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The Phone

The Samsung Galaxy S Captivate, available exclusively from Rogers in Canada, is the attractive version of the Galaxy S Vibrant from Bell and the Galaxy S Fascinate 3G+ from Telus. That isn’t to say the latter two are ugly, but that the Captivate is just that much nicer.

The specs remain the same:

-800x480px 4″ Super AMOLED capacitive display

-1Ghz Hummingbird processor

-512MB RAM, 16GB internal storage

-WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth

-5MP camera/720p-capable video recording

All told, the phone has specs to write home about, but does the hardware keep up? For the first time I can say, categorically, YES! The phone is slim, but the metal backing feels solid. The phone is comfortable in the hand, in spite of its size, and even with Android 2.1, the performance is buttery smooth.

The only real downsides to the phone, which coincide with the criticisms I had of the Galaxy S Vibrant, are the battery life, which suffers due to the 4″ screen, and the lack of a camera flash, which hampers its ability to take pictures in low-light situations. Besides that, I am extremely happy with the Captivate, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a high-end Android phone.

The Cases

Otterbox has made its reputation by creating some of the best cases on the market. We have reviewed several of them, from the BlackBerry Torch, to the iPhone 4, to the Nexus One. They are well-designed and keep your device safe from most forms of gravity-based harm.

The Impact case is the less intrusive of the series, but provides a good amount of protection without adding any bulk to speak of. It is a single piece of silicone that slides over the phone. The case gives a nice rubbery grip, easy access to all the ports and buttons, and protects it from falls.

The Commuter is a two-piece design that is a little more substantial, combining the soft silicone with a hard plastic shell. Combined, the phone is still light enough and slim enough to pretend you aren’t wearing anything at all, though the plastic shell does impinge on the sides of the screen a little, so you’ll have to be careful when typing, since you may hit the case instead of the desired key.

Because the Captivate is slim, any size increase added by the Otterbox cases is negligible. Take a look at the video to see for yourself. These cases are durable, well-made and the best you’ll find for the Captivate, period.

They are available from Otterbox for $19.95 and $34.95 respectively, and both come with a screen protector.

The Contest

Up for grabs are two Impact case from Otterbox! This includes the box, case and screen protector kit!

To win, follow us on Twitter and leave a comment on the post below. Please specify which country you are in. There will be one winner in Canada and another in the US. Fans from other countries, for legal reasons, are not eligible to win, sorry!

The winners will be chosen at random, and the contest closes Friday, December 3rd. Good luck to all that enter!

Thanks to Rogers for the Captivate to review, and to Otterbox for providing the cases for the giveaway!