By Just like with their Motorola Droid 2 launch, Verizon opted out of a huge marketing campaign for the Samsung Fascinate, except this time they let Samsung do the leg work. Just a day after it’ll become available online – which is now officially September 8th, according to the shiny press release below – we should be seeing it in stores (September 9th, if you got lost somewhere).
The usual round of features and accessories were announced alongside the date and price (which will run you $199.99 through Verizon’s channels but we’ll imagine Amazon will bring it down a notch – or more – before too long). Read on for the full press details.
Samsung Fascinate™, a Galaxy S™ Smartphone, Available Tomorrow on the Verizon Wireless Network
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung Fascinate™, a Galaxy S™ smartphone exclusively from Verizon, will be available online on Sept. 8 and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Sept. 9 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.
Powered by Android 2.1™, the Fascinate refines customers’ social networking experiences with its Super AMOLED™ Screen Technology, advanced touch screen capabilities, Samsung 1 GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor, and virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring SWYPE technology. Additionally, the Fascinate comes pre-loaded with Amazon’s Kindle for Android app, and it boasts an array of accessories, including:
Charging Cradle – Doubles as a phone charger and includes a micro USB wall adapter so customers can view movies, display digital photos, and listen to music. It can also be used as a desktop speakerphone to make hands-free calls, and it comes preloaded with the Samsung “Desk Home” application, which allows customers to switch brightness levels from day to night and provides one-touch access to Samsung Widgets and Bing Voice Search. The charging cradle is available for $29.99.
Car Dock – Attachable to the windshield or dashboard, the car dock displays turn-by-turn GPS navigation instructions, rotates freely between landscape and portrait modes, and features a preloaded Samsung “Car Home” application, giving customers access to everything the “Desk Home” app can do while on the go. The car dock is available for $39.99.
Backup Battery Charging System – Includes a 1500 mAH battery, battery charger and Y-cable for charging a phone and spare battery simultaneously. It is available for $39.99.
Pricing and Plan Information
Verizon Wireless customers who purchase the Samsung Fascinate will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Samsung Fascinate customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access). For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.samsungwireless.com.Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
SOURCE Verizon Wireless
G2
So does that mean we will be able to order one on the Verizon website sometime after midnight tonight?
@Steve
I was wondering the same thing
Can’t use Google for search on a Google phone = fail.
Google should block phones that don’t allow it to be the default search from using the marketplace. Isn’t the whole point of Android for Google to allow them to capture more ad revenue? If Bing or other searches are made the default (worse yet, can’t be over-ridden), doesn’t that defeat the entire purpose for Google?
Read the Engadget review, seems like Bing is the default search engine that can’t be changed and the phone has a lot of bloatware loaded.
@Turbo does that still surprise people these days?
@ Quentyn
It shouldn’t. I just read the review, and it wasn’t good. I wanted this phone, but now I’m not so sure.
@Quentyn Kennemer From Verizon that surprises me. Having used the Bing app I do like it but not as a default because it uses way to much cache which needs cleared daily. I like options, leave it up the the consumer which search engine to use.
Thats why you root the phone and remove Bing and all the other bloatware. Or use a custom ROM. Id rather have this phone then a locked motorola
@android guy=smart dude!
will it include a faulty GPS too? ;)
The Engadget “review” is the worst review I’ve seen them write. It was all of what…1.5 pages? It included no specific information other than an in-depth and elaborate review of how much they hate TouchWiz. Color me impressed.
I guess I’ll be looking elsewhere for a real review of the Fascinate.
They did a very similar review of the Droid Incredible when it launched. It was longer, but imo, inaccurate and biased. It’s funny how much they tout the Incredible in the Fascinate review even though they weren’t impressed with the Incredible in its original review.
@ eleazar I think this is the fourth Galaxy S phone they have reviewed. Do you really expect full reviews for every phone when they are almost identical?
@turbo, Do they really expect every user to read every review they write? I don’t have time to read a ton of other reviews for other phones. Also, the camera has a flash on the Fascinate, shouldn’t that at least warrant a few sample pictures considering the other versions (minus the epic) don’t have a flash?
I don’t expect a massive fully detailed review for 4 nearly identical phones, but I do expect a REVIEW not a quick overview of how crappy the on-phone software is.
Anyway, for anyone else actually wanting a more in-depth review, I found one here http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-fascinate-review-07100970/. It includes sample videos and tons of photos. Color me actually impressed.
have sold 6 of these phones already, and not a single person has cared about bing search over google search. the GPS works fine and the screen is amazing. there is a ton of bloatware though, but it wouldn’t phase me as i’d just take it off
Seems kind of weak to me to release a supposedly top of the line, cutting edge Android phone running 2.1, when Motorola is already shipping phones with 2.2.
@iamsteventucker Sold 6 of them where? :D
Google is right to allow phone manufacturers the freedom to put in their own default search engines; that’s what allows Google to say they are not abusing their monopoly in the search biz. Anyway, they have their search widgets in the Market. So Android users who get tired of Bing results can just install the Google search bar/Voice search widgets and place them on their phone desktop. Unless you’re saying the phones do not allow the Google widgets to be installed at all, or they don’t show up on Market on the phones.
forget the engadget review. Read slashgear’s
If for some reason the official Google search widget doesn’t show up in the Market on this phone, you should be able to push it down directly to your phone using AppBrain and Fast Web Installer.
Nice one Sammy. I always wanted this phone. Every new phone coming out these days seem to be ugly as hell. IE – G2
Does it also include the non-functional GPS?
@Jcdo
how on earth is this phone ugly? Simple yet sexy design makes it very appealing.
@teckel
and no. the GPS on this baby is perfectly functional
@uly
I said the G2 was ugly as hell, not the Samsung. Samsung knows design. And i must admit, Apple does too. HTC? meh… HTC makes great phones tho, i won’t deny.
@Atco
oh ok gotcha.
yeah i know the G2 has a decent CPU but the 800 ghz processor is a little disappointing. Plus it does look like the Nexus One’s fatter younger sister. If your on Tmo you should probably wait for the Glacier or the Mytouch HD.
@ eleazar
Engadget reviews are the worst on the net. Avoid them. The Slashgear review is better but I wish they tried the GPS.
@ eleazer burleson, tx ha. we have 4 stores in our company all selling them since we got them friday the 3rd
PS have not sold a droid 2 or incredible since, and can’t get the X to save our lives, lame
@iamsteventucker
youmuufuukenlie
Uhhh….so it’s listed on VZ’s site but when I try to add it to my cart it says “”The selection you made is unavailable at this time.” WTF? Sold out already? It’s only 12:30am!!!
I’m so happy with my new unlocked cell phones! This has an unbelievably fast processor, great feel and easy to text on. I used to own a unlocked htc phones, but I’m so much happier with my brand new unlocked samsung phones. This Samsung Fascinate is so much better for my business and pulls my email in so much faster. And I really couldn’t be happier with it since it is an unlocked verizon phones and it’s a unlocked 3g phones I can take it overseas. My family loves my new phone and can’t get enough of the games. I’m going to purchase another one for my son for his birthday from gsmauthority.com. Definitely would recommend this phone.
I just bought a Samsung Fascinate and noticed that when I talk out nobody can hear me unless I put it on speaker. When it’s on speaker everyone can hear but when it’s not on speaker, the caller can’t hear me. How do I fix this?