Samsung Galaxy Q to pack QWERTY, fight BlackBerry?
updated 12:20 pm EDT, Fri June 18, 2010
Designed to appeal to American, corporate users
Samsung will reportedly introduce an Android-based smartphone with a full QWERTY keypad to the North American market by the end of the year, according to a source close to the company. Unofficially named the Galaxy Q, it will have a touchscreen and social media integration features. Its full keyboard would potentially appeal to current Blackberry users.
Samsung is heavily promoting its Galaxy S, which the company calls its "iPhone killer" through its large four-inch Super AMOLED screen and 1GHz processor.
Samsung is the world's second-largest phone manufacturer, but is barely a presence in the smartphone segment. Smartphones accounted for 17.3 percent of all mobile handset sales in the first quarter of 2010, up from 13.6 percent in the same period in 2009, according to research firm Gartner. Nokia, Apple and RIM are the leading smartphone manufacturers.
Samsung is believed to be negotiating with several North American carriers to introduce the Galaxy Q later this year. No date for launch has been set. [via Korea Times]
