By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Samsung's GT-B7330 Windows 6.5 smartphone AKA the Omnia Pro is a well-built, poperly specced smartphone reminiscent of Palm’s Treo line and RIM’s BlackBerry 9700. In terms of styling, it is conservative, a bit stodgy and clearly born and bred for the corporate world but is being pitched to text-happy tweeners and teenagers.
The Samsung Messenger is currently available to Bell customers (Free on a three-year term or $299.95 without a contract). Rogers is expected to offer the phone as well. No confirmation has been given on whether the Samsung Messenger will be upgradeable to newer versions of Windows Phone OS.
Samsung hopes this smartphone will cater to teens’ penchant for texting vs. talking.
The Samsung Messenger, has been preinstalled with Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail, programs used by 6.8 million users under the age of 18 to communicate with the people that matter the most. Within 10 minutes of opening the box, users will have access to their entire social network; be able to engage in multi-party conversations wherever they may be and do so without having to add or change one setting. Facebook also figures prominently and all you need to do is sign in with your account and password to gain access to the social media service.
”The reality of the day is that teens who live a few doors down from one another would rather text or engage in instant chat than pick up the phone and have a conversation or walk over to chat in person,” said Paul Brannen, general manager, Samsung mobile. “We have designed this phone so they can quickly access the programs that will allow them to engage in their own unique dialogue and access their networks right out of the box.”
The Samsung Messenger enhances teen talk through features like threaded texting that allows users to see the full length of their conversations, but also through a series of options, including its 3.2 MP camera, video recording capability, QWERTY keyboard, a full HTML browser, push e-mail (ActiveSync), SMS/IM/MMS, Wi-Fi connectivity, turbo scroll (pressure sensor), and a Windows Live Messenger hotkey.
The device’s 2.6” display, combined with the 3.2 MP camera, creates an easier and more dynamic photo and video viewing experience for users, while the Windows Live Messenger platform and built in Social Networking functionality allow them to share images with their friends, Facebook or otherwise, in no time. Meanwhile, the expandable memory (up to 32 GB microSD) allows users to store nearly limitless multimedia files.
”Tools like Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail were created to help people keep in touch and communicate faster and more easily,” said Greg Milligan, Windows Phone, Microsoft Canada. “Giving teens greater access to these tools on their mobile devices is yet another step forward in helping them socialize how they want, when they want.”
Despite its advanced, smartphone-like appearance, the Samsung Messenger has been affordably priced to make it more attractive to parents looking to buy their kids a new mobile device.
Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla