Samsung P960 first mobile TV slider for Europe

Samsung has unveiled what it says is the first slider phone to offer real digital broadcast TV in Europe. The P960 shares some of its roots with the G800 but is the first in the category to include a DVB-H tuner that picks up over-the-air TV shows for the newly established standard. Alongside the ability to watch live shows, the P960 brings a pseudo-DVR memory buffer that pauses a live show for an incoming call, giving the user an uninterrupted show. An electronic guide also helps pick out a channel in advance.

The phone also boasts some of Samsung's more elaborate media features with a 2.6-inch display with the same dynamic picture adjustment as the company's HDTVs, a Bang & Olufsen-made ICEpower audio engine, and a full digital media player. A 3-megapixel camera with LED flash, an FM radio, and a microSD slot for storage also fill out its features. Samsung doesn't say when or in what countries the phone will launch, though DVB-H TV is already available in Italy. The phone currently lacks an 850MHz band for its GSM calling and HSDPA data and would need both the extra frequency as well as a switch to MediaFLO to be useful in the US with AT&T.