It features a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 4 GB of internal flash memory, a 4-inch (10 centimeters) 480x800 pixel WVGA Super Clear LCD capacitive touchscreen display, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera with a resolution of 2560x1920, and a front-facing 0.3 MP (640x480) VGA camera.

The Samsung Galaxy SL has a 10.16-centimetre (4.00 in) SuperClear LCD touch screen, protected by Gorilla Glass.

The phone uses a different DAC compared to the original Samsung Galaxy S. It uses the Texas Instruments' TWL5030 which is integrated into the OMAP 3630 chipset.

[1] The phone was originally shipped with Android 2.2 Froyo, with Samsung's own proprietary TouchWiz 3.0 user interface.

Samsung also announced that the upcoming "value pack" update is expected to bring performance improvements to the phone, including TouchWiz 4.0, face unlock, etc.