Samsung talked up the credentials of its new ‘bada’ platform at an official launch event in London yesterday. Samsung revealed that the platform will be based on its signature TouchWiz User Interface and will provide flash control, web control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration control, and face detection. It also supports various sensors such as accelerometers, tilt, weather, proximity, and activity sensors, which Samsung said would allow application developers to build “context-aware” applications. In attendance at the event were representatives from current bada development partners including Twitter, movies and games rental outlet Blockbuster, and games developers CAPCOM, EA Mobile, and Gameloft. “Samsung bada presents a powerful opportunity for developers to get their applications onto an unprecedented number of Samsung devices across the world,” said Samsung’s Dr Hosoo Lee. Samsung also used the event to announce the findings of recent research it has conducted into the mobile apps market.

Samsung – the world’s second-largest handset vendor – unveiled bada last month to complement its existing mobile applications store. The vendor said the platform will enable developers to create applications for “millions” of new Samsung mobile devices allowing it to compete with applications platforms from the likes of Apple (App Store), Google (Android Market) and Nokia (Ovi). The first bada smartphones will launch in the first half of next year. While Samsung is expected to continue to adopt Windows Mobile- and Android-based platforms alongside bada-based phones, reports last month said the focus on bada may mean it does not roll-out any new Symbian-based models to the global market in 2010.