Update: Carphone Warehouse is now offering the Galaxy Beam for free on a number of contracts starting at £31 per month.
Original: It’s been more than five months since we first saw the Samsung Galaxy Beam at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and now it looks like the phone/projector hybrid is set to officially make its way to the UK. A Samsung press release indicates that the Beam is available in Britain from today, though no specific retailers, networks or price points are mentioned. Pre-order prices have suggested a fairly hefty £454.80 including VAT, or £379 (~$600) excluding VAT to buy the Beam outright.
The reason you might pay that much is the Galaxy Beam’s built-in pico projector, which allows you to fire images up to 50 feet away from the device, depending on various factors like ambient lighting. Other specs are relatively run-of-the-mill — a 1GHz dual-core CPU, a 4-inch WVGA display, 5MP camera and Android 2.3 Gingerbread (yeah, we know) backed up by Samsung’s TouchWiz software. So there are certainly better deals to be had elsewhere for mainstream buyers, but if you want a portable image projector that ties into your smartphone, this is, for the moment, the only way you’ll be able to get it.
We’ve got the full spec sheet and today’s press release after the break.
More: Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Beam
Samsung Galaxy Beam Product Specifications:
- Network: HSPA 14.4/5.76 Mbps 850/900/1900/2100, EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
- OS: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
- Display: 4.0” 480×800 (WVGA) TFT
- Processor: 1.0GHz Dual-Core Processor
- Camera: 5MP AF + 1.3MP / Flash
- Video: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, Recording/Playback: 720p@30fps
- Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA
- Connectivity: BT 3.0+HS WiFi, 802.11 b/g/n, MicroUSB, USB 2.0, 3.5mm Ear Jack
- PC Applications: Samsung Kies 2.0
- Memory: 8GB Internal Memory, MicroSD slot (up to 32GB)
- Dimension: 64.2 x 124 x 12.5mm, 145.3 g
- Battery: 2000 mAh
UK AVAILABILITY OF SAMSUNG GALAXY BEAM ANNOUNCED
Latest Galaxy device now available
30 July 2012, London, UK – Samsung Mobile UK has today announced the Galaxy Beam will be available in the UK from today. Joining Samsung’s Android-powered Galaxy portfolio, the Galaxy Beam is a projector smartphone that lets people display and share multimedia content wherever they are.
Simon Stanford, Vice President, UK & IRE Telecommunications & Networks Division, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “We were delighted by the hugely positive response we received from both customers and media when we first announced the Galaxy Beam at Mobile World Congress back in February. It’s the kind of device you won’t find anywhere else – a high definition projector within a standard sized smartphone – and is great for people who want to watch movies, show photos to friends or need to give a presentation while they’re out and about.”
People can use the Galaxy Beam to transform any room into a mini home-theatre by projecting full screen video clips, maps, business information and games onto the wall or ceiling – all in high-definition and up to 50’’ wide. Holiday snaps can be captured and shared instantly using the Galaxy Beam which also boasts a 5MP camera. It’s also a great device for both students who can collectively share videos or work in any room or student lounge, and gamers who can download their own or choose from over 1,000 games available via Game Hub, Samsung’s dedicated virtual gaming store, then project games to turn gaming into a shared experience.
As well as its full built-in projector, the Galaxy Beam is still stylist and portable. Measuring just 12.5mm thick and featuring a sleek design, the device runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is powered by a 1.0GHz dual-core processor, so its quick and responsive. 8GB internal memory means there’s tonnes of space to store multimedia content, whilst its 2000 mAh battery means people don’t have to worry about Galaxy Beam running out midway through sharing their content.