Samsung's 3G phone offerings have been generally well-accepted. Image from Flickr.
The annual CTIA conference in Las Vegas started today, and as expected, wireless companies have started rolling our their newest products. Just a few hours ago, the big buzz started when Samsung announced its new Galaxy S smartphone – a 1 GHz phone that will run Google’s Android and improved screen technology. The phone’s price has not yet been set, so no need to get a no fax cash advance – yet.
Samsung Galaxy S highlights
During his keynote speech at CTIA, the head of Samsung’s mobile phone division JK Shin announced the Galaxy S phone. One of the biggest improvements of this new phone is the new 4-inch Super AMOLED screen that will be brighter and less reflective. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S phone will features full 1Ghz processor that will be able to handle multiple applications and functions at once. The Galaxy S will also feature:
- 3G wireless support
- 4 megapixel camera
- HD video recording capability
- Global Positioning System capability
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Wi-Fi functionality
- MicroSD support up to 32GB
Software features of the Galaxy S
While the features of the Galaxy S smartphone from Samsung are impressive, it is a list that is quickly becoming standard for smartphones. Instead, Samsung highlighted the software features of the Galaxy S during the CTIA announcement. The Galaxy S will be running Google’s Android operating system, with the “Smart Life” Samsung skinning. There will be a user-defined “daily briefing” as well as location-based search options, integration with other devices, and a Social Hub feature. Most importantly, Samsung is going to try and make use of the new low-power, reduced-glare, brighter AMOLED screen by inking “exclusive content deals” to deliver movies, TV shows, and books directly to the phone.
Watching HD video on your Galaxy S
At the same time Samsung was announcing its Galaxy S smartphone, DivX, a digital media encoding company, announced its partnership with Samsung. DivX is officially certifying two phones – the Samsung Wave and the Samsung Galaxy S as HD video ready. If you are at the CTIA show, DivX and Samsung will be displaying the 720p resolution on the four-inch Galaxy S screen. While being able to purchase and watch full-length movies and videos on a Samsung Galaxy S is an attractive proposition, there are detractors wondering if customers will be willing to spend paycheck loans on films to watch them on a 4-inch screen rather than larger home screens. Either way, it certainly appears that the Galaxy S from Samsung is putting a shot across the bow of other smartphone manufacturers.
Sources:
Reuters
Information Week
Engadget
