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FLO TV for iPhone proof-of-concept caught in the wild
We don't know if watching TV on a 3.5-inch display is your bag, as it were, but it looks like Qualcomm is moving onward and upward with its plans for FLO TV on the iPhone. Not too many details at the moment, just some pics that Electricpig snapped of a handset running a proof-of-concept app that relies on an external device for reception, streaming re-runs of Mayberry R.F.D. to your handset via WiFi. No word yet on the when this device might actually go "prime time," but with any luck the five pocket TV enthusiasts out there may someday be freed from the tyranny of the FLO TV Personal Television. Get a closer look after the break.
FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon
Look, we fully understand that someone, somewhere put a lot of time and effort into designing a $250 handheld that does nothing but watch pixelated mobile TV for a lofty per-month price, but seriously, there has to be better uses of one's time. The 3.5-inch FLO TV Personal Television is on sale today at Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack, though we suspect that the $249.99 up front price will probably keep most potential buyers at bay. Six months of service are included, but afterwards you'll be paying at least $8.99 per month (and a rate that low requires a three-year contract) to keep the signals flowing. If we're being honest, this thing is still more useful than Celio's REDFLY, but that sure ain't sayin' much.
FLO TV Personal Television hands-on (video)
After a few years of marketing FLO TV through Verizon and AT&T, Qualcomm has struck out on its own to sell a standalone FLO TV, this here FLO TV Personal Television. It seems like a bit of an odd choice in the current media consumption climate, and the price is certainly steep at $250, along with the $9+ monthly subscription fee, but Qualcomm naturally has its reasons. Basically, if people want a second screen to watch FLO TV on, or already have a non-FLO phone that they're happy with, this gives them the option, and then there's the all-important family car ride where you might hand this device to your kid, but wouldn't be so likely to toss them your own phone. Unfortunately, the lack of a hefty carrier subsidy means the $250 pricetag doesn't seem too in line with the quality of this device -- particularly the screen, which pales in comparison to those found on the similarly priced Zune and iPod touch (at least on the prototype device we played with). The touchscreen interface is pretty simple and reasonably quick, though touch detection isn't exactly first-tier, but basically this whole device is as straightforward and no-frills as it looks. Check out a quick hands-on video after the break.
FLO TV Personal Television gets official: $250 plus a monthly fee you'll never pay
You know, considering just how unappreciated FLO TV's mobile television services are here in the US of A, you'd think the company would do its best to keep the losses at bay. For whatever reason, suits at the outfit have it in mind that the answer to their woes isn't to throw in mobile TV gratis and find revenue streams from other sources, but to produce a dedicated TV that will only appeal to those looking to actually carry more portable devices with them. Brilliant, no? The oft-rumored FLO TV Personal Television finally got official tonight, with an aim to bring live and time-shifted content directly to the 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen for up to five straight hours on a single charge. To its credit, it weighs just 5 ounces and features an integrated kickstand and stereo speakers, but with a $249.99 price tag and a required $8.99 monthly plan (or more, if you're not a fan of locking yourself into an absurd 3-year contract), we can't exactly see this thing selling well. Or at all, really.%Gallery-74877%
AT&T touts Opera-powered full web browsing with new phones from Samsung and Pantech
AT&T wants you to know that you don't need a smartphone just to get a rich, full web experience from your handset -- theoretically, anyway -- with the introduction of four new models from longtime partners Samsung and Pantech alongside a new featurephone browser. First up from Samsung comes the Flight (pictured left), billed as a "next-generation messaging device" on account of its full QWERTY portrait slide paired with a full touchscreen up top; it'll be available next month for $99.99 on contract after rebate -- that is, if you didn't buy it on Craigslist already. That silvery slate in the middle that's more likely to be catching your eye is the Mythic, rocking TouchWiz on a 3.3-inch display along with AT&T Mobile TV, making it a fitting successor to the Eternity and big brother to the Solstice; like the Flight, it swings onto retail next month, but you'll be paying a stiffer $199.99 on contract after $50 rebate. Turning our attention to the Pantech side of the table, we've got the Reveal (pictured right) that lets you have it both ways with a numeric keypad up top twined with a QWERTY slider underneath. It's 3G-capable, AT&T Navigator-equipped, and available for your enjoyment on October 18 in red and blue. Finally, the Impact (not pictured) has an OLED touchscreen up front, but when the texting gets hot and heavy, the phone opens up to reveal a second display along with a QWERTY keyboard. It'll be available in pink and blue, though neither pricing nor availability are being announced just yet. Gluing everything together is AT&T's new mobile browser, described as "a rich hybrid experience that gives you a HTML experience similar to your PC browser at home" that "works really well on a feature phone." Additionally, users visiting att.net from their PCs will be able to send bookmarks to their phones' mobile portals -- kind of a neat trick, especially when you're trying to minimize the number of URLs you have to mash out on an on-screen keyboard. Of course, featurephone browsers have a reputation for generally sucking, so considering that AT&T bills its new line of devices as "full web browsing phones," it'll be interesting to see how close they actually come to delivering on the claim; it's said the phones use "advanced data compression from Opera Software," which we're thinking is very likely some variation of Opera Turbo -- not a bad start.
Qualcomm's FLO TV device caught in the wild with a cup of joe
If you're on AT&T or Verizon you may have watched an episode of something or another wirelessly via FLO TV, and while the service has hardly taken the nation by storm, it's probably the closest thing to DMB we Americans are going to get for awhile. Qualcomm was rumored to be working on a dedicated device for the service also called the FLO TV, a television-tuning gizmo with a capacitive touchscreen, and now here it is, captured sitting precariously close to the edge of the table, looking set to tumble onto what's surely a greasy, dingy floor below. The device also doubles as a PMP, and while only 4GB of storage means it won't be a particularly good one, with any luck there's a microSD slot in there somewhere. It's all very hush-hush at this point so we don't have any idea about pricing or availability, but perhaps the loose lips at the FCC will give us an answer to that second question soon.
Qualcomm FLO TV handheld in the works?
According to gdgt, Qualcomm -- which usually sticks to research, design, and the fabless chip game -- is fixin' to produce something called the Personal Television, for use with its FLO TV network. The handheld device is alleged to feature a capacitive touchscreen, a swipe and gesture-driven UI, 4GB of memory, built-in stereo speakers, and enough juice for five hours of video, fifteen hours of music, or three hundred stand-by hours. Currently, FLO TV is only available on a limited number of phones, from the likes of AT&T and Verizon in the States, although the company has said that they're planning on bringing it to other phones (via add-on peripherals) including the iPhone and WinMo devices. Can we offer one word of advice? You might want to go with a name besides "Personal Television." Really, it sounds so very 2006.
FLO TV to add 39 markets following DTV transition
If we're using availability across AT&T's and Verizon's lineups as a benchmark, we'd venture to guess that FLO isn't doing terribly well -- but be that as it may, the Qualcomm subsidiary is rearing to expand its coverage just as soon as the remainder of the nation's analog television stations go dark on June 12. In fact, they're really, really serious about it: 15 new markets will go live the moment the analog signals turn off, adding Boston, Houston, Miami, and others, while another 24 will tack on by the end of the year. Existing live markets like Chicago and New York will enjoy expanded coverage, too, but the question remains -- where's FLO's meal ticket? More hardware helps, but it might ultimately take a transition to free services before mobile TV takes off.
Qualcomm developing FLO TV accessories for iPhone OS 3.0, other smartphones
Qualcomm's fledgling FLO TV service might be on to something this time. President Bill Stone's announced plans to offer mobile broadcast to phones via add-on peripherals, including an iPhone 3.0-compatible antenna /chip accessory that's currently in the works, although without an estimated release window (Business Insider suggests it'll be ready sometime next year). The company's also looking into accessorizing Windows Mobile phones, either with a plug-in or some device that connects over Wi-Fi / Bluetooth. Seeing as the latest comScore statistics say less than one percent of all phone users watch mobile broadcast TV, which at the moment has to come built-in, this could prove to be a boon for the service -- assuming Q or the carriers can do something about those excessive pricing plans or fierce competition from Sling.[Via Electronista]
Qualcomm taps former Amp'd chief Bill Stone to head FLO TV
Bill Stone has already had one tough job thrust upon him when he was named CEO of the troubled Amp'd Mobile, and Qualcomm seems to think that he's the guy to handle another pretty difficult task, with the company recently naming him president of FLO TV, not to mention senior vice president of Qualcomm. Stone, who's currently the CEO of mobile software firm Handango, will be replacing Gina Lombardi, who had been heading up Qualcomm's mobile TV initiatives for the past three years, and will apparently be staying on with Qualcomm in some other, unspecified capacity. No word on what the move means for Handango, but Stone will officially be taking the reins at FLO TV on February 2nd.
