Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) has revealed a new product designed to interface with its popular Galaxy smartphones. The Korean electronics giant revealed on its website the launch of the Smartphone GamePad (spotted by The Next Web).
Samsung battles Apple in game pads
Along with iOS 7 and the 64-bit chips in the iPhone 5S, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) started to allow third-party game pads. However, Samsung’s device is different, not only because it is made by Samsung itself, but also because it functions differently.
The game pads made for the iPhone and iPad actually attach to the device itself, while Samsung’s game pad is a standalone device which connects via a Bluetooth connection. The Galaxy phones which run on Android 4.3 have additional features, including support for Near Field Communication connections.
Specs for Samsung’s Smartphone GamePad
The device weighs 195 grams and has an eight-way D-Pad, making it similar to controllers for most popular consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation. There are also four action buttons as well as two trigger buttons. Samsung said the device can connect to a number of mobile devices ranging in size from four inches up to 6.3 inches. The company also said “the most convenient features” have been “optimized” for the Galaxy devices running Android 4.3, specifically, the Note 3, The Galaxy S4 and the Note 2.
In addition to the game pad itself, there is also an app which allows users to shop for and purchase games which the device supports. The app is called Samsung’s Mobile Console.
Samsung’s Galaxy becomes a console
According to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930), users can actually connect their Galaxy smartphone to their television set through an HDMI cable. They can also form a connection using Samsung’s own AllShare service, thus creating an experience that is similar to playing a console while actually using their Galaxy smartphone.
At this point we do not know how much the Samsung Smartphone GamePad costs, although the company did say it will be available in just select European countries. The company plans to roll the game pad out to more markets over the next several weeks.
