Samsung said on Friday that it planned to unveil a new smartphone based on Google's latest version of the Android operating system, the "Ice Cream Sandwich" , at an event in Hong Kong on October 19.
The announcement came after the company put off the launch of the new device
while the world paid tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died last
week.
Samsung did not disclose the name of the new gadget, but according to
sources, it is expected to be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Nexus Prime), the
the successor to the Nexus S.
Samsung is also reportedly working on the next version of its Bada
mobile-phone operating system, seeking to offer the software as an
alternative to Google's Android.
"It must continue to evolve," Lee Ho Soo, head of Samsung's Mobile Solutions
Center, said in an interview with Bloomberg at the World Knowledge Forum in
Seoul. "We're doing a lot of things to provide more for users of Bada-based
phones."
Samsung is turning to Bada as Google aims to buy Motorola Mobility, a deal
that could reduce the Android owner's dependence on hardware suppliers
including Samsung.
Samsung is also developing voice-recognition technology that could be used
for features similar to Apple's Siri service, Lee said.
Siri, which is included in Apple?s new iPhone 4S, lets users ask for weather
updates, make calendar appointments or send messages by voice.