Summary: Microsoft has been pretty coy
about letting its upcoming Windows Phone 8 devices off the leash, so we
haven't seen much about them. Here's a glimpse of the ATIV S -
essentially the Galaxy S III, with a different OS.
Make no mistake; Samsung isn't taking a huge chance here. The Windows Phone 8 ATIV S is essentially the Samsung Galaxy S3, but running Microsoft's newest mobile OS.
While that's unlikely to win over Android fans, it could well prove
appealing to the platform-neutral (or indifferent) contingent. I dare
say Windows fans could well be impressed.
Hardware-wise, the phone (Samsung GT-I8750, to use its formal name)
is no slouch with a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1.5GHz
dual-core processor, and 1GB of RAM on board to keep it ticking along
nicely. From my limited time testing the device, it did just that -
opening several apps and browsing without lag.
It's also about the same depth as the Galaxy S3 too, at just 8.7mm thick (pictured). The Galaxy S3 is 8.6mm thick.
The cameras on the ATIV S are pretty well specified too, with an
8-megapixel one on the rear and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing one for HD
video calling.
While it does have on-board photo editing
capabilities (pictured), I did find myself missing some of the more
advanced photo features found on the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, even if
these are a bit of a novelty.
Storage is provided in 16GB or 32GB
capacities and can be augmented through use of a microSD card. This is a
good thing. I've seen too many Windows Phones lately that don't provide
for expansion, including the Lumia 920 (thankfully the 820 does).
There's also 7GB of free SkyDrive storage too.
Microsoft has been very secretive about some of the features of
Windows Phone 8, ahead of the curtain officially being lifted on Monday
29 October. But I did manage to get a quick look at the new 'Wallet'
feature native to the upcoming mobile OS.
Sadly it had not been pre-populated for the demo (pictured).
Wallet, which in part can use NFC technology for things like payments,
is the new home of anything payment-related in Windows Phone 8. So any
locally available deals, loyalty cards, in-app purchases, credit and
debit cards and contactless payment details are all stored here.
Windows Phone 8 will also be able to use NFC for features like 'Tap +
Send', for sharing content with another phone - much like the Android
Beam feature introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich.
The app store on the ATIV S and Windows Phone 8 looks much like
the store found in the current version of the mobile OS. However, the
handset maker has added a 'Samsung Zone' section, which includes many of
the apps that come pre-installed, such as ChatOn, Music Hub and Photo
Editor.
However, it's not exactly the same as the Windows Phone 7.0
and 7.5 versions; it introduces an app overview screen which provides
visual shortcuts to sections of the store, such as 'best rated', 'top
free', 'top paid', and 'collections' (pictured).
In addition to the Windows Phone 8 store, I also managed to get a glimpse of a feature called Children's Corner.
Children's Corner is another of the features we've only really heard
about a few times before this point. In essence, it's a way for parents
to feel secure in handing their phone to their child without having to
worry about what might happen, as they can be in control of what
functions, apps, or even videos and music on the phone they have access
to.
Naturally, concerns about hardware damage inflicted by young children
will most likely persist, unless you really feel like putting that
Gorilla Glass screen to the test.
Samsung hasn't said exactly when the device will be released, but I'd
expect it to be very soon after the official release of Windows Phone 8
on 29 October. Likewise, the company isn't saying much about what it
will cost, but some online retailers have it listed for around £430
SIM-free.
