MWC: Samsung shows off Beam projector smartphone and 10.1in Note tablet

KOREAN HARDWARE GIANT Samsung has launched several smartphones and tablets at Mobile World Congress (MWC) to confirm its position as the number one Android device maker.

With competition from HTC and Huawei at the show, Samsung first announced the Galaxy Beam, a 4in smartphone with a built-in 15 lumen LED projector, to let users display videos, images and text, which it claims can be visible up to 50in in size.

The device will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread rather than Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor, and features a 5MP camera.

Secondly, the firm unveiled a 10.1in version of its Galaxy Note device, following on from the 5in model it unveiled last year that it said was a cross between a smartphone and a tablet.

The new Galaxy Note has many features similar to the 5in model, including a digital pen, and is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

It features 1280x800 screen resolution and has 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The device has two cameras - a rear-facing 3MP camera and a front-facing 2MP camera. It weighs 583g.

Samsung's UK head of telecoms, Simon Stanford said the larger size will help users get more use out of the digital pen stylus.

"The Galaxy Note 10.1 takes productivity on a Note to a whole new level. With a larger screen and superior performance, it combines the intuitiveness of handwriting with all the versatility of digital content to let users be more productive," he said.

"The Galaxy Note 10.1 demonstrates Samsung's commitment to extending the mobile category."

Lastly, the firm announced two new tablet device in its Galaxy Tab range, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

Both devices are powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, feature HSPA+ network capabilities for web browsing speeds of up to 21Mbit/s and have rear-facing 3MP cameras.

The INQUIRER is at MWC in Barcelona. Look for hands-on demonstrations and reviews of these new Samsung devices during the week. µ

This article was originally published on V3.