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Velocity Mobile's WinMo-powered 111 hits the FCC
Being that Velocity Mobile's 103 just made it through the FCC gauntlet a few months back, we knew the delightful 111 couldn't be too far behind. Sure enough, the Windows Mobile-based smartphone has made its final stop before hitting store shelves in the United States, though we can't say for certain where it'll actually be sold. Also of note, the linked Users Manual is inexplicably corrupt, so we can't say much about the functionality, either. Ah well, it ought to be landing in eager hands soon enough -- we can stand the wait. Maybe.
Velocity Mobile's 83 hits the FCC
Guess what? You'll be able to use Velocity's weak-sauce 83 without any strongly-worded objection from the boys and girls at the Federal Communications Commission! Okay, okay, maybe that's not fair -- with WiFi and GPS, it does its job at the bottom end of Velocity's lineup -- it's just that when you compare it to the 103 and the 111, it comes up a little short (ahem, QVGA display, EDGE radio, we're looking at you guys). We're not really feeling that gnurled back, either -- especially in light of the FCC lab's less-than-stellar photography skills -- but if it floats your boat and you're stationed stateside, you can start to feel a little less illegal now.
Velocity Mobile launches the 83, naming scheme still boggles
Don't get us wrong, Velocity Mobile's new 83 is certainly a well thought out Windows Mobile 6.1 device, but with its older siblings getting grandiose names like the 103 and 111, they could have broken down and done something different. We guess the low number may be alluding to the lack of the third G, but the quad-band EDGE, GPS, WiFi, 2.8-inch screen, and dual microSD slots -- one for storage the other for maps -- mostly still makes us nod. Price point is set in the $500 range and the launch is scheduled for November this year.
Velocity Mobile 103 shipping this month
After a spring intro, WinMo-powered start-up Velocity Mobile is ready to unleash its first product on an unsuspecting (or suspecting, as the case may be) world. The 103 -- a QWERTY-less device with quadband EDGE and tri-band HSPA, VGA touchscreen, 2-megapixel primary and VGA secondary cameras, TV-out, and 256MB of ROM with microSD expansion -- is now available for preorder with an expected launch by the end of the month. Considering the solid specs, the unlocked price of £334.99 (about $591) seems pretty reasonable, too; we'd probably hold out for the QWERTY 111 model, personally, but hey, this is a start.[Via Phone Scoop]
Velocity Mobile details its WinMo skin
Following a spring handset announcement, Inventec buddy Velocity Mobile is now ready to get into the nitty gritty about the software it has thrown together to cover up Windows Mobile's ancient roots. The interface looks a good deal like the early build we'd seen before, but with a bit more spit and polish -- and Velocity is quick to point out (as it always has been) that the UI can be seamlessly updated over the air without so much as troubling the user with a PC sync. We'd still take TouchFLO 3D over this, but does it beat the stock WinMo 6.1 look? That's an unqualified "yes." [Via phoneArena]
Velocity Mobile's WinMo-powered 103 handset splashes down in FCC's database
If you thought Velocity Mobile just rolled over and died after showing off a few handsets at CTIA earlier this year, you'd be exactly wrong. The outfit's Windows Mobile-powered 103 has just surfaced in the FCC's lair, giving us a smidgen of hope that a US release is but moments / weeks / months away. Unfortunately, this filing doesn't spill the beans on any other specifications, but the 67 page User Manual does dive into great detail on changing the battery, inserting microSD cards and navigating around within the operating system. C'mon Inventec, give us the good stuff.
Hands-on with Velocity Mobile's 103 and 111
It's hard to stand out in the sea of Windows Mobile handsets; no smartphone platform is already more stratified, serves more market segments, and offers more form factors, so where's a new entrant supposed to fit in? Somehow, though, Velocity Mobile manages to do exactly that -- partly through an interesting software strategy, partly through sheer brute force of its first devices' impressive spec sheets. We had a chance to check out both the 103 and 111 models that'll lead off Velocity's production roadmap, and while they don't really look much different than your average high-end WinMo handsets, the flush touchscreens, trackballs, and clean lines all feel great to the touch. We're told that Velocity's slick, finger-friendly, widget-based interface will improve over time; the improvements will be made available to all existing owners, too, so don't let that little fact deter an early purchase.%Gallery-19649%
Velocity Mobile springs to life, announces pair of WinMo 6.1 devices
Riding the Windows Mobile 6.1 wave at CTIA, new player Velocity Mobile officially came out of stealth mode today to reveal its very first two devices: the creatively-named "103" and "111." Designed in partnership with mega-ODM Inventec, the handsets offer pretty much every feature a 2008-spec Windows Mobile device could possible be expected to, with triband HSUPA (available in both AWS and non-AWS configurations, T-Mobile fans!), TV / VGA out, and WiFi headlining the bill. The QWERTY-less 103, pictured, also sports a true VGA display -- a feature so poorly received by manufacturers (for some reason we'll never appreciate) that some have gone so far as to artificially dumb it down to QVGA. Follow the break for a picture of the 111, which'll be available come the third quarter; the 103, meanwhile, will be available sometime this quarter.
Velocity Mobile, shrouded in mystery, preps for CTIA reveal
It's not every day that a new phone manufacturer backed by one of the world's largest ODMs gets off the ground, so this might just be worth keeping an eye on. Seattle and London-based Velocity Mobile -- with support from electronics giant Inventec -- will be revealing itself and its product line at CTIA next week, adding some sort of entry to the crowded smartphone market. We can only assume there'll be something here to set 'em apart from the crowd, since anonymity is a recipe for a new entrant's quick, profitless death. Inventec's been responsible for some lovely kit in recent memory, so they're definitely capable of pulling off some sort of coup; then again they've also brewed up disasters like the i-mate JAQ, so we don't think we're in a position to use our jump to conclusions mat here without seeing the goods. Hang tight on this one, folks.
