It looks like things are ramping up a little as Samsung Electronics has just announced its second dual-SIM phone targeted at the entry-level segment of the market. The handset will be available in Russia next month and subsequently make its way to Southeast Asia, Europe and The Middle East.

Unlike the earlier D880, the D780 comes in a candy-bar form factor with a smaller 2.1-inch QVGA LCD and a lower-resolution 2-megapixel fixed-focus CMOS camera. Other features include FM radio, Bluetooth stereo A2DP and a microSD expansion card slot.

This announcement comes after a recent interview that Smape, a Russian-based site, had with the executive manager of the Russian division in Samsung's Telecom department, Yoonsoo Kim. In it, he divulged that the company plans to roll out a dual-SIM Windows Mobile smart phone this year.

We're still waiting for concrete details on the pricing of the D780 in Asia, but it's reassuring to see that Kim is spot-on with the entry-level dual-SIM phone. Let's hope his revelation of a dual-SIM WM smart phone this year proves correct as well. The SGH-D780 is expected to be available in SEA in Q3 this year.

[asia.cnet.com]