It looks like a smartphone, it has a smartphone's form factor,
operating system, and an extra-slim slideout QWERTY keyboard, yet Inbrics still insists on calling the M1
a Mobile Internet Device instead. When the company's not busy
sinking its own battleships, it appears to be doing actually beneficial stuff, such as cramming a new 1GHz Samsung CPU inside its device. The original 800MHz unit was the thing that worried us most during our otherwise praise-filled
hands-on experience with the M1 at CES, so it's a good sign to see it getting a bit of extra brawn ahead of launch. The software has also moved with the times, with Android 2.1 being the current OS on tap, which should look rather nice on that 3.7-inch OLED display. The M1 will have WiFi, but no cellular connectivity is planned just yet. It's all dependent on having a Western vendor pick up the hardware and infuse it with its own requirements. Although at CES we were told to expect the M1 in March, the current timetable is for a July launch in Korea and US availability by the end of the year, provided Inbrics finds a partner for the device.
Netbook News have also finally squeezed a price out of the company and have been told to expect it in the "low $200" range. Sounds kinda promising, don't you think?
posted March 24th 2010 8:29AM
Very promising...
Why couldn't this be a smart phone? All I want is a high end android QWERTY slider.
@Weber 09 Here here. All I want is a nice slider, 2.1 Android phone, preferably that works on the Tmobile network.
@lokiracer Agreed! I thought this would be my next phone but looks like that isn't happening soon.
Joe Biden wanted a Ghz processor in this;it's a big fu@%in deal to him.
I was looking forward to this...way to drop the ball.
oooo very nice an MID i can use to replace my ipod touch. I want this.
@Hernan Paredes Orly? There are no good games on android because it can't do 3d with such a slow processor.
@Shalabi Samsung's Hummingbird is a much faster and more advanced processor than the 600 Mhz Cortex A8 that's in the iPhone 3GS.
If you don't know what you're talking about STFU.
@Shalabi ...and for that matter, so is the Snapdragon processor in nearly all of the new Android phones; it's a whole new generation of processor, in addition to being clocked higher.
I should also point out that the Droid has a Cortex A8 just like the iPhone 3GS.
The reason there are not as many good games for Android is because the iPhone has been out longer, so developers have had time to get used to the SDK. In addition, Android, being fairly new, has only just recently released an SDK that can truely take advantage of the phone's processing power without having to run through a Java VM.
Kthxbye.
@Atkins s/
@Atkins
its just like the Droid
DO WANT. this will be my landscape QWERTY/Andorid I've been waiting for
In that form factor, I want a phone. All they are describing is an Android device, minus the phone/text.
If it's going to be a wifi-only device, I'd rather have a tablet... you can find Android tablets all over Ebay in 7" and 8" size for sub-$200. I'd rather the larger screen if it was going to be a dedicated browser/android device.
If this was a phone, it would be a winner, IMO!
Make a model that takes a SIM card and charge $50 more for it. Even if it was $100 more, it would be a winner!
I dont' understand your obsession with the 1ghz number. I have the Acer Liquid with the "crippled" (as you'd call it), underclocked 768mhz snapdragon and yet Android feels buttery smooth...
@Palmada It's not necessarily the clock speed that matter so much as the processor actually being a Snapdragon, because the Snapdragon line has some serious integrated graphics processing power among other things. The architecture and feature set is what really makes the chip.
@Electrofreak You are absolutely correct; but it's not that what came across to me =P On this or some other articles, namely the ones mentioning liquid.
Please, please, please, PLEASE make it a quad band phone, a la Nexus and iPhone.
How does this Samsung 1 Ghz compare to Snapdragon?
@TareG That's a really good question... I've heard good things but I've yet to see an actual comparison...
They call it a MID and I get hopeful that it will be unlocked.
the size of a phone without voice capability?
@htd
Kind of like a pack of cards really don't you think or maybe a pop tart
@htd
It has voice capability(a mic and a speaker), just not phone capability in the sense that you sign up for AT&T or Sprint or whoever...
So you can skype(probably) or something on wireless, but not everywhere.
I wonder how Koreans call people while their driving, or are away from wireless. aside from that, I think this would be a pretty sweet device.
Now, come out tomorrow! so many cool things are coming out between now and the end of the year, it kinda starts to lose steam. go Go GO!
Surely the reason they are calling it a MID is the lack of cellular connectivity. You can't really call it a mobile phone (cell phone) if you can't call anyone.
Well I suppose you could skype in a wifi zone.
@Atkins
It's starting to sound pretty standard fare really.
Is there anyone else who's come to the conclusion the tech industry is advancing like a fly through molasses?
The article refers to this as a "cell phone companion"...the same description Palm used for it's Foleo debacle. Put a phone radio in the darn thing! (unlocked quad band GSM please at $200)
plus slide-out keyboard...just add GSM = Nexus Two
Where is the Viliv P3?
This looks interesting. 2 things tho, Is the screen capacitive or resistive, and how does the 1ghz Samsung fair against the 1ghz snapdragon?
WIth a phone = want.
Without a phone = fail.
Hope they get with a 4G provider like Sprint/Clear