Ericsson Intros World"s Smallest Cellphone
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 1999 SEP 22 (Newsbytes) -- By Sylvia Dennis, Newsbytes. Ericsson has taken the wraps off the world"s smallest cellphone, the T28 World, which supports GSM (global system for mobile communications) 900 and GSM 1900 (PCS - personal communications services) frequencies.
The phone, which was launched at the PCS "99 show in New Orleans this morning, can be used on PCS networks in North America, as well as on approaching 200 networks elsewhere in the world that support the GSM 900 system.
The small handset has a palmprint of 2.5- by 1.3-inches and is just 0.4-inches thick. As well as being diminutive in size, the phone weighs in at just 83 grams (i.e., under three ounces).
Despite its size, the T28 World has a full graphic display and an active flip with a release button on the side of the phone. To answer a call, users press the release button and the flip mouthpiece opens up. To end a call, the flip is pushed back and the call stops.
Other options on the handset include a vibrating (quiet) alert, as well as an automatic time zone update facility. This allows the phone to update itself based on network time, as the user moves between time zones and/or countries.
Jan Ahrenbring, Ericsson"s vice president of marketing, said that the unit can be used in more than 120 countries around the world.
For the technically minded, the T28 World supports GSM Phase 2+, the latest implementation of the GSM standard, allowing advanced interaction between the handset and the network to take place.
This interaction is why the phone is a three-volt chassis, making for extended battery life, thanks to the ability of the network to control the power output of the handset.
Where available, the phone supports two-line working, and an interesting power gauging function. Ericsson says that this information is presented in minutes for both talk time and standby time - thereby ensuring that users remain aware of how much power is available to them.
Ericsson says that, with the battery provided, minimum talk time is one hour and 33 minutes, maximum talk time 3 hours and 35 minutes. Minimum standby time is 32 hours, while the maximum is 50 hours. With additional batteries, maximum talk time is 10 hours and 27 minutes and maximum standby time is 150 hours.
The firm isn"t saying how much the handset will cost, as this depends on how much contract subsidy the network offers. Newsbytes" sources, however, suggest that with-contract pricing will be around the $350 mark.
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