Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G Pro Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G mostly succeeds. It is a solid little phone that gets nearly every feature right. The hardware, though somewhat thick, is solid and easy to use. I wish the display were better (and bigger, for that matter), but it really is a good phone for the price. The Admire passes the signal, calling, and battery tests with above-average marks for a MetroPCS device. The only significant flaw I can find is the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system. It’s old and outdated. Google offers a much-improved version of Android, you just won’t find it here. Android 2.3 works, no doubt, but even pre-paid smartphone customers deserve a more capable platform. That said, the software the Admire has performs just fine. For those with a limited budget, the Admire offers a lot for its $170 price tag. Such a phone can't deliver everything, but the Admire 4G comes pretty close.

The Samsung Galaxy Admire would have made a good low-cost smartphone in 2011—but it's now 2013.

The Galaxy Admire 4G is the best Android 2.3 handset in MetroPCS' $100 lineup. That is saying something, since the carrier has several of these devices. It's even better than some Android 4.0 phones too; for example, it beats the ZTE Avid 4G because the display is much more responsive and the processor makes it run more smoothly. However, what will trump all these choices is the upcoming LG Motion 4G (and you can consider the LG Optimus M+ for its better camera, though it costs $30 more than the Admire 4G). Don't let the Motion 4G's summer release date put you off -- not only does it run Android 4.0, it also has a 5-megapixel camera and a dual-core processor, and it's $50 cheaper.