14 DAY TRIAL // We've received word that Samsung Galaxy Beam won't get the Android 2.2 treat at all, even though users expected the update for more than 2 months now. Launched in Singapore in July, through StarHub carrier, Samsung Galaxy Beam is the first smartphone to feature a built-in projector.
Apparently, according to Samsung Singapore officials, the smartphone will not receive any further software updates because “customer base is too small to justify for the allocation of dedicated resources at HQ.”
Also known as Samsung I8520 Galaxy Beam, the device hasn't been released in any other country but Singapore.
The device is powered by a 720 MHz processor and runs Android 2.1 (Eclair) out-of-the-box. It comes with a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with support for 16 Million colors (480 x 800 pixels resolution), Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Multi-touch input method, Projector UI, Scratch-resistant surface, Handwriting recognition, Swype input method.
Galaxy Beam boasts an impressive 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face, smile and blink detection, as well as video capabilities (720p@30fps) and video light.
The main highlight of the smartphone is the embedded pico-projector that can project images to 50-inches in size.
Other key features of the device include: HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP support, 3.5 mm audio jack, GPS with A-GPS support, social networking integration with live updates, Flash Lite 3.1, ThinkFree Office Mobile document editor and a 1800 mAh Li-Ion battery.
Unfortunately, Samsung Galaxy Beam cannot be bought from StarHub anymore, as the phone appears to have been discontinued.
This means that the carrier does not intend to replenish its stocks with the phone, probably because of the low sales.
Those that are still owning the Android smartphone will probably be pissed by Samsung's decision, especially that the phone has been sold in Singapore exclusively.