]If you’ve been actively drooling for months now over the release of the first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, you can put your bib away – the weirdly-named Samsung ATIV S is here. Before you drive yourself insane wondering what in heck the name means, Samsung has stated that the odd moniker is “Vita” spelled backwards. Well, yes it is, Samsung, but…oh never mind. There’s plenty more to explore about this handset than its name.

Samsung ATIV S

Obviously, the biggest thing this phone has going for it is the fact that it is the very first Windows Phone 8 smartphone. The Windows OS is a highly anticipated one, and from what we tell it should live up to all the hype and give Android and iOS a run for their money.

4.8 inch Display

The screen is the first thing you notice about the Samsung ATIV S – followed very closely by its overall size. This is one huge phone, measuring 137.2 x 70.5 x 8.7mm and sporting a massive 4.8 inch screen. The screen itself is a brilliant Super AMOLED number with 720x1280p, giving all your pics and video eye-popping clarity and brightness. Corning Gorilla Glass protects while the ultra-responsive touchscreen makes hopping from task to task a breeze.

The Samsung Ativ S Sports a Super Amoled 4.8 inch display, the only handset that can currently better this is the Galaxy Note 2 with its 5.5 inch display. Image Source: vernieman

Snapdragon Dual Core CPU

The ATIV features a dual-core processor, which may spook some users. After all, what’s this powerful behemoth of an OS going to do with the same power as your current phone? As it turns out, it does quite a lot, and it does it well. Unlike Android, Windows Phone 8 can run extremely smoothly on just a single-core processor, and ramping up the power turns the user experience into pure butter. No lags, no delays, just lightning-quick response times. We’re officially in love.

The Samsung Ativ S features the powerful Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 chipset; and Dual-core Krait 1.5 GHz CPU

Memory Storage Capacity

Sometime in the 4th quarter of the year (yes, we hate the vague date too), you’ll be able to purchase the Windows Phone 8 handset with a 16 or 32GB storage capacity, which is upgradable via the microSD slot to another full 32GB. Whether you want to carry around loads of movies or you’re a hopelessly addicted shutterbug, this little gem will tote your data with ease. We should also mention that video absolutely pops off the screen, making mobile movie-watching a joy.

8 Megapixel Camera

To the rear there’s an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash & autofocus, and a second 1.9 megapixel camera on the front which can be used for taking pictures, or video calling. From what we’ve learned the camera is nothing to write home about especially when you consider the likes of the Nokia PureView at 41MP and the soon to be released LG Optimus G with a 13MP camera. So we can easily say Samsung We Expect More!

Windows Phone 8

As for Windows Phone 8 itself, you won’t be disappointed. While it takes a bit of getting used to, the adjustment period is blissfully short and actually quite fun. Getting acquainted with this handset is like trying out Android for the first time, only better – everything runs as it’s supposed to, quickly and seamlessly.

Samsung ATIV S Unveiled at IFA 2012 Berlin

Samsung ATIV S – Do You Want One?

Well obviously, you want one, but should you get one – this is tricky. While we love this handset, we’ve always been against early adopting. Our only sticking point here is the price. This is a high-end phone. Don’t’ get us wrong, it lives up to its price in virtually every way we can think of. The body is very solid and it runs like a dream come true.

However, if you’re testing the waters with a brand-new (new to you, at least) OS, it’s sometimes best to let others splurge. With the speed at which new handsets come flying at us these days, we’re fairly certain that a mid-range Windows Phone 8 device will hit the market quite soon. If you’re on a budget, we have to advise waiting unless you find a great deal. After all, as much as we love it, not every OS is a great fit for every user.

Your bottom line is this – you will love this handset. However, it’s a premium phone. If you’re at all unsure about fully committing to Windows Phone 8, wait a while. We promise you’ll love it when you do try it out, but we’re sure that more affordable ways to do just that are just around the corner.

Look out for our indepth review coming soon! In the meantime you can view the full specs over at Samsung ATIV S Overview

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