The Beam is compatible with both XviD and DivX video formats and is capable of recording 720p video at a rate of 30 frames per second through its integral 8 megapixel camera. Another useful twist for business management types is that the Beam also has the capacity to project any image that the camera is able to capture in front of it, which means that it may be easily used at an instant, on-the-spot meeting where the phone could be pointed at a document such as a flow chart and then the image could be projected onto the wall for all to see. It makes for a nice executive toy, even if it isn’t used in such a serious way too often.

At the demonstration in Barcelona the projected images shown weren’t quite as spiffy as had been expected and visibility struggled a little – even in the demonstration-friendly semi-lit display hall. Still, it was an impressive enough piece of technology in such a device and no doubt it can be improved upon in later incarnations of the device. The beam also has some fairly impressive remaining specifications, running, as it does Android 2.1 while utilising Samsung’s Touch Wiz user interface which has been reported would work almost identically to the way it does on the Bada – with, quote, ‘a few small differences’.

On first operation there does indeed appear to be pretty well no difference between the two. The screen display is a 3.7inch (94mm) super AMOLED screen which is the same spec as Samsung’s also newly-released Wave device. The Beam also affords users 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity, making it a good device for all-round business usage and connectivity. The internal storage capacity of the Beam is fairly standard as compared to its immediate competitors as well, packing 16GB of internal storage capacity and also features an integral MicroSD slot through which this capacity can be upgraded in similar fashion to other devices. The Beam’s very decent eight megapixel camera, which produces excellent still image capture, is discreetly nestled in the back of the device and is easily accessible for quick shots or prolonged exposure – although a major drawback for some is that the camera’s lens appears to not have a built-in cover to protect it..

Despite the fact that the beam appears to be a little on the chunky side much of this can be attributed to the fact that it houses its image-making projector on top. Taking this fact into consideration it weighs in pretty favourably and is relatively thin for its features as well, coming in at a little under 15mm thick. As of yet Samsung has no exact firm release date for the Beam, although many expect it to arrive in Europe towards the third quarter of 2010. No release price has been disclosed either, though given the trend of major ground-breaking devices coming into the market to hold a hefty price tag don’t hold your breath for the Beam to come in for anything less than a pretty chunk of pocket change.