Samsung Windows Phone 7 Series handset makes the scene

Here's a fun little surprise: Microsoft's Joe Belfiore just ran through a Windows Phone 7 Series demo on an as-yet unannounced Samsung device here at MIX. Apart from hints at an OLED screen, we don't much about the specific hardware, but Joe also showed off a slide of the WP7S minimum requirements, so we can tell you it has at least 256MB of RAM and 8GB of flash, as well as DirectX9 acceleration. We're due to meet with Joe in just a few, so we'll obviously dig for more -- stay tuned!

[Palomino Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:40PM]

DX9?? Holy crap! I remember dropping $375+ in '05 for a GeForce 6800 GTS- one of the first "usable" DX9 cards to really have the power to process DX9 fully. How far we've come in 4 and 1/2 years!

Also, since both 360 and PS3 are running on DX9, how do you guys forsee ports bieng handled, control issues not with-standing?

[Innova8ion Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:43PM]

This really is the last thing microsoft needs
Being let down by hardware partners by not even trying to make something innovative to justify the msp7 series.
I, mean c'mon samsung could have done loads better than to just stick on new keys on the same old omnia hd.

[mobilus Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:58PM]

@Innova8ion u are missing the point.. it's better because that mean u can buy cheapper omnia hd and then flash it to Win7 :)

[bjsguess Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:34PM]

@Innova8ion

What innovation do you want in a smart phone? Aren't they all just a couple of variables in the build?

-- Screen size / Resolution / Display type (OLED, etc)
-- Processor / RAM / Storage
-- Keyboard (or not)
-- Quality of Camera

All these phones will have proximity sensors, accelerometers, multi-touch, GPS, WiFi, etc. There are only so many things that can change. Do you have an example of a phone that broke the mold design wise in the last few years? Maybe the G1 (and it's children) with the "chin". The other phones are all basically the same stuff rehashed. Made a little bigger maybe (HD2) but still the same shape.

[ewlung Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:43PM]

I want 4.3" screen size God damn it! :)

Ok, I know, HTC version will come up with that ... HTC HD3 yippie!

[arnavdesai Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:44PM]

Sweet I was hoping for a SuperOLED display on one of these phones. I love my ZuneHD but that thing is near impossible to read in direct sunlight but with the SuperOLED screen it will be somewhat legible.

[iamlilysdad Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:32PM]

@arnavdesai +1,000 if any vendor releases a wp7s device with super-amoled i'm sold immediately. I love my pre, but unless palm does something amazing i'm more than willing to switch.

[juanvaldez Posted Mar 16th 2010 1:26AM]

@iamlilysdad Definitely crossing my fingers on Sammy. If they want to rise up the smartphone market share list they've got to be eying that eye-catching, distinguishing feature.

[noidea Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:44PM]

I want to see an HTC phone made for WP7S

[Bacchus1976 Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:46PM]

Asus, LG and Samsung! NOT Acer, thank god.

[PaultheGeek Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:48PM]

I agree with other people on here, let me see the HTC phone. They have created some of the best mobile hardware for the last few years.

[shishi Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:48PM]

Asus (protos)
LG
Samsung

Who's next? HTC? SE? Oh boy I foresee lots of choices. I'll go with whichever model has the best camera cuz that's what I need (I use N-series for that reason).

Then later on... tablet/slates?

[Hyloka Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:48PM]

Please ask if Windows Phone will have turn by turn navigation built in. If it does, I'm dropping the Droid for it because it has pretty much everything else I want in a phone.

[knwldg0010 Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:50PM]

I hope they bring some sony ericsson quality cameras to WP7. This would be great when i forget to bring my camera or the battery runs out.

[iName Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:53PM]

@knwldg0010 seriously, after dealing with my iphone's crappy camera for the last 3 years i would be excited to get something with a lot more quality/functionality.

[knwldg0010 Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:09PM]

@iName
Yup, i was surprised at how poor it was.

[azizrahmancom Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:51PM]

HTC will be preparing for the big guns when they bring their version out! Cant wait!!

Aziz
http://www.azizrahman.com

[iName Posted Mar 15th 2010 4:52PM]

i really love the minimum spec requirements and i cant wait to see what phones go above and beyond them. however i hope the limit on hard buttons does not prohibit the inclusion of a silent switch. not a total dealbreaker, but it would be nice.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:00PM]

Out of all the devices I actually like the ASUS phone prototype they do all the demos on. It has understated elegance.

[Aurailious Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:02PM]

DirectX9 support? On a phone? So this is going to be massive on the games, basically a "XboxPortable".

[scottishgeek Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:22PM]

Good buy crappy Samsung Galaxy

[papplay Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:25PM]

I love you Microsoft..death to Iphone..lol

[sonola777 Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:41PM]

@papplay Now, now... lets not get too excited. I do love Windows 7 though.

[papplay Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:59PM]

@sonola777
you are right..anything windows can be real buggy

[msunardi Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:29PM]

I still like the concept phone design better :P
Maybe i'll wait for ZuneHD-phone....or whatever they're gonna call it.
Hmm...ZuneHD...

[rav97 Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:33PM]

That's bizarre. Apart from the different labels on the buttons, it's a dead ringer for the Samsung i8910 HD.
Maybe a (leaked) WP7S rom for the i8910 HD is in the cards?

[I like things Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:03PM]

@rav97 highly unlikely, this is samsung's idea of relaunching. us i8910HD owners have been officially shafted by samsung. there's one thing that prevents our phone (i say our because i own one) from having w7 ported over to it- the screen res, symbian is only 640x320. Now unless they're running some black magic, that device shown there, has a different oled screen.

[sonola777 Posted Mar 15th 2010 5:38PM]

WHY OH WHY WON'T YOU ADD MAC SUPPORT FOR WINDOWS PHONE 7??!!! MICROSOFT, WHY??!!! :(

[ehTuBrutus Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:07PM]

@sonola777 Because they want you to buy Windows 7 to run on your Mac.......less development costs, more profit.
That's my guess anyway.

[Bizk1d1 Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:01PM]

Thats a samsung omnia HD or i8910. Tbh having a WM7S i8910 will make the phone 100 times better and 100 times more capable.

[ehTuBrutus Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:18PM]

@Bizk1d1 looks similar but the i8910's screen is only 640x320 and its processor isn't 1GHz unfortunately

[kenny goo Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:21PM]

Really? Every device needs 8GB of internal storage? Half a gig internal strorage and a pre-installed 16GB MicroSD card isn't sufficient anymore? Put this next to the mandatory 800x480 resolution (thus locking out 854x480 for some strange reason) and the mandatory FM radio as things I don't quite get.

[NYNY Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:26PM]

I've been thinking of getting an Android phone when my contract is up this July, but I think I'll be waiting until at least the LG phone comes out to see how its reviewed. I'm very interested in WPS7.

[TareG Posted Mar 15th 2010 6:59PM]

All three devices are fugly, IMO. Looks like the first decent offering will come from HTC.

[Johnny Rockets Posted Mar 15th 2010 9:41PM]

I like how the guy mentioned the Engadget Show.

You guys hit the big time, grats ;)

[Danpep Posted Mar 15th 2010 11:31PM]

Will never buy another Samsung phone. They churn out so many models and they drop support for them as soon as they're out the door. I've been waiting 2 years for a firmware fix for my Innov8.

[absolutshame Posted Mar 16th 2010 12:35PM]

I get mad everytime I look at my Omnia i920. Wonder how long it will take VZW to launch the Omnia 3 in the US?