Samsung has taken a page straight out of the Apple playbook and introduced a new smartphone, without the phone part.
It’s the Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 3.6. It looks and feels just like any one of Samsung’s growing collection of ‘Galaxy S’ branded smartphones.
But in the exact same fashion as the iPod Touch is like and iPhone without the mobile connectivity, the WiFi 3.6 cannot make calls or access 3G/4G data.
It is designed for use by those who may already have another phone locked into a service contract, or simply want to get a taste of what Android is like before committing to a particular smartphone.
The gadget has Android 2.3 (“Gingerbread”) under the hood, along with a 1 GHz processor. As might be expected from its name, it has a 3.6-inch display.
So what exactly can you do with an Android smartphone that isn’t a phone? Users can still connect over WiFi to download apps, stream videos and music content, and play games.
It also has rear and front cameras.
This represents Samsung’s growing push to be a true competitor for Apple. The company is also releasing the Galaxy S II, a phone that’s available at Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. The multi-carrier availability, Samsung hopes, will give it an advantage in becoming the single most popular Android handset and could give the iPhone a run for its money.
The Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 is set to debut later this year at somewhere in the $200 range.
