Windows Mobile phone leverages integrated GPS

location based services
portable navigation devices


Sep. 13, 2007Mio Technology has announced a Windows Mobile 6-based phone with built-in GPS. The company's DigiWalker A702 also includes a 3.2-megapixel camera, photo geotagging, and business card scanning, the company says.(Click here for a larger view of the DigiWalker A702)The A702 is based on a 200 MHz TI OMAP 850 processor and provides GSM quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900), GPRS, and EDGE wireless capabilities. It features typical Windows Mobile 6 Professional applications, including mobile versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus Windows Live for Windows Mobile.According to Mio, it is the A702's GPS capabilities that set it apart. The device has a 20-channel SiRF starIII GPS receiver, with both an internal GPS antenna and a connector for an external antenna, as might be required in a car. Further, the A702 is said to have quick positioning technology, improving GPS startup times by downloading ephemeris data via GPRS or WiFi.Thanks to GPS, says Mio, the phone can append location information to photos taken via its 3.2-megapixel camera. It also comes with Geodesic Information Systems's Mundu instant messenger client, which connects to AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber, and allows users to share their location if desired.The device's WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities are said to be provided, respectively, by CSR's UniFi1-Portable and BlueCore4-ROM silicon. These components are claimed by CSR to provide a standby current draw of less than 10 mW, and result in a standby battery life greater than 200 hours.Specifications listed by Mio for the A702 include:
Processor -- TI OMAP 850, clocked at 850 MHz
Memory -- 64 MB DRAM; 256 MB to 2 GB flash (depending on region)
Display -- 2.7-inch anti-glare touchscreen TFT
Camera -- 3.2 megapixel with autofocus and LED flash, incorporating business card scanning function
Wireless:
GSM quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900), GPRS, EDGE
GPS receiver -- 20-channel SiRF starIII
802.11b/g
Bluetooth 2.0
I/O ports -- mini-USB
Expansion -- microSD slot
Dimensions -- 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.7 inches (110 x 57.5 x 16.5 mm)
Weight -- 5.2 ounces (148 g)
Battery type -- 1130 mAh lithium-ion battery
Battery life -- 4 hours talk time; standby time greater than 200 hoursThe A702's camera is said to be more advanced than that in most mobile phones, because it incorporates both auto-focus and an LED flash. Macro capabilities are employed by the A702's business card scanning feature.The A702 appears to be available now. Mio says pricing, plus the A702's GPS maps and other software, will vary according to region.
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