FRITZ! Mini: WiFi! phone, MP3! player, and! more

German company AVM just announced their new FRITZ! Mini. This handheld device combines a cordless phone and music player with an information service allowing you to view news, weather, and sports reports on the color display. Not good enough, well the handset will also alert you to incoming emails and text messages though how they accomplish the latter is a bit unclear. See, the 802.11g WiFi enabled FRITZ!Box is the key, it acts as a base station and information hub for the Mini by streaming music, information, and both VoIP or fixed-line calls directly to the handset. It doesn’t appear though, that the !Box packs any storage it’s own damned self, but you can slip in a Memory Stick or connect any MP3 player with USB support for playback to the Mini. We’ll hunt one down on the CeBIT floor to see what all the hubbub is ok bub? Expected release in Q3 -- hey isn’t that Robert Crumb we see over at the AVM booth demanding royalties?

[SoopahMan @ Mar 10th 2006 9:34AM]

Screen! Too small!

[Jerry @ Mar 10th 2006 10:00AM]

How the heck do you dial a number?

Tell me the center turns into a rotary dialer...

[Phronk @ Mar 10th 2006 10:09AM]

Are you supposed to keep this on your coffee table, or drag it around with you like an iPod? THE CONFUSION IS DRIVING ME MAD.

[Alex Pacin @ Mar 10th 2006 10:29AM]

Is "FRITZ" really a good name for any technology? I'm going to develop a new tire innovation and call it "FLAT" . . . or maybe start a mutual fund named "BROKE".

[Brado @ Mar 10th 2006 10:29AM]

Bravo Thomas, a Fritz The Cat reference was well in order.

[jimmie @ Mar 10th 2006 10:36AM]

Isn't that earphone Sennheisher? I've never seen a white version.

[Sven @ Mar 10th 2006 11:03AM]

>> and text messages though how they accomplish the latter is a bit unclear [...]

In Germany you can send text messages (i.e. SMS) to/between land-line phones as well. If the recipient's device is not compatible to the service, the message is converted to speech.

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 10th 2006 11:04AM]

OMG, how lame... Just another Apple iPod Rip off when it comes to the design. Have all the other companies just lost their creativity to create something themselves? For once?

[Moitio @ Mar 10th 2006 11:05AM]

Perhaps when you listen to music it connects to your computer at home and gives you access to all of your music. Anytime

[Kwong @ Mar 10th 2006 12:22PM]

Maybe it just has really reliable voice dial.

[felix @ Mar 10th 2006 1:15PM]

it's great.

FRITZ is know in germany for their quality product's.

[Karl Viklund @ Mar 10th 2006 2:09PM]

"Quality iPod-inspired-product" at least :)

[krono6 @ Mar 10th 2006 2:17PM]

.... Let me guess, German's have eyes the size of Melons? O.o

[100 movies for your ipod @ Mar 10th 2006 2:19PM]

Yeah, this really seems ipod inspired but its pretty cool.

[liz @ Mar 10th 2006 10:16PM]

hmm i thought that interface was patented. i guess it's only if it has the "scrollwheel".

hey even the top controls are a little too similar...

[Chad @ Mar 11th 2006 12:59AM]

This would be awesome if you lived in a city that is covered entirely by wifi... phone on the go. I guess you could do that with any wifi phone, but it would be nice to have it as your mp3 player too.

[Pete @ Mar 12th 2006 12:08PM]

I feel like their branding is screaming at me... It's kinda intimidating.