Samsung i5700
Encyclopedia
The Samsung i5700, also known as Samsung Spica, Samsung Galaxy Spica and Samsung Galaxy Portal, is a smartphone
manufactured by Samsung
that uses the open source Android operating system. The phone is referred to as the successor of the Samsung i7500
and sometimes referred as Galaxy Lite. Even though some of its features like the camera resolution, storage and data connection speeds are lower than i7500 its processor clock speed is much higher at 800 MHz. It is succeeded by the Samsung i5800
.
camera, and a digital compass. The i5700 has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and is equipped with DNSe 2.0.
Software-wise, the i5700 offers a suite of Mobile Google services, including Google Search, Gmail
, YouTube
, Google Calendar, and Google Talk. The phone’s GPS enables Google Maps
features such as My Location, Google Latitude
, and Street View
. It also supports MP3
, AAC
(including iTunes
Plus downloads), WMA
audio, and H.264 video. The phone is also capable of playing DivX and Xvid coded content which makes it the first Android phone that supports this feature.
, Asia
and Middle East
. The i5700 is Samsung's second Android-based handset for Europe. The phone was released on December 2009 in Turkey
and is released in Canada
on the Rogers Communications
network. This product is not available in many parts of India.
in the United Kingdom
, have started shipping the phone with 2.1 preloaded.
As of May 2010, phones have started to sell in India
and Indonesia
with the 2.1 update preloaded.
The only official method to update the Spica is via Samsung's PC Studio software and not, unlike others, via OTA
.
It is impossible to update branded phones in this way. Instead, such phones must be updated by an official Samsung partner.
However, for hackers, unsupported methods are available using a combination of third party software and a range of available firmware from Android 1.5 to beta versions of Android 2.3, for example Samdroid and CyanogenMod
.
and various other ROMs. Installing these ROMs also remove all carrier modifications, but does not remove SIM lock. SIM lock, however, can be removed by editing the nvdata.bin file within the /efs partition, but it requires root.
2.3 (Gingerbread)
2.2 (Froyo)
2.1 (Eclair)
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
manufactured by Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
that uses the open source Android operating system. The phone is referred to as the successor of the Samsung i7500
Samsung I7500
The Samsung i7500, known as Samsung Galaxy in some countries, is the first mobile phone manufactured by Samsung that uses the open source Android operating system. It was announced on 27 April 2009...
and sometimes referred as Galaxy Lite. Even though some of its features like the camera resolution, storage and data connection speeds are lower than i7500 its processor clock speed is much higher at 800 MHz. It is succeeded by the Samsung i5800
Samsung i5800
The Samsung Galaxy 3, also known as the Samsung Galaxy Apollo, is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung that runs the open source Android operating system...
.
Features
The i5700 is a 3G smartphone, offering quad-band GSM and announced with two-band HSDPA (900/2100) at 3.6 Mbps. The phone features a 3.2-inch LCD capacitive touch screen, a 3.2 megapixel autofocusAutofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
camera, and a digital compass. The i5700 has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and is equipped with DNSe 2.0.
Software-wise, the i5700 offers a suite of Mobile Google services, including Google Search, Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Google Calendar, and Google Talk. The phone’s GPS enables Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
features such as My Location, Google Latitude
Google Latitude
Google Latitude is a location-aware mobile app developed by Google as a successor to their earlier SMS-based service Dodgeball. Latitude allows a mobile phone user to allow certain people to view their current location. Via their own Google Account, the user's cell phone location is mapped on...
, and Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
. It also supports MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
(including iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Plus downloads), WMA
Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs...
audio, and H.264 video. The phone is also capable of playing DivX and Xvid coded content which makes it the first Android phone that supports this feature.
Availability
The phone is available in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The i5700 is Samsung's second Android-based handset for Europe. The phone was released on December 2009 in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and is released in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on the Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
network. This product is not available in many parts of India.
Operating system upgrade
The Samsung i5700 has received an update to Android 2.1 as of February 2010. Some phone vendors, such as Hutchison 3GHutchison 3G
3 is a brand name under which several UMTS-based mobile phone networks and Broadband Internet Providers are operated in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, have started shipping the phone with 2.1 preloaded.
As of May 2010, phones have started to sell in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
with the 2.1 update preloaded.
The only official method to update the Spica is via Samsung's PC Studio software and not, unlike others, via OTA
Over-the-air programming
Over-the-air programming refers to various methods of distributing new software updates or configuration settings to devices like cellphones and set-top boxes...
.
It is impossible to update branded phones in this way. Instead, such phones must be updated by an official Samsung partner.
However, for hackers, unsupported methods are available using a combination of third party software and a range of available firmware from Android 1.5 to beta versions of Android 2.3, for example Samdroid and CyanogenMod
CyanogenMod
CyanogenMod is an after-market replacement for the firmware of over sixty cell phones and Internet tablets. Based on the Android mobile computer operating system, it offers features and options not found in the official firmware distributed by vendors of these devices.Features supported by...
.
Debranding
The Galaxy Spica can be debranded by rooting and installing custom firmwares into this phone. Such custom firmwares include SamdroidMod, SpicagenMod, CyanogenmodCyanogenMod
CyanogenMod is an after-market replacement for the firmware of over sixty cell phones and Internet tablets. Based on the Android mobile computer operating system, it offers features and options not found in the official firmware distributed by vendors of these devices.Features supported by...
and various other ROMs. Installing these ROMs also remove all carrier modifications, but does not remove SIM lock. SIM lock, however, can be removed by editing the nvdata.bin file within the /efs partition, but it requires root.
Unofficial Firmwares
Unofficial firmwares require the device to be rooted first.2.3 (Gingerbread)
- Android 2.3 Firmware with CyanogenMod Codebase and New Linux 3.0.x Kernel (Development is in progress, unstable)
- Android 2.3 Firmware with AOSP Codebase (Development is stalled, unstable)
2.2 (Froyo)
- Android 2.2 Firmware with CyanogenMod Codebase (Development is in progress, stable)
- Android 2.2 Firmware with AOSP Codebase (Development is stalled, stable)
2.1 (Eclair)
- Android 2.1 Firmware with AOSP Codebase (Development is stalled, stable)