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Saygus announces a new high-end Android smartphone after five year hiatus
Saygus has been long forgotten over the course of time, only to be remembered by the most hardcore phone enthusiasts. The Utah-based phone maker enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight at CES 2010 with its VPhone, a high-end (at the time) Android QWERTY device capable of doing two-way video calls over molasses-slow networks. The phone disappeared after becoming certified on Verizon's open development initiative in August 2011. Surprisingly, the company's not only alive and kicking, it's working on a brand new high-end phone called the V-Squared (V2?). The smartphone will come with a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon processor (the chipset is unknown, but we'd guess 801), 64GB onboard storage and expandable memory that will "best any competitor," 60GHz Wireless HD for low-latency wireless HD streaming, Qi wireless charging, 3D audio, a high-end camera with OIS, root access and a new type of biometric scanner on the right side of the device. It also says that it has a 3,500mAh battery, but a mysterious new tech is supposed to extend its life by 50 percent. We've obtained images of the V-Squared, which show an interesting angular design on the top and bottom, as well as a hardware camera shutter button.
Saygus VPhone finally wins approval from Verizon, not so high-end anymore
Hey, you folks remember the VPhone? Honestly, we had forgotten about it too. The debut handset from Saygus first started making the rounds in late 2009 sporting, what were at the time, high-end features, like a front facing camera and a 624MHz processor. Well, times have changed and now that the Android-powered phone has finally won approval through Verizon's open development initiative it's, at best, decidedly mid-range. While the 256MB of RAM and chunky, sliding QWERTY remain, the VPhone has received some minor upgrades on its journey to Big Red -- that XScale core has been bumped to a seemingly arbitrary 806MHz and Donut has been swapped for Froyo or Gingerbread. The one thing that the relative unknown still has going for it is hacker friendly features, such as an unlocked bootloader and the ability to run custom ROMs from an SD card. Sadly, there is still no word on an actual release date or price, but at least we know Saygus hasn't completely fallen off the face of the Earth.
Saygus VPhone video hands-on
Want to see that new Saygus VPhone in action? Can't get enough QWERTY in your Android? Enjoy videos shot amongst a crowd of screaming trade show attendees? Boy are you in luck. Check out our video hands-on of the handset after the break, and please excuse the noise.
Saygus VPhone to bring video calls and a bit of chub to Android and Verizon
If you know that your personal happiness lies somewhere in the Verizon / Android abyss but neither the Droid nor the Droid Eris are hitting the spot, you might consider trying something completely out of left field. How "left field" are we talking here? Well, for starters, odds are good that you've never heard of a company called Saygus, and its shiny new QWERTY slider, the VPhone, won't be offered directly from Verizon -- it's a product of the carrier's Open Development initiative. Sure enough, that handset we spied a few days back is real, and the specs are all panning out: 624MHz PXA310 XScale core, 512MB of Flash on board coupled with 256MB of RAM, 3.5-inch capacitive WVGA touchscreen, WiFi, a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, front-facing VGA camera and -- of course -- EV-DO Rev. A support. The current incarnation is running Android 1.6, but it should be running 2.0 by the time of its launch next year, along with getting some Google-certification to let it run the Google apps. Saygus' real thrust here is apparently two-way video calling (good thing they picked Verizon, huh?), though they aren't showing it off just yet. The hardware itself is rather chubby, but it leaves room for an oversized QWERTY keyboard that could very well solve your Droid woes. No word on price or a firm release date.
Saygus VPhone V1 hits the FCC, headed for Verizon next?
We had some indication that Verizon would have a third Android device ready by early 2010 in addition to the DROID and ERIS -- one that may be boosted by the carrier's Open Development program -- and it looks like the FCC may have now given us our first real look at it. While it's obviously still unconfirmed as of yet, this Saygus VPhone V1 phone that recently sailed through the agency certainly seems to fit the bill, and the company has even gone so far as to not so subtly feature an article about a Verizon's mysterious third Android device on its own website. As you can see, however, the phone itself doesn't exactly do too much to stand out from the current crop of Android sliders, but it should hold its own when it comes to specs. That includes a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, a 624MHz Marvell PXA310 processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a second, front-facing camera for video calls, built-in GPS, WiFi, a microSD card slot and even an FM radio, among other standard fare. Still no indication of that rumored WiFi tethering out of the box, unfortunately, but we're guessing this one could win quite a few fans if that pans out -- and, of course, if it's actually the real thing. [Via SlashGear]
Switched On: Cap'n magicJack's port of call
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
