The Samsung Wave is the first smartphone to run Samsung's new, open-sourced Bada operating system.
Samsung today launched its Wave smartphone in Australia, the first mobile phone to run the company's new open source Bada operating system.
Key features of the Samsung Wave include a 3.3in super AMOLED display, a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera with flash and an interface based heavily around live widgets. The Samsung Wave provides access to the Samsung app store, allowing users to download a range of third-party applications, similar to the iPhone and Android smartphones.
"The launch of the Samsung Wave marks another important step in our commitment to deliver a smartphone for every lifestyle and we're very excited to be bringing this sleek and stylish new handset to market in Australia today," said Tyler McGee, vice-president of telecommunications, Samsung Australia.
Meaning "ocean" in Korean, Samsung intends to replace its current proprietary feature phone platform with Bada. Third-party developers for the Bada platform include Electronic Arts (EA), Gameloft, The Associated Press, CNN, WeatherBug, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Universal Film, Layar, Expedia Affiliate Network and ZAGAT.
Samsung Wave users can access the Samsung app store through the smartphone itself or on a PC. Users don't need to register to download free applications, while paid apps can be purchased via a credit card and payment information can be saved in a secure profile for later use.
The Samsung Wave also boasts GPS, 2GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot that take memory cards up to 32GB, and a single-piece, brushed metallic body with scratch resistant screen.
The Samsung Wave is available tomorrow through Vodafone, Optus and Virgin Mobile, while a Telstra Next G version will be launched in August.
