14 DAY TRIAL // The Galaxy Beam is Samsung’s second try on projector phones. Back in February 2010 the South Korean handset maker launched its first smartphone to feature a built-in projector.
The Samsung I8520 Galaxy Beam was shipped with Android 2.1 Éclair on board, but it appears it wasn’t that popular among Android fans.
However, it looks like Samsung is pretty persistent and decided to bet on projector phones once again. Simply dubbed Samsung Galaxy Beam, the smartphone was showcased last month at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, along with other Android devices.
The company promised that the smartphone would reach markets around the globe starting April. Today, a Samsung spokesperson confirmed for IBN Live that the Galaxy Beam projector smartphone would be available in India in April.
Although Samsung has yet to announce the smartphone’s suggested retail price, rumor has it that the Galaxy Beam will be available on the market for around $500 (380 EUR) outright.
According to the latest hearsay, Android enthusiasts living in India will be among the first to be able to purchase the Galaxy Beam in late April.
The smartphone is powered by Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with TouchWiz 4.0 UI on top.
The handset is equipped with a dual-core processor clocked at 1 GHz and packs 8GB of internal memory, 768 MB of RAM and microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).
Still, the real highlight of the Galaxy Beam is the built-in nHD projector, allowing users to share pictures, video and presentations while on the move. The projector is capable of stretching images up to 50 inches. Samsung claims that the built-in projector’s bulb may last up to 20,000 hours.
Last but not least, Galaxy Beam sports a 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, as well as dual cameras (5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera).