Samsung spells out Galaxy phone updates

Samsung has added four handsets to its Galaxy range and has reworked its naming scheme to reflect which features each phone has.

The smartphones introduced on Wednesday — the Samsung Galaxy W, Galaxy M Pro, Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro — mark the start of the new naming convention.

The highest-spec device unveiled is the Galaxy W, which has a 3.7-inch touchscreen display, 1.4GHz processor and up to 14.4Mbps HSDPA connectivity.

It also packs a five-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Samsung's Kies Air remote management software. This allows people to wirelessly connect the handset to their computer so they can transfer files to or from the device. Kies Air also provides remote tracking of a device, in case it ever gets misplaced or stolen.

All of the devices introduced on Wednesday will run the Android 2.3 operating system, also called Gingerbread, including features such as near-field communication (NFC), which is also present on some BlackBerry smartphones.

Samsung declined to give the release date for the handset in the UK. However, network operator Three has already confirmed it will be stocking the device and said it is "set to hit Three stores soon".

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The next handset is the Galaxy M Pro, which combines the Android OS with a Qwerty keyboard for "swift accurate typing on the go", Samsung said. However, the top half of the device is also a touchscreen, and there is an optical touchpad for easier navigation.

It comes with a 1GHz processor, five-megapixel camera, Samsung Kies, and several pre-installed Samsung and Google apps. Storage on the device is 3.5GB, which can be expanded via a microSD card to 32GB.

Samsung would not provide pricing and release details for any of the new handsets.

The Samsung Galaxy Y is aimed at younger buyers. It includes Samsung Social Hub and the company's TouchWiz UI to "allow users to stay connected to their online social circles", the handset maker said.

It houses an 832MHz processor, a three-inch QVGA touchscreen display, HSDPA connectivity of up to 7.2Mbps, and a two-megapixel camera on the rear. It offers 2GB of internal memory, with support for microSD cards up to 32GB.

The Galaxy Y Pro offers the same features as the Galaxy Y, but with the addition of a Qwerty keyboard. As a result the touchscreen is a little smaller, at 2.6 inches, and offers only QVGA (320-by-240 pixels) resolution. All the other features are the same.

Under its new naming scheme, Samsung has reserved the 'S' ('supersmart') tag for only the highest-spec flagship devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S II. One step down are phones tagged as 'R', which stands for 'royal' or 'refined', according to the handset maker.

In the middle of the group are devices marketed under the Galaxy 'W' ('wonder') branding, intended to strike a balance between style and performance. Next is the 'M' class, which are 'magical' handsets that provide performance at cheaper prices, according to Samsung. The bottom of the Galaxy range are 'Y' ('young') devices, entry-level handsets aimed at young people or emerging markets.

Samsung also said that 'Pro' indicates devices with a keyboard and 'Plus', devices upgraded from an existing model. 'LTE' phones are designed to work on LTE networks, found in the US but not yet in the UK.