Samsung Galaxy Portal i5700 early review: There is no Android

Samsung is doing the Wave all over Barcelona to talk about its new Bada phone platform, but we're more excited about the pure Android pleasure of the Samsung Galaxy Portal i5700.

Like the Samsung Galaxy i7500, the Portal offers a solid, unadulterated taste of smart-phone goodness by sporting an untouched version of Android. That means you get all the latest Android features without it being sullied by Samsung's somewhat fiddly TouchWiz user interface.

The Portal has a faster processor than the Galaxy, but keeps its dubious button design, with a hideous five-way function button where the trackball should be.

T-Mobile will be offering the Portal in an exclusive black edition, from free on a £20-a-month contract. Other networks have yet to announce availability. Click 'Continue' to take a trip through the Portal.

Update: In a previous version of this story, we said that like the Galaxy i7500, the Galaxy Portal has an AMOLED screen and runs Android. We saw a US version of the phone in Barcelona, however, and Samsung has confirmed that the UK Galaxy Portal has a TFT screen and runs Android 1.5.