Samsung offers iPhone Safari browser on L870 S60 phone
This almost reads like one of those rumors that would soon be defunct but this is not a rumor; Samsung is offering Apple’s Safari browser on one of its new phones. It will be first available in August to Europe and to other areas with GSM service at a later time.
The L870 S60 phone is a slider style that is only 13.5mm thick and according to Samsung has a "minimilistic" keypad that "is deliberately designed to provide enough spaces between each keys to provide convenience."
Other features include the Symbian 9.3 operating system with a choice of three themes, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 3 megapixel camera, FM radio tuner and BlueTooth support.
But, the most interesting feature of the phone is that it has Apple’s mobile Safari browser installed and it’s not a hacked version or webkit deal, it’s the real thing. The Safari browser is quite possibly the best mobile browser there is but you’ll never convince me that it is going to be good on anything but the iPhone/iPod Touch.
I suppose time will tell if the browser is any good on Samsung’s offering but if you want the real experience just buy an iPhone. There’s no word on pricing but based on its features and design, I expect it to be in iPhone price territory but that’s just a guess on my part.
May 28th, 2008
How does it compare to mini-Opera, which is the first browser I’ve used on a phone that didn’t aggravate the hell out of me. Wasn’t that impressed with Safari on Windows or OSX, but I didn’t really stay with it long enough for a real test.
June 23rd, 2008
“The Safari browser is quite possibly the best mobile browser there is but you’ll never convince me that it is going to be good on anything but the iPhone/iPod Touch.
I suppose time will tell if the browser is any good on Samsung’s offering but if you want the real experience just buy an iPhone.”
Are you really this thoughtless of a writer? Are you REALLY about to first make a careless, half-hearted prediction about the future of Safari on other platforms and then in the very next paragraph contradict yourself? Wow.
That aside, did it not occur to you to consider the rumored reasoning between Safari’s introduction on Windows? Is it not possible that Apple would use the same brilliant technique used on iTunes for Windows was back when. through iTunes and Safari even a windows user can get a feel for the Mac experience and all the warm goodness that goes along with it. I see no difference here. Though I doubt anyone buying this model phone is unaware of the goodness that is the iPhone.
I will admit this seems odd as Mobile Safari has been largely tailored for use with the multitouch sensors.