Objectively, I would also recommend you playing with both versions a few times and maybe visiting android centrals forum to get an idea from users there about the differences along with other comparison sites (cnet to name another). No matter what device you get at first the battery life is going to be a con because the device triggers allot of initial activity that will drain the battery. (we can help but play with them) However this may ease up with a little time and changes in your own usage and how you have the devices set up.
As far as the Fascinate, its a fast device. the screen is very vivid and most of us were sold on this screen. Up against any of the iphones, droids, LG's, the Atrix, this screen just cannot be beat. The camera features are very nice even with a 5mp camera. The MP is not that large of a factor. VZW and Samsung have provided the support I have needed so far with the device. They have not been great with getting the update to Froyo done just yet but if you want this, you can get it and I hear it makes this phone simply even more amazing. Coming to this forum to get advice on this device is basically going to turn you off because all these folks are going to spend their time whining about the lack of the Froyo update. However valid a point they may feel it is, Some of us would not agree 100%.
The screen is very responsive to touch. My battery usage is typical of a day so I have a home charger, one for work and one for my car but I had that same amount of chargers for my blackberry. Just a habit for me because unexpected things just happen. The user interface is Touchwiz, which is OK but you can go to the market and download others like ADW launcher or launcher pro and changes things up a little to personalize the device. My call clarity is great. Not on the first device as it had a noticeable issue with the speaker to those I called but my end was always crystal clear. VZW handled it and tech support was helpful and the device was replace with a new one immediately and I never had another issue. There have been a few times the screen has locked up but not many and never long enough to cause serious concerns to me in particular. video viewing is nice. Screen size and color saturation are great and I get no grainy pictures. If you are a gamer, I'd recommend you wait to go for a dual core device like the Thunderbolt I believe and I think this is preferred by many that are heavy gamers. Otherwise this device is really nice. It's slim and with an assortment of case you can beef up protection of it with say an otterbox case. Blue tooth connects so simply it is ridiculous. I personally like my device and the operating system was not the reason I bought is nor a promised update. I just like the power and operation of the device. Never had any issues with my Samsung products. Good luck and take your time checking out the devices so YOU know what makes or breaks the deal for you. Don't base your decision on a group of whiners who do not have a clear interest in helping you with a usage based reply.
