Samsung has announced a new low-end phone aimed at non-North American markets. Called the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus, the handset brings Android in a compact and affordable package.

By the way, we use the word "compact" subjectively here.  Just a couple years ago, this is how big all smartphones were -- just enough to fill your pocket comfortably.  Heck, the design, shape and general dimensions of this handset are eerily similar to the iPhone 3G.  Yep, we guess Apple's multiple lawsuits aren't quite getting their message across.

Details of the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus include a 3.65-inch capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module, aGPS, 3G with HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2GB of storage and microSD card expansion.   Muscle is provided by a modest 1Ghz processor.

It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with the familiar TouchWiz on top.  As with other Android phones, it comes with Google's Mobile Services, along with a number of preloaded apps, including ThinkFree Office, Samsung Social Hub, Samsung Music Hub and ChatON.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus will initially be launched in Russia, with markets in China, Africa, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, Latin America, CIS and Europe to follow.   No pricing or exact release dates yet.

[via BGR]

The Samsung Exhibit II 4G isn't the best-looking, most well-constructed phone we've seen.  The specs are good, though, and it's heavy on the features, making for an attractive handset for Android bargain hunters.

Physically, the smartphone bears little resemblance to its predecessor and not in a good way -- the build looks cheaper, decked almost exclusively in hard plastic.  We guess it's acceptable, though, given that this is aimed at the budget crowd.  Plus, the plastic construction keeps it lighter compared to similarly-sized phones.  Display is a 3.7-inch touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution.  Quality is on par with similar handsets in the same range.

As a phone, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G manages good calls, with clear voices and plenty of volume.  There's a bit of a light background buzz that pops in and out, although it's feint enough that you can ignore it easily.   Speakerphone offered plenty of loudness, although those on the other end reported an irritating tone to my voice.  Battery is rated at 5.5 hours of talk time.

Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, all the usual set of smartphone features are onboard.   There's a full load of messaging options, a full set of wireless connectivity (HSPA+, 3G, aGPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and DLNA), and a host of updated Google Mobile apps.  Samsung throws in its set of apps, too, including AllShare DLNA, Kies Air syncing and Social Hub, along with numerous additions from T-Mobile.

The 3.0 megapixel camera takes bright and clear outdoor pictures, although colors look a little washed out.  The front-facing VGA camera works fine, too.   Running a 1GHz processor, the handset's overall performance is quite solid, especially for something at this price range.

Available for $29.99 on a two year agreement and $199.99 off-contract, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G offers one of the best price-to-features ratio in the market today.

Cricket Wireless has introduced another Android smartphone into their roster.  Called the Samsung Transfix (model SCH-R730), it's the carrier's third Android device from the Korean company.

Aimed at the entry-level crowd, the handset features a slider form factor that combines a small touchscreen display with a landscape four-row QWERTY keyboard.  Phone dimensions are compact at 4.5 x 2.3 x 0.57 inches, with a weight of only 4.43 ounces.

Details of the Samsung Transfix include a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display (480 x 320 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module (no flash), 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  A modest 800MHz CPU provides the processing muscle, with a 1500 mAh battery delivering the juice (rated at just 200 minutes of talk time).

Android 2.3 Gingerbread is the OS of choice, likely with TouchWiz running on top.  As usual, you get the usual Google Mobile Services, along with Market access and some preloaded apps from the network.

Cricket calls the Samsung Transfix an "outstanding messaging device."  We're not sure if getting a physical keyboard qualifies anything for that billing anymore, but we'll take it.  Price is $179.99 without a binding contract.  It should be available now, both online and in Cricket-branded retail stores.

[Cricket]

Verizon has announced a new smartphone from Samsung, the first in the carrier's roster to have both an LTE radio and a physical QWERTY keyboard.  Called the Samsung Stratosphere, the handset appears to be geared towards mid-range business users.

Clad in a slider candybar form factor, the phone features a five-row landscape keyboard and a 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen.  Because of the wide dimensions, both the keys and the display look spacious, making it ideal for both extended messaging and browsing sessions.

Details of the Samsung Stratosphere include a 5.0 megapixel camera in the rear (with LED flash), a 1.3 megapixel camera module, aGPS, WiFi (with wireless hotspot up to 8 connections), 4G, 3G, Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA and microSD card expansion.  A 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird provides the needed processing muscle.

It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, along with the usual range of Google Mobile Services and Samsung offerings (e.g. Samsung Media Hub).  Since it's being aimed at business users, it comes with plenty of features for the suit-and-tie crowd.  Aside from the "most comprehensive mobile implementation of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync," it comes with Cisco AnyConnect VPN, data encryption and mobile device management (via Sybase Afaria).

The Samsung Stratosphere will hit Verizon retail stores beginning October 13.  Price is $149.99 after a $50 rebate with the usual two-year contract.

[via GadgetLab]

The Samsung Stratosphere hasn't been officially announced.  We're guessing they won't need to, since Verizon just went ahead and sent out the full specs to the guys over at Droid Life.

According to the blog post, Verizon is billing the handset as a "mid-tier" option, which sounds pretty sweet for a smartphone packing a 4-incher out in front. Not just that, it packs a landscape slide-out QWERTY, too, adding another conundrum to our ever-growing list of smartphone options.

Details of the Samsung Stratosphere include a 4-inch capacitive Super AMOLED touchscreen (480 x 800 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera in the rear (with LED flash), a 1.3 megapixel video cam out front, 4G, 3G, WiFi, mobile hotspot (up to 8 devices for 4G) and microSD card expansion (4GB preloaded, up to 32GB capacity).  Muscle is provided by a 1GHz CPU, paired with 512MB of RAM.

The phone will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread with TouchWiz on top and the requisite load of Google Mobile services.  According to Verizon, the phone should appeal to consumers looking for a "mid-tier option… with fast web browsing and messaging capabilities."

No exact word on pricing, but we should know soon, since the Samsung Stratosphere is slated to launch on October 6.

[via Droid Life]

Prepare for the next batch of Windows Phones to hit the scene as Mango begins its campaign to win over the masses.  The Samsung Omnia W is the latest one to get an official announcement, bringing "power, social connectivity and stunning visual experience."

Sporting a standard-looking touchscreen candybar form factor, the handset measures 115.97 x 58.8 x 10.9 mm and weighs 115.3g.  It looks a bit like AT&T's Focus Flash, actually, so we wouldn't be surprised if this is a similar phone aimed at markets outside of North America.

Details of the Samsung Omnia W include a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with LED flash), a front-facing VGA video cam, aGPS, HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, DLNA, 8GB of internal storage and a 1,500 mAh battery module.  Processor is a 1.4GHz single-core chip, paired with 512MB of RAM.

As we said, this is running Windows Phone Mango, along with all the new features that brings to the table.  It also includes free 25GB access to Windows Live Skydrive for those who'd like a little cloud-based storage for personal use.

The Samsung Omnia W will drop in Italy towards the end of October, trickling down to Europe, CIS, Latin America, Africa, South East and South West Asia after that.  No pricing was announced.

[via Samsung Mobile Press]

How big are smartphones going to get this year?  Really big, as it turns out, with the new Samsung Galaxy Note taking the lead in the size department.

With a giant 5.3-inch display, it certainly stretches the boundaries if being a "mobile phone."  It looks like a phone and works like a phone, though, so we guess it is one.  Fortunately, they scaled back on the thickness and weight, with the handset rising just 0.38 inches on the side and tipping the scales at 6.3 ounces.

Details of the Galaxy Note include a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (1280 x 800 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera in the rear, a 2.0 megapixel camera in the front, full wireless connectivity (including 4G, 3G and WiFi), a removable 2,500mAh battery and microSD card expansion.  Muscle is provided by a dual-core 1GHz Samsung-made CPU.

With a screen that large, of course, you should be able to do more and the Galaxy Note obliges with the S Pen, a bundled stylus that lets you draw, scribble and handwrite notes on the phone.  We're guessing it's similar to what the HTC Flyer does, so it's quite the attractive feature.  It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with TouchWiz on top and a load of apps to take advantage of the pen, including the S Memo (for taking notes) and Virtual Whiteboard (collaborative note-taking).  They're also opening the pen's SDK to third-party developers, so expect more apps to show up if sales pick up.

Samsung says it's still in discussion with networks interested in carrying the Samsung Galaxy Note, so expect a while before it hits shelves.  No pricing was announced either, although this can't be anything but expensive.

[via Engadget]

The Samsung Conquer 4G sets itself apart by being one of the cheaper 4G-equipped phones out there.  Despite the price, it's quite the capable device, striking a good balance of hardware and features to go with the high-speed broadband connectivity.

Physically, it's a good-looking mid-sized phone that should fit perfectly fine in your pants pocket.  While it’s nowhere near premium in appearance, the textured back does give it a nice feel when cupped in hand.  To bring down the price, the display is one of the areas that the phone has made compromises for.   While the 3.5-inch panel is big enough for most uses, the resolution is a low 320 x 480 pixels.  It's serviceable, especially with otherwise ample brightness and clarity.

As a phone, the Samsung Conquer 4G made for good calls, with clear audio and natural-sounding voices on both ends.  Speakerphone phone isn't very good, though, with voices sounding hollow and even cutting out on occasion.  Battery is rated at 5.25 hours of talk time.

Samsung ditched TouchWiz for this device, choosing to go with a near-stock Android 2.3 experience, instead.  A 1Ghz Snapdragon chip provides capable processing muscle, with apps launching quickly and navigation being particularly responsive.

The Conquer 4G has all the features you expect from an Android smartphone: voice options, basic and advanced messaging, the full suite of wireless connectivity and the usual load of bundled apps.  The big draw, of course, is the compatibility with Sprint's WiMax network, which should have you streaming YouTube videos with little to no buffering.  Of course, with the low-res display, video quality isn't all that great anyway -- at least, the downloads go fast.  Plus, you can share it with other devices over WiFi.

Media playback is decidedly average, so you might want to consider getting a better media player off the Market to spice it up a little bit.  It comes with two cameras: a 1.3 megapixel webcam for video chat and a 3.2 megapixel module in the rear.  The latter makes for decent outdoor photos (indoor shots look very dull, though).

Available for $99.99 on a two year agreement with Sprint, the Samsung Conquer 4G makes for a unique value proposition.  While it does make some compromises (low-res camera and display), it's still a well-equipped smartphone with solid performance.

Samsung debuted a new messaging phone for Cricket's roster.  Called the Samsung Comment, it's a QWERTY candybar feature phone for texting-heavy users.

Sporting a Blackberry-style form factor, the handset measures 4.41 x 2.4 x 0.43 inches and weighs 3.3 ounces.  It appears to be Samsung's replacement for the Freeform II, although the specs aren’t all that much of an upgrade.

Details of the Samsung Comment include a 2.4-inch LCD (320 × 240 resolution), aGPS, Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera module, a four-row QWERTY keyboard in the front panel, microSD card support (up to 32GB) and a 1,000 mAh battery module rated at 5 hours of talk time.  There's no 3G or WiFi, although you do get GPRS access to  Cricket’s proprietary storefront, where you should be able to download Java apps, wallpapers and various other types of content.  Preloaded apps include MyHomeScreen (access to weather, news and horoscopes), MyBackup, and Cricket Navigator.

While there's really nothing very attractive about this phone's feature set, it should appeal to the text-and-call crowd who aren't really interested in anything much beyond the basics.   Paired with Cricket's cheap monthly plans (which don't require any extended tie-in), those on a budget should find it a decent pick-up, too.

The Samsung Comment retails for $89.99 with no contract.

[Samsung]

Want a rugged smartphone to satisfy all your adventurous outdoor Android cravings?  Look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Xcover, a sleek-looking rugged handset ready to take on your Motorola Defy in a head-to-head battle.

Designed for outdoor use (as the mud-covered product shots make obvious), the phone is fully IP67-certified.  That means, it can survive through dust, dirt and water submersion up to 1 meter.  Plus, it still looks good when covered in dirt, so that can only be a good thing.

Details of the Samsung Galaxy Xcover include a 3.6 inch capacitive touchscreen display (800 x 480 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module with LED flash, aGPS, 3G with HSPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).   It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with a host of what looks like bundled apps centered around sports and other outdoor activities.

No word on processor or RAM, but we imagine this isn't falling on the high-end in terms of hardware specs.  For now, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover has only been announced for Germany with an October release date.  No pricing was given, but it sounds like a strictly mid-range device.  The rugged shell could raise prices just a little, though.

[via Press release]