The Samsung Galaxy S is an app-fan's phone, fit for business or social use. In my Samsung Galaxy S review, I'll take you through usability, design, features and mac synchronisation.

It's a phone tinkerers dream, you can download, test drive and delete apps easily using the provided external SD Card or the on board SD memory.

If you're like me, you'll love the challenge of trying to push it to its limits - grabbing as many apps as you can from the web dumping them on the SD card, trying to customise as much of the UI as you possibly can without breaking anything.

I got to test drive one for a week, and now that I've returned it I'm already trying to get another fix.

Galaxy S I9000 Design

The phone is very light for its category, and the softened edges make it the ultimate man-phone, it doesn't get jammed against keys in your pocket nor does it get caught against your pocket's seam. It might sound trivial but in a rush to get your phone for that all important business call you do not want to have to contemplate performing your own shake down to get the call.

The shape harks back to the early era of mobile phone design in that it feels great in the palm of your hand - and like Naoto Fukasawa envisioned mobile phones might, it encourages you to run your fingers across the edges like you might rosary beads.

I had a anthracite model which looked great, but I have to say the "Google" logo on the back made it - I prefer knowing that beneath the hood is an OS which I can hack to bits, customise how I like and therefore create a bespoke user experience even if it takes a little leg work.

My only concern is that with my clumsy oafish hands I drop phones often. I mean often. The hardened plastic cover made me a little concerned that after a battle with Vince's paws it would come off bruised - and therefore I've had to knock one point off from a near perfect score.

Galaxy S I9000 Features

The default camera, the Samsung UI and the google integrated account management is awesome. I had four of my google mail accounts synchronised within the first ten minutes of picking up the phone and was downloading new apps via the Android App market after a half hour.

The 5 megapixel camera with touch-focus is perfect for Twitter, and for snapping pics for me neglected blog. Additionally, I was surprised to find myself recording video for the first time since owning a device that could take video. I think the fact that I could grab the data off of the phone via USB instead of via software on my Mac made me more inclined to do so.

The default music player is unfortunately the only let down on feature front. I quickly replaced it with the much more capable Double Twist music player - and was therefore able to synchronise the phone with Mac.

As for the swype technology used to input messages on the phone, well you've got to test it to really believe it. I let a friend of mine test drive the phone and his face when he discovered swype was priceless - it was if he'd been told to step into the DeLorean and hit 2020.

Galaxy S I9000 Usability

I'm hard pressed not to give the Galax a 5/5 for usability. The phone's logic cannot be faulted e.g. the touch interface and the shortcuts are "obvious" a mark of great design - reduce complexity and stress function above all else, Dieter Rams would be so proud of me for saying that...

I digress.

The notification drop down, which sits at the top of the screen and which you pull down rocks. I find myself, having returned to my phone, instinctively looking for the feature - a sure sign that it's feature of the phone I most used. You're alerted to battery status, hints on battery saving techniques, unread messages, mail and for those apps who make use of it, app status updates e.g. Twitter notifications.

I'm an Apple Mac user, and I think my greatest concern around usability is that I wasn't able to immediately synch my mac life with my Android device. I download podcasts, have a calendar which not even the most logical amongst us could hope to make sense of, and get a mail a minute - I really, really need the device to shake hands with my Mac and it's not quite there yet.