Filed under: Handhelds

It looks like France’s SFR will be getting some tweaked variant of Aigo’s familiar P8860 Intel-based MID… with 3G on-board. The device features an 800 x 480 touchscreen display, an 800MHz Atom CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of flash memory, Bluetooth, WiFi, a VGA webcam, 3 megapixel camera, and a full slide-out AZERTY keyboard (as well as some odd, circular navigation wheel). Obviously the big bonus here is the 3G connectivity, which sounds like it will be offered at €19.90 (about $26) or €24.90 ($32) per month, depending on plan. By appearances, those plans include unlimited data — though the machine translated article seems to suggest there could be some capping. The Linux-powered device will sell for €249 / $310 (€349 with a €100 rebate) — no word on release date.

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Filed under: Handhelds

The cats at UMPC Fever have taken the liberty of cracking open Aigo’s P8860 MID and splaying its contents out for the world to see. Apparently, the crew was looking for modding possibilities, and discovered that while the RAM and SSD are soldered to the mainboard, there’s ample room for an HSDPA or flash drive upgrade (they suggest 16GB or 32GB is doable, and who are we to argue). A picture says a thousand words, or so we’re told, so hit the read link and take a look at all the nasty innards.

[Via iTech News Net]

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Filed under: Handhelds

According to hot, hot reports from the interblogs, interwebs, and yes — internets — Sony has made some shocking changes to its mylo 2. Did we say shocking? We meant not shocking. At all. Apparently in an attempt to re-market (and thusly sell) the odd little handheld, the company has begun branding the gadget an “Internet Device” as opposed to its previous (circa 2006) title of “Personal Communicator.” We’re all for the new convention (we love the hell out of new names) but it remains to be seen what kind of effect, if any, it will have on the gadget’s not-so-hot sales. The next step? Lose the Spider-Man font.

[Thanks, Penny]

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Filed under: Handhelds

Jenn from Pocketables has gotten her hands on the diminutive Willcom D4 and given it an ultra-thorough review — and we’ve got the details. While she praises the general speed of the device, screen resolution and brightness, and comfort of holding the D4, her reactions to the touchpad and keyboard are less than enthusiastic. Adding insult to apparent injury, it seems that the battery life leaves quite a bit to be desired (unless you’re employing the extended battery pack), the video playback is choppy with most codecs, and the non-standard headphone jack is deeply, deeply annoying. The conclusion? Willcom’s miniature needs “Help to achieve its potential,” which is probably not what most potential buyers of the $1500 device want to hear. Of course, you should explore the whole review — and its handsome photos — so hit the read link for more.

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Filed under: Handhelds

You might remember that little BenQ MID prototype which was doing the rounds at IDF and CES. Well, it looks like the folks at HQ have decided to get all official with the newly-repainted gadget — creatively dubbed the BenQ Mobile Internet Device — during another three letter party, MWC. According to the press release, the unit boasts a 4.8-inch touchscreen, 0.3-megapixel webcam, and “high-speed mobile internet access.” Interestingly, the company appears to be aiming for some fancy-shmancy gesture input, like sliding finger movements and the ability to shake the device to minimize windows — a feature which should notably increase the numbers of these which get thrown across a room. BenQ still hasn’t given any release date or expected price on the Menlow-based device, so don’t start any breath-holding competitions just yet. There’s one more press image after the break, if you haven’t seen enough (and we suspect you haven’t).

[Via jkkmobile]

Continue reading BenQ’s MID gets official-er, can be shaken like a martini

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Filed under: CES

It looks like Lenovo isn’t the only gang of techno-hooligans launching an MID this year at CES — word on the street (and in official PR) is that BenQ’s entry to the relatively new category will be making a showing before you know it. According to the company, the device — which we’re thinking is going to be the purple number we saw Intel demoing back at its Developer Forum in September — will feature a 4.8-inch display, WiFi, 3.5G (such as HSUPA), and will be driven by (surprise!) Intel’s Menlow platform. The device will apparently consume less power than a UMPC (as expected), and will carry a price tag that will likely bend closer to a smartphone than a laptop. Info is scarce right now, but we suspect all will be deliciously revealed this week — stay logged in.

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Filed under: Handhelds

We’re expecting to see MIDs aplenty (Mobile Internet Devices, a smaller cousin of the UMPC) at this year’s CES, but we didn’t know Lenovo would be getting in on the action. The Chinese company is most closely identified with the business-friendly ThinkPad line it bought from IBM, at least in the States, so the shiny device spotted in this video represents a bit of a departure for them. As depicted in the video after the break, the device has what looks to be an odd sort of numeric keypad. There’s also a built-in accelerometer to sense orientation, and we can only hope a slide-out keyboard hidden underneath. UMPC Portal conjectures that the unit is running an Adobe AIR app to give it that flashy interface, but it certainly looks like the everything is awaiting a little bit of polish. We’ll obviously be keeping a close eye on Lenovo for this one next week.

[Via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Lenovo’s prepping its first MID?

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