two megapixel cameras.

(Click here for a larger view of the Qigi i6)

TechFaith, an established manufacturer of Windows Mobile devices, announced an agreement with Qigi in October, under the terms of which it will become the "exclusive supplier" of phones to the latter company. Qigi, in turn, describes itself as "focused on Windows smartphones," making today's announcement of an Android variant something of a surprise.

Rather than being a dual boot device, the i6 comes in a Windows Mobile version, the i6-Win, and an Android version, the i6-Goal. TechFaith's announcement provided only brief details and focused on the i6-Goal, but information provided by Taiwan retailer ePrice makes it clear that it and the i6-Win differ only with respect to their operating system ROMs. (For more information on Android, see our sister site LinuxDevices.com, here.)


Qigi's i6 is shown here in its Android version
The i6 is reportedly based on Marvell's 624MHz PXA310 processor, with GPS capabilities being added via the SiRF starIII chipset. Connectivity includes quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.0, according to ePrice.

The i6 includes a two megapixel camera, 2.8-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution, a five-way controller, and four dedicated calling keys. It has 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, and a microSD slot that accepts up to 4GB of RAM, says ePrice.

Finally, the phone is said to offer 220 hours of standby, or from 150 to 240 minutes of talk time, on a battery charge. The device reportedly measures 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.58 inches (109 x 58 x 14.9mm).

Regarding the i6-Goal, Defu Dong, chairman and CEO of TechFaith, said, "We are proud to launch the first Android-powered mobile phone in China. The i6-Goal is a great example of the success of our strategic alliance with Qigi and its ability to quickly launch products onto the market."

Features and specifications listed for the i6 by TechFaith or ePrice include:

• Processor -- Marvell PXA310 clocked at 624MHz
  
• Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage
  
• Display -- 2.8-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution
  
• Camera -- 2 megapixel
  
• Wireless interfaces:
  • WAN -- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (frequencies not specified)
    
  • LAN -- WiFi
    
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
    
  • GPS
  Other I/O: USB
  
• Expansion -- microSD slot
  
• Battery life:
  • Standby -- 220 hours
    
  • Talk time -- 150 to 240 minutes
• Dimensions -- 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.58 inches (109 x 58 x 14.9mm)
  
• Weight -- n/a

Further information

Pricing and availability for the i6-Win and i6-Goal were not released. However, the i6-Goal will be "shipping soon," according to Qigi.

For further information on the i6-Win and i6-Goal, see the ePrice product page, here.

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