He rightly says, ” I must admit that your iPHONE gave other manufacturers a kick in the butt that awakened them. And thanks to the future availability of your iPHONE, others will really have to work hard to maintain their market share. ”

I don’t know if the Samsung will be a solid answer to the iPhone or not, but it is a very interesting design.

See all the pictures here.

According to the press release he has posted:

Seoul, February 8th, 2007 – Samsung today announced a new addition to its Ultra portfolio with the introduction of Ultra Smart F700. This revolutionary mobile phone will be showcased at 3GSM World Congress, the largest telecommunications event, next week. The F700 features unrivaled design and brings a superior range of multimedia experiences to consumers.

The Ultra Smart is a part of Samsung’s Ultra portfolio which boasts a full touch screen as well as QWERTY key pad. It reflects the recent trend in telecommunications industry of touch screen user interface and, for users who are not yet familiar with a touch-screen-only user interface, it also implements a QWERTY key pad and VibeTonz technology which allows them to feel the buttons accompanied by responsive vibrations. A “Drag and drop” method of touch screen was adopted for easier menu navigation along with music play list control for an expanded multimedia experience. Volume, play lists, brightness of screens as well as other menu control can be controlled utilizing the touch screen.

As speed is becoming crucial for data communications, Samsung has included the latest trends in mobile to the Ultra Smart F700. The Ultra Smart reflects the latest speed of 7.2 Mbps under the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network. Once the 7.2 Mbps HSDPA network completely deployed, F700 users can download an mp3 song (about 4MB each) in 4.4 seconds. A full HTML browser along with the QWERTY key pad enables easy access to the internet for e-mail and data services. Using the new F700, business and creative professionals are able to view content on a stunning 2.78″ color display. The device features first class entertainment with a top-of-the-line 5 mega-pixel camera with auto focus and Bluetooth. With 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, it makes it easier to watch videos, listen to songs, share high-quality photos, or catch up on email on the move.

“The introduction of our Ultra Smart F700 reflects the needs of today’s consumers by including features such as touch screen, enhanced connectivity to mobile internet, and access to an array of multimedia content,” said Geesung Choi, President of Samsung’s Telecommunications Network Business. “The Ultra Smart F700 is a good example of how mobile phone will evolve in the future. Samsung will focus on bringing products that reflect and pursue our position as a premium leader”.

I had never heard of this service, so some digging was in order. What Exposition basically does is create these “SnapShots” that can be downloaded to an iPod and also to the iPhone once it is released. 

According to Expodition, ”a SnapShot about a particular place may include details on closest transport links, nearby cash machines and banks, places to eat, nearby attractions and shopping, etc. This information can be viewed with the Notes feature on your iPod and can be useful if you are about to travel to that area – maybe on vacation or holiday.”

So is this type service preferable to anyone over being able to download live maps and other information directly from the internet with a data connection?

I can see where it might be handy on an iPod, but on an iPhone? What do you think?

Press release follows the jump…

Expodition (http://www.expodition.com/), the website for iPod users who love to travel, today announces support for Apple’s upcoming iPhone.

The site introduces the concept of Pod SnapShots – snippets of information about a particular place that’s based on a postcode and a user profile. These Pod SnapShots are downloaded and viewed on an iPod – however, when Apple’s iPhone ships, Pod SnapShot support will be available for the new device.

Pod SnapShots are based on a user’s profile – for example, if the user’s profile identifies shopping, eating Thai food and dancing as favourite pastimes, then the Pod SnapShot created will include details of Thai restaurants, shopping facilities and nightclubs near the intended destination. This is then downloaded to the iPod or iPhone so it’s handy when the user gets to where they’re going.

Pod SnapShots also include local Bank and ATM details, tourist information, travel links, etc. Essentially, it means that tourists and people planning to visit a particular place or location, (maybe for a holiday, weekend break, etc.), can go knowing exactly what they’ll find and where! Pod SnapShots are viewed using iPods’ or iPhone’s Notes viewer and do not contain audio like a podcast does.

eWeek labs has this to say about the upcoming device:

The Future: Among the words Apple has used to described (sic) the forthcoming iPhone are “revolutionary,” “pioneering,” and “sophistication.” Some, however, have their doubts that the phone/media player/Internet device will, as Apple claims, “redefine what you can do on a mobile phone.” Only time will tell if the iPhone will be a giant leap for smart-phone-kind or merely an evolutionary oddity.

What exactly are the criteria for a “smart phone”? If it’s just that you can send and receive email from it, surf the web, download music, and manage your personal information…then wouldn’t that mean just about every phone available today is a smart phone?

Do you think that calling the iPhone a Smart Phone sets potential users up for disappointment?

Do you agree with this definition of a Smart Phone?

I’d love to hear your thoughts…

With that said, I’ll admit that I am one of the many who are eagerly anticipating the iPhone’s coming. Forget that it isn’t a “smartphone” in the traditional sense, forget the price, forget the two year contract, forget the “closed” operating system, heck…forget the fact that it will only be available on Cingular in the US…it is a beautiful phone with an impressive list of multi-media features.

If the iPhone winds up being little more than a tablet oriented iPod with major wireless benefits, the world won’t stop turning and 10 million of them probably will sell…and quickly.

Of course, if Cingular and Apple really are teaming up to bring 18 months of free service with an iPhone’s purchase, they may just have ensured that this is one waiting list everyone will be anxious to be on.

Which brings me to a question I’ve been mulling…and it mainly affects those of us that are used to carrying more traditional smartphones, a Treo 700wx in my case. What business features would you be willing to forgo in order to sport an iPhone?

Do you really need to carry all of those office documents with you? Do you really need the connectivity of push email? Would you be willing to switch to a Yahoo account for that, if you can’t live without it?

In other words, what sacrifices would you be willing to make to carry this phone? Or do you consider the iPhone’s “smartphone deficiencies” to even be deficiencies at all?