SCARBOROUGH, Ontario-Canadian operator Telus Mobility announced it is selling a new LG Electronics Co. Ltd. phone that features Digit Wireless’ Fastap keypad technology. The LG 6190 phone is available for $100 with a three-year service contract.
Telus announced in 2002 it would sell a Digit-enabled phone. In March, Telus announced LG would build the device, which is based on LG’s 5450 camera phone. The phone’s design incorporates buttons for both numbers and letters on a standard-size mobile phone keypad, thus easing data entry. Digit has been signing deals with Intel Corp., Texas Instruments Inc. and others to promote the design, but its deal with Telus and LG represents the company’s first commercial win.
“With Canadians already sending millions of text messages every day, it’s clear that consumer and business clients are hooked on the power of text. Thanks to its separate raised keys for every letter, the revolutionary Fastap keypad design makes texting faster and easier than ever,” said Robert Blumenthal, Telus’ vice president of products and services. “The standard phone keypad hadn’t been improved in 50 years. With Fastap, it’s now been upgraded to allow our clients to text at warp speed.”
