Samsung Galaxy now starring on O2

Not content with the iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre, O2 has now added an Android-powered handset to its roster in the guise of the Samsung Galaxy i7500.

However, unlike those other handsets, the O2 exclusivity period is limited to a mere four weeks.

The Galaxy, the first Android-powered phone from Samsung, looks to leapfrog the HTC Magic and Hero as the Android phone of choice.

In another first for an Android phone, the handset features a 3.2in, 320 x 480 AMOLED screen for brighter and sharper images, while it matches the Hero with a 5-megapixel, video capture capable camera at the rear.

The Galaxy has 8GB of internal memory, while another 32GB can be added via the microSD card slot.

Samsung can also boast that it's the slimmest Android handset on the market, at 11.9mm, compared to 14.35mm for the Hero.

The Galaxy is a full 7.2Mbps HSDPA device, and is also GSM quad-band and it is available from O2 now for free on a 45 a month tariff.

Benny Har-Even is a twenty-year stalwart of technology journalism who is passionate about all areas of the industry, but telecoms and mobile and home entertainment are among his chief interests. He has written for many of the leading tech publications in the UK, such as PC Pro and Wired, and previously held the position of technology editor at ITPro before regularly contributing as a freelancer.

Known affectionately as a ‘geek’ to his friends, his passion has seen him land opportunities to speak about technology on BBC television broadcasts, as well as a number of speaking engagements at industry events.