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When Samsung embarked on the bada project, we questioned what is the big idea behind introducing yet another mobile OS into an already crowded mobile market. Is the investment in terms of resources and money worth it to bring returns to Samsung. As it is their mobile division have already got their hands full with Android and Windows Phone 7 devices.
Well it turns out, the logic behind bada is value. We remember reviewing the original Wave and was amazed at the bevy high-end stuff like a stunning 3.3in Super AMOLED and a very capable 5 megapixel camera, and at a very enticing RM1,799 outright. Feature-for-feature, the original Wave was, and probably still is, the most bang-for-the-buck smartphone in the market.
The bada platform was developed to bring smartphones to the masses and deliver affordable performance to more people in more markets. Let’s face it, whether you like or not, the day will come when every mobile phone produced in the world will be a smartphone, so looking at that, Samsung has their sights fixed on the right target.
It’s good that Samsung has a head start in this affordable smartphone segment but we’re not sure how the bada platform is much of differentiation from Android’s open source approach because we can see that Android has brought the price point of smartphones down a tad as well. Whatever it is, affordable smartphones are something everyone can smile about.
This month Samsung brings into the market a series of affordable Wave phones and we get the lowdown on what’s coming up.
Review: Samsung Wave S8500
Posted:
September 1, 2010
By: ccsoya
7 comments
The Samsung Wave S8500 is sort of like a proof of concept for the bada platform. A showcase of what Samsung can do if it had full and complete control over the hardware and software of a smartphone.
When Samsung announced the Wave, and with that the bada platform, the questions running in our minds were, does the world need another mobile OS? As it is, Palm has already been sold and after years of success in the business world, the makers of BlackBerry, RIM are still finding it tremendously difficult to make any headway in the non-business consumer market. Android and iPhone are the current top picks when it comes to smartphones, and whatever Samsung are going to bring to the table with the bada OS, it had better be stupendously good.
So the question is, can the the bada OS hold its own against the likes of the HTC Desire and the iPhone 4? How does it compare with Samsung’s very own (and rather good, we might add) Galaxy S?
Read on to find out, if the Samsung Wave and bada is worth your attention and more importantly, you hard earned cash.
Coming up: Samsung Wave Review
Posted:
July 2, 2010
By: ccsoya
No comments
(Update 04092010) The full review is up. Click here to view.
We’ll be reviewing the Samsung Wave over the weekend, do let us know if you have any questions about the phone.
Just as important as the hardware, we’ll be looking into the bada OS and with it, Samsung’s promise to make smartphone affordable for all.
Does the bada and it’s halo device, the Wave, have what it takes to compete in the already overcrowded mobile OS space with the more established Android from Google and Apple’s iOS systems?
Keep it locked on to SoyaCincau.com to find out.
Samsung Wave S8500 comes to Malaysia
Posted:
June 10, 2010
By: ccsoya
2 comments
UPDATE:: Read up our Samsung Wave S8500 Review.
Samsung’s first smartphone running its proprietary OS, the Wave S8500 will hit Malaysian stores this week. There’s nothing new to report about the Samsung Wave running the bada mobile OS accept for the retail price, which is around RM1700.
That’s pretty good value for money considering the fact that you get a 3.3in Super AMOLED screen (800 x 480), a 1GHz processor that runs the same ARM Cortex A8 core as Apple’s A4 processor and a 5MP camera with LED flash that has face and smile detection along with blink activation. The Wave also packs aGPS, WiFi n along with an accelerometer and a proximity sensor all wrapped in a thin unibody chassis. There’s 2GB of on board memory with support for up to 32GB storage in MicroSD.
On top of that, the Wave records HD video in 720p and plays back DivX, Xvid, MP4 and WMV in virtual 5.1 surround sound but we’re not a fan of it’s edgy design. On the software side, the bada OS sports a unified contacts list, an integrated inbox and a social networking hub that combines some of the major social networking sites into one screen.
As the natural optimists that we are, we can’t seem to find the need for another mobile OS in the smartphone marketplace but Samsung seems convinced that they’ve got something different compared to the rest. The makers of bada claim that the OS will make smartphones more accessible.
We are certainly looking for to that.
Video of the bada OS UI in action avter the jump.
The Samsung Wave uses a A4 processor too (in a way)
Posted:
June 9, 2010
By: ccsoya
4 comments
Analysts from UBM TechInsights have revealed a surprising discovery. They’ve found out that Apple’s claimed proprietary 1GHz A4 processor features very much the same ARM CORTEX A8 core found in Samsung’s S5PC110A01 application processor used in the recently released Samsung Wave S8500. The same processor will also run Samsung’s Android flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S.
Apple’s A4 processor is currently running its tremendously popular iPad and soon the company recently announced iPhone 4. Incidentally Samsung manufacturers the A4 for Apple and the S5PC110A01 processor for itself.
With a Samsung processors at the heart of two of the world’s most prolific mobile devices, what we can take out of this is that Samsung is the global leader in wireless and mobile applications processor manufacturing.
What it also means is that with roughly the same processor running three different devices with three different operating systems and varying specifications, it would be very interesting to see how they stack up against one another.
Now we’re wondering what did Steve Jobs mean when at the WWDC10 keynote he said that the A4 designed by Apple’s own team. Hmm.
[source]
Samsung bada debuts in Malaysia in June
Posted:
May 24, 2010
By: ccsoya
4 comments
We’ve got word that Samsung’s very own mobile OS – bada – will make it’s Malaysian debut sometime in June. We’re not sure if the OS launch will be accompanied by a device launch but we’ll be sure to look out for the latest development on that.
If you don’t already know, Samsung is also eyeing the lucrative mobile OS market with its own OS called bada.
The Samsung bada is an open source OS that will be the basis of Samsung’s “smartphone for everyone” objective. Samsung says the bada OS will not compete with existing smartphone platforms but instead provide cost-effective smartphones for everyone.
Ermm…we’re not sure if they’ve heard of Android.
Currently there’s only one device that supports bada – the Samsung Wave S8500. The specs of the Wave look impressive with a 3.3in Super AMOLED screen (800 x 480), 1GHz processor and a 5MP camera with flash all wraped in a unibody chassis. The edgy design looks dated in our oppion but the proof is in eating the pudding, so we’ll reserve our final judgement when and if we do get our hands on one.
And if you’re wondering, bada actually means ocean in Korean.
You can read all about the OS here.
There’s a video demo of the bada OS after the jump. We feel it looks like a mishmash of Android and iPhone OS. The UI runs smooth but the look isn’t as polished as either one. And take a look at minute 1:18 onwards, what’s up with using CDs as icon for its media library? Nobody uses those discs anymore.