Korean manufacturer Samsung has unveiled its first smartphone to be based on Nokia's Series 60 platform. Features include tri-band, a swivel screen and a digital camera.
To join previously announced Samsung smartphones such as the Palm OS-based SPH-i500 and SGH-i500, as well as the upcoming SCH-i600 using Smartphone 2002, Samsung's new SGH-D700 is the Korean manufacturer's first foray into the world of Symbian OS. Slated for availability in Europe during the third quarter of 2003, the clamshell SGH-D700 sports tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz, an integrated digital camera and the first swivel screen seen on a smartphone.
 | Samsung's new Series 60 smartphone is small, light and sports a rotating display
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The SGH-D700 will be equipped with a 16-bit rotating TFT display and a camcorder application to make use of its integrated VGA resolution digital camera. Its video messaging features will like with Nokia's own 3650 enable users to exchange video clips through MMS and e-mail, and it will also be possible to play back streaming audio and video courtesy of a pre-installed RealOne player.
Software-wise, the the SGH-D700 shares a number of applications with Nokia's 7650 and 3650 models, but also offers more functionality in some areas. Full MMS and POP3/IMAP4/SMTP e-mail support are on the list, as is a voice memo function; voice recognition for dialing names and carrying out certain commands; SyncML support (vCard, vCalendar); support for both MIDI and WAV files being used as ringtones; a WAP 2.0 browser; and vibration alert.
Another trait shared with the Nokia 3650 is the SGH-D700's MMC Card expansion slot which enables storage expansion. Users can transfer and play back MP3 files from both internal memory and an MMC storage card, but Samsung did not disclose whether a dedicated player is being used to play back audio or whether that functionality is provided by the RealOne player.
The SGH-D700 will be equipped with 4 MB of internal, non-volatile memory, and will come bundled with a handsfree set. Users will be able to synchronize information with Microsoft Outlook, but Samsung did not comment on whether this - as with Nokia's 7650 and 3650 models - will be limited to Calendar and Contacts information. The SGH-D700 does sport one improvement in the area of synchronization, however, as it supports USB connectivity. Compared with speeds achieved by Infrared and Bluetooth, synchronization of particularly large files can be expected to be require far less time.
Weighing in at 110 g and measuring 89 x 49 x 23 mm, the SGH-D700 will also be smaller and lighter than currently available Series 60 devices such as the Nokia 7650 and 3650 models. The smartphone will be powered by an 800 mAh lithium ion battery, with an optional 1200 mAh extended battery available as an accessory.
An additional hi-res picture of the Samsung SGH-D700 is available on the following page.
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