Zii Trinity mobile platform packs 1080p punch, looking for OEM love
By Vlad Savov 
posted December 1st 2009 5:14AM
posted December 1st 2009 5:14AM
posted December 1st 2009 5:14AM
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Specs vise nice..
@gorghison We skin people like you around here, so you won't have to worry about using your product.
@B3astofthe3ast I'm sorry, I deleted the spam and made your comment seem a lot more ominous/violent than it was.
sigh zii
Wow looks really promising.. I'd prefer a larger screen but no biggie
Hope it comes stateside!
i love this phone.!
Only 3.1? NTY.
@CJisohsocool Agreed. Even though it has mini-HDMI out, an output only machine is no fun. Make it 3.5 or better yet, 4'
They need to partner with real mobile companies such as Motorola, Nokia, HTC, SE, etc. Creative is a relative newcomer to this market battled among Samsung, Qualcomm, Broadcom, TI. Creative needs some heavy hitter brand that is willing to test these dubious claims by Creative. And to provide them the confidence, Creative should launch a ZMS-08 based reference product that can actually do 1080p + Android 2.0+ (Multitouch enabled).
@Ameen to test these dubious claims by Creative
Perhaps you can test these claims yourself. Ever heard of a Google search? Try searching for ZMS-05 outputting 1080p HD. The Zii Egg already packs these specs (minus the 3G capabilities). Creative isn't playing games here - they're dead serious about Stemcell Computing, and the way I see it, it's only a matter of time before it's realized to it's full potential (hopefully the Zii Summit will help with that process).
I can't wait to see this product out. I want!!!
Wow, nice. Bring on the competition!
1080p is a massive overkill on a 3.1 screen
hdmi output sounds nice tho'
@mrqs
Sigh...you WON'T get 1080p on the device screen...it's the TV out that that is referring to.
@mrqs
The phone display isn't 1080p, it can output 1080p through the mini HDMI. This is similar to the Zune "HD" which has a normal resolution screen and can output 720p.
i see, well that does make more sense
tho' the article is a bit misleading with the line "you'll soon be enjoying Full HD video on a 3.5 / 4G device"
And just as all these advanced next generation phones or phone platforms show up for sale in the first half of 2010, Apple drop the 4G (3.1?) iPhone and send everyone back to the drawing boards.
(All said, it's great to have another platform to develop for.)
A guess as to the 4G iPhone spec:
Almost double the screen resolution of current iPhone
Thinner, more like the iPod Touch
MacBook like battery for extended operation
Improved wireless file sharing
5MP camera with LED flash (new battery will support this)
Major OS upgrade featuring true (well managed) multitasking and a Nokia/Windows mobile like intelligent home screen showing all your pertinent messages, tasks, reminders etc.
Improved graphics (as reported)
Some other unique Apple innovation
@Oflife so basically an HD2? or better yet dragon?
@Shon "MacBook like battery for extended operation" like it will last 300 cycles and die like my girlfriends did, three times?
@Oflife
the new iphone will be the same as the 3g or 3gs... just it will be called 4G
loser!
@coffeecharity
three of your girlfriends died after 300 cycles?
rough
@mrqs no his girlfriends died 3 times lol
@Oflife
Lets start by getting a few things straight based on Apple's history with the iPhone:
1) I highly doubt that a 4G modem will be in the next iPhone iteration. When it was originally released, it only supported edge due to concerns over battery life. Couple that with the fact that 4G rollout will be minimal in 2010 across all carriers and I doubt there will be no 4G.
2) How much thinner does the iPhone need to be? Seriously, I think all of these devices are thin enough--they are getting to the point where they aren't ergonomic for people to hold. Personally I find my Storm to fit my hand better than my brother's iPhone.
3) Apple needs to fix their exploding battery issues before they tackle anything else pertaining to batteries. Plus, people would prefer a removable battery...
4) As long as Apple sees itself on top of the competition, then I don't see much innovation coming from them. If you look at the 3GS and 3rd gen touch, you can really tell that Apple is resting on its laurels here.
@Oflife
"As long as Apple sees itself on top of the competition, then I don't see much innovation coming from them." I think he nailed it They don't advance the phones for any reason but to sell them and don't add features unless they have to. They don't need to add 4G right now, in their minds, because they still are selling well for mostly 3G networks. Also, the phone has no need to be thinner.
I'd love an update to the iPhone as the last one was a huge disappointment to me - but I am not expecting anything too spectacular unless another phone company has a comparable model that starts making up ground in sales fast and then poses a threat.
@Oflife
Funny how you fanbois seem to mention Apple in every single engadget article. Makes me really wanna find a different news site.
I guess the video recording will be 1080p, not the screen... also, there should be a 4" version, 3.1" seems a bit small today pitted against the Droid or the X10.
@cherryboom that's what i thought but i'm prettty sure, if not positive, that they mean it can output 1080 throug hit's mini HDMI port to a tv and whatnot.
The three new bottom buttons have killed this device for me. Should have made them into the software as touchscreen buttons, and kept single button design.
@ninjatogo I like the buttons for pickup and hangup. Why should I have to look at the phone when I want to answer or decline a call, I'd much rather just feel for the buttons if I'm driving, for example.
how come we don't even have a consumer version on its way, and they're already talking mobiles? I'm a bit skeptical about the whole thing..........
OH NO! Flashbacks! Looks just like an Instinct. Ugh
Yea, 'cause anything less than 1080p on a 3.5 screen is crap!
@jacicaalban Fail. Go back to spamming somewhere else.
It's terribly annoying how long it takes a product to get from design to production. (But sort of a good thing, I guess Windows 7 proved that...)
The entire issue of 1080p is for viewing through the HDMI output and not for the "little screen" people.
@(Unverified)
Several people have said it...but you'll notice Engadget readers are getting dumber and dumber as time goes by. None of them will return to say "oh, my bad we made a mistake...it' like they're proud to be some ignorant.
@(Unverified)
I think it's an honest mistake for them to make. Don't be such elitists guys - when you think of phones you don't think of attaching them to the tv to watch HD programing. In fact, that sounds absolutely uninteresting to me. I would likely never do that, so its own actual screen resolution would be what I would care about - not what it would send to a device I will never attach.
@Duke Thanks Duke for your comment. We are not trying to suggest that we know everything here, just making a comment to help those who do not understand something. Your comment about not thinking of a phone being attached to a TV to watch HD programing is like saying not thinking of a phone being attached to a computer for internet browsing, why not? Some people care about these things and some not. It is your own choice.
Has anyone thought of 1080p streaming to your phone then your TV?
This is what they mean by 1080p.
The problem would be how you would use your really.
If your watching a movie and someone calls and also space on the phones flash memory vs streaming. 1080p movies are between 10gb-20gb
But at the end of the day, I just want my Zune Phone, PSP Phone, Zune Xbox Mobile Phone.
But now im just stuck with Apples stupid iPhone
a generation of children playing with zii's and wii's. How spectacular.
not.
candybar touchscreen's are becoming a really annoying cliche.
@Sparky420
Hate it or love it, candy bar touchscreen is the best form factor for smart phones.
@Maddy still. innovation has a way to go before it can hit its peak. Design changes over time from the outside -> in.
That's a nicely specced phone.. :-D
The first Zii completely disappointed, maybe this will be better.
@cherryboom
Just plug it in to a USB port in your TV/XBOX/Cable Box/HTPC or whatever else you have in your living room to keep it charged while it plays.
This looks a LOT like an iPhone, is this the final shell design?
Why are so many companies (Samsung, LG) doing this? This is something that should be left to obscure Chinese companies trying to sell you a stop watch(something like that).
Has anybody already seen TV's with usb connection? With this kind of devices they become interesting.
@hj: I'd prefer HDMI over USB. HDMI 1.4 has built-in Ethernet for filesharing.
No need for USB.
@Pyronick Sounds like a cool solution, but was just thinking of charging my pmp/phone/whatever while it is connected to my TV.
I really don't get creative's business plan here, why not just sell the damn things to the consumers?
@(Unverified)
because there's more order per volume than with consumers