Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo is set to ship a Windows phone using Qualcomm's 1GHz "Snapdragon" processor. The "T-01A" is thinner than Apple's Phone, offers a 4.1-inch touchscreen with 800 x 480 resolution, and includes a 3.2 megapixel camera, the company says.
Though rebranded, NTT DoCoMo's T-01A appears to be the first shipping version of the Toshiba TG01, first unveiled by its manufacturer in February. According to Qualcomm, the TG01/T-01A is the first smartphone to use the "Snapdragon" QSD8250 chipset, which provides the device with an ARM CPU clocked at 1GHz, plus a 600MHz DSP (digital signal processor). Snapdragon offers an integral GPS receiver, day-long battery life, HD video playback, and support for cameras up to 12 megapixels, according to Qualcomm. (For more information, see our previous coverage, here.)
NTT DoCoMo's T-01A (Click to enlarge)
While the T-01A "only" has a 3.2-megapixel camera, the phone apparently supports all of Snapdragon's other high-end capabilities, including HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) connectivity, WiFi, and Bluetooth. NTT DoCoCom didn't say how much memory the device will come with, but cites a microSD slot that accepts up to 32GB of storage, reports say.
Touted as leveraging Toshiba's HDTV technologies, including color matching, dynamic gamma correction, and LCD backlight control, the T-01A's 4.1-inch touchscreen display packs 800 x 480 pixels. The device has a screen larger than Apple's iPhone and, with a thickness of just 0.38 inches, is more svelte.
The T-01A's case reportedly features soft-touch plastic and touch-sensitive controls. Meantime, the device offers a custom user interface atop the underlying Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. Thanks to a built-in accelerometer, the phone can respond to gestures -- calls may be answered or ended by shaking the phone, for example.
According to third-party reports, the T-01A offers a virtual trackpad that can appear onscreen, and allows users to switch applications by tilting the phone from right to left. Settings menus allow further customization, such as lowering the Snapdragon's clock speed to maximize battery life.
Meanwhile, the T-01A also includes a customized version of the Kinoma Play media player. "Kinoma Play for NTT DoCoMo" adds a customizable home screen, built-in newsreader, and "podcatcher" to existing features such as local music and video playback, plus support for media services like YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, SHOUTcast, and Live365, according to Kinoma.
Features and specifications released by NTT DoCoMo for the T-01A include:
Processor -- Qualcomm QSD8250 clocked at 1GHz
Memory -- n/s
Display -- 4.1-inch touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution
Camera -- 3.2 megapixel, with autofocus
Wireless:
WAN -- "3G" and GSM (frequencies not specified)
LAN -- WiFi
PAN -- Bluetooth
GPS
Other I/O -- n/s, but USB port and headphone jack are presumed
Expansion -- microSD slot
Battery life:
Talk time -- 210 minutes 3G; 200 minutes GSM
Standby time -- 250 hours 3G; 180 hours GSM
Dimensions -- 5.11 x 2.75 x 0.38 inches (130 x 70 x 9.9mm)
Weight -- 4.5 ounces (129g)
Narrated in Japanese, this video shows off features of NTT DoCoMo's T-01A (click to play)
Availability
NTT DoCoMo did not release pricing for the T-01A but said the device will be available in Japan next month as part of the company's "Pro" line.
