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Samsung announces new Wave 3, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Note devices

A smartphone, a tablet, and a new category that blends both?

Samsung announces new Wave 3, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Note devices
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Samsung's IFA 2011 keynote has been a juicy one.

Three new devices were unveiled, and while some of them were a bit predictable there was a couple of twists thrown in.

Here's a recap of the day's revelations.

Wave 3/Y/M

The Wave 3, Wave Y, and Wave M Bada 2.0 phones were the first of Samsung's announcements, and the company's latest attempt at selling a Bada-powered vision of the future.

While the presentation initially focused on the "chic" metal unibody designs, it soon moved onto real talk.

The Wave 3 has a 4-inch AMOLED display, a 5MP camera, 3GB of internal storage, and it's powered by a 1.4GHz processor.

Samsung announced Chat On, a new messenger app compatible across both Bada and Android. You can probably expect to see it being rolled out alongside many of the new tablets and smartphones coming your way.

Nothing revolutionary overall, but phones like these just aren't meant to be.

Galaxy Tab 7.7

New Galaxy Tab rumours are ten-a-penny, so it wasn't particularly surprising when Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab 7.7 - though a few of the details were a bit unexpected.

That 7.7-inch form factor was perhaps the biggest shock. It slots in between the original 7-inch Galaxy Tab and Apple's 9.7-inch iPad - and, of course, the larger-still Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Although the Tab 7.7 is significantly smaller than the iPad, the 1024x800 resolution is actually superior to that of Apple's tablet, equal to that of the 10.1.

Under the bonnet, the Tab 7.7 boasts a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU, a 10-hour battery, and wi-fi, GPS, and Bluetooth 3.0 support. The front- and rear-facing cameras weigh in at 3MP and 2MP respectively. And, as you'd expect, it's running Gingerbread.

No surprises there.

Galaxy Note

It was the new Galaxy Note that really stole the show - although Samsung's boast of a "new category" may be overselling it a little.

It's a new smartphone with some tablet-inspired twists, and a swish form factor that's 9.65mm thin, 178g light, and features a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display.

That display is more than just a shiny screen. It's packing what Samsung calls "advanced hybrid input technology" - or stylus support, in other words.

The 'S Pen' will purportedly, "eliminate the need for multiple devices", thanks to a redesigned interface that makes note taking and idea sharing a breeze.

But that's not to say your grubby hands aren't invited to the party. New gestures will allow you to take screenshots using a swipe of your hand, or pause videos using your palm. It's still a full multitouch experience.

Gingerbread comes preinstalled, as do a variety of stylus-optimised apps, such as S Memo and S Planner, which will handle your notation and calendar needs respectively.

Resurrecting the stylus is still a gamble, however. It could make for a meaty productivity device - that HD display will certainly help - but it runs the risk of looking woefully outdated.

Ryan McGowan
Ryan McGowan
Currently studying for a university degree, Ryan used to spend an unhealthy amount of his time indoors, playing on his consoles. Thankfully, he's turned his life around and now spends an unhealthy amount of time outdoors, playing on his handheld consoles. Well, it's the thought that counts