Orange plans to launch low cost Android phone in Europe
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: LG-made low-cost Android smartphone is planned to be launched by Orange in Europe later this year. Operator’s affordable smartphone strategy has been emerging this week and it includes a range of devices made by Chinese vendors including Huawei, ZTE and Gigabyte.
According to Patrick Remy, Orange’s vice president of devices, at the beginning of 2010, 15% of Orange portfolio was smartphones and this will rise to 30% by the end of the year, and will be 50% by 2013 while with the plethora of white label devices in the pipeline, Orange’s low-cost smartphone portfolio will also include handsets designed by “A-brand” phone makers. The company LG is on the first A-brand product in its affordable smartphone range.
No specific information about the launch timetable and likely cost of the device has been revealed yet. The handset includes the entire standard features like a touchscreen interface, WiFi, GPS, full Web-browsing, and a five megapixel camera and the Android-powered smartphone will launching soon in Spain, Austria, Slovakia and Romania.
The company has explained its objective as- to make low-cost smartphones available for free even on low-cost tariffs and it is in discussions that could see it offer cheap smartphones to prepay customers, with devices that are priced around €120. Orange’s aim of doubling revenues from mobile multimedia services between now and 2012 will get a push from these cheap smartphones.
The operator is putting extra focus on highlighting services like mobile social networking, instant messaging, location-based services and content, taking lesson from the fact that at the beginning of 2009 only one in 10 Orange customers was using mobile multimedia services.
Remy also opined that 25% of Orange’s customers are now using mobile multimedia, which is significant and tremendous growth, but it still means 75% of its customer base are not multimedia users and Orange’s affordable smartphone range will further lower the barrier to mobile multimedia uptake.
Gigabyte Codfish to hit the market soon
The G1305, more curiously known as the Codfish is all set to hit the market very soon. The model is packed with features like 5 megapixel camera, 3.2” touchscreen and Android 1.6. However the pricing is still not available.
The other rumored GSmart handset of Gigabyte seems like it will be a little brother with features like 2.8” QVGA display, a 2 megapixel camera, and no 3G. it is also expected that the model will be under the supposed 200 WUR price point and that being said, the Codfish can be expected to be a bit costlier.
If both the sets are launched in tandem then the G1305 can be seen as soon as the end of the month.
Given the history with unrelated hardware, like motherboards and PCs, the entry of Gigabyte into the market is interesting. But it’s a transition that Acer seems to have comfortably made.
O2 Xda Stealth Pocket PC phone officially launched by O2 Asia
September 26, 2006 [Pocket PC phone]
O2 Xda Stealth is manufactured by GIGABYTE Communications, that we were interviewing already and that is a mobile phone division of big Taiwanese GIGABYTE corporation specialized in computer hardware manufacturing.
With slide-out keypad, built-in Wi-Fi, small size and nice design, this phone has chances to be popular at O2 Asia… and since HTC has dumped O2, we can expect much more Windows Mobile phones from O2, that are not (!) manufactured by HTC…
Get the best of both worlds. The new Xda Stealth, with matt finishing, combines the best of PDA functionality with the handy form factor of a slider phone. Business or pleasure, Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 lets you manage both with ease. Choose how you navigate – either via the gorgeous 2.4″ QVGA TFT-LCD Touch screen or the convenient numeric keypad. Built-in Wireless LAN lets you access the Internet from your favourite cafe, while the generous 192MB of built-in memory lets you bring along all the essentials of your busy life. The Xda Stealth, making a choice has never been easier.
Source- http://msmobiles.com
Technorati : Asia, Handset, Mobile, O2
Ice Rocket : Asia, Handset, Mobile, O2
