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Yosion's second-gen Apple Peel 520 arriving on March 28th, ready to cellularize your iPod touch
Remember the second-gen Apple Peel 520 we saw back in January? Yep, Yosion has now confirmed that this familiar-looking adapter will be available in China on March 28th, which happens to be this coming Monday. Like its predecessor, this new sleeve lets you send texts and make regular phone calls on a jailbroken iPod touch (including the latest FaceTime-loving model), but now Yosion's also thrown in GPRS data connectivity along with some extra battery juice, all for the price of just ¥520 ($79) for pre-orderers and possibly around ¥598 ($90) when it's out. Frankly, this isn't a bad value proposition for those already clinging onto an iPod touch -- just make sure El Jobs doesn't catch you holding this Peel.
Second-gen Apple Peel 520 caught on video doing GPRS, looking like an iPhone 4
Last year's Apple Peel 520 turned your iPod touch into an iPhone -- mostly, accepting a SIM card and allowing you to send and receive calls, texts, and even throwing a little extra battery life your way. Now we're looking at the next generation device and, which certainly looks a lot more sleek and less bulky than the previous model -- from a distance it could be confused for an iPhone 4. This version also allows the use of GPRS data, as you can see demonstrated in the video below. No mention of price or availability just yet, but review units are said to en route to other news sites, so hold that phone -- or iPod as it were. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Hands on: Apple Peel 520 transforms iPod touch into cell phone
There are all sorts of software-driven ways to treat your iPod touch like a phone, from Skype to Line 2 and beyond. Unfortunately, none of them actually adds a real cell to your unit. Enter the Apple Peel 520. An enhanced case, it contains a working phone unit that communicates with your iPod through its dock connector. Unlike the data-only Sprint ZTE Peel case, which is due to launch this Sunday, the no-data Apple Peel 520 allows you to place and receive phone calls and SMS texts directly from your device using standard GSM SIM cards. Since you bring your own SIM, the plan you use can offer as few or as many bells and whistles as you desire. I picked up a $10 H2O Wireless SIM card over at Best Buy and it worked perfectly with the unit. You insert a SIM, press a reset button for a few seconds and you'll soon be able to make and receive calls -- that is, you'll be able to do this once you finish the rather protracted one-time set-up process.
Apple Peel 520 coming to US, UK
The Apple Peel 520, an iPod touch case that effectively turns it into a phone, will be coming to the US and UK soon. Developed and built in China, the Apple Peel 520 fits onto the iPod touch. It's got a dock connector, battery, and slot for a SIM card. Once users have got the thing set up, they can use the iPod touch to make phone calls and send text messages. Go Solar USA will be the American distributor for Chinese developer Yoison Technology. Go Solar USA claims that customers can expect the Apple Peel's 800mAh battery to deliver nearly five hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby use. Note that this does require a jailbroken iPod. The Apple Peel has been available in China for a while now, first as a black market item. With official supplies significantly strained, more and more customers are looking for alternate solutions. Go Solar USA expects to have demo units in the US this week, which they will begin distributing among retailers (which retailers were not revealed). There's no word on the cost, but it currently sells in China for 520 Yuan (US$77).
Apple patent app hints at iPod-based phones, Peel 520 turns shades of green, red, blue and yellow
Looking for that elusive CDMA iPhone? You won't find it here -- but you might hear about a device Apple's trying to patent that could enable it one day. This spring, Cupertino filed an application for an "accessory transceiver" clearly intended to bring mobile calling, data and the requisite APIs to the likes of the iPod touch, not wholly unlike a certain Chinese case you might have heard of. What's more, the patent filing clearly states that this accessory isn't limited to MIDs and PMPs, but could be applied to "any type of mobile computing and/or communication device without limitation," including the iPhone itself... and specifically calls out CDMA as a possibility "because mobile telephone network quality and contract plans can vary" on GSM. Fancy that! To be clear, patent filings typically try to speak as broadly as possible to assist lawsuits down the road, and as you're probably aware a patent doesn't mean an intent to bring a device to market. Still, we have to wonder whether these veiled jabs mean Jobs and company hit upon a workaround for that AT&T exclusivity deal, and what ZTE might do if Apple puts such a device on sale. Oh, and speaking of the Apple Peel 520 cellular case for the iPod touch, MIC Gadget's reporting that it now comes in eight colors at least as far as a Chinese launch is concerned. Think you'll buy one?
Apple Peel 520 coming to US shores shortly for an undisclosed amount
Build it, and they will come. We suspect the same is true with shipping papers. Go Solar USA most certainly hopes so, as it has just inked a deal with Chinese developer Yosion to bring the much-hyped Apple Peel 520 to the US of A. For those unaware, this slip-on case effectively turns your iPod touch into an iPhone, as it equips your PMP with a SIM card slot and the software needed to make / receive calls and texts. Granted, it's not without its flaws, but for "around $60," it's not a half-bad alternative to handing over your cellular soul to AT&T. Both companies have reportedly agreed to work together to distribute it in the United States, but it's unclear when those shipments will start and how much it'll retail for once it arrives. Oh, and don't hold your breath for compatibility with the latest and greatest touch -- just sayin'.
Apple Peel 520 gets a white finish, odds placed on beating white iPhone 4 to market
If you're gonna proverbially bear hug your iPod touch into a working cellular device, might as well get it in the trendiest color available, right? The Apple Peel 520 has now been shown off in white, a more stylish option for those wanting a case, extended battery, and freedom from the shackles of limited SIM options (at the expense of some functionality and ease of use, naturally). Still in production with no release date, but hey, if you're the sort who likes to live on the outer fringes of consumer electronics, keep this import in mind. No promises it'll work with whatever Apple has up its sleeve next, though.
Apple Peel 520 gets reviewed: turns your iPod touch into an iPhone, but quirks exist
No one expressly said that the Apple Peel 520 would change your life, but if you play your cards right, that's not entirely out of the question. The mysterious doodad -- which wraps around your iPod touch and holds an extended battery and SIM card -- has caused quite the stir since being revealed late last month, and now it has undergone a full review overseas. Put simply, the device does work as advertised, turning one's iPod touch into a device fully capable of making / receiving calls as well as texts. 'Course, you'll need to jailbreak your device first, and you'll have to deal with a static (read: impossible to adjust) call volume, quirky SMS delivery and blanked messages for missed calls, but hey -- a small price to pay for the upgrade, right? Hit the source link for the full skinny and a video to boot.
iPod touch becomes iPhone using Yosion's Apple Peel 520?
Oh sure, VoIP on the iPod touch is hardly breaking news these days, but what if you could actually slap on a regular SIM card and make calls on said device? That's what Yosion's appropriately named Apple Peel 520 claims to do. Powered by an Infineon baseband chip, this adapter not only offers voice calling and text messaging (presumably requiring a jailbroken iPod touch for the apps; GPRS not possible yet), but it also doubles up as an 800mAh battery and provides 4.5 hours of call time or 120 hours of standby juice. We're told this cheeky hack's coming out in China as early as this week for somewhere between ¥300 ($44) and ¥500 ($74), although the lack of an official website, full spec sheet or compatibility list means we'll have to remain skeptical with this potentially vaporware company. Maybe the demo video after the break will keep us believing. [Thanks, Bong]
