Samsung announces Bada mobile OS, SDK sets sail in December
Because what the world needs now is yet another mobile operating system, Samsung has announced its foray into the field with Bada. Not much to reveal at this point other than some key PR speak: the name means "ocean" in Korean, the company's committed to "a variety of open platforms" in mobile industry and it plans this to be easy to integrate / customize based on carrier's experience. All real news should be coming sometime in December, when Sammy is saying it'll have a London launch event and reveal the SDK. Full presser after the break.
Samsung bada – The Next Wave Of The Mobile Industry
Developers get the chance to create mobile applications for millions of new Samsung handsets
November 10th, 2009, Seoul, Korea– Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of its own open mobile platform, Samsung bada [bada] in December. This new addition to Samsung's mobile ecosystem enables developers to create applications for millions of new Samsung mobile phones, and consumers to enjoy a fun and diverse mobile experience.
In order to build a rich smartphone experience accessible to a wider range of consumers across the world, Samsung brings bada, a new platform with a variety of mobile applications and content.
The name 'bada', which means 'ocean' in Korean, was chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applicationswhich can be created using the new platform. It also alludes to Samsung's commitment to a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry. Samsung bada also represents the fresh challenges and opportunities available to developers, as well as the entertainment which consumers will enjoy once the new platform is open.
Based on Samsung's experience in developing previous proprietary platforms on Samsung mobile phones, Samsung can create the new platform and provide opportunities for developers. Samsung bada is also simple for developers to use, meaning it's one of the most developer-friendly environments available, particularly in the area of applications using Web services. Lastly, bada's ground-breaking User Interface (UI) can be transferred into a sophisticated and attractive UI design for developers.
Samsung will be able to expand the range of choices for mobile phone users to enjoy the smartphone experiences. By adopting Samsung bada, users will be able to easily enjoy various applications on their mobile.
Samsung bada also offers an easy-to-integrate platform for mobile operators so that mobile operators can provide unique and differentiated services to their customers.
Samsung established its mobile application ecosystem through the launch of Samsung Mobile Innovator in 2008 and the Samsung Application Seller Site followed by Samsung Application Store as another key element of this offering.
Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics said, "By opening Samsung's mobile platforms we will be able to provide rich mobile experiences on an increasing number of accessible smartphones." He added, "bada will be Samsung's landmark, iconic new platform that brings an unprecedented opportunity for operators, developers and Samsung mobile phone users around the world."
The official website (www.bada.com) will open on November 10th and will feature a range of information on bada including updates on product launches, features, and event notices. Samsung will also host an official launch event for bada in London, UK in December and will also unveil its bada software development kit (SDK) to developers for the first time on this date.
About Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com
Developers get the chance to create mobile applications for millions of new Samsung handsets
November 10th, 2009, Seoul, Korea– Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of its own open mobile platform, Samsung bada [bada] in December. This new addition to Samsung's mobile ecosystem enables developers to create applications for millions of new Samsung mobile phones, and consumers to enjoy a fun and diverse mobile experience.
In order to build a rich smartphone experience accessible to a wider range of consumers across the world, Samsung brings bada, a new platform with a variety of mobile applications and content.
The name 'bada', which means 'ocean' in Korean, was chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applicationswhich can be created using the new platform. It also alludes to Samsung's commitment to a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry. Samsung bada also represents the fresh challenges and opportunities available to developers, as well as the entertainment which consumers will enjoy once the new platform is open.
Based on Samsung's experience in developing previous proprietary platforms on Samsung mobile phones, Samsung can create the new platform and provide opportunities for developers. Samsung bada is also simple for developers to use, meaning it's one of the most developer-friendly environments available, particularly in the area of applications using Web services. Lastly, bada's ground-breaking User Interface (UI) can be transferred into a sophisticated and attractive UI design for developers.
Samsung will be able to expand the range of choices for mobile phone users to enjoy the smartphone experiences. By adopting Samsung bada, users will be able to easily enjoy various applications on their mobile.
Samsung bada also offers an easy-to-integrate platform for mobile operators so that mobile operators can provide unique and differentiated services to their customers.
Samsung established its mobile application ecosystem through the launch of Samsung Mobile Innovator in 2008 and the Samsung Application Seller Site followed by Samsung Application Store as another key element of this offering.
Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics said, "By opening Samsung's mobile platforms we will be able to provide rich mobile experiences on an increasing number of accessible smartphones." He added, "bada will be Samsung's landmark, iconic new platform that brings an unprecedented opportunity for operators, developers and Samsung mobile phone users around the world."
The official website (www.bada.com) will open on November 10th and will feature a range of information on bada including updates on product launches, features, and event notices. Samsung will also host an official launch event for bada in London, UK in December and will also unveil its bada software development kit (SDK) to developers for the first time on this date.
About Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com


















If it's not open source, I don't want to hear about it.
This sounds Badass, but knowing Samsung and its crippled Instincts and awkward Moments I deem it's going to Fail!
Samsung! just stick with making phones and if you wanna get in software do something like HTC with their Sense.
Remember windows 7 is coming soon and Android is already Big, I doubt you would have a chance,
UNLESS You allow having this OS with other OS's on the same Phone, sort of like Ubuntu and window, OPEN this Locked Platform
Samsung apparently has money to waste on OS development. Investors are probably wondering why...given how poorly Palm has done with WebOS.
Thanks Samsung
now I have more options to choose from
but for now i will just purchase one of your cheap msg phones until i get the money for the big boy's
I already dread my current Samsung headset with its POS OS...will not invest in another Samsung handset, ever.
This. Amazing The impression the Instinct left on many of us.
OOH!
Can we have a partnership with MS? bada-bing!
Mad you beat me to this....
[/shaking fist]
This comment deserves a new ranking - "Higherest Ranked!!!111eleven"
Boom. Beeeeeeg Bada Boom!
Now we need to find a company named Boom...
Bada Bing and Bada Boom
Like this one, perhaps?! http://www.badaboomit.com/
> the name means "ocean" in Korean
And it means... BAD in the other 99% of the world.
Hey... what's the OS on your new phone?
It's crapi... that's Swahili for butterfly.
i did a google translate..kipepeo is butterfly in swahili
status = told.
I didn't know 99% of the world spoke English.
Brilliant, because in English, Ocean means, "totally slick new mobile OS"
*whisper whisper
Oh, it just means huge volume of water filled with predators, and if you spend too much time inside, without the proper life support systems , you'll die?
Oh, that's much better.
*** Holds up hand. ***
That's very kind of you, but no. No thank you.
I will take one of your fine television sets though!
I just KNEW we were missing something. Another mobile OS.
Well. May the best OS win.
"You've gotta get up close like this and - bada-BING! - you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. C'mere... "
I was going to get Omnia 2 then it was pushed back forever. Now with Android 2.0 on the Droid, Omnia 2 is looking obsolete even with it's beautiful OLED screen. They should have released it when it was ready and I would've been stuck with a 2 year contract.
Even if Bada is open source, how many open source OS's do we really need?
I don't think yet another mobile OS is such a bad thing really. In the long run, 99% of mobiles will end up with one of three OSs. Right now the competition will drive innovation as it did in the early days of computing when every hardware vendor had their own OS.
For example, I'm not exactly interested in the Pre but I am interested in some of its features. Those features will eventually find their way in the a mobile OS I do use, and so by virtue of Pre's existence I still win.
bada's has gotta be a badass os! oh yes! but could be just gas... and a mess...
ouch that sucks, means it will have no apps
If we have to have another mobile OS, the Samsung is one of the few companies I'd like it from.
Both Sammy and HTC seem to be good at adding a layer on top of other OSes.
If this is their next featurephone os then it actually makes sense... but using it instead of android/winmo/symbian they are crazy!!
I had that exact same thought. Wasn't Samsung a MAJOR partner with Microsoft and Windows Mobile 6.5? And aren't they launching a few Android devices in the near-ish future? And I know they have done a few Symbian phones, namely the innov8...
If this leads to slightly smarter dumb phones, I am game. But even if not, I can't fault them for putting a few eggs in a each of several baskets.
After owning 3 samsung phones, I got my bars set REALLY low for this one!
you know what you should do?
buy another samsung phone.... that'll show those bastards.
i agree using it instead of android/winmo/symbian is crazy but they have to do it
why do they have to? why waste money developing something when there are free alternatives?
It's nice when you own a phone for which they abandon the OS so quickly. Yay Impression!
Really?!
Aww horseshit!
Sounds like Samsung have too much free time or something. They're already doing Winmo, S60, and Android phones. Now they are doing their own OS? Hey Samsung, how about focusing on churning out Android 2.0 phones, and releasing them in the US on time?
hey, you took the words from my mouth.
Samsung shouldn't waste its time. It would do well to strengthen its existing alliances.
By the way, OS is not an end in itself. From where will the applications come? And Samsung isn't Nokia. I mean it doesn't have the market size to attract developers to its OS.
At best, it could be a ploy to ensure that Google releases the source code of the latest versions of the Android OS to all the partners of the Open Handset Alliance rather than letting it out selectively. Android 2.0, for instance, is available to Motorola only.
What ever happened to the samsung HD phone that ran symbian OS? was it ever released? I remember it was supposed to shoot 720p video?
It's called Omnia HD, and It was released 6 months ago.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8910_omnia_hd-2691.php
In a sense it is a good idea - there's no way they'd be able to introduce a new OS 2 or 3 years down the line, right? Now's pretty much their only shot, and even though they have little hope of winning going up against MS, Google, Palm, Nokia, and everyone else, it'd be worth it even if they only got 3rd or even 4th place.
It's going to be a POS like their other OS's.
Any idea if its going to be Nucleos RTOS based or not?
I'm not putting any faith in Samsung to deliver user friendly software.
ss
In Hindi; bada = big. hmmmm it's close
Actually if you read the press release carefully, it never mentions a new OS.
It's probably a set of SDK and tools for developing applications on their proprietary OS.
Samsung has been advertising and pushing it's Jet phone a lot recently. I think Bada is a set of tools and SDK for whatever OS is running on that (SHP I think).
Engadget has a habit of doing that... they once reported that Nokia and Intel where making a new mobile OS called oFono... had they read the release correctly they would have seen that it wasn't at all an OS but a bunch of components for building telephony apps on linux
This isn't the first news of Samsung's new OS - http://phandroid.com/2009/11/09/30-of-samsung-phones-to-run-android-in-2010/
samsung os (SOS)....it is going to be a disaster, actually i prefer a new UI of android instead...
I think it is a good idea since there are a lot samsung fans and for them it will provide additional software