Details emerge on Microsoft/Flextronics ODM smartphone

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Jun. 21, 2005

Having completed the fundamental software development for an OEM/ODM smartphone platform, Microsoft is now jointly developing the requisite GSM/GPRS hardware with contract manufacturer Flextronics. Codenamed "Peabody," the platform was announced earlier this year at the 3GSM World Congress.

A Microsoft vice president quoted by the IDG News Service now says that, when completed, the mobile phone platform will be made available to OEM and ODM partners worldwide, rather than being targeted only at emerging markets such as India and China, as was originally stated.

Based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 software platform, Peabody was described as a low cost, feature rich platform when it was announced earlier this year. The Windows Mobile operating system, Flextronics noted, "delivers the substantial functionality required by OEMs while providing the flexibility for quick customization."

The Peabody platform will be based on a Texas Instruments OMAP730 GSM/GPRS processor with 32 MB of RAM and 64 MB of Flash. Its 1.9-inch color LCD has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. Communication ports include USB, IrDA, and a Pendant Bus. A miniSD slot provides expansion, and an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera is optional. It is expected to come equipped with a 940 mAH Lithium Polymer battery, enabling talk time of up to 5 hours and standby time up to 200 hours. (Click photo at right for a larger image.)

Flextronics is one of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers, and a leading provider of contract electronics manufacturing services.

As Microsoft sees things, "Flextronics's record of delivering highly integrated mobile phone platforms to markets around the world gives our joint OEM partners a strong go-to-market ally for smart devices," said Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft.

Microsoft also has a relationship with Taiwan's HTC, an ODM (original design manufacturer) that provides customizable Windows Mobile smartphone designs to OEMs and service providers. These include the "Harrier" (aka "Blue Angel") and "Wallaby" designs, both providing the foundation for many rebranded Windows Mobile smartphones.

Read the complete IDG story here. For more details on the Microsoft/Flextronics collaboration on "Peabody," read our detailed coverage of the companies' February 14, 2005 announcement.

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