Samsung Bada UI unveiled in beautiful stills, reason for existing still blurry

We hate to harsh on a new phone platform -- what could be more exciting, after all, than a whole new take on handset software? -- but we're pretty confused by Samsung's Bada. Still, these leaked screenshots fill us with some hope: it looks fairly pretty, and quite a bit more intuitive than the standard Samsung UI. It also seems to be an odd visual mashup of Android and Symbian, but in a good sort of way, and we look forward to the sort of democratization of touchphones it seems to represent. There, that wasn't very harsh-ey at all! Now check out the developer-oriented video after the break to let a new wave of confusion wash over you.

[Apish Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:09PM]

@dmgabe

Or let competition decide who to fade away. Your post is self-refuting.

[atlasfugged Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:31PM]

Beautifully cluttered.

[aeth Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:44PM]

Looks like and reminds me of a cross between all existing smartphone OS's out there as well as Samsung's feature phone OS.

Unless Samsung get this on other manufacturer's mobiles, it will share a similar success to Palm OS.

[Hydra Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:55PM]

So Samsung bootlegged android? Lame , android is fine no one is going to develop for samsung. Why spend all that time to develop for just 1 phone maker with little market share

Iphone, Android platform, even symbian is more worth while

[Apish Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:08PM]

@Hydra

Nobody is saying that third parties will develop for Samsung. Instead of resorting to manufacturing, Samsung is in-house developing its own operating system. In addition, Samsung probably has the highest market share internationally. Please, leave your ignorance to yourself.

[sirphunkee Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:52PM]

@Apish

Nokia just called, I couldn't tell what they said cuz there was a lot of laughing in the background.

[abugida Posted Dec 18th 2009 5:33PM]

@Apish
Actually Gameloft, EA and Capcom already pledged support for Bada. Engadget had a demo video with several of Bada apps some days ago.

[KRISC123 Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:12PM]

i was kind of expecting the home improvements theme music to come on during that video.

[Showbiz Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:36PM]

Can I put that on my rogue? Hell, for that matter, can I put straight android on my rogue. I wish I knew how to try. anywhooooo

[HERO Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:17PM]

This looks exactly like what all the competition is doing.
if you're going to waste the time and money on a new user interface, at least make it stand out.
I hate that all companies claim to have a "New" creation when it's copied from what's popular and selling.

[XChrisX Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:17PM]

Are their any devices running Bada at the moment. I just don't get how this guy can call it a proven platform just yet.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:27PM]

Very iPhoney.

By the way, we're coming up on the 3-year anniversary of the iPhone introduction. 3 years is a long, long time, but I guess Samsung has to come up with something, sometime.

[artshark Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:41PM]

if samsung wants to make a WM/symbian rival, all the power to them, but if they can get momentum and some developers, and if the native browser and mail apps are good...

[Apish Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:03PM]

The skepticism surrounding the existence of this OS is unhealthy. First, not only is competition nice but to unreasonably show discontent towards a newcomer in an industry with a low barrier to entry is anti-capitalist. Second, Samsung has been a respectable player in this industry for a decade. It probably faces stiff competition from low-cost new entrants such as HTC. Given, it probably sees software, not hardware, as a new source of revenue stream. As a consumer, I must applaud these efforts as I thoroughly welcome them.

[sasuke Posted Dec 18th 2009 12:26AM]

@Apish

"Samsung has been a respectable player in this industry for a decade. It probably faces stiff competition from low-cost new entrants such as HTC"

HTC has been around for more than a decade, HTC phones has always been known as Rolls Royce of the smart phones, where as Samsung deploys the low cost strategy to overtake Motorola, and maintained #2 phone maker in the world after Nokia. I bought a Samsung because of it's price, but calling HTC a "low-cost new entrants" is just pure ignorant. Honestly Samsung makes great dumb phones but IMHO smart phone is the future and HTC is on the right track.

[abugida Posted Dec 18th 2009 5:38PM]

@Apish
I guess the discontent comes from two sources: First, from as US centric view it seems as if only American OS's should matter. And then, there are lots of people on the Android hype right now, telling themselves and everybody else that it will be the new Windows. They still have to get to grip with reality.

[John W Harding Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:06PM]

The music interface is like the bastard child between a cowon s9 and iphone.... strange....

[areidmeade Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:21PM]

I'm actually glad that samsung has a new os for their "Low-end" phones, it completely fits with their marketing strategy for the next few years of offering premium devices to their customers.
THis OS is going to be great for multimedia phones and other lower end TS phones whose users dont need a full blown smart phone experience, i believe its a wonderful idea, and as an added plus we get to see less of that crappy symbian OS thats always around( I HATE Symbian Os's they've always sucked hard!

[rotarydialz Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:36PM]

The mobile phone industry pays a silent homage to Apple yet again for showing them the way.

[sirphunkee Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:58PM]

Those pics raise some very important questions:

1) How the hell did Jane take a waterfront picture from a landlocked street corner? I think she's trying to hide something.

2) When in the world did Iron Man 2 get released? Man I need to start paying attention.

[Condiment Posted Dec 18th 2009 12:08AM]

Honestly, I feel like samsung developers got sick of writing for OS's with limited sdk's and started an internal dialog. The buzz was like... why don't they do this? I guess the buzz traveled far enough to reach investors so the OS actually became a viable idea.

IMHO, it sounds like they want to build a device that has more gateway control, with more real time controls. Ever notice how aps don't stay connected to the internet and there's no realtime facebook status updates on any OS?

In principle it sounds like a revolution to include new libraries that allow you to do so, but in practice is another story. Apps that stay connected constantly drain battery. Anything with a lot of connectivity will drain a device that can't hold more that 1500 mAH.

Maybe bada will somehow solve this with server enhancements that keep the server to pull the data out and push the info to the phone? Maybe it'll come with a hooker? Who knows, but innovation is always easier to obtain when you're in control of the pimp and the whore too!

[ultimate hot dog Posted Dec 18th 2009 12:27AM]

i figure being at where they are, buying out palm and somehow improving on webos seems like a better route than whatever they've been trying so far

[qlimax Posted Dec 18th 2009 1:30AM]

NO THANKS !

[Hotrod Posted Dec 18th 2009 2:45AM]

How the heck was that person drawing perfect squares by free hand?

[ziggystardust Posted Dec 18th 2009 2:56AM]

this is such an iPhone OS rip off, its ridiculous. Especially the first three screenshots.

[Saja Posted Dec 18th 2009 3:48AM]

@ziggystardust

who cares? innovation is basically stealing and making it better. sony, toyota, honda - they all did it. hyundai is doing it now, and samsung as well.

[linuxman Posted Dec 18th 2009 4:18AM]

Samsung rocks! It is next Sony!

[Soheil Posted Dec 19th 2009 4:02AM]

"Every OS commends itself by its developers and their apps"
Let us hope and wait Bada can attract good developers to create niche apps as seen on the iPhone.