Samsung launches Icon smartphones for Australia
By Joseph Hanlon on 18 June 2009
If you follow technology news on our sister sites CNET Asia and CNET UK you'll have heard about Samsung's enormous range of new handsets, including a family of new Omnia-branded smartphones. In Australia, the company will whittle down this list to four of its most exciting new releases.
Meet the Icons: Preston, Galaxy, Omnia and HD. (Credit: Samsung/CNET Australia)
With the range called Icon, each of the touchscreen handsets will be differentiated by their operating platforms. Omnia Icon (known as the Omnia II overseas) runs Windows Mobile, Galaxy Icon runs Google's Android, HD Icon (formerly Omnia HD) runs the Nokia-owned Symbian platform, and the Samsung Preston Icon operates on the company's own proprietary touchscreen system.
While the differences in these platforms will give each phone a distinct user experience, the phones share a very similar aesthetic. Each features a glossy black finish and full-touchscreen operation; there isn't a keyboard in sight. Impressively, all four phones employ AMOLED screen technology, offering superior colour depth and contrast to the current TFT display panels and being more visible under direct sunlight.
Samsung has displayed the entire line-up of new handsets at CommunicAsia 2009 in Singapore this week, including several models not yet included in the Icon range. Notably absent from its Australian announcements are the Samsung Jet, a low-cost touchscreen, and the Omnia Pro, a BlackBerry-esque messaging handset with a full-QWERTY keyboard running Windows Mobile. Though not part of the Icon announcement, Samsung has not ruled out introducing these models later in the year.
Samsung plans to begin rolling out the Icon range in August.
Joseph Hanlon attends CommunicAsia as a guest of Sony Ericsson.
Topics: android, icon, mobile phone, samsung, smartphone, windows mobile, omnia, touchscreen, handset, australia
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Comments (10)
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jess commented on 14/09/2009 15:41
does anyone know when the samsung omniaPRO will be released in australia? i really like the idea of the slide out qwerty keypad so you dont have to rely on touch
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bramar commented on 07/09/2009 22:34
i have been using the current omnia for the past year (almost) and it is a fairly decent fone. I am going to upgrade to the hd version as there are a few niggles that annoy me with the omnia occasionally. the windows based opp system in particular. but the phone itself is marvelous and if that is anything to go by the hd should be hercules of smartphones. heard it comes out late september from AllFones in Launceston.
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yy commented on 17/08/2009 21:36
what?! jet's not coming to australia??????
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Greg commented on 10/07/2009 22:26
Is the Samsung HD going to work on Telstra NextG
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domino_m commented on 23/06/2009 12:13
I think it was a reference to a physical number or qwerty keypads. I wouldn't mind knowing though! But based on the photos given, i would have to say no.
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Pam Carroll commented on 18/06/2009 17:19
While there's no exact date for each specific model as yet, we're told that the releases are scheduled for August/September, with all four to be on the market by mid-September.
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tonyyy commented on 18/06/2009 14:01
so does anyone know when these are going to be released, approx dates
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geoff commented on 18/06/2009 13:55
finally some info on release dates!
my 02 is dying a slow painful death and im holding out for the new omnia icon or hd depending on costs!
few more months! come on 02 you can make it! -
Shawn commented on 18/06/2009 13:28
Yes the HD icon has an onscreen QWERTY keyboard and also an onscreen phone keypad..It also had handwriting input however i dont know how well this will work!
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MarcusN commented on 18/06/2009 12:10
So, do any of these handsets (especially the HD icon, cos i prefer S60) feature a querty or number keypad??
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