Samsung readies a new Galaxy Beam phone/projector hybrid

By David Nield March 15, 2014

samsung readies new galaxy beam phoneprojector hybrid — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We hope you’re still ready for some more Samsung Galaxy action even after the quickfire unveiling of the S5, Gear, Gear Neo and Gear Fit — a new database entry indicates the company is working on a follow-up to its ill-fated Beam device, which combined a mobile phone with a pico projector. The original handset launched in 2012 but failed to attract a substantial number of consumers, thanks partly to a so-so set of specifications.

Now we have some clues about its successor, thanks to an entry in China’s Teena government database, where new devices are certified. As well as the pictures displayed above, some specifications are listed: The documents suggest the phone will have a 4.66-inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) display, Android 4.2.2, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM.

While these are distinctly average components when put up against the latest and greatest smartphones, they are still an improvement over the original Beam, and the big selling point will not be its benchmarking prowess but its ability to project a large image on to a screen or blank wall. At 11.6mm thick the new Beam is also thinner than the one that came before it.

Another change Samsung has deemed appropriate is the switch to a metal chassis, perhaps to attract business users who are more interested in the phone’s projecting capabilities than whether or not it has more grunt than the Nexus 5. You can see where the projector will be housed thanks to the bulge on the back cover of the handset.

The listing confirms that the Beam mark two exists in some form or another, but where it will launch and at what price remains to be seen. Are you excited by the idea of a phone that can project movies, YouTube clips and presentations? Or should Samsung have given up after its first effort?

[Image courtesy of Engadget]

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Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

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