An Android phone without a hardware keyboard, Samsung's I75500 also sports a five megapixel camera. Yet its winning feature may not be the keyboard, but Android's live folders, which let phone apps fill your phone with data in the background so you can access it later, even without a connection. Yes, this is a Twitter phone.
Samsung's design isn't just plain, it's boring. Powered off, it has none of the sexiness of a Blackberry or iPhone. Boot it up, though, and it sprouts an onscreen keyboard much like the iPhone's.
Gadget testers at GSMArena.com were disappointed by their test unit's unfinished camera software. But it seems Samsung is going after iPhone photo-snappers with a 5 megapixel sensor that, at least on spec, offers more photo detail than the current iPhone's 2 megapixel eye.
More intriguing to VentureBeat testers is the concept of live folders. A live folder -- part of the Android 1.5 software -- can be populated with your email, playlists, an RSS feed, bookmarks or anything else that can be saved as data. For programmers, there’s a simple API to provide content .
In non-programmer speak, it’s easy to write programs that stay in the background and fill the various live folders with custom content while the phone naps in your purse or pocket. But when you hit Twitter, your direct messages list won't empty. We think this is a great way to deliver dynamic content from Twitter or even Netlflix. No icons cluttering the home screens. Run download-crazy apps in the background. Hurray for multitasking!
Updated Samsung's phone isn't the first Android phone without a keyboard, and not the first with Live Folders. The HTC Magic has these already. Thanks to the commenters who caught our error.
[Image from GSMArena.com]
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