"The Samsung Epix provides AT&T customers with the choice of the cutting-edge capabilities of a touchscreen and optical mouse combined with the convenience of a QWERTY keyboard," said Michael Woodward, a vice president at AT&T's wireless unit.

Finger Navigation

Measuring 4.56 x 2.41 x 0.51 inches and tipping the scales at 4.4 ounces, the Samsung Epix covers all the cellular bases through its integration of tri-band HSDPA (850/1900/2100 MHz) and quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) radios. AT&T notes that globe-trotting executives who buy the new device will be able to place or receive phone calls in more than 200 countries, as well as check e-mail, browse the Web, or perform other data functions in more than 150 nations around the world.

The Epix smartphone sports a 2.5-inch TFT color display and several dedicated function keys. Under the hood, the 3G handset has 256MB of ROM and 150MB of RAM; a Bluetooth 2.0 chip featuring stereo headset support; Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) radio; A-GPS geolocation; a 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder; and a microSD expansion card slot that can accommodate up to 32GB of extra data storage , sold separately.

Epix users are provided with several different ways to let their fingers do the walking through the handset's various menus and functions. For example, those who prefer to interact directly with the handset's color screen can either use a finger to navigate or employ the handset's built-in stylus.

The optical mouse located directly above the keypad enables users to perform a variety of tasks by simply sweeping a finger over the control. To obtain a more traditional navigation experience, the user has the option of converting the mouse into a four-way navigation key.

Software Capabilities

On the software side, the Samsung Epix comes ready to run popular applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, and the mobile version of Microsoft's Office productivity suite, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint document management. Also included is Windows Media Player 10 software for capturing, transferring, playing and managing multimedia clips in the MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WAV file formats.

Corporate handset users have access to multiple e-mail accounts via Microsoft Direct Push, while AT&T Xpress Mail provides individuals with access to most major personal e-mail accounts. Epix offers over-the-air synchronization of contacts, calendars and task lists with Microsoft Exchange Server or Xpress Mail, together with support for Good Mobile Messaging.

The Samsung Epix is fully compatible with Mobile Device Manager 2008 -- a Microsoft platform for enterprise users that provides security-enhanced access to company data, together with extended software distribution capabilities for IT administrators. What's more, the 3G handset supports a new AT&T service that enables voice-call participants to share live video feeds.

Epix integrates a built-in 1800-mAh battery that is capable of delivering up to seven hours of talk time and up to 14 days of operation in standby mode. After a mail-in rebate, the new smartphone is available for $199.99 when signing up for a two-year AT&T Wireless service contract.