The announcement by Microsoft and MediaTek -- the latter a top fabless semiconductor company in Taiwan -- was timed to come in advance of next week's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, but offered few specifics. In a statement, the companies said their "strategic partnership ... [would] provide a multimedia-rich smart phone solution primarily aimed at emerging markets."

It's said the phones will be based on MediaTek processors and the Windows Mobile 6.x operating system -- rumored to continue even after the launch of Windows Mobile 7 as a platform for lower-cost devices. With "full touch capabilities," the phones will provide users in emerging markets with "advanced communications features such as email and Internet access," the companies added.

Daren Mancini, described as a general manager for OEM mobile at Microsoft, stated, "There is a huge thirst for smartphones in emerging markets. For many people, the phone rather than the PC is the main entry point to the Internet, resulting in a high demand for rich communication devices. In order to meet this demand, we have teamed up with MediaTek to facilitate the provision of affordable smartphones."

JiChang Hsu, executive vice president of MediaTek, stated, "MediaTek is enabling handset manufacturers to optimize their product offerings to address a larger audience with competitive pricing on our smartphone solutions. Together with Microsoft and our partner network, we look forward to providing wireless communication solutions that help people enjoy richer mobile and multimedia lives."

New phones

What the partnership between Microsoft and MediaTek actually amounts to remains unclear, but MediaTek-based phones have already begun to appear. Yesterday, AnyData, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., announced a mew phone using MediaTek's MT6516 application processor.

MediaTek, founded in 1997, became an ARM licensee in 2002, and the MT6516 is presumably ARM-based, though the company's website does not confirm this. MediaTek does say that the MT6516 includes a built-in GPRS/EDGE modem, supports LCD displays up to WVGA (800 x 480), can decode MPEG-2 video, and supports cameras up to five megapixels.

According to AnyData, its MT6516-based ASP-318 iMedia smartphone will feature Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, a 3.2-inch color touch screen, GPS, dual SIMs, a microSD slot, SRS audio enhancement, and an FM receiver. Offering quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz GSM, the device will also sport a 3.2 megapixel camera with built-in flash, autofocus, and macro mode, the company adds.

AnyData's ASP-518

AnyData also announced the ASP-518 (above), which it says is already being marketed by China Telecom using the Philips brand. This phone has features that are similar to the ASP-318's, but uses a (presumably more powerful) Qualcomm MSM7627 SoC, includes 4GB of flash storage, and has both a 5 megapixel camera for picture taking and a secondary camera for videoconferencing, AnyData says.

Dr. Soon B. Shin, CEO of AnyData, stated, "We ... provide smartphones that can boost subscription revenues and reduce churn. Our carrier customers desire high-end and entry-level smartphones that they can brand and provide a compelling multimedia experience for smartphone applications."

Meanwhile, AnyData previously produced the ASP-505, a Windows Mobile 6.1 phone that was billed as one of Russia's first devices to offer EV-DO Rev. A connectivity. For information on that device, see our earlier coverage, here.

Further information

Information on existing AnyData handsets, including the ASP-505, may be found on the company's website, here.

Brief information on MediaTek's MT6516 may be found on the company's website, here.

---

Related stories:

• Russian phone speaks EV-DO Rev. A
• Microsoft software to extend feature phones' power
• Smartphone sales reach record level, IDC says