The Samsung SCH-i425, or better known as the Godiva, appeared in its first set of pictures this morning. The device, which some were expecting to be the next in the Stratosphere line since the model number matched up to previous Strato models, may not be all that similar after all. Notice anything missing from the phone? Yep, that would be a physical slideout keyboard.

Other than the missing keyboard, we should be looking at a HD (720p) display, NFC sensor inside the back cover, and an Android version of 4.1.2. It’ll likely be an ultra-affordable 4G LTE device for those not willing to pony up $200+ for the latest and greatest Android device.

No official word from Verizon on name or release date, but if it’s in the wild like this, it may not be far off. Plus, Big Red has yet to announce anything for Q1, so we should be hearing and seeing something very soon. 

Via:  Engadget

Cheers Scott!

Samsung Godiva “Stratosphere 3″ Outed in Pics, R.I.P. Keyboarded Phones is a post from: Droid Life

Is the Samsung Stratosphere 3 already in testing? A new benchmark that appeared over at GLBenchmark hints at a device that certainly fits into the model number scheme that Verizon and Samsung have used for their Stratosphere series. 

A phone under the codename “Godiva” and with model number SCH-i425 showed up with a 720p (1280×720) display and dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. It also has Verizon branding all over the software build, so we’re jumping to a bit of a conclusion by giving it the “Stratosphere” name, but not much of one. The original Strato was i405 and the Strato 2 is i415.

It seems a bit odd that Verizon and Samsung would be ready to push out a new Stratosphere device after having just released the Stratosphere 2 in November. Without announcing much at CES, they are going to need Q1 devices, though, so maybe this makes sense after all.

If you were considering the Stratosphere 2 as one of the last phones on the planet with a keyboard, you were probably disappointed in the low end specs. Maybe this new version will be just what you were hoping for, assuming it has a keyboard.

Does a phone with a keyboard still have a place in your heart?

Via:  Ameblo | GLBenchmark

New Samsung SCH-i425 Device Spotted in Benchmark, Headed to Verizon as the Next Stratosphere? is a post from: Droid Life