14 DAY TRIAL // Apparently, the Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity capabilities of mobile phones are not exclusively available on handsets running under Google's Android operating system, as other companies also included the technology with their own mobile platforms. Samsung was among those to already make the move, and the newly launched Samsung Wave 578 smartphone, running under the bada OS, comes with NFC functionality inside, which adds to the list of other connectivity options Samsung packed it with.
The mobile phone was made official at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, with a user-friendly design, and with social communication capabilities aimed at keeping users close to their friends at all times.
“With the Samsung Wave 578 handset, we will provide the latest innovation in mobile industry running on bada platform,” JK Shin, president and head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business, commented.
“The enhanced connectivity, design and social experiences enabled by this handset, represent Samsung's commitment to democratizing the smart phone market and providing users around the world with access to rich experiences and content.”
The new mobile phone was packed with features like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and USB 2.0, so that users can easily share information or browse the Internet at high speeds.
The smartphone also includes a 3.2-inch WQVGA (432 x 240 pixels) display, a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with video recording capabilities, VGA camera on the front, 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo FM Radio, and a 1200mAh battery.
Samsung packed Wave 578 with 100MB of internal memory, complemented by a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 16GB of additional storage space.
As stated above, the new device sports enhanced social networking capabilities, with fast access to Facebook or Twitter, and messaging and email features.
Users can also download applications from Samsung Apps. “Featuring a wealth of games, navigation, social networking, e-book, health and lifestyle applications, Samsung Apps gives users instant access to a wide range of mobile experiences on the Samsung Wave 578 handset,” Samsung notes.
The new device should hit the shelves in May this year in France, and would gradually land in other European countries, and in CIS, South East Asia, India, Middle East, and China.
Note: Fellow editors Cosmin Vasile and Alex Vochin are on the floor at the 2011 Mobile World Congress and are keeping us posted with pictures and live reports on the latest product previews and launches.
