Verizon Announces Samsung's Ativ Odyssey Windows Phone

News
By Zak Islam
published

Marks Samsung's first Windows Phone launch in the U.S.


U.S. carrier Verizon has announced the first Windows Phone device manufactured by Samsung, the Ativ Odyssey.

Originally announced during the fall of 2012 at Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 launch event, the smartphone boasts a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a WVGA resolution of 800x480 pixels.

Powering the Ativ Odyssey is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM, accompanied by a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash; it supports 1080p HD video capture and sports a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera.

In addition to 4G LTE compatibility, a microSD card slot supports up to 64 GB off-board memory, while internal storage is 8 GB. Powering the screen is a 2,100 mAh battery.

The Ativ Odyssey, which is a global-ready phone, was originally scheduled for a December launch. The current release schedule is "soon".

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Zak Islam
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • plekter
    I prefer Nokia.
    Reply
  • robholden
    plekterI prefer Nokia.so do I, but who cares, more choice is good right... and actually on Verizon this looks lie a fairly good prospect... (since there is no 920 on Verizon...)
    Reply
  • hannibal
    Almost the same specks as with Nokia 820. Nice to see the price!
    Reply
  • cinergy
    hannibalAlmost the same specks as with Nokia 820. Nice to see the price!
    820 has much better camera plus bigger screen (let alone superior industrial design).
    Reply
  • cinergy
    robholdenso do I, but who cares, more choice is good right... and actually on Verizon this looks lie a fairly good prospect... (since there is no 920 on Verizon...)
    Verizon has Lumia 822 which is superior to this in every way.
    Reply
  • milesk182
    I was hoping the specs were going to be better but ended up getting a Galaxy S3 instead. I'm betting in the future they will have stronger speced win8 phones but as of right now I will just have to wait.
    Reply
  • hannibal
    You are right about the screen and and camera! But still interesting if the price is right!
    Reply
  • plekter
    robholdenso do I, but who cares, more choice is good right... and actually on Verizon this looks lie a fairly good prospect... (since there is no 920 on Verizon...)Just saying it because the bundle of software Nokia provides is in my opinion a big part of what makes the platform that great for me.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    robholdenso do I, but who cares, more choice is good right... and actually on Verizon this looks lie a fairly good prospect... (since there is no 920 on Verizon...)Are you kidding me, this phone is TRASH compared to even the Lumia 822. It has almost no advantages, and several glaring weaknesses. All I can say is that I hope this phone is one of the free ones on contract, and cheap off contract. I was holding out because I was hoping Verizon was going to release a GOOD Samsung device, like the Ativ S. Many people were thinking and hoping that "Ativ Odyssey" was just the Verizon branding for the Ativ S. Verizon was so tight-lipped about it, and now I see why.

    http://www.samsung.com/global/ativ/ativ_s.html

    Instead they release something that is inferior to what they've already had for months (Lumia 822, HTC 8X). Terrible, Verizon. You needed a Lumia 922 or an Ativ S - if they had released the Ativ S (under any name) I'd be singing a different tune.hannibalYou are right about the screen and and camera! But still interesting if the price is right!The 822 matches or beats it in every department except battery, and it's $50 on contract. So the Odyssey would have to be FREE on contract and substantially cheaper off-contract to stand a chance.
    Reply
  • CaedenV
    plekterJust saying it because the bundle of software Nokia provides is in my opinion a big part of what makes the platform that great for me.Better camera, better software, and roughly the same price, why would anyone consider the Sammy option?

    I really wanted to get the Ativ S (the big brother to the Odyssey), but Sammy took too long to come to market, and we still do not have a firm release date on it, so I ended up getting the lumia 920. I wish it had an SD card slot so I could cram a bunch of my files and music on there, but even without it the phone is proving to be adequate for my storage needs, and exceeding my expectations everywhere else... and that camera in low light situations... man they did a good job!
    Reply