Samsung Galaxy Beam now available for pre-order in the UK

Few gadgets announced recently match the Samsung Galaxy Beam for sheer geekiness: it’s an Android smartphone with a 4in screen, a dual-core 1GHz processor, and runs Android 2.3, but what really sets it apart is its built-in projector – a 15 lumens pico projector that can display an image at 640×360. It’s now available for pre-order from Clove for £455 inc VAT.

With only 15 lumens brightness, you’ll need to use the Beam in a dark room to get a large image by projecting from a distance; however the closer you are to a surface, the less ambient light will affect the image. Sadly, the Beam’s own screen doesn’t use Samsung’s OLED technology, but instead has a less colourful TN panel with a 800×480 resolution.

Although the Beam might seem like an expensive toy, it may appeal to travelling business people who need to produce quick presentations on the go. It goes up against other pico projectors such as the Microvision Showwx+ HDMI, 3M PocketProjector MP180 and Asus P1 (review to arrive soon).

The Beam will also come with 8GB of internal memory and a microSDHC card slot, and has a 5-megapixel main camera with an LED flash and autofocus that can shoot 720p video at 30fps, as well as a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera for video calling. An upgrade to Android 4.0 is promised for later this year. Despite the built-in projector, the Beam is still a fairly svelte 12.5mm.

For further details see our Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Beam article from MWC earlier this month.