Leakster says Samsung Ativ Odyssey is coming Jan. 24

Samsung Ativ Odyssey
A smaller Windows Phone 8 handset for statesiders

The @evleaks Twitter account has a great track record when it comes to phone leaks, so when it says that Samsung's Ativ Odyssey is coming out Jan. 24, we listen.

The Ativ Odyssey was originally scheduled to be released in December, according to an announcement by Microsoft.

But the Odyssey's release didn't go down as planned - during CES, Verizon was showing off the Windows Phone 8 handset like it was big news still.

Nevertheless, a formal release date still wasn't announced, and the only hint we got was from @evleaks.

Verizon responds

TechRadar asked both Verizon and Samsung to see if either company had anything to share in light of this report.

A Verizon spokesperson responded only to refer us to the company's CES announcement, which stated that the Ativ Odyssey would be released "soon," while a Samsung rep merely commented that pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Of course, @evleaks' information might not pan out, but the account's reputation precedes it.

The tipsters have previously leaked shots of phones ranging from the Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 to Samsung's Galaxy Premier.

The @evleaks Twitter even leaked shots of the Ativ Odyssey itself in November.

Underpowered, but just right

The phone itself is rather unremarkable, specs-wise, and underpowered compared to other Windows Phone 8 handsets like the Lumia 920 and HTC's Windows Phone 8X.

Its rumored 4.65-inch display turned out to be just 4 inches and with a resolution of 800 x 480. What's more, the 8-megapixel camera that was supposed to be on the back is only 5 megapixels in reality.

The rest of the phone's specs are decent, but nothing to write home about at this point: a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1080p video capture, a 1.2-megapixel front camera, 8GB of storage, LTE and a microSD slot.

On the other hand, no doubt there are those waiting for a Windows Phone 8 handset that they can actually fit in their purses or pockets, unlike Nokia and HTC's massive offerings, and the Ativ Odyssey could well be just right for them.

Now let's just wait and see whether it actually comes out on next Thursday.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.