Samsung Galaxy Beam hands-on at MWC 2012

Samsung, expected to make a quiet showing at this year's Mobile World Congress due to the fact that it doesn't have a press conference scheduled today or tomorrow, is actually projecting to offer a bit more buzz than the Ace 2 or Mini 2. How? With a projector phone, of course! Sammy's latest phone announced for the show is the Galaxy Beam, a refreshed version of the projector phone, with a bit fancier specs. The device is packing a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core ST-Ericsson U8500 Cortex A9 CPU, 768MB of RAM and a 2,000mAh battery. Of course, those aren't the important specs to consider here — the projector is. Taking advantage of a nHD (640 x 360) resolution and 15 Lumen brightness, the 12.5mm thickness helps Samsung claim the title of "world's thinnest projector phone."

All in all, the phone felt very comfortable to hold, and the lump that incorporates the projector isn't an eyesore in the slightest — in fact, Samsung managed to add it in a rather stylish manner. Our only concern? The projector itself is found on the very top of the device without any recession, which will likely make it a candidate for being a fingerprint magnet. We also liked the dedicated power button for the projector on the top right of the phone, just above the normal phone switch.

We're also expecting to see some docks become available for the phone (which itself should be available in select markets in Q2) that will help stabilize it and keep it from shaking, as well as amplify sound for watching movies or video presentations. We'll add in more pics and videos as they come.


Myriam Joire contributed to this report.