Samsung's Wave 578 outted with NFC love, representing the Bada gang
Look, we all know Samsung's Bada platform isn't exactly everyone's first choice when picking a new phone, but if you're eyeing up an NFC-compatible handset within a reasonable budget later this year, then this Wave 578 could be a potential candidate. Packed within the metallic body is a dinky 3.2-inch 432 x 240 LCD screen with multitouch, compensated by a 3.2 megapixel rear camera, a VGA front camera, Bluetooth 3.0, and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. Alas, there's no HD video support for both playback and recording, but you can at least take this as an indication for a wallet-friendly price point. Expect to see this featurephone on the shelves across Europe, South East Asia, and Middle East starting in May. Press release after the break.
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Samsung unveils the Samsung Wave 578 handset to enhance connectivity, design, and social experiences
Samsung Wave 578 is equipped with Samsung's bada platform, NFC connectivity, and lightning-fast Wi-Fi
Hong Kong, February 14, 2011– Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the Samsung Wave 578 at Mobile World Congress 2011. The new bada handset is equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity, a sleek, user-friendly design, and runs on bada, Samsung's own smartphone platform.
"With the Samsung Wave 578 handset, we will provide the latest innovation in mobile industry running on bada platform. The enhanced connectivity, design and social experiences enabled by this handset, represent Samsung's commitment to democratizing the smart phone market and providing users around the world with access to rich experiences and content," said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.
Connectivity & Speed
Samsung Wave 578 is equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) – a technology that allows users to enjoy many innovative services such as mobile payment at the shops and paying transportation fare, reading tags, getting mobile coupons, etc.
Users can enjoy the fastest connectivity available on the Samsung Wave 578. With Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and USB 2.0, the device enables fast data rates and easy information sharing.
Sleek Design
With soft rounded edges that support an ergonomic grip and a sleek metallic body, the Samsung Wave 578 is comfortable to hold and fashionable in every social situation. The device does not compromise function for form and offers the best of both worlds with a sleek design and value-added features.
The QuickType by t9 Trace is two to three times faster than standard typing and supports more than 75 languages. It will deliver a more convenient typing experience while reducing input error. The Samsung Wave 578 is also equipped with multi-touch functionality so that users can easily zoom in and out and pinch the screen to browse and view the gallery.
Enhanced Social Experiences
A rich communication suite (RCS) supports a wide variety of social communication on the Samsung Wave 578. Users can share content while chatting on the phone or send messages to several friends at the same time. The experience on the device is further maximized through SNS (social networking service) integration that seamlessly connects contacts across various social outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, so that users can focus on the people who matter most. Push IM enables users to access messages anywhere and anytime on the Samsung Wave 578.
Samsung Apps, an integrated application store accessible from the device and online, allows Wave users to simply and easily download an abundance of applications. Featuring a wealth of games, navigation, social networking, e-book, health and lifestyle applications, Samsung Apps gives users instant access to a wide range of mobile experiences on the Samsung Wave 578 handset.
The Samsung Wave 578 will be available in May of 2011 in France and will be gradually rolled out to European countries, CIS, South East Asia, India, Middle East, and China.
The Samsung Wave 578 will be on display at Hall 8, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
