Samsung diversifies mobile operating systems offering

The smart phone market is growing exponentially and end users have embraced their enhanced capabilities. According to Canalys forecasts, the smartphone market for 2007 is expected to grow 59% from the previous year total of 64 million units. The market will grow to 199 million units by 2010. To meet this new demand for smartphones, Samsung is expanding its smartphone portfolio by introducing diverse and innovative Symbian OS-based products that meet the lifestyles of today's consumers.

The following products are part of Samsung's Symbian smartphone portfolio for 2007: the Samsung i450, and the Samsung i550, announced today. Both phones will be available across the region by end of 2008.

Steve Han, General Manger of Samsung Hand Held Phones, Samsung Gulf Electronics said:

"The introduction of Samsung's new Symbian OS-based smartphones is testament to our strategic focus on the open OS phone market. With a strong Symbian partnership and our increased momentum in the smartphone market, Samsung will continue to provide a wide variety of mobile phones meeting the needs and lifestyles of today's consumers."

Samsung's Symbian smart phones include:

Samsung i550: Mobile Explorer with Navigation

The Samsung i550 is Samsung's first GPS phone. With a candy bar design, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, web browsing and access to Web 2.0 services are made easy and with built-in GPS, consumers can easily navigate while on the move. Users can download limitless applications available from the S60 applications library and access their favorites using dedicated hot keys.

Samsung i450: Symbian for the Music Lover

The Samsung i450 is a music-dedicated dual slider phone with extensive music player capabilities and sound quality highlighted by ICEpower amplifier developed by Bang & Olufsen. The mobile phone applies HSDPA connectivity at 3.6 Mbps so that users are available to enjoy multimedia features with higher data download speeds. Running Symbian OS v9.2 and S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1, the Samsung i450 provides advanced download applications available from the S60 applications library and multitasking features in faster data speeds while ensuring the highest level of power efficiency and reliability from the phone.