Neonode planning revamped OS, totally new handsets

We've just gotten out of a meeting with Thomas Eriksson, co-founder and CTO of Neonode, and we've learned some very exciting information about the company's newest, as-yet-unannounced phones. We were shown designs of the mobile-maker's next lineup of devices, including an iPhone-esque model called "Earth" which has been confirmed for production (though Thomas insisted that some features and design would change, of course). The phone will feature a 2.9-inch, true 16:9 ratio infrared touchscreen (an updated version of the Neonode N2's touch surface), HSPA connectivity, and will operate on five separate frequency bands (a first as far as we can tell), allowing 3G use in both Europe and the US. However, the most interesting thing that we were shown was a live prototype of the company's latest OS, which blows the doors off of previous iterations. The new interface is a much more robust platform, featuring a homescreen made up of a number of small widget-like icons, all updating live with things like RSS feeds, phone logs, weather, and mail. The UI is still meant to be operated via one hand, though Thomas confirmed that the device would sport a virtual QWERTY keyboard, and would deliver more PIM / smartphone features than we've seen from them in the past. The design of the interface is still being tweaked, but it looks very contemporary to current and future phone OSs we've been seeing, with lots of nice shading and alpha layers. From the little we peeped, this platform could be a contender if handled correctly -- Thomas told us that Neonode had plans underway to partner with carriers in the US, so stay tuned to this space for more info.

[Mel @ Jan 9th 2008 4:03PM]

Can't say I know too much about neonode but it would be nice to have new addition to the market as far as phone operating systems are concerned. Apple's is way too exclusive, Windows Mobile can often lack appeal and Symbian is (unfortunately) very overlooked. More is better.

[L @ Jan 9th 2008 4:26PM]

Sounds great!

Finally something with a big screen from the gesture-innovators. Can't wait to see pics and full spec lists!

[ty @ Jan 9th 2008 4:39PM]

nice. it's like a finger pointing away to the moon. DON'T CONCENTRATE ON THE FINGER..or you will miss allllllll that heavenly glory.

[Golgo @ Jan 9th 2008 5:30PM]

Had a Neonode N1i a couple of years ago. The UI totally kicks a**! Easily the best i've come across. Really looking forward to seeing what they can come up with next, and since i'm Swedish (yes, Neonode is from Sweden) it's especially interesting :)

[Oddish @ Jan 10th 2008 2:50AM]

I'm also swedish (and always cringe at the ubiquitous "I'm swedish" comments, nobody cares) but I can't see why this wouldn't be equally as interesting to people of other nationalities.

[jaycee @ Jan 9th 2008 5:38PM]

hope to see a picture soon !!!

www.neono.de

[Sledger @ Jan 10th 2008 7:13AM]

No pictures. Is it something like the the GPS they showed of in this clip?: http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/08/video-hands-on-with-neonode-media-playing-gps-prototype/