Samsung imagines at CeBIT 2006

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This story was printed from CNET Asia.
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Samsung imagines at CeBIT 2006

By Juniper Foo
12/03/2006
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,39342925,00.htm

The company has stayed faithful to its tagline Imagine by dreaming up possibilities such as a few world's first showcased at this year's Hannover-based tech expo.

	Top of the world for Samsung Asia's top honcho Sang-Jin Park at the company's imposing three-level booth in Hall 1.

HANNOVER, GERMANY--An 8GB music handset. A 10-megapixel camera-phone. Mindboggling and a little ridiculous perhaps? After all, does anyone really need 10-megapixel images on a phone, not to mention the price of the media cards needed? And how big can the market be for a pricey 8GB MP3-phone?

But that's not the point, is it? As the Korean chaebol's regional chief Sang-Jin Park points out, it's proving that it can be done. Samsung believes it is leading the march toward convergence, and to this end the CEO and president of Samsung Asia is funnelling the group's energies toward three key convergence spaces for the mobile phone: Music, camera and TV.

"From our point of view, mobile phones are the locomotive to building up our brand name... Camera-phone, no problem. We can increase the megapixels to 10. Or 8GB hard drive. However, the readiness of the country we do business in is also important. We are ready, but the operators are not," said Mr Park, referring to mobile TV, HSDPA and WiMax.

Hence, it's not surprising that the extensive catalog of new Samsung offerings showcased at CeBIT 2006--including a few world's first--will likely not see light of day in various parts of Asia outside Korea and Japan. But that doesn't mean we can't look and lust.

Also a hot item and hot off the press was Samsung's Q1, which made its debut at the Hannover show. This Origami handheld rides on Microsoft's ultramobile personal computers (UMPCs), a new category of mobile computing devices that pack full PC functionality into a small, lightweight form factor.

Meanwhile, for this expo, we've picked some of the more cutting-edge products unveiled by the Korean giant.

Phones
From WiBro to HSDPA, Samsung has it all covered, with some world-first breakthroughs in the camera- and MP3-phone segments.

LCD TVs
Another growth segment that the company has identified as one of the hottest markets to be in for the near future.

Home A/V
Blu-ray gets its spotlight, together with other home entertainment systems in the Korean chaebol's portfolio.

Portable A/V
MP3 players remain key in Samsung's strategy to reach out to today's tech-savvy youngsters. The YP-Z5 is its first large-capacity flash-based music subscription-enabled jukebox player.

Ultra Mobile PC
The 7-inch Q1 gets airtime as a ultraportable PC that offers digital freedom with its diverse onboard offerings.

Digital Imaging
Multifunctional is the buzzword for its still and video shooters, while the goal to get smaller dominates its printers.

PCs & peripherals
These Napa notebooks are already in our Labs, while LCD panels get the headturning treatment.

CeBIT 2006: Cars, curves and Cup fever
As always, the tech expo CeBIT is a showcase of the bold and the beautiful. And it isn't just the hardware models we're talking about here.

Recent highlights

Samsung goes slim and sexy
The Korean mobile giant has introduced three new thin phones in its upcoming lineup, including the SGH-Z540 which is touted as the world's slimmest 3G handset.


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

Spearheading the lineup of clamshells and sliders is what Samsung claims are the the world's first 10-megapixel camera-phone and 8GB music mobile. Also on display at CeBIT 2006 were mobile TV and WiBro phones.

Model name	In a nutshell
SCH-B600 (10-megapixel camera-phone) Click for larger image	Wow factor: Possibly the first camera-phone to pack in a 10-megapixel sensor and an LED autofocus feature Other notable frills: 3x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom 2.2-inch 16 million-color TFT screen MP3 player, video recorder Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Dual speaker Bluetooth, voice recognition and PictBridge Document Viewer, TV-output 128-chord polyphony External memory support for MMCmicro Expected: Only in Korea for now
Samsung SGH-i310 (8GB HDD smart phone) Click for larger image	Wow factor: Contains a whopping 8GB harddisk drive onboard Other notable frills: Quadband with EDGE Windows Mobile 5.0 for smart phone 2-megapixel camera with flash 2-inch 65K-color TFT screen MP3 with support for ACC, ACC+, ACC+(e), WMA, WAV and OGG Dual speaker with digital power amp, external music key and BT stereo Bluetooth, USB 2.0, voice recognition Document Viewer, TV-out External memory support for microSD 111.9 x 48.5 x 19.8mm, 120g Expected: Not available.
Samsung SGH-P900 (Mobile TV) Click for larger image	Wow factor: Samsung's first handset to support the DMB-T standard for digital terrestrial broadcasting Other notable frills: Triband + EDGE Candybar with flip-open cover 2-megapixel camera 2.2-inch 262K-color TFT screen Video streaming, video recording, MP3 Dual speaker, digital power amp, external music key Bluetooth, USB, PictBridge Document Reader, TV-out 128MB user memory, microSD slot 94.5 x 47.5 x 26.6mm, 124g Expected: Europe, due out for FIFA 2006
Samsung SGH-P910 (Mobile TV) Click for larger image	Wow factor: The company's newest DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting--Handhelds) model Other notable frills: Triband 1.3-megapixel camera 2.2-inch 262K-color TFT screen MP3, video recorder Dual speaker with digital power amp, external music key and BT stereo Video telephony and streaming Bluetooth, USB 2.0, PictBridge Document Viewer, TV-out 30MB user memory, microSD slot 97 x 50 x 27.4mm, 125g Expected: Europe
Samsung SGH-Z560 (HSDPA phone) Click for larger image	Wow factor: It's about six times faster in speed than current 3G handsets, though at 1.8Mbps it's still half what it's capable of at 3.6Mbps capability of HSDPA Other notable frills: Triband with EDGE, 2.1GHz, HSDPA 1.8Mbps 2-megapixel camera with autofocus Main display: 2.3-inch 262K-color QVGA screen Secondary display: 1-inch 65K-color TFT screen Video recording, telephony, streaming MP3 with support for ACC, ACC+, Real, WMA Dual speaker with digital power amp, external music key Bluetooth, USB 2.0, PictBridge Document Viewer, TV-out 30MB memory, microSD slot 97.3 x 51.3 x 16mm, 98g Expected: Europe Q2
Samsung SPH-H1000 (WiBro phone) Click for larger image	Wow factor: Satellite TV on-the-go in a clamshell with a QWERTY keyboard, plus doubles as a VOIP phone Other notable frills: 2-megapixel camera with 0.3-megapixel sub-cam 2.2-inch 262K-color QVGA screen TV-out Expected: Japan and Korea


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

Samsung continues to shine new light on its LCD TVs with innovative features. As prices continue to fall, relative to plasma TVs, Samsung's Mr Park sees new demand being created for LCD TVs. Peering into his crystal ball, he expects the crossover to take place as early as mid next year.

Model name	In a nutshell
82-inch LCD TV with backlight (model LN-S8297DE) Click for larger image	Wow factor: It's the world's largest of its kind at 82 inches with LED backlight Other notable frills: Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 (about 6.22 million pixels) 16:9 screen ratio LED BLU backlight 7,000:1 dynamic contrast 500 cd/m2 brightness Expected: N.A.
New 40-inch LCD TV range Click for larger image	Wow factor: Lies in the design, with white and black offerings Other notable frills: N.A. Expected: Europe late spring, followed by global launch later in the year


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

With Blu-Ray and HD-DVD in the limelight, Samsung has appeared to have chosen its allegiance.

Model name	In a nutshell
BD-P1000 Click for larger image	Wow factor: World's first mass-market Blu-Ray disc player Other notable frills: Native 720p, 1080i and up to 1080p video resolutions Up-conversion capabilities to improve picture of standard DVDs Supports DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R, CD Card reader with support for CF, XD-Picture card, Microdrive, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo Full audio support, pop-up, always-on menu options CVBS output, S-Video output, component output, both digital and analog audio output Supports audio formats MPEG-2, DTS, MP3, 192KHz LPCM, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus Expected: Early spring in the US at US$1,000; autumn for Europe at €1,000
SP-P300M Click for larger image	Wow factor: This is its first pocket-sized lightweight projector and one of the brightest DLP LED mobile projectors Other notable frills: Carl Zeiss lens 800 x 600 resolution 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio Progressive scan system 1,000:1 contrast ratio 25 ANSI lumens 0.5 - 2.8m throw distance 10,000 hours light source life Composite x 1/D-sub 15-pin Vertical keystone compensation 25dB fan noise 2.5-hour battery, 4,400mAh Lithium-ion Power consumption below 25W 127.2 x 94.5 x 50.8mm, 700g (w/o battery) Expected: Europe late spring, followed by global launch later in the year
HT-XQ100 Click for larger image	Wow factor: Feature-packed complete home entertainment system Other notable frills: 500W, 5.1-channel surround sound USB host, can play from USB host DivX, MP3, WMA, JPG Support for DivX, MP3, WMA, DVD-Audio, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, JPG 100 percent digital picture quality Wireless rear channel speaker system available 5.1-channel Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS system Expected: May 2006


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

Samsung Q1: A first look

Charles McLellan , ZDNET UK

CeBIT: Samsung's first-generation Ultra Mobile PC is an intriguing device, but currently you don't get enough functionality or battery life for your money.

Following much speculation and leaked images of varying provenance, the truth about Microsoft's 'Origami' project is now out. Not that the truth comes as all that much of a surprise: First, the company's teaser campaign on www.origamiproject.com rather gave the game away in its source code by identifying Origami as "the Mobile PC running Windows XP"; and second, Intel showed off some concept Origami designs on March 7 at its IDF conference in San Francisco.

By the time Microsoft, Intel and its hardware partners came to deliver some details at CeBIT in Hannover on March 9, it was clear that an Origami device was bigger than a handheld but smaller than a tablet, powered by standard x86 processors and running some variant of Windows XP. Prelaunch punditry and comment also suggested that the first generation of devices would not match up to the ideal, touted by Bill Gates at the 2005 WinHEC conference, of a fully functional mobile PC with all-day (8-hour) battery life costing around US$500.

And that's pretty much what we got. The Origami codename became the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) platform; three manufacturers--Samsung, Asus and Founder (a Chinese company)--broke cover with UMPC hardware; and battery life was confirmed as a rather disappointing 2 to 3.5 hours. The one price reported so far, around €1,000 (US$1,191) for the Samsung Q1 previewed here, is higher than we would have liked--especially as a considerable amount of desirable functionality comes in the form of addons.

Samsung Q1: A first-generation Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC).

The Samsung Q1 is quite a smart piece of kit: It's mostly shiny black, with silver accents, accommodating a 7-inch 800 x 480 (WVGA) TFT touchscreen within its 22.7 (wide) x 13.9 (deep) x 2.45-2.65cm (thick) dimensions. It weighs a handy 779g without any external or internal addons, is powered by Intel's ultra-low-voltage 900MHz Celeron M processor and comes with 512MB of DDR2 SDRAM in its single DIMM slot. Graphics are handled by the GMA 900 module integrated within the Intel 915GMS chipset, while internal storage comes in the form of a 40GB hard drive. The overall impression of the hardware lies somewhere between a small tablet PC, a large handheld and a bloated Sony PSP (although the screen isn't as gorgeous as the PSP's).

The operating system is Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, with the addition of Microsoft's new Touch Pack, which provides a number of interface features designed to make stylus- or fingertip-driven operation easier. The Touch Pack's Program Launcher organizes applications into categories, using large buttons and icons to simplify the process of finding and launching programs. There's also an innovative Dial Keyboard--two fan-like arrays of touch-keys on each side of the screen, conveniently placed for thumb typing. Other navigation/interface elements include an eight-way joystick, a four-position user-definable button, enter and menu buttons, and an Auto Scaler button that toggles the screen between its native 800 x 480 and 800 x 600 or 1,024 x 600.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Samsung Q1 has Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth (2.0+EDR) built in, along with wired 10/100 Ethernet. There's no wide-area wireless connectivity in the shape of GPRS or 3G, which might have been expected in such an eminently mobile device. So to access the Internet away from an office, home or Wi-Fi hotspot, or to get a GPS fix, you'll need to have a suitable Bluetooth, CompactFlash or USB addon to hand. Ports and connectors are arranged as follows: On the left is the power connector, a USB 2.0 port and a VGA connector; the right-hand side houses a hold switch, a volume rocker, an audio jack and a powered USB 2.0 port. The dual microphones are on the front fascia, along with the stereo speakers. The top edge houses a dual-mode power and AVS switch (AV Station is a pre-boot application for accessing multimedia content), a reset button, a Type II CompactFlash slot and the Ethernet connector.

The Q1 comes with a useful-looking array of accessories: A keyboard, an organiser bag, an external optical drive, a car cradle and an 8-cell extended-life battery pack. Samsung claims up to 3.5 hours of life for the device using the internal battery, or "over 1.7 hours" of DVD playback.

First impressions
The Samsung Q1 is an intriguing piece of kit, but some natural selection needs to occur before it can evolve into an indispensable mobile companion. Key functionality such as GPRS or 3G connectivity is not integrated into the device, and battery life is nowhere near long enough at around 3.5 hours. That said, we look forward to a hands-on review of the Q1 and its brethren, and also to charting the development of this new mobile computing platform.


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

Samsung showcased its latest range of digital imaging products at this year's CeBIT, including a business card-sized multifunction digital camera, a new and improved flash-based camcorder as well as one of the world's smallest color laser and laser AIO printers.

Model name	In a nutshell
SC/VP-MS1X Click for larger image	Wow factor: The company's new business card-size 6-in-1 multifunction digital camera Other notable frills: Built-in memory from 64MB to 512MB 3x optical, 15x digital zoom 2.5-inch 154K-pixel LCD 5.25-megapixel CCD MPEG-4 recording Built-in MP3 player and Web cam miniSD card slot 2,592 x1,944 image capture USB 2.0, PictBridge Anti-Shake function Flashlight Expected: N.A.
VP-X210L Click for first take	Wow factor: Enhances the previous model with longer battery life, better image quality and expanded storage capacity Other notable frills: 1GB memory 10x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom MPEG-4 ASP 800K-pixel CCD 2-inch, 230K-pixel LCD SD, MMC slot Electronic image stabilizer USB 2.0, PictBridge Analog in, out External lens, weather-proof, 270K-pixel CMOS, fixed focus Expected: N.A.
CLP-300/300N Click for first take	Wow factor: In January when it was showcased at CES 2006, Las Vegas, this was termed the smallest and lightest color laser printer Other notable frills: 4ppm (color), 16ppm (text) 2,400 x 600dpi effective output Ultra quiet opening volume 32MB memory; 64MB for model CLP-300N Wireless rear channel speaker system available 13.6kg Expected: May 2006
SCX-4200 Click for more info	Wow factor: This gets to market first as the world's smallest laser-based flatbed multifunction printer Other notable frills: 409 x 363 x 231mm, 9.3kg 8MB memory USB 2.0 19ppm/cpm 250 sheets in cassette 13.6kg Expected: May 2006


Phones LCD TVs Home A/V Portable A/V		Ultra Mobile PC Digital Imaging PCs & peripherals CeBIT '06: Cars, curves and Cup fever

More dual-core notebooks can be expected from Samsung in the coming months, while some refinements in the humble LCD monitor will be unveiled as well.

Model name	In a nutshell
X60 See more	Wow factor: It's the chaebol's first Napa notebook running on Intel's Core Duo processor; it's also the first to be embedded with PCI-Express Gigabit LAN solution Other notable frills: DVD Super Multi drive Intel 945PM chipset ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics 15.4-inch SuperClear display featuring DNIE for better image quality 361 x 265 x 33.9mm; 2.48kg Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g Expected: N.A.
972P LCD Monitor Click for larger image	Wow factor: Its twist-and-tilt design Other notable frills: 180-degree rotation, 65 degree back and front tilting features 1,500:1 contrast ratio 6ms response time 800K-pixel CCD 178-degree viewing angle Expected: N.A.