Samsung Fascinate Brings Another Android Phone To Verizon

One has to wonder if Verizon Wireless is worried at all about giving consumers too many options. It may sound far-fetched at first, but there's a growing number of high-end Android smartphones on Verizon's network, and while we understand the need to build up the arsenal in order to coax people to coming over in favor of the iPhone 4, it may be getting to the point where there's too much product overlap and confusion.

But if the DROID, DROID Eris, DROID Incredible, DROID X and forthcoming DROID 2 just don't have what you're looking for, Samsung has a new device headed over to join those guys. The new Fascinate is the Verizon-branded Galaxy S, complete with a massive AMOLED touch panel, Android 2.1, a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird, a mirror black finish, support for DivX, a six-axis sensor that works with the smartphone’s accelerometer to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experienc, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring Swype technology.

There's also a 5MP camera/camcorder (with 720p recording), Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), Stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack and 2GB of internal storage along with a MicroSD card slot. There's no mention of a price yet, but it'll probably sell for around $200 on a 2-year contract.

VERIZON WIRELESS ANNOUNCES THE SAMSUNG FASCINATE™, A GALAXY S™ SMARTPHONE
June 28, 2010

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and DALLAS – Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless voice and 3G network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Fascinate™, a Galaxy S™ smartphone.
 
Powered by Android 2.1™, the Fascinate is equipped with support for Google Mobile Services, including, GmailÔ, YouTube™, Android Market™ and more.  Additionally, the Fascinate boasts a brilliant four-inch Super AMOLED touch screen display, Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor, and an integrated entertainment, multimedia, messaging and social networking experience.
 
Color: Mirror Black with chrome details
 
Key features and specifications:
- Android 2.1 platform – With support for Google Mobile Services including Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and Android Market
- Full HTML Web browsing capabilities
- Preloaded with Bing Maps and Bing Search
- 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to transform their phone into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi-enabled devices
- Super AMOLED Screen Technology – Brilliant display makes watching movies, viewing videos and playing games come to life like never before, even in bright light and outdoor environments
- Advanced touch screen gestures capabilities, including multi-touch pinch to zoom, double tap to zoom and horizontal swiping, which provides easier and quicker access to many applications, including location-based services, Web browsing and digital photos or videos
- Multiple file formats supported, including DivX support
- Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor – Produces amazing graphics, faster upload and download times and HD-like multimedia content
- Six-axis sensor that works with the smartphone’s accelerometer to provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience when the user is tilting the device up or down or panning the phone to the left or right
- Virtual QWERTY Keyboard Featuring Swype Technology – Input text faster and in a more intuitive way with one continuous finger motion across the screen keyboard
- Full suite of messaging options – Text, picture, video and voice messaging; corporate and personal e-mail accounts supported
- 5. .0-megapixel camera/camcorder – Auto-focus and LED flash with HD video recording and playback (720p) capabilities to capture photos and videos for playback on your HD television
- WiFi Connectivity (802.11 b/g/n)
- Stereo Bluetooth®  Technology – Support for headset, hands-free, stereo, phonebook access, object push for vCard and vCalendar
- Corporate Email – Supports Android Éclair Exchange ActiveSync e-mail to synchronize corporate e-mail, contacts and calendars from office e-mail accounts
- Music and video players and 3.5-millimeter headphone jack
- 2GB internal memory expandable to 32GB, 16GB microSD™ included with handset
 
Lifestyle features:
- V CAST Music with Rhapsody®, V CAST Video on Demand, V CAST Song ID, Visual Voice Mail, V CAST Tones, VZ Navigator® and Mobile IM , City ID
- Samsung’s Social Hub – Built around messaging, contacts and calendar sync, which allows users to send and receive information, whether it is e-mail, social network updates or SMS messages
- Integrated Calendar information from portal calendars, on Exchange, Google CalendarÔ and social networking services (SNS), including Facebook®
- Integrated Contacts syncs with Exchange, Google, Twitter and Facebook® and displays a user’s contacts in four categories including Information, History (previous calls and messages), Activities (status updates and notifications on social networking sites) and Media (Facebook profile photos and photo gallery)
- Feeds & Updates – Displays feeds from multiple SNS sites such as Facebook®, MySpace and - Twitter, which also allows users to update their status instantly
- AllShare Application – Enables inter-device connectivity through Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), so users can send multimedia content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices such as TVs and laptops
- Daily Briefing – Instant access to weather, news, stocks and schedule
- Write and Go – Quickly jot down an idea and later decide on a format, such as SMS/ MMS, e-mail, calendar or memo, to send or post to popular SNS sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace
- Weather Clock – Displays current time and weather of the selected city (ability to add and select other cities)