Samsung has announced the Omnia W, the first handset from the Korean manufacturer to come with Microsoft's latest iteration of Windows Phone, Mango.

Interestingly, the Omnia W uses a 1.4GHz SoC (possibly a single core Qualcomm Snapdragon - the same as the Samsung Galaxy S Plus) rather than the strict minimum required by Microsoft, a 1GHz part.

Other features include 8GB onboard storage, 512MB RAM, a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive super AMOLED touchscreen, a five megapixel camera and HSDPA compatibility.

Samsung will sell the phone at around €310 before taxes and subsidies, which is significantly cheaper than other rivals such as the HTC Radar, but likely to be more expensive than the current Samsung Windows Phone - the Omnia 7 - it is replacing.

At 115g, the Omnia W is surprisingly light for a device with a 3.7-inch screen. Samsung has yet to confirm when it will be selling the handset in the UK and Europe; no UK mobile phone operators have confirmed if (and when) the phone will go on sale.

Yesterday, another Microsoft partner, ZTE, announced the launch of a new Windows Phone 7 smartphone, the Tania, with similar characteristics, although with a slower SoC and a bigger screen.