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Samsung's Windows Phone 7 prototype slipping out to Imagine Cup finalists
You thought about shipping off to Warsaw for the Imagine Cup 2010 finals, didn't you? 'Tis a shame you didn't, because Microsoft is fixing to hand out Windows Phone 7 prototypes to every last finalist at the show (around 400, we're hearing). The winning team has already received their handsets after receiving a mighty round of applause from developing Beastware, and while it's impossible to tell from images so far, the phones that they acquired look to be the same as the Samsung device we toyed with back in June. Funny -- we reckoned the finalists at a show like this would be in that elusive Kin generation. Update: Microsoft just pinged us with a clarification. Only the Rockstar Award winners are getting prototype devices today, with the rest of the finalists on a list to receive "a retail Windows Phone 7 device when and where they become available." [Image courtesy of artificialignorance]
Samsung Windows Phone 7 prototype hands-on
It's been a bit of a unicorn since making a quick appearance at MIX, but we just got the chance to go hands-on with Samsung's Omnia i8910-based Windows Phone 7 prototype phone. Interestingly, we were told that this hardware will never be released to market -- it's just for testing purposes right now. That testing is going quite well, as far as we can see -- Microsoft's people are starting to carry WP7 devices as their personal phones now, and while the software is still quite buggy, the build we saw in action was noticeably faster than before. We were also told that the hardware in the pipeline -- particularly from Samsung -- is apparently quite spectacular, and that this particular device doesn't represent the launch set of devices. We'll have to see -- we actually thought this prototype was quite handsome in person, although it's a little thicker than you might expect. Hit up the gallery for some more pics! %Gallery-96072%
Windows Phone 7 pops up on a Samsung prototype device, plays Twin Blades
Microsoft's Joe Belfiore certainly piqued our interest at MIX by demoing Windows Phone 7 on an unidentified Samsung handset, but our excitement soon faded when we found out it was just a hacked-up Omnia i8910 and not a real phone. Still, the Sammy remains only the third WP7 device we've seen other than the ASUS-built test mule and the prototype LG Panther that's been popping up recently after debuting on the Engadget Show, so these two videos of it running a recent WP7 build at reMIX in France is still quite notable -- the OS seems fast and responsive, and we're told everything on the device was functional, including the GPS and camera. What's more, there's a demo of an Xbox Live Arcade / iPhone game port called Twin Blades by Press Star Studio -- it was done in a week by one programmer using 90 percent of the Xbox Live code. That's impressive, to say the least. Of course, this device may look like an Omnia, but it doesn't have the Omnia's OMAP3 processor -- as per WP7's requirements, the internals have been swapped for a Snapdragon-based board. We're still waiting for Microsoft and its partners to show us some more interesting hardware -- let's face it, the Panther and this Samsung are almost identically boring -- but there's no denying the software itself looks to be coming along quickly. Now let's just hope it launches with enough heat to save Microsoft from another executive shuffle. Video after the break.
Samsung i8910 HD runs 62 apps at once, multitaskers bow their heads
While iPhone 3G owners and would-be Windows Phone 7 buyers sit in the corner, quietly weeping over their lack of true multitasking, webOS and Symbian continue to point and laugh. In mid-January, a Palm Pre Plus was seen cackling with joy over its rivals' misfortune even as the device staggered under the weight of 50 simultaneous applications, and less than a week later, a Samsung Omnia HD performed the very same feat, despite having only half the Pre Plus' RAM (i.e. 256MB) to work with. Now, in what we can only interpret as a large middle finger and "come here" gesture to all who aspire to the cell phone multitasking heavyweight title, we have a video of the i8910 running no less than sixty-two applications thanks to a custom ROM by HyperX. Watch in stunned silence as a finger scrolls through them, right after the break.
Windows Phone 7 Series device from Samsung is just a hacked i8910 HD
We couldn't shake the feeling that the mysterious Samsung-branded Windows Phone 7 Series device being passed around at MIX10 this week was just a warmed-over i8910 HD, and it turns out there's a very good reason for that: Samsung says it is a warmed-over i8910 HD. Even crazier, TechRadar writes that its contact at Samsung basically pegged the stunt entirely on Microsoft, simply saying "they used the i8910 HD to demo Windows 7" and that "this demo was a one-off." The whole thing reeks of the original Zune, which began life as a Frankenstein'd Toshiba Gigabeat -- but we don't think this new trick is going to make it all the way to retail since the i8910 HD clocks in with 640 x 360 resolution (WP7S requires 800 x 480) and a processor that falls well short of the standard-issue 1GHz Snapdragon. At any rate, we're trying to get the straight dope on this from Microsoft now that Samsung's washed its hands of it and we'll update you when we've got more.
Vaunted firmware update for Samsung i8910 HD finally hits
Kinetic scrolling, ladies and gentlemen: are you ready for it? We sure hope so -- if you happen to be using Samsung's rather uncommon i8910 HD, that is -- because that sweet update promised back in December appears to have finally hit the ground running. Besides the significantly improved scrolling mechanism being rolled out through most of the handset's interface, firmware version JB1 is said to bring a "next gen" web experience, improvements to the camera and video recording settings, a repaired podcast app, and a smattering of bug fixes everywhere you look. The general release is bound to make the i8910 HD's most disgruntled customers a little less disgruntled, but there's one little issue -- the upgrade apparently drops free storage on the phone's C: drive all the way down to a nightmarish 17MB, which means you're going to want to make sure you're using secondary storage for absolutely everything you can. If you can live with that -- and with kinetic scrolling, we wouldn't blame you -- it looks like you'll need to cable up to Samsung's PC Studio to perform the update.
Samsung i8910 HD thumbs nose at Pre Plus, runs 50 processes of its own
PreCentral's 50-app demo on the Pre Plus was insanely (if not excessively) impressive, but is it the only phone out there with the kind of multitasking prowess that mere mortals could never possibly need? No, turns out. Adam Fullerton of iUnlock does a pretty wild demo on Symbian-Guru where he flashes his i8910 HD with a custom ROM that significantly lowers power-on consumption of the phone's 256MB of RAM, starts running apps, and makes it all the way to 50. Even better, they aren't all throwaway apps, either: he's got Gravity, Skyfire, Opera, Quickoffice, Adobe Reader, and S60's built-in music player and browser all running, among countless others, and it looks like he still comes out of it with a bit of headroom at the end. Is it practical? No -- nor could you likely do this with a stock i8910 ROM -- but it's comforting to know that the hardware's entirely capable of this kind of tomfoolery.
Ultra-detailed Samsung i8910 HD grievance rewarded with company meeting
Often, raising hell with a company that has wronged you brings little more than strife, animosity, and a brick wall -- but every once in a while, something magical happens. Such is the case with our tale of the i8910 HD owner who decided to list out in excruciating detail everything that was wrong with his expensive purchase and how it might be fixed -- the dude ended up scoring a four-hour meeting with a company representative where his lengthy requests were met with a mixture of "we can't do that," "thanks for the suggestion," and "we'll look into it." At the end of the day, Sammy's conclusion is that the i8910 HD just never drove enough sales volume to justify a vibrant user / developer community and continued support from the company for new features -- probably not the answer the guy wanted to hear, but at least they owned up to it. The story ends on a happy note, though: his personal i8910 having given up the ghost, the author of the report scored a test unit for checking out an upcoming firmware. All's well that ends well, we suppose.
Samsung i8910 HD firmware update said to increase awesomeness, decrease suckiness
We somehow doubt it'll address each and every complaint out there, but Samsung has just announced a rather promising-sounding firmware update for its awesome-but-underserviced i8910 HD. Apparently the biggies here are improved browsing performance thanks to a new Webkit engine, an "improved graphic engine" for faster multimedia access, and -- wait for it -- kinetic scrolling. Yes! It starts rolling out next month in the UK, with other markets "gradually" picking it up thereafter, so it's time to dig through the attic and put that bad boy back into service.
Samsung's i8910 HD Gold Edition looks the part
The Samsung i8910 HD (or Omnia HD, depending on your region and personal preference) has one of the most dazzling AMOLED displays ever offered on a mobile device -- but the phone's understated, muted gray case belies the visual delight that waits just a button press away. The obvious solution? Draw a ring of bright, shiny gold around the display, of course, which is exactly the angle Sammy's run with in the announcement of its i8910 HD Gold Edition today. Available in two colors -- the equally hedonistic Champagne Gold and Luxury Brown -- the phone includes a TV-out cable and cradle in the box, meaning that you're paying for more than just some faux precious metal plating. Other specs remain the same from the original, which makes it easy for Samsung to get this one out quickly; it'll be available this month in "selected markets" including Singapore, Germany, and the Middle East.
Wronged i8910 HD buyer prepares doctoral-quality thesis on issues
What do you do when you're unhappy with a product you've bought? Return it? Complain on an online forum? Write to the company? Well, for one Mr. Panashe Ngwerume, the answer's a little more complicated than that. You see, this particular gentleman was so incensed by the Samsung i8910 HD's problems and lack of continued development that he felt compelled to write a 25-page -- yes, 25-page -- report detailing the issues and proposed solutions. Unfortunately for Ngwerume and other i8910 HD buyers, Samsung seems to have effectively abandoned Symbian in favor of Android, Windows Mobile, and the company's own bada, but the report suggests that Samsung throw the phone and its firmware to the hacker community for further development, possibly on Maemo or bada. Knowing what we know of giant, global firms like Samsung, the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this Nobel-worthy work were probably for naught, but it makes for a riveting read and a great rallying point for i8910 owners around the world.
Oh, by the way: September 7, 2009
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Monday, September 7, 2009: Samsung's got a version of the Jet for its domestic Korean market, the clumsily-named "Haptic AMOLED." Unlike its international cousin, the Haptic AMOLED packs a T-DMB tuner (as just about all Korean phones do) and it's available in spicy pink and white shades for the usual carriers SKT, KTF, and LGT. Did you know that AT&T used to have a stake in the Indian wireless market? Yeah, us neither, but they did prior to the Cingular merger -- and rumor has it they're looking to get back in by buying a chunk of state-owned operator BSNL, ostensibly because the market -- which is still in a heavy growth phase -- is seen as a powder keg waiting to explode. This one's been going around for a few days, and with the carrier's full-court press on Android, it makes total sense: the Bluetooth SIG is reporting that the Samsung T939 Behold2 for T-Mobile will feature "Google Mobile services," which would fit in with an earlier user agent profile leak. [Via Cell Phone Signal] There's a new Samsung i8910 HD firmware that's starting to hit some regions, and it's a good one -- it features an all-new 3D task switcher and a built-in weather forecast widget for TouchWiz. [Via PhoneArena] Surprise, surprise: Toshiba is relaunching the mighty TG01 with Windows Mobile 6.5 next month, a move that was fully expected all along. If anything, there'd be riots had this not happened. Sony Ericsson's Panel SDK for the X2 is now available, featuring new "Panelizer" tools to convert existing apps into panels in a few easy steps -- and starting in the next few days, devs will be able to submit their work for inclusion in the PlayNow arena. Vodafone has launched a range of eight new self-branded devices that'll be available in time for the holidays this year, and as usual, they're positioned squarely at the lower end of the market. Some of them like the E71 ripoff 1240 (pictured) are straight-up KIRFs, while others like the "Crystal" member of the 533 Catwalk Collection are trying to ooze fashion and style without killing the wad of cash stuffed in your pocket. Whether they've succeeded in doing that... well, that's another question altogether. [Via Unwired View]
Oh, by the way: July 13, 2009
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Monday, July 13th, 2009: Samsung has released a new firmware for its i8910HD that enabled AAC audio while recording HD video. The problem? Right now, only Italian firmwares seem to be eligible for the update, which comes through Samsung's PC Studio app. [Via Softpedia] Excellent music identification app Shazam is now available on the BlackBerry Storm. And let's be honest, Storm owners need all the entertainment they can get. In France, the Samsung S5230 Player One has been re-released in Zadig & Voltaire livery; we've never heard of 'em, but we bet it's a big, important fashion house somewhere. [Via Unwired View] NuevaSync recently launched its interesting push email service, which simply uses IMAP IDLE on the back end and Exchange ActiveSync to connect to your device (because as push goes, more devices support EAS than IMAP IDLE). [Via Smartphone Thoughts] GSM / CDMA dual-band versions of the HTC Snap and Touch Pro2 have been confirmed for launch on Telus, though dates and pricing haven't been given. [Via Smartphone Thoughts]
Samsung's OmniaHD gets high-def unboxing
If watching the N97 crawl out of its Espoo-designed packaging just isn't enough for one day, how's about this? An unlocked Samsung OmniaHD (or i8910, if we're being proper) has found its way into the ever-loving hands of one mareskino, and he was kind enough to unbox the thing on video. Better still, the quality here is second to none, and we'd bet you'll be drooling by the end of it. If you're ready to prove us right / wrong, hop on past the break and mash play.[Thanks, Curtis]
Samsung i8910 HD comes to Orange UK
Say what you will about S60 5th Edition, but here's the thing -- of the smartphones in the news today, only one has a massive AMOLED display. Samsung's i8910 HD is almost irrefutably the baddest-ass S60 device ever produced and one of the most heavily-spec'd smartphones ever made for any platform, featuring the aforementioned 3.7-inch 640 x 360 capacitive touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera, an S60-specific implementation of TouchWiz with 3D enhancements, and HSUPA. Bottom line is that if this phone can't get you worked into a lather, S60 definitely isn't for you -- and lucky Brits now have the opportunity to make that gut check thanks to Orange's retail launch. You can grab it for a totally reasonable £97.50 (about $151) on a £35 per month plan, which seems like a pittance to pay for one of the monster handsets of 2009. [Via All About Symbian]
Samsung Omnia HD i8910 reviewed in the glow of the AMOLED screen
Whether you call it OmniaHD, i8910 HD, or even "Timmy Tim" (hey, it could happen), Samsung's AMOLED--infused smartphone is a winner, if the fine lads at Phone Arena are to be believed. Points go to its HD video recording and playback, a surprisingly good battery life, and a form factor that's not too hard on the pocket, measuring in at just a wee bit taller and thicker than the HTC Touch HD. Not everything's sunshine and rainbows, though, as trying to use it in direct sunlight's a lost cause and the phone is a magnet for fingerprints. Still, those are pretty minor in comparison, and this is sounding more and more like a solid smartphone. Hit up the read link for a more thorough review, or after the break for the moving pictures version.
Samsung 'selectively' drops OmniaHD name in some countries
Rumors have been flying the past couple days that the OmniaHD is no more -- at least, not in name -- and it turns out that's partially true. We've received official word from Samsung that the S60-based superphone will be "selectively" renamed to "i8910 HD" in some countries "due to business issues." The spokesperson didn't expand on what those business issues were or what countries would get the name change, exactly, but let's be perfectly honest: this is one of those phones that could be called "Rotten Eggs in a Box" for all we care and we'd still line up to buy it at any price. Anyhow, Sammy says it'll still be using the Omnia name going forward for other products -- just not this one.
Samsung OmniaHD scores FCC approval
If those brand ambassadors are going to get their devices any time soon -- and they happened to be located stateside -- they'll be needing a little something we like to call an "FCC approval." Good news is that milestone has now been met, but the bad news is that the OmniaHD's only been passed with 1900MHz 3G as North American bands go -- a fact that we knew well before now, yes, but were hoping beyond hope would end up being tweaked by Sammy prior to launch. Any chance yet for an unbranded, unlocked version of this in 850 / 1900 flavor, guys? Come on, Nokia's doing it -- surely you've got the moxie in you?
Leaked slide reveals Samsung going big with touchphones in '09
The same slide from the very same Dutch dealer event that outed Samsung's supposed Android device had a gaggle of other goodies on it, too, though we don't know a lot about 'em -- but what we do know is that everything you see here is touch-enabled, two of the devices augment the touch with QWERTY slides, and it's all supposed to be released over the course of this year. That's a pretty amazing plan considering the caliber of hardware we seem to be looking at here, but then again, if any phone manufacturer has the resources and the stones to pull off a plan like that, it'd be Sammy. Perhaps the most interesting tidbit here is All About Phones' claim that Samsung has a Windows Mobile 6.5-powered version of the Omnia HD in the works -- and considering the perception that they'd abandoned WinMo for S60 with the flagship line, we can hear the sighs of relief out of Redmond all the way from here. Little is known about when or where we can expect any of this stuff, so we'll be keeping a close eye.
Samsung turning 50 peeps into 'Omnia HD Ambassadors' ahead of launch
Most of us will have to wait a few months to get a crack at spending untold hundreds of dollars on Omnia HDs of our own, but for a lucky few -- fifty, to be exact -- the opportunity is just around the corner. Oh, and the phone is free, too. The catch? First off, you've got to convince Samsung you're special enough to get one of the rarefied prerelease units, then you've got to be an "Omnia HD Ambassador" -- that is, you've got to show the world why the phone is so freakin' awesome (and considering the dreamy specs, that shouldn't be too big of a challenge). The contest to be become an Ambassador runs through the 27th of the month, with winners announced in early April -- so polish your resume, comb your hair, and have a shot at it.
