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Samsung's S8300 slider packs AMOLED display, 8-megapixel camera
If Samsung's Soul had your innermost emotions shakin', wait until you wrap your retinas around this. The S8300, which is said to be an upgrade from the aforementioned mobile -- will reportedly come stacked with 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity, a 2.8-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera, inbuilt GPS, an FM radio with RDS, 60MB of onboard memory, DivX playback and an "anti-scratch / anti-fingerprint coated duraluminium chassis." There are no promises that it'll be ready for a CES showcase, though we're hearing that a MWC launch is expected in a worst case scenario. Lots more images are hiding in the read link.
Samsung shows no mercy, redoes Soul in black and gold Limited Edition
One of the great things about the original Soul is that despite its heavy-hitting credentials -- 5-megapixel camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and OLED-equipped d-pad, just to name a few -- it remains a pretty understated (read: tasteful) slider. Of course, taste isn't for everyone, which is apparently why Samsung has elected to dress up its high-end U900 in black and gold for a "Limited Edition" that commands about a 700 Czech crown ($40) premium over its easier-to-look-at silver counterpart. To each their own, we suppose. The Limited Edition is already available in some markets, and with the high sheen of that classy gold plating, it should be pretty easy to pick out.
Samsung S7330 moves Soul train a bit downmarket
If you dig the slider form factor and the trick OLED d-pad, you've got no need for a super high-res cam, and you're alright with download speeds that are merely blazingly fast (as opposed to super crazy blazin' fast), look no further than Samsung's modest update to the Soul. The new model, dubbed S7330 according to Mobilmania, looks to carry over most of the original model's headlining features while knocking the photographic prowess down a notch from 5 to 3.2 megapixels and dropping peak HSDPA speeds from 7.2 to 3.6Mbps. In return, though, you score an updated user interface and pick up GSM 850, so it's not all bad. Rumor has it it'll run for about 8,000 Czech crowns ($500) later this year.[Via Unwired View]
Video: Samsung's Soulful dinosaur takes tour around England
Remember that not-entirely-innocent looking prehistoric creature that won your heart immediately upon viewing Samsung's optical illusion promotional vid? Apparently quite a few folks demanded to see more of the Soul dinosaur, so Sammy hoisted him up onto a truck and proceeded to drive around a few English towns. Catch the sub-2 minute journey (reactions included) just after the break.[Thanks, Claudio]
Samsung bares its Soul in fresh and frosty pink
It's rehash day chez Samsung, the very popular Soul is just out of the paint shop and is definitely pretty in pink. The handset still boats everything it did before, Magic Touch navigation, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 5 megapixel camera, and the Bang & Olufsen ICEpower amplifier. Phones 4U has an exclusive on this little pink toy and pricing is set at £150 (roughly $300) if you pick it up on Orange. Follow the read to see a few more poses.
Samsung's Soul gets candybar'd, called Soulb
Remember that U800 we peeked in the middle of last month? Turns out, that very mobile is the one pictured above, though it now has an official moniker to round things off. In an attempt to migrate the Spirit of Soul (Samsung's words, not ours) to the candybar design, the Soulb was born. The handset checks in at 9.9-millimeters thick and features a 3-megapixel camera (with Power LED flash), document viewer / editor, web browser, multimedia player, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio (with RDS support), 1GB of internal memory and a microSD slot just in case. It's also noted that the Soulb will be available in Soul Grey, Platinum Silver, Metallic Black, Soul Pink and Amethyst Violet for an undisclosed price, but things aren't looking too swell for North Americans. Germans will get first dibs when it lands in "early June," while just about every region save for NA gets it shortly thereafter.[Via phoneArena]
Samsung's S60-equipped L870 looking better as launch draws near
The L870 that Samsung showed off in the Netherlands last month was looking a little shaky, to say the least -- but fortunately, it seems like that may have just been some half-baked prototype. Czech site Mobil.cz has scored a picture of a slider that's looking far, far more put together, featuring a svelte, brushed metal body that evokes the Soul but goes straight into smartphone territory with S60 (3rd Edition FP2, we think). Other goodies include a 3 megapixel primary cam, HSDPA 3.6 (just 2100MHz, sadly), and an FM radio, though sadly it seems to have lost GSM 850 at some point since Samsung's engineers threw together that first sample. Rumors have this one pegged for a launch at CommunicAsia next month, just in time for a few beads of sweat to form on Nokia's forehead.[Via Unwired View]
Samsung Soul promo video shows 10 optical illusions in 136 seconds
We'll be frank -- we really have no idea what Samsung's getting at with its freshest Soul promotional video, but it's certainly a fine piece of eye candy if nothing else. Put simply, the video shows a maniac darting about demonstrating ten optical illusions in just over two minutes, and in case you couldn't guess, the Soul is saved for last. Should we have prefaced that bit with a spoiler warning? Too bad -- vid's still waiting after the jump if you're interested, though. [Thanks, Joel]
Korean smackdown: Samsung Soul, LG Secret reviewed
In case you hadn't heard, there's a battle raging for the hearts and minds of Europeans looking for a fashionable slider with a powerhouse camera. Both Samsung and LG are stepping up to the plate to address that very specific need this summer, with Samsung delivering the u900 Soul -- a phone it claims will be the last in its Ultra line -- and LG bringing the similarly named (and similarly spec'd) KF750 Secret. Initial reviews for both devices seem overwhelmingly positive, so don't expect them to necessarily help you choose which one to buy; instead, we suspect it might come down to brand preference, the Soul's nifty OLED d-pad, and the Secret's touchscreen. Both have HSDPA 2100 while rejecting North America's 3G airwaves, so for some of us, this battle is a bit of a moot point -- but for the rest of you, best of luck picking your '08 weapon of choice.[Thanks, TI]Read - MobileBurn reviews the Samsung SoulRead - CNET UK reviews the LG Secret
Samsung Soul now making beautiful music in Europe
Samsung's staying true to its word back at MWC in February, announcing that the Soul slider is now starting to become available in parts of Europe with distribution expanding through the remainder of this month and May. Initial targets for the "flagship" model (Samsung's wording, not ours) are France, the UK, and Germany, with "major European carriers" promised to throw their weight behind the launch. Power features on the Soul include a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with face detection and image stabilization, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and an FM radio with RDS, but the most visually distinctive goody on the phone clearly has to be its OLED-powered 5-way nav rocker that changes function based on the phone's mode. What isn't on the Soul's feature list is HSDPA 850 / 1900 (or even GSM 850, for that matter) -- so unless AT&T or T-Mobile want to foot the bill to bring a new version of this puppy stateside, its estimated asking price of €400 ($632 or so) might be better left in the average American's wallet.
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?).
Hands-on with Samsung's sliding Soul
The Soul is all metal and glossy surfaces, has a "Magical Touch" d-pad which features haptic feedback, is a complete fingerprint magnet, and we love it. It feels substantial, looks like a million bucks and while the d-pad is a bit gimmicky -- ok, well maybe a lot gimmicky -- this thing is going to end up in our pockets as our weekend handset of choice. Follow the link for a few more pics.%Gallery-15815%
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%
Those evil, evil Warlocks
I'm not quite sure if I buy this assessment from Mystic Worlds: She says that Warlocks are the new villians of WoW. Just like everyone used to hate Paladins (wait, we stopped hating Paladins?), Warlocks are the new class people love to hate and consider extremely OP.She says, insightfully, that the reason for this is that Warlocks have just tons of annoying abilities. Fear is probably foremost among them-- with a skilled Warlock, your character spends half the fight out of your control. Soul Link and Felguards are just plain evil (it's like having a Warrior tank for you), and with all those DoTs, a lock is hellfire on wheels (and ten locks in WSG are even worse). Not to mention that since locks love to load up on Stamina, they're tough to kill, too.It's just MW's timing that I don't agree with-- people have hated Warlocks for a long time now, and I'd say in general that so many classes have been buffed lately that people have moved on. Personally, Hunters are the class that drives me nuts in PvP now-- they still have that very exploitable dead zone, but in a big melee, one Hunter can lay down DoTs and CC and turn the tide of battle. Plus, those NE Hunters in Tier armor just look so smug! A Warlock is still trouble, but my shadow Priest can fear and DoT, too, and no one's bothered by him. It's Hunters that really bug me.
Taki's back in Soul Calibur Legends
We knew that in addition to Siegfried and Ivy, Soul Calibur Legends would feature other playable characters from the series. Everyone's favorite underdressed ninja, Taki, is joining the roster, to help the other two battle wave after wave of wimpy-looking mummies and three-foot-tall ninjas. Astaroth is also visible, though it's not clear if he's a player character or an enemy.Of course, now that we think about it, putting a female assassin in the game hews even closer to Death By Degrees territory. Well, Soul Calibur was always better than Tekken, so maybe the spinoff action games will follow the same pattern!
Soul Calibur ... Adventure?
In this week's IGN Wii-k In Review podcast, Mr. Casamassina unleashed a rumor that promptly sent eighty-nine fans into spontaneous combustion (including poor David, his skin is coal black): Soul Calbur might be coming to the Wii. He refuses to speak the title by name, fearing some sort of silly massive lawsuit, but he comments that a very popular third-party fighting franchise seen on the Gamecube is coming to the Wii. Unless you count the import Naruto 3, Soul Calibur from Namco is pretty much the end-all-be-all of third-party fighting games on the 'Cube.However, he also comments that the franchise will no longer be seen as a fighting game, but as an adventure game. The mythos behind Soul Calibur certainly has the potential to drive a fully-fledged adventure, but will the play mechanics remain similar? And are we just getting this as a runner-up prize because the 360 and PS3 might receive the long-awaited Soul Calibur 4? Only Miss Cleo time will tell.
