Just How Smart a Phone?

PC World snagged a nice scoop, uncovering FCC documents for the approval of a new clamshell cell phone running Microsoft's Smartphone operating system. Taiwainese manufacturer Chi Mei Communications received approval for the device, which is codenamed Beethoven. Among standard phone features, the phone includes a USB port for connecting to a PC. The documents did not reveal the company Chi Mei is manufacturing the phone for, according to PC World. FCC approval suggests the phone is intended for U.S. distribution.

A clamshell design would differ dramatically from the Orange branded phone sold outside the United States.

Not surprisingly, Microsoft's Smartphone OS inherits much from its Windows kin, such as contact management, calendaring, e-mail, Web browsing and listening to digital music or watching videos.

Last week, Jupiter Research published the report, "Next Generation Handsets: How To Succeed In Wireless Without Really Converging," which found U.S. consumers are not yet all that interested in smartphones. U.S. consumers favor more traditional cell phone features over multifunction PDA, camera or MP3 phones, according to the report penned by colleague Avi Greengart. When given the choice of a basic free phone or one multifunction phone with digital camera, MP3 player and PDA--or smartphone--priced as low as $49, consumers picked the free phone.

Posted by Joe Wilcox at July 31, 2003 12:56 PM