The Inquisitr » samsung

Samsung Black Friday Ad 2009, It’s Time To Buy An HDTV

James Allen Johnson — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:46 +0000

Samsung has announced their own round of Black Friday Ads for 2009 and their targeting HDTV buyers with some very nice pricing on various sized HDTV sets with 720P and 1080P capabilities.

The first option is the companies 46-inch LCD LN46B500 HDTV which features 1080P and a contract ratio of 40,000:1 for $849.99, while a smaller 40-inch LN40B500 is available for $599.99 with the same options found on the LN46B500.

If you’re looking for a smaller option you can pick up the 22-inch LN22B350 with 720p resolution for a respectable $249.99. Not the best price we’ve found on a smaller display, but still a nice option for bargain shoppers who want a high end Samsung TV.

Finally, if you want to head in the plasma direction you can pick up the 50-inch PN50B400 for $699.99 or the 42-inch PN42B400 for $549.99. Both sets offer 600Hz subfield motion alongside a nice 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, although those options only come in at 720p, making for a much less attractive option. [SlipperyBrick via Samsung]

Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica Android Phone Gets Official With 800Mhz Processor

James Allen Johnson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:12:50 +0000

Samsung today officially announced their newest phone, the Google Android based Samsung i5700 also known as the Samssung Galaxy Spica.

The smartphone clocks in at a manageable 13.2mm in thickness and features a 3.5mm headphone jack for audiophiles to enjoy all of their albums and move fans to listen to all of their favorite movies as they stream them to their phone. The Spica is also the first Android phone to feature built-in DivX support.

The phone also features an ultra fast 800mhz processor, which isn’t quite as impressive as recent 1Ghz Snapdragon offers, but it’s still faster than the iPhone series and it offers multi-tasking.

The units already out in Europe and is headed next ot the Middle Ease and Asia. It’s also a Google phone through and through, if you aren’t convinced of that fact, just check out how many times Samsung mentioned the world “Google” in their official press release.

According to Samsung the phone as should be expected also features:

The Samsung Galaxy Spica supportsthe full suite of Google services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, and Google Talk™, letting users enjoy the familiar desktop computer experience while on the move.

Just one question for Samsung, when is this phone coming to North America?

Samsung Behold II Arrives At T-Mobile On November 18th

James Allen Johnson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:29:16 +0000

T-Mobile USA today announced the official November 18th release date for the Samsung Behold II, the companies next phone to feature the Google Android OS.

The Behold II features 3G data speeds and WiFi for easy connectivity, while also becoming the first T-Mobile sponsored device to feature a 3.2-inch AMOLED screen. The smartphone also features a 5MP camera with autofocus, zoom, flash, five shooting modes and video recording capabilities

Samsung has also integrated their “Cube Menu” which gives fast access to music, photos, videos, web surfing, YouTube and Amazon MP3 music download.

“With its first-rate multimedia capabilities front and center, the Samsung Behold II adds an exclamation point to T-Mobile’s already impressive Android lineup for the holidays,” said Wendy Piñero-DePencier, vice president, brand and calendar marketing, T-Mobile USA. “The combination of 3G speeds, its high-resolution touch-screen, and access to loads of entertainment features is sure to make the Behold II into a holiday hit.”

The Android-powered phone also features the Samsung TouchWiz user interface with its moveable widgets and one-touch access to commonly used features and applications.

Users will also be able to take advantage of Google services directly from their phone, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube and Google Talk, while of course downloading applications and games from the Android Market as they see fit.

Business users will also find some handy options via the Samsung Behold II such as personal and corporate e-mail abilities with Exchange ActiveSync.

The Behold II also features built-in GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP, visual voicemail, and MicroSDHC card support that can provide up to 16GB, although a 2GB microSD card comes standard with the device.

T-Mobile has stated that the smartphone will be ready for sale at nationwide T-Mobile retail stores and through T-Mobile.com beginning November 18th, 2009.

Samsung SyncMaster P2770HD Monitor Also Moonlights As HDTV

James Allen Johnson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:55:07 +0000

Samsung Korea just announced their newest monitor the SyncMaster P2770HD, a 27 inch computer monitor that also offers a TV tuner with an HDMI input with 1080p HD resolutions.

The monitor also features 5ms response times, a dynamic contrast ration of 50,000:1 and two 3-watt speakers that offer what Samsung calls “simulated 5.1 surround sound.”

The P2770HD also features picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture operation so you can use your computer on one part of your screen, while watching TV at the same time on the other part of the screen.

At $473 it’s a steal and should start shipping globally in time to make a nice gift for a loved one during the holidays.

Samsung Reveals LD220G And LD190N LCD Laptop Monitors

James Allen Johnson — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:47:52 +0000

Sick and tired of the tiny 13, 15 or even 17 inch displays on your laptop? Why not try out the Samsung LD220G and Samsung LD190N LCD laptop monitors.

The LD220G comes with 22 inches of viewable space, while the LD190N offers 19 inches. Both monitors also lean more in the fashion of a digital photo frame which gives them a nice viewing angle. The 220G connects via USB and even feature a USB hub, while the 190N uses a VGA cable connection.

In terms of resolution the 220G offers full 1080p high def output, while the 190N comes equipped with 1360 x 768 resolution.

Both monitors features 5ms response times, 20000:1 dynamic contrast rations and 250cd/m2 brightness levels.

In terms of pricing you’ll be looking at $149.99 for the 190N and $249.99 for the 220G. [SlipperyBrick]

Samsung Giorgio Armani Phone Gets Debuted By Steve Ballmer

James Allen Johnson — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:10:19 +0000

The Samsung Georgio Armani phone has debuted, bringing a bit of fashion to Windows Mobile 6.5. The bronze and black design was created to compliment Armani suits, while providing sleek designer lines for a unique look.

At a luncheon Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called the phone “the most fashionable phone [he's] ever had a chance to talk about.”

The €700 ($1030) smartphone features Windows Mobile 6.5, a 3.5 inch AMOLED touchscreen display, sliding Qwerty keyboard and a 5MP Camera. It also comes equipped with 8GB of internal storage, a built-in GPS receiver and a MicroSDHC card slot.

We don’t have a release date for the phone at this time and if it’s anything like the Prada phones you’ll need to get your pre-order in ASAP to ensure you get one.

Samsung Moment Gets Official For Sprint Wireless With November 1st Release

James Allen Johnson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:33:32 +0000

The latest Samsung handset for Sprint Wireless was announced today. The Samsung Moment is a Google Android based device that will come equipped with Google mobile services including Google Maps, Google Search, Gmail and YouTube.

The Moment also includes a large 3.2″ AMOLED touchscreen display, while powered by a powerful 800MHz Processor, WiFi and 3G data support. It also features a sliding qwerty keyboard, built-in GPS navigation and includes a 3.2MP camera with built-in flash and autofocus alongside camcorder capabilities.

The Samsung Moment also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 2.0 + A2DP for all your stereo bluetooth needs.

The Smartphone will be available on November 1st for $179.99 with a two year contract and $50 instant savings plus a $100 mail in rebate.

Sprint C.E.O. Dan Hesse stated a month ago that Android technology was finally ready for Sprint, now we get to find out if Sprint customers are ready for Android. [Ubergizmo]

Samsung Officially Announces E2210 Hello Kitty Phone

James Allen Johnson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:35:38 +0000

Hello Kitty is everywhere these days from pencils to backpacks and watches to happy meals, heck my wife is even wrapped up in a Hello Kitty blanket at this very moment. The truth is not even the mobile phone industry can escape the cartoons grasp, hence we now have the Samsung E2210 Hello Kitty Phone.

The E2210 is first going to be landing in Belgium with two models. Although the Star Hello Kitty edition is by far the better deal with touchscreen sense capabilities.

The phone is a clamshell offering with a pink color scheme and will begin at a $100 price point with the Star edition priced to move at $250. Outside of a color change and two different editions the units are exactly the same as their non Hello Kitty themed devices.

Samsung Introduces Massive 65-Inch LN65B650 LCD TV

James Allen Johnson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:07:22 +0000

Samsung just announced the newest LCD in their arsenal, the Samsung LN65B650 a massive 65″ (across) television that also offers Flicker, Yahoo and YouTube support with an active internet connection.

The largest commercially available LCD produced to date by the company also features a 120Hz panel, response times of 4ms and a dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1. It also offers plenty of connection supports including 4 HDMI inputs that are CEC compliant, two component cable slots, RCA and USB jacks. It also supports VGA, Optical audio out and RS-232 serial adapters.

While the LN65B650 will be available this month I highly doubt it will be in most peoples price range at $6000. [via SlipperyBrick]

Samsung Rouge recieves suprisingly good reviews

Duncan Riley — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:19:35 +0000

Samsung’s latest phone, the Samsung Rogue is hitting Verizon today and the iPhone wannabe is receiving surprisingly positive press.

The Samsung is Verizon’s first phone to have an AMOLED display, and also features a 3.1 inch touchscreen with 480 x 800 pixels, one-touch Widgets, 4-row QWERTY keyboard, EV-DO Rev A connectivity, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, full HTML browsing, 3MP camera with flash, and MicroSD card support (up to 16GB).

The camera allows users to take photos or video with the auto-focus 3.0-megapixel camera and camcorder with flash and image editor, and the phone comes with the VCAST Video service to download and view video on this multimedia capable phone, and VCAST Music with Rhapsody capable to download and play music, ringtones and more.

The general consensus on the Rogue is that it’s a good phone: not an iPhone, and a decent competitor that offers a lot of bang for your buck. The Samsung Rogue is available from Verizon for as low as $99.99 (with a 2-yr contract agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate).

Samsung ST45 Gets Spotted With Super Thin Design

James Allen Johnson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:16:37 +0000

The Samsung ST45 is a highly capable digital shooter that offers a 12.2 megapixel output, 3x optical zoom and ISO 3,200 sensitivity. It’s also extremely portable thanks to a super thin build factor that feels great whether carrying it around or taking shots of your special occasions.

The thickest point on the digital camera is only 0.63 inches and comes with a slim case to tote it around. It’s also made out of aluminum which guarantees a lightweight offering that matches its small size.

No pricing at this time, but the device is expected in the UK by the end of September and the U.S. at some yet to be disclosed time.

Samsung Omnia II Shows Up For Pre-Order. Amazon Loses Their Minds

James Allen Johnson — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:07:22 +0000

I’m all for finding pre-order deals online, this isn’t one of those “deal” situations. Amazon’s website today showed the Samsung Omnia II with a price that’s typically reserved for middle of the road laptops and 42″ flatscreen televisions, not for cell phones.

So what’s the big deal? How about a buy cost of $999.99, a price that dwarfs even the most high end HTC phones. Sure it’s not anywhere near the pricing of high end Vertu models but it’s still a large amount.

I’d also like to point out that the price tag is for an international model with no U.S. Warranty.

So what do you get for a grand? A rather mediocre 5MP camera, 8GB on-board storage and Windows Mobile 6.1. Basically your paying for the devices 3.7″ AMOLED display and TouchWiz 2.0 technology. Although “DVD Quality Video Recording” their words not mine, GPS and WiFi doesn’t hurt either.

Is it worth $999.99, no absolutely not, which is probably why eXpansys-USA is selling it for $629.99

Samsung Jumps On App Store Bandwagon, Increases Omnia Appeal

James Allen Johnson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:29:36 +0000

Apple created a monster when they began their App store, from there Google Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Symbian all jumped on board with software stores of their own. Now Samsung is taking the App store concept to their own line of Omnia devices.

Samsung has announced that they have signed deals with Electronics Arts, Capcom, Gameloft and TAITO to bring 2000 apps to market by the end of 2009. The program is initially launching with 300 apps.

The new app store is set for a September 14th launch in the UK, France and Italy with more countries following in the coming months. Asia and the Americas have also been confirmed by Samsung, however no release date has been announced for those regions at this time.

Samsung May Announce 400Hz Televisions At IFA

James Allen Johnson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:00:00 +0000

It was only one year ago that Samsung was standing up on a stage at the IFA trade show announcing their newest flat screen televisions with an amazing 200Hz. Now the company is poised to make a new announcement at IFA this year, a 400Hz LCD TV line.

Currently the announcement of the 400Hz systems is just a rumor according to GizmoWatch, with no official word that such an announcement is even a possibility. We’d also like to know if the new television sets will go intro production or simply be offered as a prototype for the immediate future.

According to Tweakers.net the new 400Hz technology will:

“combine the current 200Hz interpolation technique to insert black frames, a technique that is called BFI/DFI [black frame, dark frame interpolation].”

IFA Berlin begins in 16 days, I’ll just wait semi-patiently until then.

Samsung S9910 Reveals Itself. Claims Thinnest Smartphone Watch Status

James Allen Johnson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:15:20 +0000

The Samsung S9910 claims to be the thinnest watch based Smartphone developed to date. A move I assume isn’t to hard to manage considering their are only a handful of Smartphone based watches available worldwide. Either way it’s a pretty cool looking device.

Th S9910 comes in at a relatively tiny 11.98mm while featuring a super cool 1.78 inch display with touchscreen capabilities (not all that great for fat fingered users). The phonewatch also features bluetooth and voice recognition for easier dialing and phone conversations.

For the business minded it even offers outlook email support, an option some standard size devices are still having trouble delivering. While it also features a speakerphone and music player.

Finally the watch features a very classy looking leather strap and is expected before the end of July for 450 Euros in France. [via MobileCrunch]

Gamers get their own reality show

Steven Hodson — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:02:47 +0000

I’ll be right up front here – I despise so-called reality television shows because they are the farthest thing from reality that you can think of. That said it seems that some-one thought it would be a great idea to take a bunch of gamers, give them some of the best gaming rigs around and stick them all in the same house. The show which is coming to the Sci-Fi channel starting March 10th at 10PM is a partnership between the network, Samsung and World Cyber Games.

The idea is to find the Best All-Round Gamer from a diverse group of contestants who will fight for the grand prize of $100,000.00, a Samsung Ultimate Entertainment Package, complete with the company’s most advanced product line-up. In addition the winner will become the face of the World Cyber Games and represent WCG at events around the world.

Co-hosted by Hannah Simone and Joel Gourdin, the series showcases twelve contestants who live together in a single loft in downtown Los Angeles. They will compete against each other in challenges that include traditional video game play as well as real-life video game simulations, which place the contestants in situations inspired by best-selling and world famous games. Throughout the competition, the ultimate gamer will need to excel both individually and with his or her teammates, have top-notch gamer skills and be able to handle the pressure of head-to-head elimination rounds played in an arena filled with hundreds of spectators. The ultimate gamer will also have to showcase their ability to navigate and manipulate a houseful of other die-hard gamers, all vying to be crowned number one.

Source: Sci-Fi Channel

Ya .. okay .. and the sad part of this is that it just might work and further perpetuate the stereotypes people have about gamers.

38 Cute Animals, 1 Mobile Phone Ad, Bucket Loads of Win

Duncan Riley — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:00:54 +0000

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for fluffy animals, and I’m also impartial to tech, so combining the two is naturally going to perk my interest.

This ad from Samsung “38 Cute Animals, 1 Cool Screen, 8 Different Uses” showcases the Ultratouch S8300 phone with some cute and fluffy help.

It’s still not an iPhone, but you’ve got to love the ad:

Samsung Memoir includes 8 megapixel camera

Duncan Riley — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:41:12 +0000

Samsung and T-Mobile have officially released details for the Samsung Memoir.

The Samsung Memoir is a full touch screen mobile in iPhone territory, until you look at the back of it and realize that it looks more like a digital camera… because it is. The Memoir comes with an 8 megapixel camera built in.

The 8 megapixel camera includes Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes that “empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone.”

The phone is 3G, and comes with new photo widgets which allow easy uploading to picture sharing sites.

No word yet on pricing and availability.

It’s not an iPhone, but still, that’s some tempting hardware.

By 2015, every new television will be internet enabled

Duncan Riley — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:00:34 +0000

From the sublime to the ridiculous, years of promise in bringing the internet to the television screen is finally starting to deliver. We’ve covered Sony and Samsung entering the race to deliver internet to the lounge room, now add Panasonic and Phillips to the list.

Panasonic’s VieraCast will incorporate content from EuroSport, Bloomberg, Google’s Picassa and YouTube, with more in the pipeline with the first sets to go on sale in the northern spring 2009. Phillips’ Net TV service will also be built into sets going on sale in 2009.

In terms of marketshare, the only company missing from the list is the US number three player LG. Although they have yet to demonstrate an internet enabled television, LG is the company that brought the world the internet refrigerator, and currently supports internet access in their Blu-ray players, allowing users to stream or download content from Netflix. It’s not a matter of if LG will join the party, it’s only a question of when.

2009 will be the year of internet television. All major players will offer internet connectivity in some form or another across parts of their product range.

But availability doesn’t deliver ubiquity.

Television sales are interesting in the context of the US downturn, actually rising as the economy slowed. Two factors today are driving sales: the affordability and desirability of large screen televisions, and the impeding switch to digital television. Both apply nearly equally across Western countries. We want our big screens, and word of mouth and clever marketing is driving demand for HD. Where as a television may have remained in the family for 20 years in the past, we willingly update our television sets every 5 years or so now to keep up with the Jones’.

The economics of replacement exist, if you don’t have a big screen now you may have budgeted it as a future purchase. If you have a big screen now, you may be wondering whether it’s big enough, a question I’ve already asked myself about our 18 month old 40″ Sony Bravia. I know I’m not about to go out and replace my set, but as prices continue to fall and screens get bigger, it’s conceivable that in the next 2-3 years, I’ll be upgrading again.

But what defines one set to another? Sony, Panasonic, Phillips and Samsung believe that internet access will be a selling point in driving future sales. Some will offer a more open platforms than others, and users will be given a variety of choices. If considering the same sized television, with the same screen resolution, inputs, at the same price, and one has internet access, it’s pretty obvious which one consumer will choose. The differentiation will then drive supply, as those not offering internet enabled televisions will scramble to match the competition. Features will improve, the range will expand, until ultimately we get to the point where every new television offered for sale will become internet enabled.

2015 will be 6 years after internet television hits the big time. Even if we take a television replacement cycle out to 6-8 years, enough people will be in the market to drive the adaption forward so that internet functionality won’t be a driver, it will become just another standard feature as technology such as OLED become the new focal points. Every television set will offer internet connectivity, as those that didn’t offer access have ceased selling, or been upgraded to keep up. In 2015, the idea that your new television set isn’t internet enabled will be foreign to general populous.

So long broadcast television

When I wrote about the death of broadcast television, I mentioned the rise of the internet enabled television as the driver of the nail into traditional televisions nail. What I didn’t know then was how quickly this change would come around, and even months ago I couldn’t have predicted that in 2009 internet enabled televisions would be everywhere. I’m still putting the death at 10 to 20 years, but what we are seeing now can only hasten the downfall of broadcast television. Take it as a given that by 2014 the majority of people will have an internet enabled television, and that by the end of the decade all bar a small few will have digital delivery of content in their lounge rooms. We can look no further than the content deals already being cut with this first generation of internet televisions that cable channels in particular are scrambling to offer their content on demand digitally, and smart television companies will follow, because they will realize that to reach their audience, digital content delivery will win out over broadcast television when everyone has access via their remote control.

Samsung Internet Enabled Televisions This Year

Duncan Riley — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:24:39 +0000

Samsung will announce at the IFA industry fair in Germany this week that it will start offering internet access in its Series 7, 8 and 9 televisions in Canada, Australia, and Singapore and in selected countries in Europe this year. No word yet on availability in the United States.

The announcement includes Samsung’s inclusion in the Yahoo/ Intel widgets on television tie-up, but may include additional content and tie-ins. Details haven’t been released.

From various reports, it would appear that Samsung is pitching the internet tie-in on an ease of use, “bite-sized” offering basis, with users being able to add news tickers or weather widgets alongside traditional television content. The head of digital media at Samsung Dr. Park told media outlets that he sees a future where in 5 years time, the television will be the center on the online experience, and will deliver music, streaming video, and other content, although it’s not clear whether the first release will include streaming video for example, a real game changing service in terms of built in functionality within a television set.

Slowly but surely the cards are falling into place in the death of broadcast television. Samsung joins Sony in offering internet enabled televisions, and others are sure to follow. They may in the first generation not be overly compelling (the whole idea of widgets doesn’t appeal to me, but it may have stronger appeal to the mainstream) but all of a sudden television sets will no longer be foreign to the network, and as users upgrade their sets or replace old ones, the internet will be built in and simply there for using in the lounge room. Couple this with easy access to streaming and live media online, and the argument that it’s too niche or won’t take off will be replaced by who offers the better software with their television sets.

See our previous coverage on the death of broadcast television here.