Samsung launches Bada smartphone OS. First handsets expected 2010

Samsung has launched its Bada smartphone OS in a bid to create a new consumer-focused platform to compete with Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian and the Apple iPhone.

Samsung's launch of Bada was aimed at attracting developers to the platform, which will be a late arrival in an already crowded field. The first handsets, which Samsung claimed will be 'smarter than smartphones' are expected to arrive some time in the first half of 2010.

Samsung didn't reveal too much about Bada's technical specifications, nor did it explain how the company will position Bada handsets alongside phones it already offers running Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux Mobile. Samsung also supplies memory to Apple for use in the iPhone, another competitor.

Samsung did reveal that it intends to keep Bada for itself, in the style of Apple with the iPhone, rather licensing out the OS to third parties like Microsoft does with Windows Mobile (for a fee) and Google does with Android (free of charge).

Samsung also announced that Bada is based on a Linux kernel, just like Android. Bada will also feature an iPhone-style multitouch interface, and handsets will not come with slide-out keyboards.

Samsung plans to release an application store, which the company intends to come with lots of games. Samsung has already lined up lots of big games developers like EA to support the platform.

Unlike the iPhone, Bada will support Flash and Java. Bada handsets will also feature 3G and GPS built-in.

And yet, with all these features Samsung's president of engineering for the Bada platform, Justin Hong, promised that the 'lowest cost range of Bada is going to be lower than the lowest point of Android.'