Helio has added to its small range of handsets today with the release of the new Drift by Samsung, a sleek slider style handset with a solid feature set. The launch of the Drift signifies the beginning of a multi-year relationship with Samsung, the company says, with more handsets to come in the future.

The Samsung Drift is a Helio exclusive, and comes packed with a 2.12″, QVGA (240×320 pixel) resolution display and 2.0 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom. Included is 128MB of on board memory, expandable with microSD cards, and stereo Bluetooth headset support for listening to your tunes and videos with the MP3, MP4, and VOD compatible media player. The Drift is also the first Helio device to boast GPS capabilities, compatible with Helio’s new Google Maps and Buddy Beacon functionality.

The Samsung Drift’s GPS, in conjunction with built in Google Maps functionality, allows for full GPS navigation, including real-time traffic information, detailed directions, and search results for local businesses in over 30 major US cities. Buddy Beacon is a new feature that allows people to broadcast their location to others on their Buddy List, letting them know where they are without the need to call or text. Buddy Beacon can also send an SMS message to a person’s buddys asking them to turn on their beacon.

The Helio Drift is available in two colors, gunmetal black and frost white, for US$225 from Helio direct or through nearly 2,500 retail locations across the US.

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