Samsung Galaxy aka i7500 Android Phone Available Now On O2 Germany

Well, new Android handsets are slowly but surely increasing in numbers these few days.  Amidst the noise and excitement surrounding the release of the new HTC Hero yesterday, Samsung has quietly released its offering in the Android space, but only on a carrier, specifically the O2 network (owned by Spain’s Telefonica) in Germany.  As is commonly the practice in Europe, the handset will be subsidised, and it will only cost €69.99 (approximately RM 345) in Germany, in return for a long term contract (for how long, I do not know, and am too lazy to translate from German to English!).  Here’s the product order page (in German) on the O2 website.

Here are some details that I managed to translate from the O2 website.  Blame the poor English on Google’s online translator!

Specialties
* Mobile lifestyle with a simple and intuitive operation via the large touch screen
* Android platform with Google services like Gmail, Google search, Youtube and the Android Marketplace
* For the use of the mobile Internet as on the PC
* Brilliant 3.2 “AMOLED display
* 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash
* Integrated GPS with Google Maps
* 8 GB internal memory and microSD slot (expansion up to 32GB)
* Long battery life with 1500mAh battery

Technical Data
* Color: Onyx Black
* Talk time: 6.5 hours
* Standby time: 450 hours
* Weight: 114 g
* Dimensions: 115.9 x 56 x 11.9 mm
* Display Resolution: 320 x 480
* Display: AMOLED touch-screen
* Camera Resolution: 5 megapixels

Specialties
* The Samsung GALAXY is based on the Android operating system and includes all Google services that can be used freely.
* It is with its narrow format and a refined, smooth fine texture in the hand.
* The pre-Chrome Lite browser supports all the features that represent a first-class browser and the Internet provides almost like home.
* The display is based on the AMOLED technology and is therefore in direct sunlight, from each perspective, very well readable.
* A wide selection of widgets can be quite personal taste after using the ‘Drag and Drop “on the screen. The touchscreen mobile confirmed with gentle fingertip statements made by gentle vibration.
* An integrated motion sensor reacts to how the phone is held and displays the screen content to fit.

Delivery
* Samsung GALAXY
* USB data cable
* Stereo Headset
* Manual
* Software CD
* Battery
* Charger

Android platform
* Android is an open platform and is characterized by special features.
* Google Services (Google automatic synchronization of mail, contacts and calendar / Google Maps & Street View / Google Search / Youtube / Google Talk) with one click callable.
Elite * Google Chrome browser for convenient and fast browsing on a PC at home as
* Android Market: The Android Marketplace lets you move at an ever-growing range of programs and games access
* Flexible user interface: The user interface is through the installation of wallpapers, widgets, shortcuts and applications completely individualized.

Mobile Internet
* Your UMTS mobile phone makes a permanent connection to the Internet with high-speed data transmission. For you, this means even more Internet experience, even with uncomplicated access to large files and use complex remote services – no matter where.
* Send or receive files quickly and easily on your phone without changing the conversation to interrupt.
* Broadband Internet access easy and fast: video calls, audio and video streaming, surfing the net and on the MMS and e-mail.
* With the real mobile Internet lets you browse the net and easily from your mobile phone in your e-mail, manage, wherever you are.
* To ensure that friends and relatives know what’s going on with you. Write down what your photos and publish your blog.
* The calls to web pages and download music, video or images from the Internet within a few seconds on your mobile phone possible.
* With fast HSUPA upload speeds so that even very large file attachments within seconds can be transmitted.

Standard Features
* Bluetooth: Quite simply devices to synchronize and transfer files without having cable and auszustecken.
* Quad-band phone. Networks GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900, HSDPA, EDGE, UMTS 2100
* Free feature: hands free comfort when making calls.
* Vibrating Alert: If your phone is in mute mode, the vibrate on an incoming call or message out.
* Integrated Modem: Set your phone on a connection between your PC and the Internet, no matter where you are.

Fun and Entertainment
* 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and extensive camera functions.
* Record and send videos
* The built-in GPS receiver and Google Maps show not only where you’re located but also allow a targeted search for interesting places in the area.
* The client can be integrated Youtube online videos on your mobile phone viewing. In e-mails contained links to Youtube immediately start the film.

Organizer and memory function
* 8 GB internal memory and microSD slot for expansion up to 32 GB
* Organizer
* Calendar, task list, and Memofunktion Schedule
* Alarm, timer and stopwatch
* Calculator

The Galaxy/i7500 doesn’t have the fancy user interface that we’ve just seen on the HTC Hero, and I’m uncertain as to the reason why Samsung did not take the time to port over its TouchWiz interface from its Windows Mobile and Symbian smartphones to the Android platform.  They may do so in a future Android handset; my take is that if they don’t, then they’re going to find it difficult to compete with the likes of the HTC Hero, which looks snazzy with the Sense UI on top of the boring Android interface.  So, let’s wait and see what Samsung comes up with in its next iteration of its Android offering – after all, the i7500/Galaxy is only its first, so there’s still lots of room, and time, to improve!

In the meantime, I’ll check with my contacts at Samsung Malaysia to see if this phone is coming at all to Malaysia, and if so, when.  Stay tuned!

Via engadget.

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