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High-end Android phone crashes the iPhone's party at last
2010-06-17 Article Rating:  / 1
AT&T has finally sprung for a high-end Android phone, announcing that it will carry a version of Samsung's Galaxy S called the Samsung Captivate. The Captivate features Android 2.1 running on a 1GHz Samsung S5PC110 "Hummingbird" system-on-chip, a four-inch Super AMOLED display, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and a five-megapixel camera, says AT&T.
The Samsung Captivate is the second Android phone announced by AT&T this week, following after the mid-range HTC Aria (pictured at right). Like the Aria, the carrier's two previous phones -- the Motorola-manufactured, Backflip and Dell Aero -- were also modestly configured, leaving AT&T as the only major U.S. carrier without a high-end Android phone.
With the Samsung Captivate, however, AT&T is now apparently willing to risk competition with its successful Apple iPhones (including the iPhone 4, on sale June 24). The carrier appears to have chosen well, as the Captivate seems almost identical to the well-regarded Samsung Galaxy S, which launched in Korea and Singapore last week. Like the Galaxy S, the Captivate runs on the 1GHz Cortex-A8-based, 45nm-fabricated S5PC110, dubbed the "Hummingbird" by Samsung. The SoC is based on the Hummingbird core implementation of the ARM Cortex-A8 core, developed in collaboration with Intrinsity. According to AT&T, the processor enables the Captivate to handle 720p video playback or recording at 30fps (frames per second).   Samsung Captivate, front and back (Click on either to enlarge) Super AMOLED (active-matrix organic light emitting diode) technology expands upon Samsung's earlier AMOLED displays, which are said to offer richer colors, easier readability in sunlight, and better contrast and viewing angles. Super AMOLED is said to be brighter, clearer, and less reflective than AMOLED, while reducing power consumption.
Although AT&T makes no mention of it, the touchscreen also likely offers the mDNIe (mobile Digital Natural Image engine) technology, offered on the Galaxy S and borrowed from Samsung’s latest LCD TV and LED TV products. The mDNIe technolology provides improved viewing angles and "super fast response," claims Samsung. The Samsung Captivate's feature list is top-of-the line, holding its own with the iPhone 4 and the HTC Evo 4G. The Captivate (pictured at right) provides tri-band 3G connectivity, including HSDPA, as well as quad-band GSM technology, says AT&T. Other common features with the Galaxy S include 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and A-GPS, says the carrier. AT&T mentions a "5.0-megapixel camera/camcorder," so it appears the device may lack the separate, front-facing VGA video telephony camera found on the Galaxy S. It is difficult to tell from the photo, however. A 3.5-millimeter headphone jack is provided, as are 3D sound capabilities, enabling surround-sound stereo quality when listening on hard-wired headphones, says AT&T. The Captivate's six-axis sensor, meanwhile, combines the accelerometer and gyroscope "to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right," says the carrier. AT&T made no mention of size, weight, or battery details. The Galaxy S, however, measures 4.82 x 2.53 x 0.39 inches and weighs 4.16 ounces, says Samsung. Android 2.1, Samsung Hub, and AT&T extras Running Android 2.1, the Captivate supports touchscreen gestures including multi-touch pinch, long tap and zoom, and vertical and horizontal swiping, says AT&T. ActiveSync and Swype predictive input technology are also said to be supplied. The phone is loaded with Google Mobile Services including Android Market, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk, says AT&T. Android Market is also available, now said to hold more than 60,000 applications. Like the Galaxy S, the Captivate offers Samsung Social Hub, which integrates social networking services, messages, personal and business email, calendars, and contacts. In the future, it will also provide the upcoming Samsung Media Hub, billed as a full library of video and literary content. AT&T-specific features include access to the AT&T Address Book, a web-based service which syncs contacts to an online address book. In addition, the phone supplies access to AT&T Navigator, which offers voice-guided and visual turn-by-turn GPS driving directions. The phone also offers access to the AT&T Family Map service, which "gives families the ability to track a child's location from a PC or cell phone and request location updates at any time," says AT&T. Stated Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile, "With the launch of the Captivate, AT&T customers will experience a groundbreaking handset with world class features that are unique to Samsung's Galaxy S class of devices, including Samsung's Super AMOLED screen technology and 1GHz Hummingbird Application Processor." Availability The Samsung Captivate is scheduled for release "in the coming months" at AT&T retail locations nationwide. More information and availability notification may be found here. Related Stories:
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