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Neo hands-on with MWC lineup
UK and Dubai-based neo is at MWC this week with a collection of handsets giving us a peek into the now and what the company plans for the future. We take a few minutes with neo's Senior VP, Amjad Ali as he walks us through the ins and out of the tiny 808i, the neo Ellipse, the neo Steel, neo Flip, and the up and coming neo 909. The Ellipse and the 909 are the standouts in the group, what with the really slick design of the Ellipse and the potential Androidness and maybe even 3G coming to the potential redesign of the 909. These sets all live in Asian markets now and that's well reflected in the pricing and features, but we're always enthused to see folks making a solid effort to bring something interesting to the lower-end market. Follow on for a gallery of the sets and a video hands-on interview.%Gallery-45175%
Neo's minuscule 808i fashion phone finally gets hands-on treatment
Don't get upset with us, but we were literally this close to completely forgetting about Neo's diminutive 808i. We mean, it was introduced in December of 2006 -- a lot (lot!) has happened in the mobile space since then. All that being true, we're still elated to see that this little gem hasn't fallen off of the map completely, with our brethren over at Engadget Chinese scoring some hands-on time with a cute pinkish one. Specs wise, it was packing a tri-band GSM radio, microSD card slot, a battery good for just two hours of talking, FM radio, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity. The 0.55-inch thick mobile is being offered up for HK$1,380, or about $178 in greenbacks. Check the read link for a few more images.
Neo looking to expand to new markets in 2008
Dubai's Neo, the manufacturer behind the "world's smallest fully featured mobile phone," says that it's looking well beyond its domestic horizons for the new year. It seems the company has secured certifications from several of the key regulatory agencies around the world, including the FCC -- though it's not clear whether they're for the original 808i or for three new handsets promised by the end of 2008 -- and intends to go global inside of two months. The next model on the Neo docket will be the "Ellipse," an elliptical (surprise, surprise) phone with WiFi, touchscreen, a 4 megapixel cam, and media player; sell this in the US and keep it the same size as the 808i, and these cats may just have a market niche carved out for themselves; they'll be at MWC, so with any luck, we'll get a little look-see at it then.[Via MobileTechNews]
Neo intros diminutive 808i handset for Middle East / Europe
There's no shortage of wee sized mobiles out there to test the longevity of our poor eyes, but the "UK- and Dubai-based" startup, dubbed Neo, is adding yet another option to the mix. While we admire the shiny Photoshop job seen above, the company has reportedly assured us all that the miniscule 808i will see the light of day in "March 2007." Admittedly, the specs aren't too far-fetched (unlike some yet-to-be-produced handsets out there), as it touts tri-band compatibility, a color LCD, Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 / MP4 playback, 128MB of flash memory, and a microSD slot. At a glance, the nifty bar atop the mobile bears resemblance to some of Sony Ericsson's offerings, but the 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3-centimeter enclosure and 90-gram weight sure stands out. If all goes "as planned," the 808i should hit the Middle East just a few months into 2007, with Europe getting it soon after.[Via RegHardware]
