Samsung Launches GALAXY Beam Projector Phone For Rs 30,000 | TechTree.com

Samsung Launches GALAXY Beam Projector Phone For Rs 30,000

Android 2.3 handset can project an image up to 50" across; sports a 4" screen and dual cameras.

 

Samsung has launched what it claims is the world's first Android projector phone. The GALAXY Beam is based on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and was first shown off at the Mobile World Congress 2012 earlier this year. Why it doesn't sport the latest Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is a mystery though, especially since Samsung claims that the phone is upgradeable to ICS.

The Beam houses a 15 lumen DLP (Digital Light Projector) capable of creating a 50" 360p image at a distance of 2 metres. It comes with a 4" WVGA multi-touch capacitive LCD screen with pixel dimensions of 800x480, and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core CPU with 768 MB of RAM. Weighing in at 145 grammes, this phone is just 0.5" (12.5 mm) thick, with the other dimensions being 4.9" (l) x 2.5" (w).

Other specs include a 5 mp snapper capable of 720p video capture, a front 1.3 mp camera for video chat, and 8 GB of internal storage with a 32 GB microSD slot. A 2000 mAh battery supposedly allows 3 hours of video playback with the projector and 20 hours of talk time on 2G. While the latter number seems too high to be true, it's actually because the retail package includes an extra battery. Samsung thus seems to have cleverly doubled the talk time specification by quoting the figure for two batteries. Going by this logic, it might even be possible that the projector will only last for 1.5 hours on a single battery, and you'll have to replace it with the spare if you want to continue watching a movie. If this is true, it rather defeats Samsung's claim of using the Beam as a "personal movie theatre".

In addition to a wide range of apps available through Google Play, the smartphone comes bundled with a drawing tool for presentations, claimed to eliminate the need for a laser pointer.

With this phone, Samsung has made its mark in the projector-phone niche that's dominated by low-cost models from brands such as Intex, Spice, Micromax, and MAXX Mobiles. However, at a steep asking price of Rs 30,000, it cannot hope to best its competitors on the basis of its projector feature alone.

Samsung Launches GALAXY Beam Projector Phone For Rs 30,000


TAGS: Mobile Phones, Android, Samsung, GALAXY, Jayesh

Reader Comments (6)

badjag's picture

True, but Samsung also states on its website that you can use the projector outdoors at night, for example on a camping trip, where you can project the image onto the wall of a cabin or tent. In this case, it's unlikely that there will be a power source nearby. Secondly, we are talking about the BATTERY LIFE here, which always assumes that the phone has not been plugged into a power source - otherwise of course, the battery life would always be infinite. :) All we're saying is that the claim of being able to watch a full 3-hour movie on a single charge is questionable. If you find the above arguments hard to swallow, consider this situation: Suppose there's a power cut at night (or load shedding, which is an all-too-common reality in India). To entertain your family, you decide to project a movie through the phone, knowing that the power will not be restored for several hours hence. In this case, there is no power source handy to charge the phone, right? Unless of course, you've smartly bought a portable power pack like the one here: http://www.techtree.com/content/news/1541/portronics-launches-portable-device-charger-with-2-usb-charging-ports-and-5600-mah :)

Submitted by Badri 'BADJAG' Narayan on
 
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