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Samsung's new ATIV SE Windows phone won't launch running 8.1

by Mark Tyson on 1 April 2014, 13:30

Tags: Windows Phone, Samsung (005935.KS), PC

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Rumours are that Samsung's latest ATIV SE Windows Phone will be released next month. However it is expected to be only packing Windows Phone 8 OS, out of the box, "sources familiar with Verizon's plans" told The Verge.

The major Windows Phone 8.1 update is said to be unveiled at Microsoft's Build developer conference in San Francisco. The company is expected to release the software on new devices just a few weeks later on 23rd April.

The Verge report claims that the new Samsung handset will be launched during the next month exclusively on US carrier Verizon. Previous leaked images showed physical aspects of the device and indicated that the device would run on the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1. However it looks like the ATIV SE is instead going to be stuck with Windows Phone 8 at launch and only receive the update once it's ready for the handset, according to insiders. Nevertheless Microsoft has previously confirmed that all Windows Phone 8 devices will eventually be updated to WP 8.1.

The ATIV SE is said to be similar to Samsung's Galaxy S4 with claimed specs of; a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 5-inch 1080p FULL HD touchscreen display, 13 MP camera with LED flash, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and microSD card slot. In common with previous ATIV mobiles it will have a brushed-metal (effect) back cover.

The exact release date isn't yet available, but it is disappointing to know that the device will not join the newest Windows Phone 8.1 line up alongside the Nokia Lumia 930 and 630.

Samsung April 1st extra news:

Today, Samsung has also announced Samsung Fingers, its first wearable tech glove to join its range of wearable devices. You can click through here for more details on these geeky gloves. Let us know in the comments below if you think this is going to be the next big thing on the wearables market. HTC came up with a similar April 1st concept, with its HTC Gluuv today.

HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by TheAnimus - Tue 01 Apr 2014 16:44
So basically it will have the update available from the day you can buy it? It's going to devs on the 10th.
Posted by Brewster0101 - Tue 01 Apr 2014 20:29
I don't think these will sell much except to Samsung fans. Nokia really does have brilliant hardware out there at the moment for the windows market and I think if the Lumia 1520 and 1020 were sold with Androind , I reckon Samsung would have serious competition in the Android market.
Posted by crossy - Wed 02 Apr 2014 12:05
TheAnimus
So basically it will have the update available from the day you can buy it? It's going to devs on the 10th.
So you get your brand new phone out of the box and then have to immediately update it? Way to go Samsung! :rolleyes:
Brewster0101
I don't think these will sell much except to Samsung fans. Nokia really does have brilliant hardware out there at the moment for the windows market and I think if the Lumia 1520 and 1020 were sold with Androind , I reckon Samsung would have serious competition in the Android market.
I couldn't agree more. Put it this way, if there was a proper Nokia Android device - i.e. one with all the GApps services - but equivalent in hardware etc to their Lumia's then it'd/they'd be on my “to look at list”. Got to say that Microsoft made a good move buying them, as I've been impressed with the whole “Lumia experience” - so much so that I've considered dropping Android to move to Windows Phone.

Despite having an S3 at the moment, I'd agree that anyone buying an Ativ must be doing it because either they got a phenomenal deal or the equivalent Nokia wasn't available. I'd assumed that the whole purpose of the Ativ was to stop Microsoft from doing their usual sue-or-pay-us-for-Android tactic.

Then again, I'm not exactly a Samsung fan at the moment, since both my phone and tablet (S3 and Note 10.1) seem to have developed pretty bad intermittent slow down in the past month - to the point where they're almost unusable. And I'm putting the blame firmly on Samsung's bundled dross for that since the two devices don't share much in the way of apps I've installed.
Posted by Denis_iii - Wed 02 Apr 2014 13:16
Fingers crossed the Nokia 930 is just a smaller 1520, following the 1520's design and NOT the Lumia Icon's design.
If not, then may go Samsung as long as I can get a plastic plastic cover not one pretending to be brushed metal, #tacky!
Posted by Brewster0101 - Wed 02 Apr 2014 20:32
Denis_iii
Fingers crossed the Nokia 930 is just a smaller 1520, following the 1520's design and NOT the Lumia Icon's design.
If not, then may go Samsung as long as I can get a plastic plastic cover not one pretending to be brushed metal, #tacky!

There is one good thing about Samsung ATIV over the Nokia handsets - removable battery. Personally I've never need to remove a battery in a smart phone , but apparently to some it matters.