10 things to know about Samsung's Bada platform

6. Set menu

Much like Android, Samsung is setting some definite limits for phones running Bada – although it's a little redundant seeing as it will be the one making the phones for the OS. Perhaps it's just an exercise in disciplining the design department, but it does mean that consumers will be able to expect a minimum experience from Bada devices.

Although Hong didn't specify, there will be a minimum processor power level in place, as well as a 3G connection, GPS and obviously the ability to handle Flash.

Samsung bada

However, it appears that touchscreens may be a little different, coming in both resistive and capacitive displays. We're not sure whether the resolution has been mandated, as it was in the early days of Android, but given that there will be a fairly wide range of handset styles, we'd imagine there would be.

7. Game for gaming

If you attended the launch of Bada, you'd quickly realise that Samsung has seen the potential for gaming on the mobile phone to become MASSIVE.

Not only did it show off a pretty nifty version of Resident Evil running on a Bada interface (although not on an actual phone) but it also pointed to the fact that multi-point touch will be used mostly in games, to make them that much cooler (and presumably make on-screen control pads easier to use).

Add to that the likes of Capcom, EA and Gameloft on board already, and we'd hazard a guess that the nascent Bada store will have a pretty bulging gaming section.

8. Central to your media life

We all heard the ramblings of Neil Davis from Blockbuster stating that the Bada phone could become the 'uber remote' to control your entire life (although this was later debunked with a quizzical sound from Samsung's team) but it does seem that Bada could become something integral to the Samsung 'experience'.

With it's role as one of the bigwigs in the consumer electronics industry, it's likely that many have a Samsung TV, netbook or even Blu-ray player, and these could be at least compatible with Bada in the future, if not built on a larger version of the system, allowing cloud access to movies and music from wherever you want.

In the short term, we'd imagine that, in Samsung style, the first units from the Bada range will be DivX certified, and pack some nice SRS audio enhancement as well.

9. Flashy image

Not content with being the saviour of the universe, Flash is set to make a big impression in the Samsung Bada range as well, with a number of Flash-based applications populating the early application store, allowing a greater range of shiny software to download.

Add to that the fact that Skyfire, which makes a Flash-enabled web browser for Windows Mobile handsets, is also one of the early players in the store and it seems that native YouTube and the Beeb's iPlayer will be available right out the box too.

10. Coming soon

Don't fret if you're bored of hearing about something about something coming in the near future at some point, Bada is set to be deployed in a big way if Samsung has anything to do with it.

The first phone will be deployed in the first half of 2010 (we're hearing rumblings of Q1, but we'll be jiggered if we believe a phone company will release something EARLY) and given Samsung's love of the flagship, it will probably be a doozie.

But then we'll probably get around five to ten more before the year is out - you have to realise that this is the new proprietary platform for Samsung so nearly all its feature phones will be converted to Bada, giving it a HUGE platform to sling applications to.

And as we all know, it's the post-purchase content that's making the moolah these days - it will just remain to be seen whether Samsung can make its mark in an already congested market - can it stand alongside Android, Symbian, iPhone OS and even Windows Mobile? We'd like to think so, especially given Samsung's strong market share - you won't buy a phone for Bada, but a huge number of us will buy a phone and find it there - the Trojan Horse strategy from the Koreans.

Of course, don't rule out the alliance with Microsoft - Bada Bing. And then if it all goes wrong: Bada Boom.

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.