Samsung GT

Leaked snaps have surfaced showing a new Samsung smart phone, reckoned to be running Ice Cream Sandwich, and — curiously — sporting a full Qwerty keyboard.

Images showing the front and back of the mysterious mobile were spotted by Sammy Hub, with the finger-friendly phone bearing the name GT-B5330. That’s not such a catchy moniker, but I’d expect the phone to get a more exotic ‘Galaxy’ nickname should it become official.

It’s said to be 11.55mm thick and weigh 112.5g. The screen has a measly resolution of just 240×320 pixels however, which is definitely on the low side, and would make web browsing a chore.

Android 4.0 is always a much-appreciated bonus, though by the time this phone makes it into shops it wouldn’t be running the latest version anymore — not now Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has bounced its way onto the smart phone scene.

Specs for this phone come via a Chinese site, so there’s a chance that this will be one of those mobiles that we never get to see in the UK.

I’ve got my fingers crossed that we do get our mitts on it before long though — I know there are people out there that bemoan the loss of Qwerty smart phones, and spent hours on end staring balefully at their handset’s smooth, glossy touchscreen.

The HTC Desire Z was — to my mind — the last exciting Qwerty phone. Announced alongside the headline-nabbing Desire HD, the Android-powered Desire Z has since been absent from HTC’s Ice Cream Sandwich update lists.

Would you use a Qwerty phone? Or is the future smooth and glassy? Let me know your interface preferences in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.

Image credit: shouji.tenaa.com.cn

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Samsung GT

Samsung’s upcoming GT-i8700 handset, which runs Windows Phone 7, has been captured in a YouTube video.

The video of the handset, which may eventually be called the Omnia 7, in accordance with the titles of Samsung’s previous Windows Mobile devices, runs for 13 minutes. There’s no sound, but you can see Windows Phone 7 in action, together with a demonstration of how the phone’s camera will work.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this phone — photos of the GT-i8700 were leaked early last month. Unlike with leaked HTC handsets running Windows Phone 7, the GT-i8700’s specs have proved elusive. But we do know it will have a 5-megapixel camera and 8GB of storage.

Samsung is clearly taking Windows Phone 7 seriously. The company recently announced it will cease supporting Symbian, focusing its efforts on Windows Phone 7 and Android. The latter operating system runs on the company’s hugely popular Galaxy S smart phone and the eagerly anticipated Galaxy Tab tablet. Samsung’s also continuing to work on its own platform, Bada, as seen on the Wave 2 phone.

Windows Phone 7 is expected to be launched on Monday 11 October, and it seems probable that the GT-i8700 will be one of the launch devices. Samsung may have another launch phone in the form of the Cetus SGH-i917. The launch phones are likely to reach shops on 21 October. 

People shopping for a new high-end smart phone will soon have more choice than ever before. Windows Phone 7 will need to be pretty special to compete with the likes of iOS and Android, though. We look forward to seeing it next week.

Image credit: Engadget

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Samsung GT

A new Samsung handset that runs Windows Phone 7, the GT-i8700, has been leaked.

Gizmodo was sent photos of the GT-i8700 that clearly show it will run Windows Phone 7, offer around 8GB of storage, and pack a camera with an LED flash. It’s a touchscreen device with sharp edges and a shiny finish on its front. Last month, Pocketnow posted pictures of a Windows Phone 7 device that could well be the same phone.

We may see the GT-i8700 soon after 11 October, which is rumoured to be the launch date for Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system.

Samsung evidently isn’t putting all of its smart-phone eggs in the Android basket, following its success with the Galaxy S. Besides working on Windows Phone 7 devices, it also recently revealed plans to launch a new Bada phone later in the year.

Microsoft has a great deal riding on Windows Phone 7, and will hope that manufacturers like Samsung and HTC release handsets that perform well both in terms of operation and sales.

The operating system looks promising. Last month, we saw the announcement of new games for the OS, as well as Xbox Live compatibility. Recently, a leaked screenshot also indicated that phones running the OS would have access to unlimited downloaded tunes for £9 a month, via a Zune Pass.

Windows Phone 7 faces stiff competition from rival operating systems, however. Research firm IDC apparently doesn’t think Windows Phone 7 will make a major impact on the market. According to IDC, the market share of Microsoft’s mobile operating systems will continue to be less than that of Apple’s iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS and Symbian by 2014.

What do you think? Could Microsoft’s mobile fortunes be improved by the release of a Windows Phone 7 handset with real wow factor? Could the GT-i8700 be the phone to do it? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image credit: Gizmodo

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