Samsung unveils new smartphone platform “bada” to the world
Samsung bada offers a powerful opportunity for developers, mobile operators, and consumers with a wider range of smartphone experiences
December 8th, 2009, London, United Kingdom – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today unveils its new smartphone platform, Samsung bada. At this unveiling, Samsung showcases the bada SDK (Software Development Kit) for partners and presents the unique benefits and unprecedented opportunities that the bada platform will bring to developers, mobile operators and consumers.
Please view the Samsung bada launch event webinar live or after the event here.
Samsung has also just launched some research into mobile software usage. View it here.
Please view the original Samsung bada announcement (November 10th, 2009) here.
Samsung bada is a driving force in accomplishing Samsung’s vision of a ‘smartphone for everyone.’ To achieve this vision, Samsung bada offers a feature-rich platform for enhanced mobile experiences for consumers, and a complete mobile ecosystem through a developer support program that both the application store and consumers will benefit from. Based on Samsung’s accumulated expertise in developing advanced mobile phones, the company will allow its users to enjoy ultimate mobile experience through superb features.
Dr Hosoo Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics said, “In providing Samsung bada, I believe that Samsung will become a true leader in the mobile industry; offering a wider range of smartphone choices for consumers.” He added, "At the same time, Samsung bada presents a powerful opportunity for developers to get their applications onto an unprecedented number of Samsung devices across the world"
Samsung bada, meaning Ocean in Korean, possesses the following key characteristics:
User-interactive – Based on Samsung’s signature TouchWiz User Interface, Samsung bada platform provides an easy, simple, and intuitive UI without compromising efficiency. To enhance creativity and user interactivity, Samsung bada provides flash control, web control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration control, and face detection. Also, it supports sensor-based, context-aware applications. By using various sensors such as accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity, and activity sensors, application developers can easily implement context-aware interactive applications.
Service-oriented – Samsung bada differentiates its position by supporting various service-centric features such as social networking, device synchronization, content management, location-based services, and commerce services – all supported by back-end bada servers. These ground-breaking developer-friendly features support developers to implement various services without additional effort.
Open and configurable – Samsung bada enables developers to take full advantage of mobile device capabilities to create compelling applications with ease. Applications can use device functions to make phone calls, send messages, or access the contact list. Also, various service applications can share information such as personal profiles, social relations, schedules, or contents with a simple user confirmation in order to provide services with greater personal relevance and cooperative service extension. The flexibility of the bada platform makes it applicable to a wide range of devices than any other mobile operating system.
Attendees at today’s launch event will also be introduced to the new Samsung bada Developer Challenge. The Challenge is the first chance for developers to win a share of a US$2,700,000 prize fund, simply by using the features of the new bada platform to build a wide variety of applications for bada devices. The competition is one of the largest ever for developers of mobile software and is testament to Samsung’s commitment to the new bada platform.
Samsung is also set to announce a series of Developer Days to take place across the world during 2010. Open to all developers, the initial events will be held in Seoul, London and San Francisco, with more events following as the year progresses.
The event will also feature insights from current bada development partners including micro blogging service Twitter, movies and games rental outlet Blockbuster, Video and iconic games developers CAPCOM, EA Mobile, and Gameloft . Each partner outlined their vision for the future of mobile apps and how they believe that bada will play a key role in the advance of app services to a wider audience in years to come.
“Our heritage is games machines and arcade machines but we’re eagerly branching out to make the most of mobile,” said General Manager of Online Business Division, Yasuhiro Sumida from CAPCOM. “We recognise our customers aren’t all about games in their homes but want them when they’re out and about, in the palm of their hand. To help us make this move into mobile we want to make sure we are working with the right partner. bada is accessible, open to all and very easy to use.”
“Congratulations to Samsung on the launch of bada. It is great to see one of the world’s leading handset manufacturers embrace software and services on mobile devices so wholeheartedly and wish them all the best,” said Luca Pagano, Vice President, EMEA Publishing, EA Mobile. “The marriage of great games on the right devices is something we take very seriously at EA Mobile and we are excited to light up the upcoming handsets with our high quality games in 2010.”
"We are pleased to once again collaborate with Samsung and launch our games on the bada mobile platform," said Michel Guillemot, chairman and CEO, Gameloft. “With nearly 100 million Gameloft games downloaded by Samsung users worldwide, it is quite clear that our games on these devices have made significant impact with consumers over the years. Utilizing the new generation device’s technological capabilities we plan to enrich the consumer gaming experience. Samsung bada offers a new and exciting digital distribution channel for Gameloft titles, as well as an additional outlet for users searching for high quality entertainment."
"bada is a significant partner for us as we expand our offerings to give customers access to the latest entertainment experience at their ultimate convenience," said Blockbuster Head of Corporate and Digital Development, Neil Davis. "As Blockbuster continues to evolve into a Multi Channel provider of media entertainment the focus will continue to be (as it always has been) on the consumer. We will be wherever the consumer is; whether it is providing a Vending kiosk at grocery and drugstores, integrating into connected home entertainment devices, delivering through already established Cable system relationships, providing a compelling by mail service and maybe most importantly, thru Mobile handsets. While many of the other “entertainment” enablers” canvass subsets of our customer base; the only truly ubiquitous device is the mobile handset. It will be, in and of itself, a playback vehicle and certainly has the potential to be the uber remote control for all your entertainment devices. While content will always be king; the experience falls on deaf ears without the delivery. Mobile will be a key driver of entertainment delivery for Blockbuster and bada will be our co-pilot for this experience."
"We’re absolutely delighted to be part of bada’s launch," said Head of Mobile, Kevin Thau from Twitter. "Mobile social media continues to go from strength to strength and we’re always keen to help make it easier for people to Tweet on the move. Samsung handsets are truly ubiquitous across the globe and it’s always a pleasure to be putting Twitter onto more and more smartphones. We share Samsung’s vision of smartphones for everybody and giving more and more people full access to the full mobile app experience."
For further information please visit the bada website.
Please view the Samsung bada launch event webinar live or after the event here.
Samsung has also just launched some research into mobile software usage. View it here.
Please view the original Samsung bada announcement (November 10th, 2009) here.
