Samsung's mighty INNOV8 sk8s through FCC with US-friendly 3G

Seeing how it's the end of the year, it's as good a time as any to formulate a list of 2008's killer smartphones -- and with an 8-megapixel cam rounding out a what's-what list of awesome specs, the S60-based Samsung INNOV8 really needs to makes the cut. In fact, it's so hardcore -- arguably the most powerful S60 phone ever released -- that it seemed like a forgone conclusion from day one that we wouldn't be seeing it in North America (yeah, we're jaded like that). Samsung might have other ideas, though, now that we've seen a version of the INNOV8 garner FCC approval with WCDMA (presumably 7.2Mbps HSDPA, to be specific) on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. Given that Samsung's mobile division doesn't really have a direct relationship with end users in the States, we'd expect this to be a branded set for either Rogers or AT&T -- but at any rate, whichever carrier it happens to be, we salute your infinite wisdom.

[Via Symbian-Guru]

[temitayo @ Dec 29th 2008 6:15AM]

First?

[Mark Anderson @ Dec 29th 2008 6:56AM]

First against the wall when the revolution comes more like.

[loosely_coupled @ Dec 29th 2008 8:26PM]

Most powerful ever released? Um... Do you mean "powerful" as in decent camera?? the processor sucks, only has 50MB ram, low res display, etc..

[Adderz @ Dec 29th 2008 6:17AM]

Reminds me of a Nokia (and not just the S60 interface)

This phone might be "so hardcore" now...but give it a couple of months and you'll see 5 similar handsets from Samsung with only slight differences.

Samsung make some great phones, but they dilute their product range so much, no one phone has the chance to win over peoples hearts because its replaced so quickly...the Omnia is a perfect example.

[eggothewaffle @ Dec 29th 2008 6:33AM]

Everyone dilutes their product ranges these days though :'[

And if it's not dilution, it's feature creep :despair:

[Pdexter @ Dec 29th 2008 7:19AM]

It is not big of a suprise a this is meant to be direct competitor for Nokia that has had this position covered for years. Thought seems they havent pulled it off as of yet. Mostly because INNOV8 dosent have the best reception around and Nokias S60 apps dont of course work with it + the price is pretty heavy compared N82, N85, N79 or not to even talk about the dirt cheap N95(8GB). Thankfully it did stop the N96s already weak sales. That phone needs to die.

[KilgoreTrout @ Dec 29th 2008 7:47AM]

The Omnia is a perfect exemple of a perfect phone (after some tweaks and downloads) I had it for about a month before passing it to my better half to get a newly released (in my frigid kingdom at least) HTC touch HD, but I often miss the Omnia ease of use, the genial mini mousepad, and this magic software called touch whiz, that apparently managed to achieve the impossible task of making win mobile finger friendly, fast and fun to use, something HTC's Touch flo hasn't yet managed.

[Mark Anderson @ Dec 29th 2008 2:14PM]

I have an Omnia and it's excellent. Mind you, the first few ROMs were a bit iffy although, unlike other phones, the tech blogs don't seem to keen on reporting the improvements new ROM updates bring.

Go figure.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 29th 2008 7:03AM]

Hey finally you Americans get an awesome phone around the same time we do! (iPhone and Berrys excepted, of course)

I think Engadget should become Samsung fanboys now. :P

[Phantom_Lord @ Dec 29th 2008 7:11AM]

Nokiish? Very Nokia style...

Typisch Samsung.

[CJ @ Dec 29th 2008 9:10AM]

Considering it use S60 (which is made by, and licensed by, Nokia) I'm not suprised it's 'nokish'.

[G @ Dec 29th 2008 7:18AM]

This is what the Nokia N96 should have been like. It looks like an awesome phone.

[Patriks7 @ Dec 29th 2008 7:31AM]

Thats actually a really sexy phone :$

[errollw @ Dec 29th 2008 7:35AM]

This is the phone I'm currently using. Powerful? Maybe, but I still wish I had my good old N95 black back :( Samsung are on the right track with S60 but they've gotta get their act together.

[Aroks @ Dec 29th 2008 8:04AM]

As you mentioned N95 i wonder why Engadget has not mentioned that Nokia have sold over 15 million of them while every other million iphone have sold is news worthy here.

[KilgoreTrout @ Dec 29th 2008 8:09AM]

Get their act together? What the hell is this supposed to mean?
Samsung is currently selling the best smartphone ever produced , the Omnia, (yes the lack of voice dialing/voice tags is unexcusable, but a fixable bug with some tweaks&downloads),
and now Samsung seems to have beaten Nokia at their own game.
Until last summer I had a N95-8gb and before that an N95, they were fantastic phones, but by the time I got rid of my trusty 8GB they were undoubtly getting long in the tooth and if compared to the Omnia they look like grandpa's phone. Besides what really drove me away from Nokia was the ridicolous, buggy and bloated Nsuite sync'ing software.
Maybe the coming N97 will force me to eat my own words (and to crawl back to Nokia and S60) but at the moment the best phone for Nokia's aficionados is made by Samsung.

[Aaron @ Dec 29th 2008 8:29AM]

It's a great phone, but it's not quite the best smartphone ever made...

[S. Huber @ Dec 29th 2008 8:19AM]

Hopefully it will actually work. Unlike the their Instinct

[Maciek @ Dec 29th 2008 9:29AM]

And I'll care once I'm going to see a post that will say "FCC Approves AWS version of Samsung / Nokia S60 phone.

[Fernando @ Dec 29th 2008 1:06PM]

lol!

[Shugg @ Dec 29th 2008 12:35PM]

wow,finally, so is this the "iphonekiller"??
When will they have a cell that can clearly kill the iPhone?Iphone was introduced in jan of 2007 n here we are 2 years later still looking,.

[Argot @ Dec 29th 2008 12:46PM]

The iPhone is a piece of crap that was dead on arrival.

[Shugg @ Dec 29th 2008 12:59PM]

@argot,.am I reading this right or is argot saying that iPhone was dead n crap on arrival when launched,.ok I'm reading it right. Either this guy credit too f'd up that they asked for too much deposit to get iPhone or he just a broke a$$ Mofo that can't fork out $99 for the revolutionary iPhone,.the most dominant touchscreen cell since June of 07.,most sought after n the biggest movement ,buzz 1 cell has ever created. Bro I've used or owned storm instinct voyager g1 omnia dare nokia n95 n they all fall short someway or another,.

[Mulbury @ Dec 30th 2008 2:24AM]

@Shugg

They all fall short? What like the iPhone falls short with it's pathertic camera and pathetic bluetooth?

[jamdog30 @ Dec 29th 2008 1:45PM]

I have this phone and its software is atrocious compared to my n95, even the superb 8 mpex camera does not work properly, dlna does not work, video record is out of sync and the video cant be played on most pc software. The phone itself is beautiful to use, texting is awesome, internet use is a dream.

[Almighty- @ Dec 29th 2008 7:01PM]

Got that Phone yesterday and I love it!