Samsung has been an extremely odd egg in the Windows Phone basket. The company appears to be fighting an internal struggle between two sides - one wishes to drop Windows Phone while the other becomes mildly excited when Live Tiles are in sight. Now rumours are floating around the Internet that Samsung is indeed making another Windows Phone, codenamed the SGH-I187.
The company is said to be looking at a mid-range Windows Phone, with the model number fitting right at home in the ATIV family of hardware. Believed to sport a 720p display and a Adreno 305 GPU, likely coupled with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU. While we eagerly wait for GDR3 and manufacturing partners to unveil and announce quad-core, 14-inch beasts, the average consumer is currently interested in more affordable hardware that will get them through the day.
Little else is known about the SGH-I187, apart from GFC benchmark scores placing this mysterious device ahead of the Samsung ATIV S, but just short of the Lumia 920. We'll keep an eye out for further details to emerge.
Reader comments
Samsung still in the game; SGH-I187 Windows Phone reportedly on they way?
This phone is real, it's UAProf has been on Samsung servers since February so nothing new though. The UAProf also suggests that the phone has LTE.
Windows phone uses the same kernel as Windows, so why aren't quad core supported now? Is it drivers?
Samsung is just going to do just enough to get by. They're big enough and successful enough in the Android arena to do the bare minimum for WP.
dat samsung biatch.
don't allow it, NOKIA!
I think Samsung is seeing Nokia's sucess on the low end with devices like the 520(1) and 620. There is an opening in the mid tier that they can exploit. It's all about the money.... Then again, no one pays me to think! ;)
The ATIV S is a high-end WP8 device offering all the features WP8 supports yet it's priced lower than the Lumia 720. It's a no-brainer.
Samsung is clueless and helpless on the WP front. They need to change the design language on that part of their line, cuz the galaxy replicas aren't cutting it. (clone on clone, comin from the iphone). They need some true innovation on the build front instead of all that metal looking plastic crap.
You mean like Nokia churning out phone after phone that's nothing more than a slightly different version of the last one?
Yeah, Samsung is taking a very non-Samsung approach to WP8. They're usually the ones churning out endless variations, but not on WP. They just made the one device that hits all the capabilities WP8 has to offer. They also made a cheap-ass POS for Verizon since they asked nicely.
But you can't blame Nokia too much. Microsoft is moving at a glacial pace, not adding support for any new hardware. The only options are to make just 1-2 phones and wait or release endless variations. The variations keep the cost of the phones up because more people are willing to pay $600 for a Lumia 920 variant 8 months after the 920 was released than they are willing to pay $600 for a Lumia 920 8 months after release. All they have to do is change the last digit to a 5 or an 8 and make a few small tweaks and presto, new phone you can charge full MSRP for.
You then look at the ATIV S which still offers the best WP8 has but it's down to $280 off-contract.
Samsung flagship will be s4 for windows phone. Ativs was s3. A S4 with alluminium and decent design sound just great.
Personally I love Nokia and i cant imagine my mobile life without Nokia Apps but for other users its a nice alternative.
Samsung's internal struggle...
Their windows phone sales are up 200% without even trying.
They would rather promote an OS they completely control (Bada/Tizen) than helping to strengthen WP market share.
Their biggest threat is Nokia getting to 10M+ units by year end hitting all the same price points in emerging markets with windows phone offering a better low end OS experience & nokia offering better build quality.
This is how Samsung rolls, they let HTC do all the hard lifting for Android before they swooped in
Competition is always preferred so as long as Microsoft doesn't buy Nokia and start producing Surface Phones Samsung is welcome to join the party. It will help spread the platform faster.
Nope,don't want Microsoft turning into Apple:)
I wouldn't mind them making a device that's got some very unique features (accessory spine and kickstand with that vaporMG casing come to mind).
I think that once 1080p and quad-core support comes with GDR3, Samsung will really step up their game with the ATIV S2. I reckon it will be on par with the S4 and I think they will migrate a few unique features (gimmicks) across too, such as eye scrolling. I think the S2 will be a major contender to the lumia 930.
187 with my...
Frankly, I'd rather Samsung left the Windows Phone ecosystem. No one has taken it as seriously as Nokia. They've covered such a range of price and feature points and have gone all in. It what's required to get a third ecosystem off the ground.
Meanwhile, HTC and Samsung phone it in (pun intended) and then bitch about the lack of returns. If you're Samsung, fair enough - you have other irons in the fire. But HTC!? No sympathy at all.
My fear is of a worst case scenario:
- Samsung were to muscle in with loss making phones (which they could afford to do)
- They capture the Windows Phone market. I mean... most people buy a phone brand, not an OS right?
- They kill off Nokia in the process.
- Political forces within Samsung ditch Windows Phone.
- We're left us with 2 ecosystems. A tired 2006 throwback or something that basically spies on you for its primary function.
I'm probably being over-paranoid but the thought does worry me a little.
I'm actually hoping Samsung, and HTC, (I dont know the 411 on huawei) stay. Competition keeps Nokia on their toes. And also makes room for more variety with customers.
I'm excited to see Oppo coming into the future market as well. Things in general ate looking promising for WP when GDR3 comes to light.
Forget GDR3, I really want WP8.1 This will bring a new level of maturity to the OS. Along with a notification center.
The more manufacturers, releasing more WP handsets, the better. Amazing as it may sound, but having Samsung, HTC and Huawei (lesser so) alongside Nokia, is good for the ecosystem and peoples perceptions of the platform. Nokia fighting alone looks bad, as though theyre fighting everyone else, and if they fail, the platform will fail too, which kills consumer confidence. Samsung are massively popular, and being able to say to, and show potential customers their WP devices, increases customer awareness and platform credibility. When I recommend Nokia Lumia's, I often cite HTC and Samsung also making Windows Phones as alternative options, not to pursuade people away from Lumia's, but simply to show the platform is massive and not a one horse machine. Nokia have had a rough time, and lost reputation, basically by sticking on their own against the competition, Samsung and other devices show that Nokia are finally accepting the invite to a popular party instead of hosting their own party that nobody attends, so its below par, and they cut it short (Symbian, Maemo, Meego etc...). I just wish Samsung would step up their game in the WP sector!
well @ least unlike nokia they use standard screen resolutions which currently only the 625 has in nokias lineup so far
Yea, you're a little paranoid. Samsung would probably suspend WP OS production before Nokia gets killed off (MS would never let their investment money go to waste like that).
I'm on the extreme, I don't just want Samsung, Huawei & HTC creating WP OS devices, I want Acer, Asus, LG and others to get in or back in the game. The more OEMs the better. One OEM OS's seem to be suffering currently with iOS losing market share, BBX not gaining any ground and WebOS being dead for years.
Nokia themselves said that they want that too, back when there were rumours of a Microsoft-branded Windows Phone handset.
Samsung is the only one willing to give me a large phone high end phone with a SD slot and a removable battery. I hope they stay. Except get the good phone into the U.S. next time and not a year late.
Samsung must compete in windows phone market too instead android lol...
What does this even mean?
It means that Samsung must compete in windows phone market too instead android lol...
Lmfao
lol
Literally LOLd
No, they will kill Nokia.
Nokia needs to get more attention before samsung gets his ass in the bath.
What does that even mean?
IT MEANS SAMSUNG WILL STEAMROLL NOKIA. BRO,Do you even read?
I don't think so. Nokia's hardware is second to none, not even the iPhone can get with it. I have a 928 on Verizon, and had traded in a Galaxy S4 for this phone and this thing is just solid as a rock. Samsung doesn't make this kind of hardware. Nokia has a stronghold on the WP market and I am not sure people would jump ship for a Samsung device when they have but Everything they could ask for in this Nokia device (Including the second-to-none map applications).
I am EXTREMELY happy with my Ativ-S on ATT!!! I would absolutely love to see a WP equivalent of the S4.
My only beef with the device is that I had to turn off LTE becaue when it swaps back and fourth between frequencies it messes up my MMS.
It's probably because the ATIV S only has LTE band 4 whereas AT&T's network runs mainly on band 17 with a little bid of band 4 here and there.
And again, another launch from Samsung that's almost equal to the Omnia W launch - right before the release of a new series of phones.
Must be making money. Samsung doesn't do anything unless they make money.
This is probably be their mid range phone. I think their flagship is going to be much better :). But good to see competition from Samsung and HTC
Give Nokia a credit...
Same chipset,but ahead of Samsung in benchmarks too...
Yeah. Screw them. Jumping the boat now that Nokia has done all the hard work.
wow, good point, never looked at it like that
Because it's completely incorrect. Microsoft and Qualcomm are the ones who put the work in to get WP8 running on a new SoC.
Personally, I want to see Sammy compete with someone other than themselves for once. Challenge Nokia at the high end and price. They got no stones for that I expect. Nokia still hasn't opened up yet.
14 inch phone???
Might as well! :-P
On they way?
That's gonna be the size of the HTC One Max. :P
Don't give Samsung any more bad ideas
Great news! I am very happy with ATIV. Hope Sammy will come with more WP devices soon. Can't wait for ATIV2.
New features include a saggy wet penis hanging over the screen when in sleep mode
What did I just read?