Samsung to expand its smartphone usage in 2009, launch pico-projectors

In 2009, Samsung will double the number of models of smart phones it ships and extend touch-screen interfaces from high-end handsets down to mainstream feature phones. It is also reducing the number of its underlying hardware platforms while it expands the set of software running on them.

“Most of our products are still based on our proprietary OS, but next year we have a plan to double our open OS models with a good mix between Microsoft Windows Mobile, Symbian and Linux,” he said. “For the foreseeable future, we will offer all the possible open OS platforms on our models,” Chi said.

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Samsung will also offer a variety of OS’s on similar hardware, depending on carrier demand. They also plan to emulate Nokia (and Apple) by offering a wide variety of applications and services to continue to monetize users well after they bought their phone.

“Software is becoming a bigger and more important part of our device strategy,” he said, noting the company expects to sign mobile content deals with Hollywood studios and Internet giants in 2009.

New technologies will also feature in new handsets, such as WIMAX, which is already widely deployed, and hardware features like pico projectors. For example, Chi noted Samsung will soon ship handsets with miniature projectors that can be used to display a Powerpoint presentation in a business meeting or play a movie on a hotel room wall.

( wmpoweruser )