT&T phone I've ever had. But honestly, that's not saying much as I don't change phones very often. And I've hated the AT&T branded phones so much, that I would pay extra for an unlocked phone. The Captivate has grown on me. I'm not much of a multimedia guy, but I do use several social media apps: Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare. I also like being able to take pictures in a pinch. The Captivate is up to the task.

The phone is snappy between menus, doesn't seem to lack processor speed. (A disclaimer is that I don't require a lot of multitasking.) I like the Android keyboard, with predictive text. I've never liked predictive text before, but it works with a touchscreen. The camera has a ton of options and is very adjustable. A nice and wide lens.

The downsides: I don't like the camera layout. The zoom is on the bottom, and my left hand fingers are always over the lens. It's not a one-hand use camera, as the shutter button is on the touchscreen. So, the one-arm outstretched, self portrait is tough. I'm also losing the volume settings for the ringer and system volume. I think it's from using the task manager to kill background running programs. But I just haven't figured this out yet. Speakers sound a bit tinny, especially at the high volumes I run the speakerphone. GPS takes forever to connect.

The upsides: The apps I use have more functionality than the last phone I had. (Nokia N95) I'm using Foursquare more now, since it's simpler to check-in. The customizable widgets are great. I loaded a movie onto the phone and it looks great. (Haven't experienced the pseudo-5.1 surround with headphones yet). Battery life seems better than that first day. But I'm still getting a charger for work, home & car. A big plus is the Google Navigation. It's worth the long satellite link-up, as there is spoken word streets and accurate aerial view for turns and merges. It's worth it, since the app and service is free.

The pending: There's a OS update that should be coming in September. Supposed to add flash support to the browser. That would put me over the top as far as recommending the phone. Also, Samsung has their own "Media Center" which may be a plus. Right now the Android store is good emough for me. I'm only scratching the surface with so many apps out there waiting to be used/tested.

I don't regret buying this phone.