First Origami mobile device to ship next month

Samsung Electronics is planning to sell the first Microsoft-driven Origami mobile device worldwide next month.

Samsung’s Q1 “ultra-mobile” PC is based on Microsoft Windows and an Intel processor, and was unveiled at the German CeBIT show in a blaze of publicity last month.

The Origami platform is designed for devices bigger than a personal digital assistant but smaller than a notebook, hence the ultra-mobile tag. Both Microsoft and Intel see a potentially huge market for such devices, particularly when they are wireless-enabled.

The first Q1s will go on sale in Samsung’s home market of South Korea, and cost around £750.

Later in the same month, the device will be unleashed on the US, European and China market. Prices for these markets have still to be confirmed.

Samsung is aiming to sell around 400,000 Q1 units in the first 12 months of its availability.

Samsung’s Q1 runs on Windows XP, has a 7in screen, and weighs much less than the average laptop. The Q1 is wireless-enabled for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks.