Samsung's AnyCall Haptic is out and UI-licious

While Samsung is a perennial innovator when it comes to hardware, software has never been the company's strong suit. Lucky for us, the new TouchWiz UI Samsung is building for its touchscreen phones is a significant step in the right direction, and the new AnyCall Haptic SCH-W420 looks to be the perfect way to show it off. Centered around a 16:9, 3.2-inch screen, the phone includes DMB, a 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth 2.0. Haptic feedback in the form of vibrations help out with the UI, and home screen is customizable with widgets. The feature set seems to be squarely targeted at the consumer, but the price sure ain't -- the phone is launching in Korea starting at 700,000 KRW and ramping up to 800,000 KRW ($700 to $800 US). Video is after the break.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 10:53AM]

This is what happens when you put your iPhone through a mangle!

[Jeff @ Mar 25th 2008 1:38PM]

wtf is a mangle?

[phanbouy @ Mar 25th 2008 1:58PM]

Scottish?

[dBs @ Mar 25th 2008 2:22PM]

@ Jeff

Isnt it a fruit?

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 3:18PM]

Oh boys you've disappointed me, even if your education lets you down then I hoped you would have trundled over to Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine)

Now you can laugh! ;)

[phanbouy @ Mar 25th 2008 3:20PM]

i'll laugh when you post a working link ;P

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 3:26PM]

Fuck!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine)

Is that a promise?

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 3:28PM]

FFS this stupid programme keeps dropping the second parenthesis!

Add that and the link works. Sorry guys...

[fh @ Mar 25th 2008 5:13PM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_%28machine%29

;)

[Eric @ Mar 25th 2008 10:56AM]

Where are all the outcries of "This is the most expensive phone in history!" Huh? Where's the outrage?

BTW, the interface's screenshot looks horrible. You sure they got software figured out?

[Longhorn @ Mar 25th 2008 11:34AM]

It's not the most expensive phone in history. And with typical phone subsidization that goes on over here in Korea, actual price customers will have to cough up would be around 4 to 5 Benjamins. And I've used the phone and the UI is pretty damn sweet. Think Vista Sidebar.

[Eric @ Mar 25th 2008 11:50AM]

Vista sidebar? Oh, like Widgets on a Mac. Can be quite useful.

As for the most expensive phone, I was simply mocking Steve Ballmer. I hope that's okay here.

[phanbouy @ Mar 25th 2008 1:59PM]

Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers!

[Adam @ Mar 25th 2008 10:59AM]

If I can't control it with just waving my hands in the air without having to touch its main display, it's junk to me!

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/11/minority-report-like-interface-gets-demoed-at-cebit/

Integrate that into my phone, and you've got a deal!

[Mark @ Mar 25th 2008 11:09AM]

Why bother with physical controls anymore? Buttons, touchscreen, and hand waving .. who needs it?

I want to control this with pure brain wave power sent via bluetooth.

Hook my brain up to the nodes!

[Adam @ Mar 25th 2008 11:15AM]

hot milf walks by. Brain registers the acronym as whole words.

*phone: Calling Mom.

[fusion @ Mar 25th 2008 11:20AM]

looks so much better than the iphones crappy interface

[clearThumbtack @ Mar 25th 2008 11:22AM]

sarcasm is hard to detect through text ;)

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 11:26AM]

You sound like someone who has actually used one!

As a user of the interface on a daily basis 'crappy' is not one of the words that comes to mind!

[clearThumbtack @ Mar 25th 2008 11:21AM]

I love how many of the cell phone manufacturers (and even customers) made fun of the iPhone form factor, but yet, how many of those companies have released their own handset that follows suit?

[Longhorn @ Mar 25th 2008 11:30AM]

Samsung never made fun of iPhone's interface, they're not copying it.
Motorola never made fun of iPhone's interface, they're not copying it.
LG never made fun of iPhone's interface, they sued Apple for touchscreen design infringement.
Nokia never made fun of iPhone's interface, they're not copying it.
Sony Ericsson never made fun of iPhone's interface, they're not copying it.

None of the major cellphone manufacturers neither made fun of nor copied iPhone's interface. LG came up with the big touchscreen design first, Apple copied it, and so far only Samsung followed suit in making such a device.

iPhone's interface is copied only by Meizu, a Chinese copycat company.
Samsung, Motorola, LG, Nokia and Sony Ericsson sold more phones than Apple since the iPhone's launch.

In short, go home and TFSU, fanboy.

[Longhorn @ Mar 25th 2008 11:32AM]

Shoot. You were talking about the form factor.

But even still, nobody made fun of iPhone's form factor. LG sued them, I don't know what happened there, but nobody made fun of Apple. If anything, Samsung copied LG's Prada and Viewty, just as Apple did with their iPhone.

[Raheem @ Mar 25th 2008 11:34AM]

You ruined it with Yoda l33t sp34k.

[Longhorn @ Mar 25th 2008 11:36AM]

Damnit.

I own an 8GB iPhone, btw, even though it's pretty much just an iPod Touch in Korea. I have a LG Viewty and I love it a hell of a lot more than the iPhone. 5 megapixel camera, 3G, lightweight and a sexy UI? Oh yes.

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 11:41AM]

@ Longhorn

Love the logic! Samsung, Motorola, LG, Nokia and Sony Ericsson have sold more phones because that is their core business and they make more models.

Not a good argument.

[clearThumbtack @ Mar 25th 2008 11:57AM]

@longhorn

Yeah, you pwned yourself there a little bit.

I'm referring to form factor first of all, as you realized after your know it all rant.

I recall a lot of comments about virtual interfaces and how the lack of tactile keyboard would hurt the iPhone. I don't know which companies said it, but I'm sure most of them did their part in iPhone bashing to make their products look better.

And all I am saying is, look at the sheer number of large touchscreen phones coming out now.

Whether you love the iPhone or you hate it, you have to thank Apple for lighting a fire under the manufacturers' asses to make better devices.

At least here in the states, I concidered the cell phone market pretty stagnent before the iPhone. There were no devices here I liked. Now, almost every day we see new devices emerge that at least appeal to me. This is a good thing. Competition fosters engineering.

[Eric @ Mar 25th 2008 11:59AM]

Oh please Longhorn, get your facts straight. LG thought about suing Apple. They never did. The Prada is no iPhone, which came out BEFORE the Prada. In reviews I've seen, the Prada is nothing like the iPhone and not nearly as functional.

Motorola never copied Apple because the CEO said they weren't going to innovate. They like being "boringly predictable." And predictably, he was knocked off the top seat at Motorola. It's yet to be seen if they will copy it.

No phone is like the iPhone (not proof the iPhone is any good, just different). It is unique in how hardware and software interact. Not for you? Fine. But considering its success, to be an anti-iPhone troll puts one in the minority.

So, why don't you take your own advice, and be quiet until you get your facts straight.

[Sam @ Mar 25th 2008 2:20PM]

@Eric
"The Prada is no iPhone, which came out BEFORE the Prada."

How about YOU get your facts straight. Prada phone came out months before iPhone.

[FRZ @ Mar 25th 2008 1:18PM]

@ Sam, the Iphone was shown at the eletronic shows first then the Prada came later out of nowhere in a next show and retailed soon after.

[Surur @ Mar 25th 2008 2:02PM]

@FRZ

LG won the iF Design award for the Prada in September 2006.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/15/the-lg-ke850-touchable-chocolate/

No-one saw the iPhone until January 2007.

Guess who was was watching who, and released a half-finished product 9 months later?

---------------------
LG Electronics says that the iPhone's design was copied from the LG Prada. Woo-Young Kwak, head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, said at a press conference:

“We think that Apple copied the LG Prada phone after it was shown in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006.”[3][4]

LG later claimed that Apple stole both the ideas and concept of the Prada phone. A lawsuit by LG had been rumored prior to this announcement; [3] however, LG has remained silent on whether or not they will file a lawsuit.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Prada

[craig @ Mar 25th 2008 3:58PM]

What manufacturers ridiculed the iPhone form factor? Facts please!

As I recall, only Nokia ridiculed the iPhone, and in their case they only commented on the usefulness of touchscreen.

There's not a great deal of novelty to the iPhone form factor. There have been many touchscreen-only phones prior to the iPhone. Ignoring the LG phone (which most certainly DID come before the iPhone) none were successful.

The lack of tactile feedback does hurt the iPhone. The fact that the iPhone has achieved success is not proof that it has not.

Turn down the fanboyisms a bit, please.

[Mike10010100 @ Mar 25th 2008 10:03PM]

In the evolution of cell phones, companies and manufacturers are realizing that the most effective form for a cell phone to take is to have a full touchscreen so that the keyboard layout can change, and so that they can get the most amount of screen space possible.

Saying that this copied the iPhone's form factor is like saying this to another person:

"Hey! You! How dare you copy my simian ancestry! I'm the only one who can walk on 2 legs! That's it, get back to walking on four legs!"

[BFish @ Mar 25th 2008 11:45AM]

>>Nokia never made fun of iPhone's interface, they're not copying it.

Wrong, Nokia has said to be 'proud to copy' iPhone's UI.
If they get the touchscreen version of s60 out late this year, their model(s) will be out year from now. Not a chance that iPhone has hasn't learned punch of new tricks by then ;)

[Tejas @ Mar 25th 2008 12:11PM]

you mean like... MMS?! or 3G?! umm...

[Jeff @ Mar 25th 2008 1:44PM]

you mean like a removable battery? or floppy-drive? um...

bitch bitch bitch.

[roole @ Mar 25th 2008 12:03PM]

Cluttered-looking UI (granted, that's a subjective view). The metal around the edges does make it look inarguably like a copy of the iPhone. That could be good or bad, depending on your point of view....

[ThePremierAssassin @ Mar 25th 2008 12:14PM]

I wish we could get this in America!

[lane @ Mar 25th 2008 12:16PM]

I didn't know the Dave Matthews Band was that popular in Korea

[chickenator @ Mar 25th 2008 12:21PM]

KIRF!!!

[Jeebus @ Mar 25th 2008 12:25PM]

FLAC?

[hwoarang27 @ Mar 25th 2008 12:34PM]

Capacity, anyone?

[retro77 @ Mar 25th 2008 12:41PM]

Why do all the new devices have to look like an iPhone?

[chuck @ Mar 25th 2008 12:46PM]

Um, since when was samsung an innovator in cell phone hardware? They basically copy every other manufacturer.

[Ameen @ Mar 25th 2008 1:22PM]

I'd love to buy this "innovative" phone, but i'd rather be satisfied with an iPhone..

Reason: Cost!!

I'd buy two of them iPhones rather than of these korean toys.. 1 for me and 1 for me lady ;)

*logs on to Yahoo!*

[Johan S @ Mar 25th 2008 1:41PM]

Why are there so many fools claiming "omg, it looks like the iPhone" when a touchscreen phone comes out.

There aren't many options to change other than size and border frame. The iPhone wasn't the first touchscreen phone. Even if it was, the idea of touchscreen only phone has been floating around on the internet for years. Besides that, PDA and GPS manufacturers for example have had the touchscreen idea for years. Hell maybe they got the iPhone idea because of GPS devices.

And what about the concepts Apple borrowed:

1. Cell phone technology itself
2. Idea of a web browser +phone
3. Idea of camera +phone
4. PDA + phone idea
5. Accelerometer based orientation detection (myOrigo had it)

The main cool thing about the iPhone is the responsiveness and the zooming user interface to the browser. Responsiveness, other phones would have got there eventually. The zooming UI is innovative, but it too builds on work of others. The concept of a zooming user interface has existed for a while, wikipedia it. Apple didnt invent the idea of a zooming UI, they were the first to put it on a phone.

People should not bitch and moan if something may appear to have copied the iPhone. Phones would have gotten there anyway, albeit much slower. And yeah Apple is ahead of the curve in design and technology. But just because they're first in the race doesn't mean others can't cross the finish line second and third place.

[Jeff @ Mar 25th 2008 1:55PM]

oh noes! apple copied everyone else!


...you're missing the point. it's all about integration. it's about the user experience, not the little pieces that contribute towards them. Show me another phone that integrates with the world's #1 online music retailer. Show me another phone with multitouch. how about 8gb or 16gb built-in flash memory for the price (not relying on sd cards etc.) Show me another phone with wifi, with a 3.5" 163ppi screen, with hundreds of 3rd party accessories, that works with audible.com, that has a responsive and intuitive interface, that syncs (well) with macs and pcs, blah blah blah.

You can probably point out a ton of phones that have some of these things (though a few of those things NO other phones (in the US) has...) but can hyou show me a phones that puts all of those things and more together in a nice package?

Apple didn't invent RAM, are you going to bitch about the fact that people like the iMac?

the "main cool thing" isn't zooming or responsiveness, those are components of the experience that make the device a good device. the "main cool thing" isn't a component, it's how all the components fit and work together.

With the best 3rd party accessory market and a strong 3rd party app ecosystem around the corner, the next few years in the mobile industry will be really interesting to watch.

[Jeff @ Mar 25th 2008 1:58PM]

i do agree with you, though, that people bitching that it "copied the iPhone" is a bit pointless. It's worth noting, though, that anything in the form-factor is going to be compared to the iPhone, and rightly so, as it's basically set the bar. To ignore that comparison would be silly.

It's valid to ask "how does this measure up to the iPhone (in use, not just specs)" but it's a bit annoying to just say "iPhone Knockoff! burn it at the stake!"

[mymaclife @ Mar 25th 2008 3:25PM]

@ Johan

I suppose people think it looks like an Iphone because it looks like an Iphone!

[craig @ Mar 25th 2008 4:05PM]

Well, Jeff, I could show you a lot of things that other phones do that the iPhone does not but, so long as you frame the argument in the way you do, who can argue? Who really gives a crap whether their phone integrates with the #1 online music retailer? I sure don't. How are those iPhone games? Oh yeah, there aren't any.

It's nice, though, that you took time away from sucking off Steve Jobs to make such convincing arguments.

...and yes, I do own an iPhone. It's not nearly as glorious as you make it out to be.

[michael @ Mar 25th 2008 6:16PM]

Agreed. In fact, if you really examined it, the iPhone's homescreen is pretty much the same thing as WinMo's Program Launcher. Just with prettier icons.

The only thing I can say that's truly sensational about the iPhone is how it utilizes the internet for mobility. That's one thing that I'm quite glad about. But then again, I'm not so deeply tied to electronics and the internet, or paying extra just to view it on a phone, so that wouldn't be something I want to take in myself. But the use of that still is pretty cool.