|
Samsung today announced three new smartphones that will run on its Bada operating system, as the company looks to move into software. The South Korean-based company's new devices come after its previous Wave phone. The new Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y follow Samsung's new naming system and will all run the company's Bada 2.0 OS. The Wave 3 will have a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED screen, 1.4-gigahertz processor and 5-megapixel camera, representing the high-end offering in the Wave series. The Wave M will be a mid-range device with 832-megahertz processor, 3.65-inch screen and a 5-megapixel camera. The Wave Y will have the same processor as the M, but sport a smaller 3.2-inch screen and 2-megapixel camera to cater to younger users. Samsung did not announce any prices or release dates for the new devices, but the company appears to be setting up its Bada-powered Wave phones as an alternative to the Android-based Galaxy series. Analysts say Bada is capable of high-end features like near-field-communication, voice recognition and direct Wi-Fi sharing, but instead of focusing on advanced users, Samsung is aiming the OS at new smartphone users. The company is also reportedly hopes to bring in mobile app developers with a full software development kit in the near future. Samsung's renewed focus on its own mobile platform follows Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility. Much of Samsung's success in the smartphone market is due to the popularity of its Android-based handsets, but some analysts believe Google's new acquisition is leading manufacturers to consider new options as a potential rival. These new Bada-based phones may be just the start of Samsung's foray into software. The electronics giant is reportedly looking to enhance its software through acquisitions, according company officials. Many have speculated that the company is exploring the possibility of purchasing HP's well-reviewed, but recently abandoned, WebOS software. A strong move toward software, like purchasing WebOS would suggest, may make Samsung more of a mobile competitor to Google than a partner. Until the company makes a major acquisition, it will likely try to increase its presence in the software space with the Bada-based Wave phones and possibly make more Bada phones in the future. |
Tags:
