Right on cue, Boost Mobile launched its first CDMA Android device today, the Samsung Galaxy Prevail. As we previously reported, this low-end smartphone features a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth and GPS. The Prevail runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), and comes preloaded with a slew of apps you may or may not have any interest in, including SCVNGR, Poynt, Twidroyd, Facebook, Hookt, ThinkFree Office, and YouTube. It's expected to be available in "late April" for $180 with a 2GB microSD card, which equates to a song when you consider how much a typical smartphone runs you off-contract. There's no word yet on details such as WiFi support, screen resolution and CPU type or speed, but we've got a hands-on of the unit coming right up. Until then, you'll find the press release after the break.
Update: We were able to catch a bit of hands-on time with the Prevail down in NYC tonight, and it's safe to say that it feels lightweight in the hand, especially compared to the original Motorola Droid, which we happened to be carrying. It's reminiscent of another featherweight phone of yore: the HTC Droid Eris. Even after just a few minutes of poking around, we noticed a pinch of lag in the touchscreen operation. There were times when it responded smoothly to swipes and taps, and other times the screen stuttered as we tried to flick through webpages. Even the pre-loaded Swype keyboard felt more cumbersome to use than it has on other phones, registering nothing as we drew imaginary lines between the letters. Then again, this is a low-end smartphone that comes with dirt-cheap data and a no-strings-attached attitude.
Update 2: While there's strangely no mention of it in the press release, we've confirmed that the Prevail supports WiFi.
[Thanks, Stephen]
Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
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