06-08-2007, 02:30 PM
|
|
Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
|
|
"X" No More: Microsoft Sort-of Outs the WS011SH a Day Early
"WILLCOM today announced the launch of its new Sharp Advanced/W-ZERO3 [es] Windows Mobile 6 Classic Japanese edition device which features a propriety smartphone implementation of WILLCOM's PHS radio network. The Sharp Advanced/W-ZERO3 features a 3" wide VGA at 480�800 pixel as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 2nd dialing keyboard. The slim body with a width 50 mm weights 157 g only. Furthermore, the device is powered by a Marvell PXA270 CPU at 520 MHz. and supports Japanese PHS (with WILLCOM's W-SIM card), W-LAN b/g and IrDA 1.2/IrMC TM1.1/IrSS. Bluetooth isn't supported. Inbuilt are 256 MB of ROM and 128 MB SDRAM which can be extended with microSD."
It was all over the blogosphere. Microsoft had accidentally blown the cover of Japan Willcom's new "X" phone a day early during a press conference on the Japanese version of Windows Mobile 6. The only problem was the specs may have been right, but the leaked photo was of an earlier prototype that looked just a little different:
So, is it a leak if the leaked photo was wrong? I think I like the final version better! The specs for the new Advanced/W-ZERO3 WS011SH are listed in the quote from Arne Hess's post above. However, as Engadget Mobile noted in their leak post, "seeing how Willcom uses PHS for its airwaves, this one doesn't stand a chance of working anywhere else in the world, so pick you jaw up off the floor and keep staring from afar."  By the way, in his post, Arne explains the reason the phone is running Windows Mobile 6 Classic is so that Willcom can implement it's own Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) as it's not officially supported in Windows Mobile.
UPDATE:
Akihabaranews has some nice clear photos of the device.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-08-2007, 02:54 PM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 444
|
|
Why would anyone buy ANY mobile device that does not support Bluetooth? :?
|
| |
|
|
|
06-08-2007, 03:51 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,183
|
|
I was about to say similar.
Looks lovely though :-)
|
| |
|
|
|
06-08-2007, 04:07 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 27
|
|
OMG I love Sharp's phones they have in Japan. I really, really wish they would churn out a cdma version. I would love to be using a Sharp W-Zero 3.
About Bluetooth, I know a lot of people use it. I've been through three phones now with bluetooth, the 6600, 6700 and 700wx. I used it on my 6600 when I was messing around getting it to sync over bluetooth to activesync. I also tried it on the 6600 with my wife's bluetooth treo headset a couple of times. Honestly, I couldn't care less if a phone didn't come with bluetooth.
I also haven't synced my WM phones to my desktop in almost two years. Since I use Exchange Activesync, all of my contacts and stuff are stored on the server. If I want files, I pop out the SD card from my phone and put it in my laptops sd card reader.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-08-2007, 06:21 PM
|
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 554
|
|
Wonderful! WM6 Classic phones in Japan have better specs than most "advanced" WM6 Professional in Western part of the world!
|
| |
|
|
|
06-09-2007, 10:10 AM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 10
|
|
hmm.. but why WM6 Classic, not Professional!?
|
| |
|
|
|
06-09-2007, 11:28 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Underwater Mike
Why would anyone buy ANY mobile device that does not support Bluetooth? :?
|
Yup. Not a good idea.
I don't care how great a phone is... Without Bluetooth, it's DOA.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-10-2007, 01:39 AM
|
|
Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by the_very
hmm.. but why WM6 Classic, not Professional!?
|
Arne Hess answers that question as I linked above. Here's his full explanation (look for the comments section):
Quote:
This way of implementation is pretty common for Willcom devices. The idea behind it is the fact,that Willcom uses a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network which is a 2G standard, available in Japan (and some other Asian countries) only. Therefore, it's officially not supported by Windows Mobile and therefore, Sharp cannot/isn't using Professional but Classic to add the PHS specific radio parts, dialer, etc.
As a manufacture, you are always free to use Classic instead of Professional to add your own radio layer, dialer application, etc. to the Classic device. However, it doesn't makes any sense anymore, since Microsoft launched Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition which was the first Windows Mobile version which natively supported GSM and later CDMA.
So basically Sharp is doing what we had in the early Pocket PC days where 3rd party added dialers to the OS to enable the OS to work with PCMCIA GSM cards.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
06-10-2007, 07:01 AM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 392
|
|
the Advanced [es] is a complete joke...!!!
if one reviews Willcom's past model's - what does this have to offer? they added WiFi, yes... they up the memory to 256/128, yes... and, of course they changed the form factor (just ice candy for me), and loaded it up with a new OS... so...!?! what is all the hype then with Willcom?
with their PHS system, they have the SLOWEST networks around - not suitable for a "mobile office" like this wherein you'd want emails, attachments, as well access to the internet without having to wait ages...!!
hey, Softbank has about 1.8Mbps, eMobile has about at least 2.5Mbps, and what does Willcom have? a couple of hundred in the Kbps range (actual tests shows no higher than 50kbps, much less if you are on a moving train, car, etc.).
good functionality, lousy network!!!
and just to add - where is the BLUETOOTH...!?!
c'mon, youve already been through several model changes and still havent added BT...?
let's have some more innovation here, Willcom, lest you'd lose the market to eMobile, and Softbank (especially with their planned August release of the two new WM smartphones)...
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2007, 08:26 AM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 172
|
|
It looks pretty, but no Bluetooth = no headset = no easy way to answer the phone or transfer data = moving onto something else.
Plus, as noted, it's like releasing an 'advanced' smartphone over here that only supports GPRS - not EDGE, not UMTS or any 3G service, or even a 2.5G service; it's dead in the water without that.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
