Posts in Handhelds
Three ASUS PDA-phones officially "postponed"
John Chan | Jul 30, 2008
Earlier this month, there were rumors that ASUS would be canning its Lamborghini-branded ZX1 handheld to ensure that other key products would not be delayed. With the success of the Eee PC, that seemed very likely.
Today, we have the official word from ASUS and it's not just the ZX1 that has been canceled--both the upcoming P560 and M536 will not be launched, too. In response to our queries, the company revealed that the project has been "postponed" because of the "technical immaturity of a key component from one of our suppliers". According to the same statement, the driving force behind the decision was because a collaboration between ASUS and Lamborghini meant they had to provide "the best-quality and most innovative products to our customers", something they were not able to achieve in the immediate term.
So were the rumors inaccurate? No, we suspect the truth is a combination of both reasons. In any case, we noticed that ASUS said postponed and not canceled. Though the company may bring back the ZX1, it's unlikely that this will be similar to the one we have already seen. High-end handhelds have moved beyond the QVGA display barrier. If the ZX1 is to be revived, it will have to be much more technically impressive.
ASUS assured us it is not exiting the PDA-phone business and that it is targeting to launch a new device in this category come September. So long, ZX1, we never got a chance to love you.
Handheld news--Samsung delays, ASUS cancels
John Chan | Jul 30, 2008
As July draws to a close, we decided to give Samsung a call to find out how that Windows Mobile 6.1 update for the SGH-i780 handheld was coming along. It was targeted for an August release, but now it seems the company has pushed this back to October, citing "plans for an additional value-add". No specifics were given about what feature will be added, but at least it's still in progress.
Related to this is ASUS' decision not to launch a significant part of its upcoming WM6 portfolio in Singapore. We were told by the Taiwan-based company that the P560, M536, P550 and even the Lamborghini co-branded ZX1 will not be available for the island-state. We are awaiting a response regarding the rest of Asia Pacific and will provide an update once that's available.
The iPhone 3G first-mover advantage
John Chan | Jul 29, 2008
We know you are probably sick and tired of hearing about the iPhone 3G by now--I know I am. But here's another one--a post that will answer some readers' questions about why we cover it so much.
These photos were taken last week in Hong Kong, outside three different mobile operators' shops along the same street within a 5-minute period. On the left, you see Hutchison's 3 shop, the operator which has the iPhone. The other two are Peoples by China Telecom and PCCW Mobile. See the difference?
Read more »
Dell hints it's working on smart phone
Erica Ogg | Jul 29, 2008
It wasn't much more than an offhand comment this time, but Michael Dell's got the gadget-obsessed stirred up again.
"We're not ready to publicly disclose our plans there...we're kind of working on that," he said.
Well, it's about time. Dell's been out of the handheld business for over a year, but there have been signs it's been testing the waters, such as when it picked up Zing in August. One round of rumors put the device as Android-based and more recently as Windows Mobile.
Dell did warn not to expect any product anytime soon, so perhaps it's waiting for Windows Mobile 7? Stay tuned.
Via CNET Crave
Touch Diamond update to quad-band GSM
John Chan | Jul 28, 2008
If you look at the specifications of the HTC Touch Diamond, you'll notice that the GSM radio supports 900/1800/1900MHz, which is great for use in most countries in Europe and Asia. If you travel to the US often though, a quad-band radio with the 850MHz frequency can come in handy (it's a bonus--tri-band phones can already roam in the US). In a surprising move, the Diamond's latest ROM update gives the handheld that fourth band, an unlocking of a hidden feature of sorts. The last time we remember something like that happening from HTC was when it was still selling its products under the Dopod brand and activated GPS navigation in the D810 after first selling it without that feature advertised.
According to user reports from message boards and other enthusiast sites, some have noticed performance improvement in the device after the update, too. That's another bonus point for current Diamond users. This new ROM is already available for Hong Kong customers. According to HTC Asia, the rest of us should be able to download it in early/mid-August.
Via WMExperts
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