Word on the streets is that the Samsung Moment is finally rolling out Android 2.1 to handsets.  As reported before, this will not be an OTA update.  Users will be required to wipe their phone using instructions found here (PDF) and update via PC. While Sprint has yet to formally announce anything, the feedback we’re getting tells us this is the real deal.  If you have a Moment, head here to get started!

Repsect knuckles users from over at sdx-developers for the find.

It doesn’t seem to be taking Samsung and Sprint very long to follow up last fall’s Moment handset.  What you are looking at above is rumored to be the first picture of the SPH-M910 Moment 2, obviously headed for the Now Network. As the gossip tells us, this will be the first Android 2.1 phone launched with Sprint, only months after the first go ’round. Depending on your point of view, you might be happy to learn that this is loaded with the new TouchWiz 3.0 interface. If it’s anything like the Galaxy S experience, we’ll take it.

We’re waiting to hear what the specs are but we expect it’s not going to be a huge jump from the original device. We’d love to see SuperAMOLED in that screen, but we’re not expecting it.  The device has a few subtle changes to the design, juggling the keys around slightly and adding a search button to the display.  Check back for more information as we can gather it!

 

Samsung Beam i8520

Being louche devils, we’ve always liked the idea of projecting a film on to the ceiling as we while away a Sunday morning in bed, so the Beam, also known by its code name Halo, has got us rather hot and bothered. We can’t speak for the quality of the projected images yet, or how long the tomfoolery will last when the phone’s running on battery, but the Beam certainly offers plenty of ways to get video on to your wall, and can apparently project images of up to 50 inches diagonally.  

Compatible with the DivX and Xvid video formats, the Beam can record 720p video at 30 frames per second via its camera. The Beam can also project what the camera currently sees, so, if you’re the type to hold impromptu meetings, you could hold the phone over a document and project it on to the wall. 

The phone’s no slouch when it comes to the rest of its specs. Running Android 2.1, with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface pasted on top, it packs a 94mm (3.7-inch) Super AMOLED screen — as does Samsung’s freshly birthed Wave — and offers 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has 16GB of internal storage, as well as a microSD slot, so there’ll be plenty of space to stash your happy-slapping videos. 

The Beam is expected to land in Europe in the third quarter of this year for a currently undisclosed price. Click ‘Continue’ to see more of the Beam and find out how porky it is.

Some people insist that the M100S is actually the Galaxy 2, rumored to be in development for a while. In a way, it does seem like it — the M100S sports a 3.7″ AMOLED display, GPS, Wi-Fi, a camera packing 5 megapixels, and mobile digital TV reception. And of course, Samsung fans will like the fact that it still comes with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface.

A definite strong point for the M100S would be its central button. It very cleanly avoided being a trackball, a mistake that BlackBerry and the Google Nexus One made.

At this point, it’s not completely clear whether or not the M100S will make its way to other parts of the world. But it’s still good to know that Samsung is moving forward to newer, better versions of the Android mobile OS. I have a good feeling we’ll be seeing a similar offering when the Mobile World Congress rolls around.