| Motorola customizes Windows Mobile |
Jan. 06, 2009
 Motorola has announced a new "touch tablet" Windows phone that includes a trackball and a customized user interface. The Motosurf A3100 has a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, dual cameras, GPS, plus both Opera Mobile and Internet Explorer web browsers, the company says.
(Click here for a larger view of the Motorola Motosurf A3100)
The Motosurf A3100 seems to represent a new level of commitment to Windows Mobile by Motorola, which announced last year that it would eliminate its Symbian and MotoMAGX smartphone platforms -- concentrating on Windows and Google's Android instead. We say this because, for the first time, Motorola has joined the ranks of those customizing the underlying Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system with a distinctive user interface.
Motorola's "carousel" interface on the Motosurf A3100
(Click image to enlarge) |
A "customizable icon-based carousel" (right), apparently of Motorola's own devising, is touted as providing "immediate access to content," via either finger touches or the Motosurf A3100's miniature trackball. The interface is also said to display RSS feeds, provide "one touch access" to Facebook, and allow YouTube video playback. In addition, Motorola has included dual web browsers -- Internet Explorer, and Opera Mobile 9.5.
Software aside, the Motosurf A3100 is relatively standard, but appears to have most of today's "must have" ingredients. The phone has a 2.8-inch QVGA (320 x 240) touchscreen display, plus both a three megapixel autofocus camera, and a secondary VGA-resolution camera for videoconferencing. The device uses a Qualcomm MSM7201A chipset, equipped with 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, and a microSD expansion slot that's said to accept memory cards up to 32GB.
Cited wireless capabilities include quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) GSM and tri-band (850/900/2100MHz) WCDMA, plus data downloads of up to 7.2Mbps via HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access). The Motosurf A3100 also offers GPS, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g wireless networking, says Motorola.
Features and specifications listed by Motorola for the Motosurf A3100 include the following:- Processor -- Qualcomm MSM7201A chipset (clock speed not stated, but the MSM7201A typically clocks at 528MHz)
- Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage
- Display -- 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display
- Wireless:
- WWAN -- Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) GSM and tri-band (850/900/2100MHz) WCDMA, with downloads up to 7.2Mbps via HSDPA
- WLAN -- 802.11b/g
- WPAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- GPS
- Other I/O -- n/s, but presumably including USB port and headphone jack, or combination of the two
- Expansion -- microSD slot, accepting up to 32GB
- Battery type/life:
- 1170 mAh lithium-ion battery
- Up to 6.8 hours talk time
- Up to 12.4 days standby
- Dimensions -- 4.33 x 2.35 x 0.53 inches (110 x 59.7 x 13.7mm)
- Weight -- 4.19 ounces (119g)
Motorola did not announce pricing for the Motosurf A3100, but said the device will be available "in multiple markets" during the first quarter of 2009.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
