Samsung announced two low-end Android handsets — the 3.2-inch Galaxy 3 (I5800) and the 2.8-inch Galaxy 5 (I5500) — as well as two Bada OS phones called the Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro. Meanwhile, Samsung is prepping a keyboard version of its Galaxy S Android phone called the Galaxy S Pro, says AndroidCommunity.

Samsung announced the phones at the CommunicAsia 2010 show in Singapore, where the company recently introduced its high-end Galaxy S phone (pictured at right). The Galaxy S also shipped in Samsung's home base of South Korea, and will subsequently launch worldwide, including on T-Mobile's U.S. network.

In addition, the company revealed that its previously announced, Android-based Galaxy Beam (I8520), is shipping in July in Singapore. The Beam I8250 is notable for offering a built-in pico projector. The phone also provides a 3.7-inch WVGA "Super AMOLED" display, an eight-megapixel camera, and up to 16GB of internal memory, says the company.

In addition to its Android and Bada phones, Samsung announced two Windows Mobile 6.5 phones, the Omnia Pro 4 and Omnia Pro 5.

Galaxy 3 and Galaxy 5

The new Galaxy 3 (I5800) runs Android 2.1 on an undisclosed processor, and offers 170MB of memory, according to specs posted on PhoneArena and SlashGear. There is also a bundled 1GB flash card in a microSD slot that can hold up to 32GB, say the stories.

The Galaxy 3 is equipped with a 3.2-inch, 400 x 240 capacitive touchscreen, as well as a three-megapixel camera, say the reports. Wireless capabilities include HSDPA, 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and am FM radio An accelerometer, proximity sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB 2.0 port complete the picture.

Galaxy 3 (left) and Galaxy 5 (right)

The Galaxy 5 (I5500), meanwhile, "is especially targeted at the youth market," and mimics "the well-known Corby [link] design," according to the Samsung press release. Debuting in Italy, the Galaxy 5 offers a 600MHz processor, sports a smaller, 2.8-inch touchscreen, and has a two-megapixel camera, according to PhoneArena. Otherwise it appears to match the Galaxy 3 in all major features.

Both phones run Android 2.1, as well as Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 UI layer. The latest TouchWiz integrates messages from different social networking sites using a feature called Social Hub, says Samsung. It also provides Layar's augmented reality software.

Samsung spins two more Bada phones

The new Wave 2 (S5250) and Wave 2 Pro (S5330) follow up on the fairly high-end Samsung Wave, Samsung's first phone to run the Bada OS. The main focus of Bada, however, is to address the feature phone market, and the new models fit the profile with scaled-down specs, and presumably, prices to match.

Samsung Wave 2 Pro

The Samsung Wave 2 (S5250) and Wave 2 Pro (S5330) both feature gaming, social networking, e-book, health, and lifestyle applications, says Samsung. Customers can choose from metallic black, pearl white, and romantic pink colors, says the company.

According to IntoMobile, the Wave 2 Pro offers a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a three-megapixel camera, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Communications features are said to include quad-band EDGE, WiFi, and GPS. The Wave 2, meanwhile, appears to be identical except for the lack of a keyboard.

The Samsung-bred Bada operating system runs on a Linux kernel, or can be configured for another real-time operating system (RTOS) kernel. We expect that the first three Bada phones use Linux, although Samsung does not supply that level of technical detail. (ABI Research recently included Bada among other Linux operating systems, including Android, LiMo, WebOS, and MeeGo, in its recent report estimating that Linux will own 33 percent of the global smartphone market by 2015.)

Galaxy S Pro could be Sprint's second 4G phone

AndroidCommunity has posted a photo (below) that is alleged to be an upcoming Galaxy S Pro phone, a version of Samsung's Galaxy S with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Emblazoned with a Sprint logo, the phone offers a front-facing camera, and has a four-row keyboard, with an extra soft key that is not found on the Galaxy S, notes the site. The story speculates that this will be Sprint's second 4G phone after the HTC Evo 4G.

Samsung Galaxy S Pro
(Source: AndroidCommunity)

The recently shipping Galaxy S is not 4G, but it is otherwise being compared with the Evo 4G as being among the top Android phones ready to do battle with the iPhone 4. The Galaxy S offers a 1GHz processor and a four-inch, WVGA Super AMOLED touchscreen, ships with either 8GB or 16GB of flash, and provides 3G HSDPA, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, A-GPS, a five-megapixel camera, and a front-facing VGA webcam, says Samsung.

It is unclear whether these features will be carried through on the Galaxy S Pro, but considering the similar name, that would be likely.

Stated JK Shin, President and Head of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, "We will continue to invest in multiple platforms and offer a wide range of choices and experiences for consumers."

Availability

Samsung will be showing its new phones at CommunicAsia 2010 show in Singapore, which will run through June 18. The Galaxy 3 and Galaxy 5 will be available in the European and Asian markets in July, and the Galaxy Beam I8250 will ship in Singapore in July, says the company. The Samsung Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro will be available from August in Russia and the Southeast Asia region, says the company.

The Samsung press release may be found here. The PhoneArena report on the Galaxy 3 may be found here, and its Galaxy 5 page should be here.

The IntoMobile story on the phones may be found here, and the SlashGear report should be here.

The AndroidCommunity item on the Galaxy S Pro should be here.

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