The Samsung Star, a new device from Samsung Electronics, has hit shelves in the Middle East before any other market. The touch-screen phone, also called the S5230, was announced less than a month ago.
The Star is the latest is in a series of “is it a smartphone or not?” devices that have been released this year. It’s got a 3-inch full-touch screen, running off Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI. It’s got a full mobile browser, and supports widgets. A 3.2 mega-pixel camera, internal and external memory, an accelerometer and QWERTY keyboard or handwriting input features round out the features.
From the release:
“Samsung Star is a significant addition to our full-touch screen mobile portfolio, featuring all the essential functions in one single device,” said Sandeep Saihgal, general manager of mobile phones at Samsung Gulf Electronics “I am pretty confident that this product will be one of our best sellers. Focusing on our consumer-oriented strategy, Samsung will deliver various full touch products for every lifestyle.”
What we think?
Where do you draw the line? The difference between smart- and feature-phones is becoming increasingly irrelevant. The only real difference between this phone and any smartphone would be where you get your apps/widgets from. And since applications are increasingly moving away from the “walled-garden” approach, even that differentiator is looking dodgy. It also speaks volumes that this phone was released in the Middle East first. The European and US obsession with the shiniest new device is blinding us to the opportunities presented by phones like this.
