Samsung hides advanced handsets @ CES

SOMEWHAT STRANGELY SAMSUNG was showing off its very latest handset technology is glass cases here @ CES but an official was preventing anyone taking any photos of them.

The selection included many Korean models which The INQ had never heard of. For example, did you know that Samsung already sells a cameraphone capable of 5 megapixels, the SCH-250, in the Korean market? Yet here in the US, its best cameraphones, like the SPH-A800, are only capable of 2 megapixels. The A800 can also be used as a business card reader.

Another handset The INQ didn't know existed was the SCH-S230 which has a 3.2 megapixel camera. The unusual point about this is the fact that it has an optical (ie mechanical) 3 x zoom facility. Such mechanisms were generally regarded as too fragile for use in mobile phones.

Also hidden away in the glass case was the SCH-A795. It's the next generation up from the A795 (replacing the A790 which is shipping). The major difference between the two is the A795 doesn't have a camera.

Funnily enough we did manage to get a pic of the A795.

Others in the glass case included the Windows Mobile based SCH-i730 and the very clever swivel screen cameraphone the SCH-V600. Again the V600 is currently only available in Korea.

Overall, Samsung has some pretty neat new technologies which will certainly make Nokia sweat.µ