LAS VEGAS-Those who got an early view of the new Ericsson R380 World Smartphone at Comdex here last week quickly dubbed it a “spork.”
Developers Ericsson and Symbian didn’t seem to mind the term for their new integrated device that combines the features of a mobile phone and personal digital assistant with Internet access.
At a show where wireless handheld and PDA devices were all the rage, Ericsson offered a solution that it says eliminates the need to carry multiple or awkward devices. The R380, a standard-sized mobile phone based on the Symbian operating system for next-generation mobile phones, can bring users all they are looking for in advanced services in a traditional form factor, said Symbian Chief Executive Officer Colly Myers.
The R380 opens the full length of the phone to reveal a large, horizontal touch-sensitive screen offering a range of communications and personal organization tools. A touch stylus offers access to e-mail, the Internet and an organizer through a virtual on-screen keyboard or natural handwriting recognition.
The phone is compatible with desktop business applications and offers data synchronization from one device to another. Text messaging is another feature.
Myers said the R380 will serve customers’ next-generation device needs in both the business and consumer markets as networks around the world move to 2.5 and even 3G enhancements.
“It is not a matter of getting your product to market more quickly but of starting earlier,” said Myers.
The product offers international roaming in more than 120 countries and WAP services for Internet access. Ericsson said the R380 will be available in the United States before the end of the year.
Symbian also announced that Kenwood plans to develop a range of smart phones based on the Symbian platform and powered by the Intel XScale microarchitecture core.
“With one Symbian-based smart phone in the market, the Ericsson R380, and others to come next year, Kenwood is extending the list of manufacturers who have adopted the Symbian platform,” said Mark Edwards, Symbian’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.
