Samsung SGH-i687 with Windows Phone 8 coming this fall?

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

It’s about time we start hearing about actual Windows Phone 8 hardware—or at least the bit of bread crumbs hinting at their existence.

Such is the case with the Samsung SGH-i687 which showed up on Sammy’s site under the User Agent Profile. Not too much is revealed and the only hint at Windows Phone 8 is the mention of Internet Explorer 10 as the browser. It’s been speculated and somewhat confirmed that current Windows Phone 7 devices won’t be getting that browser update and even if they were, we can’t see Samsung prepping a Windows Phone 7 device so late in the game.

The other interesting if not somewhat disappointing figure is the 480x800 (WVGA) screen. Windows Phone 8 of course brings two higher resolutions—720x1280 and 768x1280—to the fold and many of us are hoping to get our hands on a device with such a high pixel density.

WP Central

From Samsung's site on the i687 IE10 listed as a supported browser

So why the WVGA display resolution? We can think of two options—either this is an entry level phone, meant to keep costs down or Samsung will upgrade the screen as soon as the hardware is available. That last point refers to the shortage of getting displays at such high resolutions, even if Samsung makes its own.

Back in April, it was widely rumored that Samsung would reuse their new Galaxy SIII design for Windows Phone 8. We're not expecting this to be that device but one never knows when we're so far out.

Either way, it’s still early in the game and we should take this info with a grain of salt as much can change between now and November. As far as carriers, if we're talking about the U.S. we're looking at AT&T of course.

Related - HTC Windows Phone 8 specs leaked for three new phones

Source:  Samsung; via Blog of Mobile, Pocketnow

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

33 Comments
  • Just because they are able to do higher res screens doesn't mean they have to.  800x480 is still plenty and still relevant.
  • True but Microsoft needs to come out swinging and having "high end" phones is one way to do it.
  • Still relevant? Yes but when I compared my HTC Titan's screen to the HTC One S it wasn't even close. Its time for WP to shine with the big boys.
  • I hope this will be a WP8 device with higher resolution screen, but A nice as the GS3 is, I will the would bring an amazingly different yet appealing design to their WP offering. Surely they have some designer employed that could differentiate there WP offering from Android. If WP gets the same design, people with think of WP as a second fiddle. We need unique design for a unique OS in a class of its own.
  • Given the model number, this is definitely destined for AT&T. The "SGH-iXXX" model numbers have always been AT&T smartphones, just as "SGH-tXXX" model numbers have been T-Mobile USA phones.
  • Also, the model number is i6xx, not i9xx, meaning this could be an entry-level device.
  • +1
  • I love my co-workers Galaxy SIII hardware... it's pretty amazing.... and lite.  I'd love to see what Nokia comes up with but Samsung is on a motha****ing role.  I'm starting to love their products.
  • Not interested. My next phone will don a truly awesome screen.
  • I would really love to have a higher resolution phone but kept within the 4" range. 
  • I hope they don't reuse the design... since it's hideous... xD
     
  • Can't it be the 7.8 getting IE10? Why are you not considering that possibility ?
  • As it says in the article, "it's a little late" to be prepping a wp7 device...
  • Ok, but is it that a reason or a hunch ?
  • Think about the lead time in the phone industry. By the time it was released, it would be around the WP8 launch.
  • IE10 is wp8 exclusive.
  • Maybe a portrait-slider is the reason for the resolution? :p
  • I waunt Quadcore! >:)
  • Let me post this...the big question is how can Microsoft produce low cost phones using dual core and other wp8 exclusive hardware...that 480x800 has to be low cost and I would immediately think wp7.5 specs 1.4ghz, etc. ill just ha e to wait and see
  • I'm really sorry, but I absolutely MUST cut down on my salt intake...I have to consider my health here! =[
  • Lol
  • It has the old windows logo therefor its not a wp8 phone
  • The photo is just a stock Samsung WP photo, not specifically of the i687 device
  • You do know that the picture is not of the said device but of the Focus S I believe. The specs they are referring to are from the site.
  • I am willing to give Sammy some time. Love my Focus S, and I am excited but not in a huge hurry for a WP8. Let's see what Nokia and Samsung bring to the party. I am sure top end screens will be a part of their plans.
  • Just hope they will not have plastic covers lol
  • This is still a good resolution for low end devices.  Hell, there are still Android devices be released with lower resolutions the WVGA.
  • No SGSIII design, please!! it is terrible chinese style look.. bring to us something elegant like omnia7
     
  • Lets hope Nokia fixes the battery problems cuz I'm stickn with them and Samsung unless Asus makes a wp8 then that would be a tough one but amoled only for me LCD is out dated bs. Alien ware would make an amazing phone and if all the OEMs would make metal ultrabook style phones to match there laptops then wp8 is for sure gonna make my choice hard as hell to pick lol
  • It didn't say Nokia Lumia 9** or 8** so not interested
  • It also will have LTE on it.  Under network characteristics this is what all is listed.
    SMS
    GSM_GPRS_IPV4
    EGPRS
    3GPP_WCDMA_IPV4
    HSDPA
    HSPA+
    LTE
  • Sounds like it could be the Focus SII.
    Considering Samsung likes to put out their new models on a yearly or so basis, it falls into the time frame of the replacement for the Focus S.
  • If Sammy and HTC don't deliver, MS should, without a doubt, go ahead and launch a MS Wp8 Surface device, as well as buying Nokia to keep a serious alternative for consumers.