Odds are that Samsung will release the Verizon Continuum, a dual-display Android phone, but they need to go further.
The Samsung Continuum has been one of the worst kept secrets in recent memory. It has shown up in Verizon’s (VZ) databases and their stores ($199 w/2 year plan), with pictures and specs. You can even download the Continuum user manual from Verizon.
Frankly, I’m not terribly excited by a phone that has two displays, especially as together they have similar pixels as a Motorola Droid. Also, Android has an elegant and non-distracting notification bar, so I’m not sure why it needs another “ticker” screen. I’m sure Samsung will have some reasons today.
Meanwhile, can someone at Samsung throw some more resources into getting Galaxy S phones updated to Android 2.2?
Some of their newer Galaxy S phones are coming with Froyo (as well as tablets) installed but they are months behind HTC and Motorola (MOT) in getting their U.S. flagship phones upgraded. I’m hoping to hear news, or better yet, announcements on that today.
Finally (and this would be the real news) Samsung could reveal the next Google phone.
Reports have been coming from various places that Samsung has been working on the successor to the Nexus One which would be the first phone to carry Android 2.3, Gingerbread. Google employees have been “dog-fooding” the phone for months as it has been showing up in many server logs. However, this weekend a report came in saying a hardware glitch has pushed the rollout of the Samsung Google hardware back.
But that’s not stopping Google from releasing Android 2.3 on the Nexus One …
Alvaro Fuentes Vasquez from the Open Handset Alliance (which are Google’s Android partners) tweeted the following:
Preparen sus Nexus One (Developer version) para la actualización vía OTA de Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) para los próximos días
Which translates:
Prepare your Nexus One (Developer version) for Android OTA update 2.3 (Gingerbread) in the next few days
Another clue is from Adobe (ADBE) which is said to be releasing a new version of its Flash player for an upcoming version of Android this week. Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch is visiting the Fortune office in New York, blocks away from the Samsung event later today so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him on hand. He was also present at Samsung’s U.S. Galaxy Tab launch. (And the Continuum runs Android 2.1 which doesn’t run Flash.)
Samsung would be in a bad situation if all it announces is a Android 2.1 phone today. If all Samsung has to show us today is the Continuum, I expect an underwhelming response.