Days after being stung at a California patent trial, Samsung Electronics managed to capture headlines by showing off an upcoming Windows Phone 8 smart phone. This Reuters report via SiliconValley.com from a Berlin electronics show is one of the first reports.
The ATIV S will have a 4.8-in screen, a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and connectivity to HSPA+ wireless networks.
This obviously had been in the works for some time and development had nothing to do with the trial (unless, of course, Samsung — which has an extensive lineup of Android-powered handsets — knew early it had to hedge its bets) but the timing is interesting. Industry observers had expected Microsoft partner Nokia to be the first to announce a Windows Phone 8 smart phone.
Samsung isn’t the only handset maker with a foot in both the Android and Windows camps, and the California verdict will likely give those manufacturers reason to be generous with their Windows marketing plans.