Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android, dreams

Anticipated for months, Samsung's first Android phone is finally a (paper) reality after being flushed through the rumor mill just hours ago. Launching "in major European countries from June," the 11.9-mm slim quad-band GSM, tri-band 7.2Mbps HSDPA (900/1700/2100MHz) candybar packs a 3.2-inch, 320 x 480 pixel AMOLED touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, 5 megapixel camera with Power LED, 1,500mAh battery, 8GB of storage (plus MicroSD expansion for up to 32GB more), and a standard 3.5mm heasdset jack. Step aside HTC, you had your chance, let's all welcome Samsung to the Android party. Another picture and full press release after the break.

P.S. Although no US announcements have been made, that 1700MHz HSPA frequency could make T-Mobile USA customers very happy.

April 27, 2009, Seoul, Korea - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today unveiled the I7500, its first Android-powered mobile phone. With a launch of I7500, Samsung became the first company among the global top three mobile phone manufacturers to unveil an Android-powered phone.

"Samsung is among the earliest members of the Open Handset Alliance and has been actively moving forward to introduce the most innovative Android mobile phone," said JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communication Division in Samsung Electronics. "With Samsung's accumulated technology leadership in mobile phone industry and our consistent strategy to support every existing operating system, I believe that Samsung provides the better choices and benefits to our consumers" he added.

The Samsung I7500 is a cutting-edge smartphone, featuring a 3.2" AMOLED full touch screen and 7.2Mbps HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, giving users access to Google™ Mobile services and full web browsing at blazing speeds.

The Samsung I7500 offers users access to the full suite of Google services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Calendar™, and Google Talk™. The integrated GPS receiver enables the comprehensive use of Google Maps features, such as My Location, Google Latitude, Street View, local search and detailed route description. Hundreds of other applications are available in Android Market. For example, the application Wikitude, a mobile travel guide, allows consumers to access details of unknown sights via location-based Wikipedia articles.

Based on Samsung's proven product leadership, Samsung I7500 comes with latest multimedia features. The large and vivid 3.2"AMOLED display ensures the brilliant representation of multimedia content and enjoyable full touch mobile experience. Along with supporting a 5-megapixel camera and various multimedia codec formats, the I7500 also provides a long enough battery life (1500mAh) and generous memory capacity up to 40GB (Internal memory: 8GB, External memory: Up to 32GB) to enjoy all the applications and multimedia content. The phone also boasts its slim and compact design with mere 11.9mm thickness.

The Samsung I7500 will be available in major European countries from June, 2009.

HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps (900 / 1700/ 2100MHz)
EDGE / GPRS (850/ 900/1800/1900)
OS
Android
Display
3.2" HVGA(320x480) AMOLED
Camera
5 MP Camera (Auto Focus), Power LED
Video / Audio
Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA, RA
Value Added
Features
Full Web Browser Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Android Market
Connectivity
Bluetooth® 2.0, USB 2.0, WiFi, MicroUSB, 3.5mm ear jack
Memory
Internal memory: 8GB
External memory: Micro SD (Up to 32GB)
Battery
1500 mAh
Size
115 x 56 x 11.9mm

* Google, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Talk are trademarks of Google Inc.

[ChazClout @ Apr 27th 2009 5:53AM]

At last, a nice looking Android handset!

[SimbaDogg @ Apr 27th 2009 8:16AM]

yeah...but too bad it doesn't have a physical keyboard. i'm seriously addicted to it, i've yet to meet a phone where i can 'no look' type with using a virtual keyboard and not making that many mistakes.

on a side note, anyone familiar w/ AMOLED displays and what the benefit is with active matrix. i wiki'd it last nite but they just explain the tech, not really the benefits over a typical TFT display.

[SimbaDogg @ Apr 27th 2009 8:19AM]

wow...i guess this shows how lady i was last nite, didn't even finished readings it:
Advantages

AMOLED displays fabricated on flexible plastic substrates have the following advantages:

* Very thin and lighter weight
* Greatly minimized propensity for breakage
* Lower-power, highly rugged with superior image quality, and low cost compared to the current LCD displays
* Due to their inherent ruggedness, allow a unique form factor of conformability and rollability during use, transportation and storage

Disadvantages

The display is very difficult to view in sunlight.

[Shinigami @ Apr 27th 2009 8:33AM]

Damn! And I was about to buy myself a new phone! Will have to wait till June...

[CrazyAzn23 @ Apr 27th 2009 10:34AM]

What, no ugly chin?...... Dang it!!!

[loosely_coupled @ Apr 27th 2009 7:37PM]

Yeah, except it is not being launched in America -- at least initially.

[Information Central @ Apr 28th 2009 5:45AM]

Does it have a headphone jack?

If not, we have another HTC-style blunder and failure.

[Mavoric @ Apr 28th 2009 8:13AM]

cnet are reporting that there will be a 3.5mm socket
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49302111,00.htm

[Mavoric @ Apr 28th 2009 8:15AM]

cnet are reporting it will have a 3.5mm socket!
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49302111,00.htm

[Suomaa @ Apr 27th 2009 5:55AM]

If it has built in radio then it is really nice device.

[Unknown @ Apr 27th 2009 6:56AM]

It wouldn't be much of a phone if it didn't include some kind of radio ;)

[Andir3.0 @ Apr 27th 2009 7:06AM]

I think he was talking about an FM radio. ;)

[Suomaa @ Apr 27th 2009 7:36AM]

Isn't it quite obvious? ;)

[Sam @ Apr 27th 2009 8:54AM]

FM?! what age do we live in? internet radio! fm is so 20th century

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Apr 27th 2009 5:48PM]

I was going to say that FM is for listening to TV at the gym. But listening to music at the gym is much better.

[Information Central @ Apr 28th 2009 6:04AM]

Not without a headphone jack.

[TheWakeUpCall @ May 9th 2009 8:29PM]

"FM?! what age do we live in? internet radio! fm is so 20th century"

... FM radio is a tried and tested radio format. Internet radio is absolutely unnecessary if the stations you want are in FM.

DAB radio would be nice to put in phones, but they'll never do it.

[PoisonWolf @ Apr 27th 2009 5:57AM]

Hmm, I think I may just hold off on getting a Touch HD then...

[MobileGeek @ Apr 27th 2009 8:00AM]

I wish I could, but I do alot of work on my phone (full exchange support, activesync, document editing) are all important for a business users and android just started doing document editing and supports parts of exchange. I know it will work out in time, until then I am stuck with WM 6.1, thank god the good folks at XDAdev do so much for HTC! htc HD does a great job of making a phone a tool and a toy :-D

[Paul williams @ May 12th 2009 7:33AM]

Finally a Android phone with 5 mega pixel & led FLASH thank you, good by HTC, you had Android all to your self & you missed your opportunity, why buy a HTC magic with a 3.2 mega pixel camera & no flash???

[Nick @ Apr 27th 2009 7:06AM]

Maybe some people don't think the camera is that important, unlike you. Your suggestion that HTC has done it completely wrong by not adding a better camera is absolute rubbish. Besides, judging a camera by the ammount of megapixels it has is the most stupid thing to do. The 3,2MP might as well be better than a 5MP on most phones, as factors like the lens, the ammount of optical zoom and much more TOGETHER with the ammount of megapixels decide the quality of the camera.

[Paul @ Apr 27th 2009 7:15AM]

Every knows that megapixels don’t really matter after 3.2 but having a flash (even if it is led) does matter that’s what’s wrong with HTC I would be happy to have a 32 megapixel with a Flash although 5 megapixel with Flash is a lot better especially if you zoom in which is a digital zoom.

[000000 @ Apr 27th 2009 9:14AM]

I think the biggest advantage Samsung has over HTC is the 3.5 jack. WTF is wrong with HTC including it in some devices(Treo Pro, Touch HD) but not others(Diamond 2, G1)?

[Gnormie @ Apr 27th 2009 10:59AM]

@ Nick
HTC didn't get it wrong because of the camera, they got it wrong because generally the handset was cheap and plasticy, exclusing of a 3.5mm jack and on top of that a pretty basic camera.

Samsung has all their bases covered and i can't wait for this phone now :)

[Jeremy @ Apr 27th 2009 12:21PM]

You're right. The camera in my G1 is the most useless piece of shit because of the lack of flash. My last 2 phones were HTC and i'm tired of the horrid battery life and crappy cameras they put into their phones.

I'll be standing in line with cash in hand if and when this Samsung comes to Tmobile. Judging by the 3G frequencies, it has a pretty good chance of making it to Tmo US.

[Information Central @ Apr 28th 2009 6:11AM]

Megapixels? Come on! The resolution doesn't make any damned difference when the images are a mass of NOISE. Noise is the primary issue with all of these cameras, and in fact with ANY digital camera. A clean 3-megapixel image would handily kick the ass of any 5-megapixel image of the quality that typically comes from any phone.

Stop clamoring for more marketing bullshit and demand real QUALITY improvements. Next thing you'll be asking for is "20X zoom!"

[Daza @ Apr 29th 2009 8:31AM]

Fair enough the 3.2MP vs 5MP argument is pointless, but Samsung have lot more experience with digital cameras than their competitors do. They make their own digicams and produce practically all of the components excluding the lens which is done by a 3rd party (Schneiderk Kreuznach). Samsung were also one of the first (if not, the first) company to cram a 3x optical zoom in a mobile phone camera.

So, I'd still take Samsung over the HTC any day. The LED flash alone is a winner, they double as a very handy (and bright) torch on the go.

[L @ Apr 27th 2009 6:01AM]

And another bland/generic looking Android device...at least this one gets the basics right.

[sockatume @ Apr 27th 2009 7:36AM]

I know, a phone which is just a big metal slab with a screen on the front and a couple of buttons? Who the heck would be stupid enough to design a phone that way. It should have some chase lights and tassles.

[L @ Apr 27th 2009 7:49AM]

Oh, sarcasm. Bravo, sir!

There's something in between bland and gaudy LED nightmare, you know?

[KarlW @ Apr 27th 2009 9:28AM]

Well, this phone's more important than that: it's really the start of Android. Until now, it's only been on one device on one carrier. Now it can really expand and start eating in to WinMo's market share.

That said, I really wish this one had a QWERTY keyboard. I'm looking for a good phone with a large proper keyboard: the Pre's keyboard looks pathetic and annoying (I'll have to try it to be sure though), and the G1 just feels like dated technology and doesn't have a 3.5mm jack.

My iPhone contract is coming up for a renewal and I'd like a new handset if possible. The new iPhone isn't likely to change much, so I can keep my 3G for any iPhone needs. I'd like a new handset, and I'm curious about Android. This handset, without a keyboard, just isn't right. At least for me.

[n_shakuras @ Apr 27th 2009 8:49PM]

I wish you people would learn to quit feeding the trolls. You're not helping.

[Yem @ Apr 27th 2009 6:02AM]

Will this have the nice multitouch for zooming, panning, etc as seen in that video posted a while back?

[Information Central @ Apr 28th 2009 6:07AM]

Because those are such important functions in a phone. Give me a break.

Have you used the iPhone browser? Once you realize that you can double-tap in an area to zoom it optimally (a great feature), you never dick around with the pinching and squeezing.

Multitouch is an overhyped gimmick that hasn't been shown doing jack diddly that's truly useful and efficient.

[pleaseinsertacoin @ Apr 30th 2009 4:22PM]

Yo, ever heard of shitty webdesign? Some sites on the webernets are still designed without any real blocks of text that Safari can lock on to.

Multitouch opens up a bunch of cool possibilities, it's not something that definately SHOULDN'T be in a device only because it's in the iPhone, which, as can be seen among these comments, is a rather unpopular device amongst techie commons.

[lgespee @ Apr 27th 2009 6:04AM]

Did I miss something? Since when does Android play WMV and WMA?

[Billy @ Apr 27th 2009 6:11AM]

Dunno, but I don't doubt that it's probable. Linux codecs for wma and wmv have existed forever and Android is Linux under the hood.

[Félix @ Apr 27th 2009 7:12AM]

Yeah.
And BTW : assuming anyone can develop any app on Android, is there the slightest chance that someone puts up a nice Audio player which supports .ogg ? ( a great part of my library is in .ogg)

[reuthermonkey1 @ Apr 28th 2009 8:25AM]

forever? I play wmv files all the time on my G1... of course it's got Android 1.5 so maybe that's part of it, but I'm pretty sure I could play wmvs before cupcake...

[Acidox @ Apr 27th 2009 6:07AM]

Awesome!
If it's a good price I'm snapping one up.

[Aaron @ Apr 27th 2009 6:09AM]

I prefer the Samsung i8910. Better screen, better camera, more storage.

[Frostblade10 @ Apr 27th 2009 6:21AM]

The I7500 has the capability for more storage.

I7500: 8GB (32GB Max @ Card)

I8910: 8/16GB (16GB Max @ Card)

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8910_omnia_hd-2691.php

[Aaron @ Apr 27th 2009 6:30AM]

The i8910 will support 32GB cards. It adheres to the SDHC spec.

[Znuff @ Apr 27th 2009 9:33AM]

You missed the point of this phone.

Hint: The OS!

[Aaron @ Apr 27th 2009 10:25AM]

Android really isn't anything special though. It has a lot of potential but at the moment it's no better than the competition.

[Chromana @ Apr 27th 2009 6:12AM]

Awesome! My current contract ends in July so I'm really looking forward to this. I didn't like the looks of the G1 too much and this looks pretty good! However, I don't like not having a real keypad , I'm not a huge fan of touch screens on phones.

I guess there's no word about what networks it'll be on in the UK?

[LondonConsultant @ Apr 27th 2009 6:23AM]

In the UK: HTC G1 on T-Mobile (already), HTC Magic on Vodafone (confirmed), and I7500 on O2 (rumoured).

[iDavey @ Apr 27th 2009 8:47AM]

I'm acually getting used to virtual keyboards.
After using ChompSMS so much...its very easy!

[pk @ Apr 27th 2009 6:17AM]

OMGOMGOMG!!! THIS IS SO AWESOME!

[pk @ Apr 27th 2009 6:30AM]

Hmm... ok after looking at this more I'm a bit disappointed. What I want to be added:

- slideout KEYBOARD
- Xenon flash
- higher res screen, either nHD or WVGA