If you’ve been wondering what the first dual-core Windows Phone would look like, this is it. Today, the Korean electronics giant took the wraps off the Samsung Ativ S, the world’s first smartphone running Windows Phone 8.
The Ativ S (Ativ is Vita spelled backward) features a slim design, a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. There’s also compatibility for HSPA+42.
In addition, the Ativ S packs in a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash, and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.
Taking full advantage of new software capabilities announced for Windows Phone 8 in June, there’s a microSD card and support for NFC (think file-sharing and, soon, payment).
Samsung has also brought a very large 2,300mAh battery that should promise longer life, and 1GB of RAM. It’ll are available 16GB and 32GB garage versions, and will characteristic a bunch of Samsung apps, just like the music Hub and the Media Hub for the us marketplace.
Taking Nokia head-on
The Ativ S will go head-to-head with Nokia’s first Windows 8 phone, which the phonemaker is slated to announce at an event next week.
Nokia lately upped its rivalry with Samsung over consumers’ Windows Phone affections, with Nokia warning Samsung to take note of the next Lumia release.
Nokia’s kept mum on what the next Lumia will seem like, however come September 5, i suspect it is going to glance similar to the present version, and act so much like the Ativ S on the inside of — Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, an HD AMOLED show, NFC, and a microSD card slot.
There are a few top variations: the design, the additional apps, the digicam, LTE, and the fee. Nokia will wish to enhance its eight-megapixel lens to compete, and could pop out with a model of the PureView camera used at the Nokia 80eight PureView, with its forty one-megapixel sensor.
The Ativ S supports HSPA+, whereas the next Lumia should support 4G LTE speeds. HSPA+ connectivity will limit the Ativ in the U.S. to T-Mobile, unless Samsung also releases a model compatible with LTE. The latter is probable, and a common adjustment for handsets with a global reach.