Samsung touch phone brings haptics, widgets

Samsung on Tuesday rolled out a surprise addition to its growing line of touchscreen phones with a new model that promises hardware and software rarely present on its opponents. Titled the AnyCall Haptic, the device adds its namesake haptic feedback to fill in the physical response often absent on touch devices. Pressing an on-screen button or changing the volume produces a vibration response that mimics the effect of a physical interface. The software also unintentionally mirrors design elements from the latest iPhone software, as suggested by Samsung's description: users can drag and drop shortcuts to favorite apps to the home screen and also add small widget apps to check info without leaving the phone's front end.

The Haptic also stands as one of Samsung's higher-end media phones with a 3.2-inch, wide aspect display, a 2-megapixel camera, and a dedicated media player for music and videos stored in its microSD slot. In Korea, the phone further adds a DMB TV tuner to pick up digital over-the-air broadcasts.

A release for the new AnyCall handset is planned shortly for Samsung's home country, where it will appear either as the W420 or the W4200 depending on the choice of carrier. Samsung hasn't revealed any export plans but has been releasing more of its touchscreen devices in versions adapted to American and European markets; the company is already set to release its F700 flagship on Verizon as the U940.

Filed under: iPhone, gadgets
Other story tags: Samsung, AnyCall