Samsung ushers in new Wave era
Samsung has given details of its updated range of Bada-based Wave handsets, including a new flagship Wave 3 device.
The trio of new smartphones — the Wave 3 (pictured below), Wave M, and Wave Y — were announced on Tuesday and follow Samsung's new naming convention, introduced with a refreshed Galaxy line-up.
"The new additions to the Wave portfolio are the first to benefit from the power of our Bada 2.0 platform; the full extent of our commitment is clear to see in each device," the head of Samsung's mobile business, JK Shin, said in a statement.
The second-generation Bada operating system brings multitasking support, near-field communication technology for features such as file and photo sharing, and mobile payments.
The OS is also one of the few to support the recently introduced Wi-Fi Direct standard, which allows Wi-Fi-enabled devices to communicate with each other without the need to be connected to an access point or hub.
Each of the Bada handsets also comes with access to the Samsung Apps, the Samsung marketplace for downloading global and locally-customised apps.
The new Wave 3, successor to previous Wave devices, packs a 1.4-GHz processor, four-inch super-Amoled display and five-megapixel camera into its 9.9mm thick brushed-metal unibody chassis.
Naturally, given its top-of-the-range credentials, it also comes with HSPA connectivity, Wi-Fi Direct functionality, 3GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by an 32GB using a microSD card, and the Samsung touch Wiz interface interface sat atop the Bada OS.
It also provides access to the Samsung Social Hub, which keeps track of social activities and updates, and Music Hub, which provides the option of over-the-air music downloads.
The socially-focused Wave M (pictured below) takes on Samsung's mid-range 'magical' moniker, and will arrive with a 3.65-inch tempered glass touchscreen display, 832MHz processor and 5-megapixel camera. It will also bring HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Storage is a little more limited than the Wave 3, at 150MB of internal storage, but it will support microSD cards up to 32GB. It's also a little thicker than the Wave 3, at 12.2mm.
The handset's social credentials include access to Samsung Social and Music hubs, as well as coming pre-loaded with the cross-platform Samsung ChatOn service, launched on Monday.
Rounding off the list of updates is the Wave Y, aimed at a younger audience than the other two devices, with many of the same features as the Wave M but slightly lower-specced hardware. For example, the camera is dropped to just two-megapixels and the screen size is reduced to 3.2-inches.
"The Samsung Wave Y is the perfect device to introduce new users to the world of smartphone experiences. With a stylish metallic hairline body and large 3.2" HVGA screen, new users can take their first steps to mobile social networking with Social Hub and ChatOn," the company said.
Pricing and release details for the new devices were not available at the time of writing.
Picture credit: Samsung