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Samsung's Soul train makes stop in USA, no plans to get sold here
If you thought Samsung's Soul would be content with sitting in Barcelona, you've never had the pleasure of vacationing in Las Vegas. Sure enough, the Soul is following the HTC Touch Dual in making its US debut at CTIA 2008, and it's quite alright if your palms are already beginning to get sweaty. After all, what else would you expect from looking forward to a quad-band / HSDPA 7.2Mbps slider with a 2.2-inch QVGA display, 5-megapixel camera (with QVGA movie mode), Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion slot and Magical Touch navigation? Beyond that, the long-awaited miCoach is also making its US debut in the desert, along with a number of other global handsets (F480, F400 and G810). The sad part here is that none of the mobiles are actually slated to go on sale here in America -- yeah, it's a bit depressing to know they're sitting within our borders as we speak and won't be available for purchase, but there's always next year (right?).
Samsung's HSDPA-equipped G810 slider gets official
Maybe it's just us, but the image pictured above sure looks a helluva lot sexier than the blurry depiction we saw of Samsung's G810 just last week. Along with just about everyone else in the mobile world, Samsung is making its striking do-it-all slider official at Mobile World Congress, and it's packin' quite the specs list. We're talking HSDPA, a 5-megapixel camera with face detection, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and image stabilization, a 2.6-inch QVGA display, built-in GPS / WiFi, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack and a 12.9-millimeter-thick frame. All that's for sure is a March 2008 release for those in Europe, but word on the street pegs it right around €580 ($840).
Samsung's Soul slider is coming through
Samsung just announced their new flagship "Soul" cellphone in the spirit of its Ultra Editions. Get it? Spirit Of ULtra, soul? Yeah. Anyway, as Sammy's go-to phone for 2008, we're looking at a quad-band GSM phone with 7.2Mbps HSDPA; 2.2-inch QVGA display; 5 megapixel, image stabilized camera with Power LED flash and face detection; FM radio; microSD; Bluetooth, and more in a 12.9-mm thin slider. Sweetening the deal is a Magical Touch interface which adapts to your usage (music, camera, etc) a la LG's Venus. They've even added a jumbled-up Google icon for search and gMail access. Look for it to hit European retail in April. On display next week at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress where you can bet your last money, it's gonna be stone gas, honey.%Gallery-15573%
Hands-on with the Samsung SGH-U100 Ultra Edition II
A heck of a lot of phones pass through our grubby hands in the course of an average week, so it usually takes something of a minor miracle to get a rise out of us with a new handset. Well, Samsung, ya did it -- your crazy U100 is positively the most ridiculous feat of phone manufacturing we've seen to date. It's hard to accurately express with words or even pictures just how thin this thing feels in the hand. Whether that's a good thing, well... we reckon that's a matter of personal taste, but needless to say, we don't think this one would survive even a single smashing or bending unscathed (as one observer astutely noted, "this is a purse phone, not a pocket phone"). Despite its minimal girth, the Ultra Edition 5.9 sacrifices virtually nothing, offering A2DP, 80MB of onboard storage (no expansion slot, sadly), a 3.2 megapixel cam, and even TV out. The tri-band radio is a bit of a bummer, but we still found ourselves rocking out with four or five bars of signal strength virtually everywhere we went. Color us impressed!A special thanks goes out to Wireless Imports for the hookup on this one!%Gallery-5026%
SK Telecom launches 5.9mm Samsung C210
Careful, don't breathe -- it might snap! We kid, we kid; the Samsung SCH-C210's magnesium and fiberglass-reinforced body should be able to stand up to the best punishment we can toss at it. As you might recall, a candybar bearing this very form was officially announced at 3GSM as the Ultra Edition 5.9, but the difference here is that the SCH-C210 is a CDMA handset destined for Korea's own SK Telecom. Features include a 2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, media player, built-in dictionary, and something called a "pop-pin touch keypad" that vibrates the phone ever so gently when the user presses a key as a means of feedback. Needless to say, we'll never see this particular variant of the Ultra Edition 5.9 in the US, but with any luck, we imagine we should be able to get our hands on the GSM version at some point.
Samsung's i600 headed Orange's way
For those of you stickin' with the Orange and waiting in tense anticipation for the "world's slimmest" 3G QWERTY smartphone to head your way, the wait is just about over. Thanks to a pre-release page on Orange's webstore, the i600 is being boasted about in all of its uber-skinny glory before it actually becomes available, and unsurprisingly packs a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, speakerphone, video telephony, WiFi, Windows Mobile 5, and all the usual amenities that you're already so well aware of. No word just yet on an actual sale date nor a price to go along with it, but we'd suggest pinching those pennies (or should we say, pence) for an "any day now" release.[Via CoolSmartphone]
Hands-on with Samsung's slick, sliding glory, the F700
More Ultra Smart love was on parade for us today and it came in the form of the glorious SGH-F700 from Samsung. Many things immediately stand out when playing with this device -- but first and foremost, it's a stunner. The rear of the phone is made with a glossy material that is reflective, like plastic chrome (think Sony Ericsson Z610i, then scale up the beauty) that really bumps this already classy device up a few notches. The F700 is a tri-band device with 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz GSM, EDGE, and HSDPA. It is definitely worth noting that the F700's HSDPA is the 7.2Mbps variety; no word on 3G frequencies, but we are all praying for some North American salvation. The screen is huge, taking up 2.78 inches of the touchscreen face (yes, it has that too), which is almost all of the front surface. The 440X220 resolution is ideal for mini-widescreening your favorite flicks using the native support for MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and real video. A quick slide and the bottom half hops out to reveal a pretty tight, but ultimately useful keyboard. The F700 seems to cover it all, follow the link to see some pics, we even popped a TyTn down for some comparative magic. Ooh! Samsung slider
FCC makes Samsung SGH-A727's wildest dreams come true
It's no surprise that the FCC might take some interest in the 8.9 millimeter, 3G-capable A727 from Samsung, seeing how it was bearing Cingular / AT&T firmware when we peeped it at CES -- and seeing how ultra-thin candybars are slim for the picking (pun intended) on the US' one and only live WCDMA network at the moment, we're delighted to see the feds issue their stamp of approval. Still no word on when we might see it launch, or whether it'll bear Cingular or AT&T branding when it does, but as usual we'd ask everyone to work nights and weekends to get it expedited, mkay?
Samsung outdoes itself with Ultra Smart F700
Eek! Must restore... cardiac function... ahh, there we go. Samsung's Ultra Editions seem to get classier, glossier, and more far-fetched with every subsequent iteration -- and if they haven't already jumped the shark, they have now with the rather breathtaking Ultra Smart F700. The candybar with a slide-out QWERTY 'board makes do with 7.2Mbps (yes, we said "seven point two") HSDPA plus EDGE for those occasions when 3G towers are out of reach, a 2.78 inch touchscreen sporting no fewer than 440 x 240 pixels, microSD expansion, full HTML browsing, Bluetooth, and a whopping 5 megapixels of snapping power on the backside. Per protocol, America is left squarely out of the equation with GSM 850 and WCDMA 850 / 1900 all coming up missing, but at least folks in the greater Barcelona area should get a shot at it next week when it bows all official-like at 3GSM.%Gallery-1519%
Samsung's Ultra Edition 10.9 to oust D900 as "world's slimmest slider"
Witnessing the dethroning of one crown thanks to a determined competitor is anything but surprising, but it seems that Samsung is ousting one of its own in order to make room for a newer champion, as the Ultra Edition 10.9 takes over where the D900 left off as the "world's thinnest slider." Continuing on Samsung's recent infatuation with creating increasingly slim mobiles, the 10.9's biggest feature is its ultrathin frame, as the spec list really doesn't deviate from what we found on the previous title holder. Onboard, you'll find a 3.2-megapixel camera, MP3 / video playback, Bluetooth, video output, 80MB of internal memory, and a built-in microSD slot for loading up additional media. Little more is known about the 10.9 as of now, but just about every detail you could need should be divulged during the 3GSM Congress in Barcelona next month.[Via Unwired View]
Samsung breaking own record with Ultra Edition 5.9
In the cellphone game, just how thin is too thin? If you're Samsung, the answer apparently lies somewhere south of the 5.9 millimeters put up by its latest fashion accessory, the appropriately named "Ultra Edition 5.9." For the record, that's a solid millimeter less than the previous world's thinnest, Samsung's own X820 -- the phone allegedly shown snapping helplessly in two on video under fairly minimal pressure. Of course, the authenticity of said video has been repeatedly called into question, but either way, we're hoping this new one has been fabbed with some pretty crazy space-age resins and polymers that'll keep it from multiplying in our pockets. Specs include a tri-band GSM radio (though recent announcements have us encouraged that an American version could be down the pike), a 3.2 megapixel cam, Bluetooth, and 80MB of onboard storage. Look for the record-smashing Ultra Edition 5.9 to start gracing European pockets bulge-free some time in March.[Thanks, Tony]
Samsung's A727 for Cingular in the flesh
We haven't seen an HSDPA candybar for those funky American bands yet -- much less an 8.9 millimeter thick candybar -- so the Z370-alike A727 should be a warmly welcomed addition to Cingular's small army of 3G devices. To be fair, neither Cingular nor Samsung have actually announced where this handset's gonna land, but a quick check of the main menu reveals a "Cingular Mall" item. We'll let y'all draw your own conclusions.
First "Googlephone" ends up being Samsung's Ultra Edition 13.8 (Z720)
Contrary to previous beliefs, it looks like neither Orange nor HTC will have a part in producing the first "Googlephone," and instead it seems that Samsung is slipping in the back door to steal the limelight. When the Ultra Edition 13.8 (formerly known as the Z720) got official a few days back, we noticed the relatively unexpected suite of Google apps swarming the mobile's innards, and aside from the handset not exactly abiding by the Opera agreement that is supposedly falling into place, it seems a good fit for the first Google-infused mobile. Of course, the programs that come loaded are all available as free downloads on supported handsets, but it seems the European-bound 13.8 will be numero uno in what's likely to be quite a lengthy list of Googled mobiles.
Samsung officially launches the Ultra Edition 13.8 (Z720)
Although Samsung's been busying itself lately with newfangled RAM releases, it has apparently taken the time to confirm what we already suspected. The Z720 has been officially released as part of the Ultra Edition lineup, and per usual, the 13.8 is tagging itself with a "world's slimmest" label, this time for thinnest HSDPA-equipped slider. This sexy handset weighs in at just 80-grams, and features a 3-megapixel AF camera, 2.1-inch QVGA display, WAP 2.0 / HTML browsing capabilities, an additional camera for "video telephony," document viewer, PIM, Bluetooth, USB, and even a microSD slot. Aside from the UMTS / EDGE / HSDPA / GSM / GPRS connectivity options, you'll also find Samsung's uGo system built-in, not to mention the uTrack feature that sends an SMS to a predetermined number if the SIM card is tampered with. Notably, the 13.8 is the first mobile from Samsung with Google Mobile Search and Gmail pre-installed, which certainly contradicts with the recent Samsung / Opera lovefest we've been hearing about. Nevertheless, the Z720 should start finding its way into bustling European countries soon for a yet-to-be-disclosed price, with smaller locales getting access thereafter.[Via Akihabara News]
HTC Cavalier does battle with Samsung's i600
The 3G-enabled QWERTY smartphone market is finally starting to get a little crowded -- and that's a very good problem to have. Of course, that makes picking one out a bit more challenging (trust us, we're still not complaining) and it always helps to rock out with a nice, old-fashioned comparo now and then to separate the wheat from the chaff. This time around we have the Samsung SGH-i600 (alias i607 BlackJack in these parts) going up against the as-yet-unannounced HTC Cavalier, successor to the Excalibur / T-Mobile Dash. On paper, the two are nearly dead ringers for one another, with the major differences being a 2 megapixel cam on the Cavalier (versus a mere 1.3 megapixel piece on the i600) and a slight thickness advantage on the Samsung. Ultimately, the reviewer had the Cavalier coming out on top -- despite the fact it's not even available yet, suggesting the test was conducted with a preproduction unit -- though the i600 was nipping at its heels throughout. Bottom line: it seems like QWERTY lovers are going to be happy with either one, and with the HTC still at least a month or two from release, our impatient selves will take what we can get.[Thanks, @t0mic]
Hands-on with some Samsung Ultra Editions
While Samsung was looking the other direction we caught a quick hands-on of the Ultra Edition 12.9 (aka D900) slider. It's as thin as they say (ok, thinner), with a slick slider spring, fast input response, and looks to write home about. We may not all be in agreement over Samsung's choice of user interfaces, but somehow we think few will take issue with this sucker. Click on for some more shots.
Samsung Z720 shows up online
Oh sweet creator of cellphones, even though we can't read it for ourselves we're enamored with Gadgetim's shots of the Samsung Z720. To the untrained eye one might assume it's the Ultra Edition 13.5 or 12.9, but you'd be wrong if you said that it was the very same; we actually think this just means samsung needs to hire some new industrial designers, but if you think we're about to argue with a phone featuring GSM / UMTS / HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0, a 2-inch QVGA display, and microSD slot, you've got us all wrong.
Samsung adds two to "Ultra Edition" line
In the event 6.9, 9.9, and 12.9mm choices aren't enough for you in Samsung's fashion- and feature-conscious "Ultra Edition" lineup, fear not: a pair of new 3G choices add some beef that might be more to your liking. First up is the Ultra Edition 11.8 (alias "Z620"), a bright magnesium-clad flip that offers a 2-megapixel camera, 138MB of internal memory plus microSD expansion, and a QVGA display. If sliders are your cup of tea, the Ultra Edition 13.5 re-ups the cam to 3 megapixels, adds another 12MB of memory for a total of 150MB and retains the 11.8's expansion slot. Look for both models to drop in December.[Via Slashphone]
Samsung's Ultra Edition 9.9, 12.9, 6.9: World's slimmest cellphones launched
Get ready Guinness 'cause Samsung just launched an entire series of "World's slimmest" handsets. Sure, we've seen the D830 clam, X820 candybar, and FCC approved D900 slider before, only now they've been turned-out onto that mean global scene official, spec'd, and rebadged with their ultra-slim, millimeter measurements right in the name: the Ultra Edition 9.9 (D830), 12.9 (D900), and 6.9 (X820) pictured left-to-right. The UE 9.9 brings tri-band (900/1800/1900MHz) GPRS/EDGE, a 2 megapixel cam with auto-focus and flash, a 2.3-inch 240x320 262k TFT main display (0.8-inch 92x16 grayscale external), Bluetooth, 80MB embedded memory with MicroSD expansion, MP3/AAC media player, and even an MPEG4 recorder with TV-out jack slammed into this world's slimmest flip. The UE 6.9 brings pretty much the same network coverage, cam, Bluetooth, media capabilities, and on-board memory as the 9.9 but had to forgo the microSD card and flash while dropping down to a 1.9-inch 176x220 262k TFT display in order to slip into that world's slimmest, 6.9-mm, 2.33-ounce dress. The relatively plump UE 12.9 takes advantage of all that, uh, roominess to squeeze in quad-band GPRS/EDGE, a 3.13 megapixel shooter, 2.1-inch 240x320 262k TFT, that good media lovin' we've already seen, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo audio support, and 80MB with microsSD expansion. Yeah, that makes it the world's slimmest slider, er, with 3 megapixel camera -- kind of a stretch, but that's how Sammy likes to roll. They didn't bother with drop dates, countries, or prices but the fact that the press release hit their English site gives us hope for this Samsung triptych to drop in the US sometime this year. [Via AVING]
