Name: Galaxy S Advance (I9070)
Brand: Samsung

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Verdict

A smartphone that will never live up to the likes of its older Samsung Galaxy S2 sibling or new Samsung Galaxy S3 overlord, the Samsung Galaxy S Advance does its intended job well, providing a mid-market handset that's more than capable of living up to the former high-end phones coming to the end of their 18 month contracts.

We liked

Comfortable in the hand and zippy under instruction, the Samsung Galaxy S Advance is a strong collaboration of both style and substance, with the sleekly finished handset packing a powerful punch that is backed up by a selection of strong user features and some impressive entertainment options.

With few physical controls or connection ports distracting from the eye-catching finish, the Samsung Galaxy S Advance is a strong contender for the leading mid-market smartphone with the impressive, if far from perfect, camera and video collaboration performing well alongside an operating system and user interface combination that offers a simple, intuitive and pleasant experience from start to finish.

We disliked

Despite offering a smooth flowing user experience, the adaptation of the original Samsung Galaxy S fails to set the world alight on any front, with the Android 2.3 Gingerbread and TouchWiz combination pairing for the umpteenth time to create a handset that fails to distinguish itself from its near countless similarly branded counterparts.

With a web browser that struggles to come close to the experiences offered by a number of rival handsets, venturing online with the Samsung Galaxy S Advance will see you face an infuriating collection of niggling issues that detract from the phone's usually sleek interface.

Final verdict

Entering an area of the market filled with competition, the Samsung Galaxy S Advance sets itself apart on a hardware front more than on the software side of things.

Relatively samey to phones that have preceded it, the handset's saving grace is one that is hard to argue with - a £330/$330 price that will have your wallets as happy as you are with your latest smartphone that will last you until the Samsung Galaxy S3 becomes old hat.