Jason Dunn
08-12-2003, 07:29 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.threegmobile.net/main/index.php?lang=ENG&option=news_detail&nid=150&PHPSESSID=78ac49d0c86dd77f3b8a4631bc7bc304' target='_blank'>http://www.threegmobile.net/main/index.php?lang=ENG&option=news_detail&nid=150&PHPSESSID=78ac49d0c86dd77f3b8a4631bc7bc304</a><br /><br /></div>There's an article over at ThreeGMobile.net about a new phone that is a lowercase "smartphone" of sorts, but not a true Smartphone.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/f01.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />"The design of the first WindowsCE.net Smartphone is inspired by Motorola Accompli series (Chinese name "Tai Chi"). The screen is under the big cover. There is little screen for caller ID display. Unlike Smartphone 2002 platform, it allows pen based touch pad operation. The interface of WinCE.net is closer to the real desktop Windows version. Normal users will find it easier to handle the phone. The screen resolution equals to Power PC PDA. Both are 240 x 320 pixels with 65k colours LCD. The phone suits the style of Asia users, with physical size smaller than Motorola Accompli series. Like other MS products, STAMP PCPhone supports internet browsing, multi media files like MP3 playing. It also comes equipped with advanced phone features like GPRS class 10 connection or CDMA 1X technology and JAVA application. There is a rotation camera at the top of the phone supporting to take VGA quality pictures."<br /><br />Spec-wise, the phone is quite impressive:<br /><br />• "Processor : Motorola MC 8328MXI 32 Digi RISC 200 MHz<br />• Memory: 32MB SDRAM / 32MB Flash ROM<br />• LCD: 240 x 320 2.4" LCD, 65K Color Touch Screen<br />• System: GSM / GPRS Class 10 OR CDMA 1X<br />• Camera: 640 x 480 VGA, Built in rotates digital camera<br />• Ringtone: Built in Vibrator and support music ringtone<br />• Card Slot: SIM card Slot<br />• Audio: Built in MP3 Player (Stereo) head/micro phone. Built in Audio recorder<br />• Data Transfer: IrDA, USV (Slave) Serial RS232, SD/MMC slot<br />• Softwares: WinCE.NET, Word, GPRS, Internet - html, support jAVA<br />• Dimension: 90 x 53 x 24.5 mm"<br /><br />When I was at CeBIT in 2002, I saw a lot of devices similar to this one (though back then it was more about PDAs, not phones). I saw half a dozen Korean companies all doing the same thing: they took Windows CE .Net and put it on a PDA. So what? It's easy enough to build a PDA, but I'm not sure why companies take this route. So you have a phone with Windows CE .Net on it. Now what?<br /><br />Microsoft has spend a lot of time, money, and effort to build up the development and enthusiast community around the Windows Mobile platform (Pocket PCs and Smartphones). The result is a lot of applications, Web sites, and resources for the product. Having a phone that runs Windows CE .Net gives you a base operating system that has zero optimizations for the screen size, or user interface. Even a device with beautiful hardware, like the Samsung Nexio, has a rough road when they're no community around it. Devices need applications, and by choosing to bypass the Smartphone developers and community evangelists, STAMP has created a device that will ultimately not be a part of something more than just its own hardware.