Samsung pips Nokia, announces launch of Windows phone

Samsung has become the first handset maker to announce a smartphone using the latest mobile software from Microsoft. The announcement comes just days ahead  of the highly anticipated launch of Nokia's version.

Samsung's new phone called ATIV S comes as the first in a "big lineup of new hardware" from the South Korean company based on Microsoft's software, according to Microsoft executive Ben Rudolph in a blog posting.

According to analysts, the introduction of Samsung's Windows phone may be designed to address concerns of Nokia favouring Microsoft, whose chief executive Stephen Elop had been a senior Microsoft executive and had staked the company's future on the Windows platform.

At a preview of its Windows Phone 8 software in June, Microsoft promised the first phones would hit the market in autumn.

According to Samsung ATIV phones would be at the dealers in the October-November but did not offer an exact start date.

The phone is designed to support both dual-core and multicore processors and comes with a 1.5 Ghz dual-core processor and 1GB onboard RAM which ensures it would be faster than all previous versions of Windows 7 smart phones.

It also features an 8 megapixel (MP) autofocus rear camera and a 1.9 MP front-facing camera.

The device is being offered in two storage capacities – 16GB or 32GB – and both models have a MicroSD slot for expanded storage. The device also comes with a 2300mAh battery.