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Samsung unveils high-def Galaxy S Android smartphone

The handset, which will be available 'soon' in Europe, has a pre-installed productivity suite and is able to shoot 720p video at 30fps
By David Meyer, Contributor
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1 of 3 David Meyer/ZDNET

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S, a new Android handset, at the CTIA Wireless show in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The smartphone has a 4-inch Super Amoled touchscreen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. This type of screen is much brighter and more suitable for outdoor use than the standard LCD screen found on most handsets.

According to Samsung, the screen uses the mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) also found in the company's LCD and LED television sets.

Samsung said the Galaxy S — which runs Android 2.1 on a 1GHz application processor — will be available in Europe "soon", and no UK pricing has been given.

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2 of 3 David Meyer/ZDNET

The Galaxy S will come with either 8GB or 16GB of built-in storage, and also has the option of adding a microSD card.

The device has a 1,500mAh battery. It measures 64.2 x 122.4 x 9.9mm and weighs 118g.

Samsung is offering various customised functions on the Galaxy S, including 'Write and Go', a method of jotting down an idea before choosing whether to send that text as an SMS or email, or file it as a calendar entry or memo.

The manufacturer is also incorporating Swype, which is a text input method that lets the user drag their finger from key to key, in order to type faster on the virtual keyboard.

Preinstalled Android apps include the ThinkFree productivity suite, the Layar augmented reality browser and the usual suite of Google applications.

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3 of 3 David Meyer/ZDNET

The Galaxy S has a 5-megapixel camera that can record video in 720p high definition at 30 frames per second.

Unusually for a handset, the device is certified by the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) for streaming content across a home network.

Samsung said a 'home cradle' will be available for the Galaxy S, allowing owners to use the smartphone as a digital photo frame, table clock, calendar or music station.

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