Although the tech world is salivating in anticipation of what Nokia may or may not be cooking up for Windows Phone 8 in terms of new Lumia devices, Samsung has already snuck in with one of the first by announcing its introductory Windows Phone 8 device, the ATIV S.
Hitherto, the mobile market has been completely dominated by iOS and Android but for the first time, it really seems as though Windows Phone is a genuine contender, and if the ATIV S is anything to go by, both Apple and Google will have cause for concern.
Not only is it the first of a new batch of Windows Phone devices that can compete with the Big Two in terms of hardware, but it looks beautiful, and although the Lumia range – particularly the 900 – have been celebrated as real head-turners, the ATIV S looks every bit as good.
The 8.7mm brushed aluminum chassis is literally screaming to be held in the palm, and the 4.8” HD Super AMOLED display is equally a sight for sore eyes. The display is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 2, and with a decent ensemble of hardware under the hood, it’s little wonder Samsung went with the very strongest protection commercially available.
The ATIV S packs in a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. It’ll ship with 16GB or 32GB storage capacity, although both will include the micro-SD slot offering up to double the space of the higher-end model.
The 2300mAh battery will certainly keep your device juiced-up, and apparently, it feels as nice as it looks – meaning you’ll have no reason to put it down. Samsung has been criticized for lacing its high-end devices with cheap plastic, failing to add that final touch of finesse, but this device is aluminum throughout, with the obvious exception of the front – giving it that classy, well-built finish.
Like many tech fanatics, I have been creating a mental list of which devices I plan to pick up this Fall, and having left a space for a Windows Phone, I had presumed it would indeed be a Lumia. However, having seen this, I am very impressed, and it does appear as though the Samsung design team has saved some of its best work for Windows Phone 8.
Will you be grabbing one of these?
(source WindowsTeamBlog)
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