Samsung brings Bada 2.0 to the world with the Wave 3, which hits shelves today

By Jeffrey Van Camp Published November 28, 2011

samsung-wave-3-bada-2-handset — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google’s Android OS is currently the only dominant smartphone platform that isn’t exclusive to one hardware maker (BlackBerry and iOS are owned and controlled by RIM and Apple). About half of all smarpthones now run Android, and this is making manufacturers like Samsung nervous. In 2011, the company renewed its attention to its Bada OS and has made headway in turning it into a competitive platform in many regions around the world. The Samsung Wave 3, which launches in France today, is the manufacturer’s latest move to become a player in the OS space.

The Wave 3 has a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 1.4GHz single-core processor, HSPA+ 14.4Mbps connection speeds, 5MP rear camera, VGA (0.3MP) front camera, and is a world phone. It’s currently available in France, but will launch in Germany, Italy, and Russia by the end of the year. We haven’t had a chance to use the Wave 3, but our experience with Bada has been decent. Samsung has been consistently improving the OS, which, in its 2.0 release now looks quite similar to its Android offerings. We’d guess that the goal is to slip Bada into some good looking phones without consumers even noticing. Sneaky Samsung.

Recommended Videos

The Wave 3 was unveiled back in August, along with the Wave M and Wave Y next-generation Bada phones. There is no word on a potential US release date.

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

Instagram might soon get even more chaotic with Community Chats

Early preview of Instagram Community Chats feature.

Meta is on a mission to turn its social apps into a hub of all kinds of content as well chatter. The next step towards that goal could be Community Chats on Instagram, which could open the doors for the same kind of group chatter as you would find across Telegram channels and Discord.

Code sleuth Alessandro Paluzzi has shared visual assets of the in-development feature sharing some details on how it might work. These chat groups will be able to host up to 250 people at once, and will be open to all users to join and share messages among the community.

Mobile

Apple might have a way to boost battery life in the iPhone 17 Air

A rendered concept of what the iPhone 17 Air might look like.

Everyone is excited to learn about the ultra slim iPhone 17 Air that Apple is working on, but many people have expressed concerns about its potential battery life, given the small amount of space that will be available for a battery within the device. With a reported thickness of just 5.5mm, and apparently a large screen of up to 6.7 inches in size, the iPhone 17 Air seeks to cram a lot of functionality into a very slim form.

But with a thin device always comes a tricky problem: how to fit in a battery large enough to hold a reasonable amount of charge. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will solve this problem by making use of a high-density battery.

Mobile

Google Maps’ new feature sees Android play catchup to iOS

Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray showing Google Maps.

Android users are getting their first glimpse of a new operating system feature while using Google Maps, as the app is the first to make use of the Live Updates ability that was added for Android 16. The feature will give users updated information in their status bar so they can keep track of ongoing activity such as following directions using maps.

Similar to Apple's Live Activities system, the Android function can potentially be used by a range of apps but has first been seen in Google Maps. "Live Updates are a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities," Android developers explained in a post highlighting the feature when it was first announced.

nproxy.org