Savings Make Smartphones Available to More Consumers, While Maintaining Rich
Mobile Experience and Functionality
HONG KONG, Dec. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Today at ITU Telecom World 2006,
Microsoft(R) and Amoi Electronics unveiled four new Microsoft Windows Mobile
(R) 5.0-based smartphones which will be offered at lower price points than
ever seen before in the China market. These GSM/GPRS/EDGE-enabled phones are
powered by an enhanced, cost-effective solution from the Texas Instruments
Incorporated (TI) OMAP-Vox(TM) platform.
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/20061107170439-20.jpg )
The first solution in TI’s OMAP-Vox product family, the OMAPV1030
GSM/GPRS/EDGE chipset is specifically designed to deliver enhanced multimedia
functionality and support for richer operating systems at a reduced cost.
Amoi Electronics is the first device maker to launch smartphones using this
lower-cost, high-performance chipset architecture.
In the past, smartphones running robust operating systems required a more
expensive dual-core chipset to power a rich user interface, data networking,
and additional personal and business applications. The OMAPV1030 solution
enables Amoi to achieve high-quality performance and lower-power consumption
coupled with advanced affordable multimedia features to smartphones.
The first of the four smartphones, the Amoi E72, is expected to sell at a
retail price below RMB2,000 (US$250), the lowest price ever for a Windows
Mobile 5.0-powered smartphone in China. Prices for the other three models,
the Amoi E75, Amoi E76 and Amoi E78, will be announced in the future.
Available in various form factors - slider, candy bar, or with QWERTY
keyboard -- these Windows Mobile-powered smartphones include the Messaging
and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0, which supports Microsoft
Direct Push Technology. This provides busy mobile professionals with always-
on access to up-to-date information in their email, calendar, tasks and
contacts, helping them to stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues.
Lower cost, same high performance
The Amoi devices offer the same entertainment and lifestyle experience of
other Windows Mobile-powered smartphones. These light-weight and slim
devices offer music and video capabilities in a familiar experience with
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. With TI’s BlueLink(TM) 5.0 Bluetooth(R)
solution support, users can conduct over-the-air synchronization of data with
their desktops as well as enjoy stereo-quality music on their Bluetooth
stereo headsets. The Amoi smartphones offer digital cameras (up to 2 mega
pixel) that can also shoot video, and the high-quality color screens enhance
the viewing of video clips while on the go. Internet Explorer is also
offered on all of the new Amoi smartphones for a rich Internet browsing
experience.
According to a report by Analysys(1) the smartphone market in China is
expected to grow at 50 per cent over the next three years, with sales volumes
anticipated to reach 17.64 million in 2008. This growth has been driven by
increased user awareness, converged devices, better designs, the enrichment
of third-party applications, and the popularity of high-speed wireless
connectivity.
(1) China Smartphone Software and Application report 2006
“We strongly believe in the potential of a mass market for smartphones
in China as well as other developed and developing markets in the world,”
said Mr. Li Xiaozhong, President of Amoi Electronics, Co., Ltd. “Our
partnership with Microsoft and Texas Instruments has allowed us to offer the
Windows Mobile smartphone experience at lower price points than ever before.”
"Microsoft is very excited to be a part of the innovation that Amoi and
Texas Instruments have brought to this new line of lower-cost smartphones,”
said Pieter Knook, Senior Vice President, Mobile Embedded Devices and
Communications Sector, Microsoft Corp. “The lower price points will help us
extend availability of advanced features like email, streaming video or
mobile services to a wider segment of customers enabling them to work or play
wherever and whenever they want.”
All four Amoi smartphones feature robust hardware specifications and will
run all applications designed for Windows Mobile-powered smartphones.
Product specifications will be released shortly before commercial
availability.
High-performance Application Processing at Cost-effective Prices
The OMAPV1030 GSM/GPRS/EDGE solution was developed to bring advanced
multimedia features to mainstream mobile phones. The design expands on TI’s
proven GSM/GPRS/EDGE technology and leverages TI’s advanced 90nm digital
process technology to enable handset manufacturers to reduce costs and speed
time-to-market. The OMAPV1030 solution runs both modem and applications
processing on a single OMAP(TM) core, ensuring a high-quality mobile
multimedia experience. The combination of the ARM9 and TI Digital Signal
Processor (DSP) improves performance while reducing costs and power
consumption, resulting in longer battery life and usage times for an optimal
user experience. The OMAP-Vox platform is designed to maximize software re-
use driving overall development costs down, to provide a natural and
affordable roadmap to next-generation standards.
“TI remains committed to delivering open solutions that foster
development of lower-cost Smartphones. Our OMAP-Vox platform was architected
with the mainstream consumer in mind to deliver a high-quality, multimedia
experience,” said Richard Kerslake, Worldwide General Manager, 3G and OMAP
Business, Texas Instruments. “Leveraging our robust OMAPV1030 processor and
Bluetooth technology, as well as Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software, Amoi
is delivering personal entertainment and communication capabilities to the
masses.”
Availability
These devices will be commercially available in China by January 2007.
About Amoi
Amoi Electronics Company Limited originates from Xiamen Solid Electronic
Limited in 1981 and is listed at the Shanghai Stock Exchange since June 1997.
It is headquartered in Xiamen, China. Aiming at becoming an innovator from
China, Amoi has expanded its business towards 3C (Communication, Computer and
Consumer electronics) diversification and internationalization. Currently,
Amoi’s product range covers 2.5G/3G mobile phones, PHS handsets, LCD TV and
Notebook PC. Amoi Electronics Co., Ltd. is one of the leading domestic
manufacturers of mobile phones in China, having an engineering team of over
1300 people, and it has established R&D institutes in Xiamen, Shanghai and
Nanjing respectively. By responding to market trend in swiftest manner and
concentrating on practical application, the company is aiming at bringing
unique experience to customers in each individual market segment.
Further information about Amoi can be found on Amoi website at
http://www.amoi.com .
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog
technologies to meet our customers’ real world signal processing
requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company’s businesses include
Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas,
and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ti.com .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
Trademarks
Microsoft and Windows Mobile are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
OMAP, OMAP-Vox and BlueLink are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All
registered trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective owners.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
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