Samsung's SGH-i900 is a feature-laden stunner
Yeah, let's get this out of the way first, the SGH-i900 does share a design aesthetic with another handset we hear about all the time. That aside, the SGH-i900 seems set to bring everything we could ever hope -- or need, to be honest -- for in a Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro package. Measuring a scant 112 × 56 × 13, the i900 is finished in shiny metal, only features two buttons on the face, and what appears to be a fingerprint reader or perhaps a touch-sensitive pad. Loaded with HSDPA, a 3.5-inch 400 X 240 display, 5 megapixel cam with auto focus, 16GB of onboard memory, microSDHC support up to 8GB, TV-out, FM radio, Bluetooth, WiFi -- see what we're saying here? This thing could almost be a mini media center -- it'll definitely please our pockets. It also seems like two versions will be in the offing, the i900 branded as Samsung and the i908 branded as Anycall -- but sadly we're at a loss on how they differ. We'll definitely be keeping our eyes wide open watching for updates here, but in the meantime, follow the link for pages of pretty pictures and poorly translated Chinese.
[Via UnwiredView]
[Via UnwiredView]
Filed under: Cellphones
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
gabe @ May 16th 2008 3:23PM
THANK U ENGADGET for refraining from using the "i Word"
im so sick of that word - though i still enjoy my "phone"
back to topic - this phone looks great though still a samsung
xtole @ May 16th 2008 3:29PM
World's most expensive mirror? Can I get more glare? I can't make out what kind of camera you're using.
Wowzers @ May 16th 2008 3:31PM
Wow, someone failed photography class.
melloncollie @ May 16th 2008 3:41PM
@Wowzers
Why would anyone outside of an art major take photography class?
That won't help you in the real world.
Low Ranked @ May 16th 2008 4:08PM
I'm pretty sure you don't need a photography class to know the basics of picture taking. There are millions of kids on MySpace who have mastered the concept of taking a picture of a mirrored surface.
Jay @ May 16th 2008 4:59PM
@xtole
I can make exactly wat camera he's using....I have the same one
jamieh @ May 16th 2008 10:17PM
It's a Canon SD750
I also have the same one.
ChineseSlaves @ May 17th 2008 4:43AM
Well, look closely at the phone, it says "SAMSUMG AMYCALL", a typical inferior Chinese knock-off of the original Korean "Samsung Anycall".
shine @ May 16th 2008 3:25PM
gee that won't have any glare at all.
Danny Tam @ May 16th 2008 3:26PM
This thing is impressive! I was edging towards the HTC Touch Diamond got a while now (since it's been officially announced), but this thing seems rather enticing. Specification-wise, definitely trumps the Touch Diamond.. But I'd like to know other things, such as battery life and what type of touch screen it uses..
But wow.. Amazing.
kbs @ May 16th 2008 3:29PM
anycall is the korean brand of samsung for domestic cell phone products.
That might be the difference.
Is there Wibro on the anycall version? maybe?
Micah @ Jun 7th 2008 12:19AM
Looks like a US (AT&T) version might have just slipped through the FCC:
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/06/06/fcc-fridays/
SHG-**7 are the usual model numbers for samsung wares destined for big blue.
Micah @ Jun 7th 2008 12:21AM
(sorry - that was supposed to be a response to dBs below...)
dBs @ May 16th 2008 3:31PM
Pleaaaaaaaase come to America, pleaaaaaaaaase come to America...
L @ May 16th 2008 3:47PM
Sorry to disappoint you, but at least the known version is triband GSM, singleband HSDPA only:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/nunoluz/pics/samsung-i900.jpg
diamond or sgh-i900? @ May 16th 2008 3:38PM
does it have gps?
will it use the general windows mobile interface, or will it be tweaked for better UI?
good soft keyboard?
it looks great, but is it usable?
spass @ May 16th 2008 3:39PM
This seems to be the best replacement for the other phone we have been taking about for quite a while, the phone I happen to have a copy of in my pocket. 5mp camera is a huge difference.
spass @ May 16th 2008 3:42PM
I am so grafetul title does not say "Knock-off", "replica", "i*** inspired", etc.
graham_fair @ May 17th 2008 1:12AM
That's all it is, a knockoff iPhone. I'm surprised Apple hasn't released the legal dogs of war. Back in the day, if a computer looked anything like an iMac, Apple would sue based on product shots alone, practically. This thing looks so close to an iPhone that people will actually confuse it for one. Yet no news of a lawsuit. They must all be on a teambuilding getaway or something.
Patriks7 @ May 17th 2008 5:47AM
notice the name of it "i"900 :x
bettaspaz @ May 16th 2008 3:44PM
I thought this entry was about the camera on first glance. lol
Engadgetluvsappl @ May 16th 2008 3:45PM
Despite the larger touchscreen and 16gb built-in, the N95-1 had all of these features a good 14 months ago.
darkstar @ May 16th 2008 4:09PM
whats the difference between this and the n95?? the n95 looks like a brick! u prolly could knock someone out with that thing.
Engadgetluvsappl @ May 16th 2008 4:14PM
Except for the very likely possibility that the N95 is infact lighter than this mirror.
SteveS @ May 16th 2008 5:48PM
What I don't understand is why Samsung phones (and probably others) say they support SDHC but don't support the maximum amount allowed by the standard (i.e. this phone only supporting 8GB of SDHC). Are there varying levels of SDHC compatibility I don't know about?
Rich @ May 17th 2008 6:58AM
SteveS - They're covering their asses. 8GB is probably the largest size they've tested.
yuriy @ May 16th 2008 3:46PM
You forgot to mention that most Windows Mobile software will not display properly on that resolution, which renders it sorta kinda useless. Why couldn't they at least get VGA on there?
Oh, and how's the battery life? Something tells me.. ... it's gonna suck.
kerunt @ May 16th 2008 3:47PM
BRB, gotta reboot my windows mobile phone.
ether @ May 16th 2008 8:04PM
Hate to burst your bubble but my "phone" in my pocket requires rebooting just the same as the windows based phones...it's going to happen.
Phillip Hatfield @ May 16th 2008 3:56PM
Camera looks cool.
Phillip Hatfield @ May 16th 2008 3:56PM
It also is made my Samsung, which is also cool.
Dian @ May 16th 2008 4:01PM
the conference was near my hometown
Johan S @ May 16th 2008 4:04PM
400 x 240 ?
blech!
James Cameron @ May 16th 2008 4:20PM
HTC Touch Diamond
James Cameron @ May 16th 2008 4:21PM
oops...
James Cameron @ May 16th 2008 4:09PM
Damn!! What I really like to know is WHEN this will be coming out?
SE XperiaX1
HTC Touch
Nokia touch(yet to be announce)
iPhone G3
and now the Samsung's SGH-i900...
From the specs, the Samsung's SGH-i900 seems to impress me the most at the moment. No GPS?
Phoenix @ May 16th 2008 4:19PM
HTC Touch? Ain't that a bit old? and iPhone G3? What's that?
James Cameron @ May 16th 2008 4:21PM
HTC Touch Diamond
Vidit Bhargava @ May 16th 2008 4:19PM
uh...another *phone look-alike...
do these companies have any new design to offer???
Mike @ May 16th 2008 5:03PM
You know there's only about three ways to make phones... either a flip phone or the candy-bar type, and of the latter half, they either have keyboards or they don't. Someone is going to have to shape a phone like a phallus or a frisbee before you stop saying "Ooo, another *phone copy". Like you'd put square tires on your car just so you can say you're original.
Vidit Bhargava @ May 16th 2008 5:10PM
why...arent there smartphones with touch screen which look different than *phone...this is samsung's i think second phone which looks the same, first being armani. htc made touch which doesnt look like *phone....its not just about shape or keyboard..its about the complete looks dude.
Joe @ May 16th 2008 4:51PM
This device sounds fantastic. I hope it lives up to Samsung's reputation for quality, because if it does, it sounds like we'll have a real winner on our hands (and I'll definitely want to pick one up).
On another note, this guy is a really weak writer. Engadget disappoints me a lot sometimes.
guerilla779 @ May 17th 2008 1:27AM
haha ....samsungs quality is a joke . Their sliders have serious issues with the panels and the "ribbon" between the two different sliding parts. One of the two has to be replaced within the first 6 months.
YpoCaramel @ May 16th 2008 4:56PM
There's not much to the photo captions anyways, Chinese-reader or not.
john @ May 16th 2008 5:02PM
i can think of things i find lacking/wanting in this feature list...
1) t-mobile usa 3g support
2) side slide qwerty keyboard .. or maybe a riser suretype keyboard, but i prefer the side slide 1 key per button qwerty
3) (technically side-stepping the rest of the "want" claim) --- samsung's non-windows OS ... or Android... anything BUT windows...
Jeff @ May 16th 2008 5:04PM
"to bring everything we could ever hope -- or need, to be honest -- for in a Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro package."
very nicely played... in that sentence, you've excluded wanting "a decent interface" because who would want something other than Winmo in a Winmo package?
clever. :P
DeKU @ May 16th 2008 5:08PM
wow, not only does it look like that other unique phone but its name also starts with a lower case “i” . i900, i901
CRM @ May 16th 2008 9:01PM
All of Samsung's WinMo phone start with i and have since well before the nice Apple phone did. I have an old i730 somewhere with WinMo 2003 on it...
Rob Schoenfeld @ May 16th 2008 5:20PM
Why didn't the Samsung instinct have these features. Hoefully the power that be will see fit to produce a CDMA model. Or at least one could only hope..
Cassini @ May 16th 2008 5:30PM
That's slick, but QVGA on a 3.5" screen? Sorry, but no VGA and no keyboard = no sale. Not with these types of phones - not anymore.
These days, they have to have it all, or fuggedaboutit! Enough with the "Close-but-no-cigar" designs!