It looks like Samsung will be making a big push with Android, as the company said more than 50% of its smartphone will rock that little green robot.
This is a great sign for Android because Samsung has enormous reach as the second-biggest handset maker in the world. Getting cozy with Android could also lead Samsung to potentially integrate it into other products in the future, maybe TVs.
So, what kind of handsets can we look forward to? Well, I think it’s safe to say that the Moment was just a clunky first attempt. We had a chance to play with the Galaxy S at CTIA and this baby is a beauty. Right away, the super AMOLED screen pops out because it’s so crisp and vibrant. It also rocks a 1Ghz processor, Android 2.1 OS, 5-megapixel shooter and all the connected goodness you expect from a device of this class. Check out the embedded video below for a closer look.
As for the company’s home-grown operating system, bada, Samsung plans to use this for one-third of its smartphones. This widget-tastic OS is already on the Wave and, while I really don’t like having so many platforms, it seems pretty solid. During our hands-on time, we were pretty impressed with how smooth and responsive it was. I don’t know how many developers it will attract but it appears Samsung will aim bada devices at the low end of the market.
So, my computer-like brain tells me there’s a little bit of leftovers in Samsung’s math. We know its going to make at least one Windows Phone 7 handset and we may see a Symbian device, too. I think it’s a solid strategy to put most of you resources behind a single platform but still support others in order to cover your bases. Samsung also has a ton of resources, so let’s hope it can execute.
