-
your Windows® embedded community
Windows For Devices
your Windows® embedded community
While some other phones include walkie-talkie-style "push to talk" capabilities using a cellular network, the V1 (below) apparently includes an independent transceiver for its intercom functionality, Babiken reminding us that "you [must] have two phones to actualize it." The device otherwise includes a four-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (version not stated), GPS, and an FM receiver, the company says.
Babiken says the V1 displays its Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system on a 400 x 200 pixel capacitive touchscreen. With 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage, the device also has a microSD slot that accepts up to 32GB of memory, the company adds.
The processor listed by Babiken is a "Huwei K3" clocked at 460MHz. We did some digging and found that this CPU is actually the ARM926EJS-based Hi3611, produced by Hisilicon, a division of Huawei.
Interfaces on the Hi3611, a block diagram of which is shown above, include a high-speed USB 2.0 On-The-Go host port, a full-speed USB 2.0 host/device port, two MMC/SD/SDIO, and four UARTs. Hisilicon apparently provides its own reference board (pictured below) for the Hi3611, which builds in much of the functionality touted for the Babiken V1. In neither case were details of the device's radio chips provided, however.
Newly offered by Hong Kong reseller Solonomi Wholesale, but presumably also a product of Shenzhen, is the "Yoda Max 4G" phone pictured at right. The device bears a starting resemblance to the HTC MAX 4G offered by Russian carrier Yota, and said upon its November 2008 announcement to be the world's first integrated GSM/WiMAX hanheld."
As well as the extreme visual similarity, both devices have 800 x 480 pixel screens and five megapixel cameras, though the "Yota" screen is said to be 3.8 inches rather than 3.6 inches. The knockoff is said to have GPS and Wi-Fi, just like the original, but there's no mention of the HTC device's WiMAX or its FM receiver.
According to Solonomi, the Yoda Max 46 runs Windows Mobile 6.5, presumably without any HTC-crafted user interface extensions. The device is said to have a 624MHz Marvell CPU, whereas the Yota MAX 4G had a 528MHz Qualcomm processor, according to HTC.
Meanwhile, the Ubergizmo website published the names Friday of five supposedly genuine HTC phones that will run Windows Phone 7. Citing incognito tweets from a hacker known as conflipper, the anonymous author wrote:
"Five Windows Phone 7 devices from HTC have been picked up by various wireless carriers. First up is the HTC Gold_W (with the "W" indicating it's a CDMA + GSM world phone) headed for Sprint; the HTC Schubert headed to Telus; Mondrian for Telus and Rogers; The HTC Spark_W headed for Bell Mobility and Verizon; and the HTC Scorpio (Scorpion?) reaching Verizon and Bell."
Finally, HTC announced that it has acquired Abaxia, a Paris-based mobile software developer described as "a leader in custom software for mobile operators and handset manufacturers around the world." Abaxia describes itself as the author of two "white label" products, Mobile Portal and Mobile Finger, which provide access to services and information directly from phones' idle screens.
Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation, stated, "HTC is committed to creating the best possible mobile experience for our customers today, tomorrow and into the future. The addition of Abaxia deepens and broadens our software development capabilities so that we can innovate at an even faster pace."
Cedric Mangaud, CEO of Abaxia, stated, "HTC and Abaxia have worked closely together in the past and our businesses complement each other well. Were excited to be joining such a significant and emerging mobile brand."
Further information
Further information on the Babiken V1, which costs approximately $180, may be found here. More information on the Hisilicon Hi3611 may be found here.
More information on the Yoda Max 4G, which costs approximately $260, may be found on the Solonomi website, here.
Ubergizmo's item regarding new HTC phones may be found here.
More information on HTC's acquisition of Abaxia may be found on our sister site eWEEK.com, here. A new review of HTC's HD Mini may be found on the Engadget website, here.
