BIOS: Technology Means Business

Today at ITU Telecom World 2006, Samsung Electronics and Microsoft launched the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0, the first 3G smartphone with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) support.

Measuring only 11.8mm and weighing a mere 99g, the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 is the world’s thinnest 3G smartphone with a full QWERTY key board. It blends the feature-rich, desktop functionality of the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with multimedia capabilities to help people work on the go, stay in touch with family and friends or just have fun.

"I am proud to introduce the Ultra Messaging i600 Windows Mobile smartphone with Microsoft. It represents the best innovation from both Samsung and Microsoft and makes it a perfect solution for today's mobile professional," said Kitae Lee, President, Samsung Telecommunication Network Business. "Samsung will continue to explore new market opportunities with Microsoft and we look forward to collaborating together to bring more innovative products to market.”

The Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 is the first smartphone in Asia Pacific and Europe that supports the HSDPA network for faster data transfer speeds, as well as seamless communications through high-speed connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. It is also the first smartphone to support Web applications such as podcasting and RSS Feeder.

A key feature of the Ultra Messaging i600 is its QWERTY keyboard with wheel key, perfectly designed for composing messages or e-mails. In addition to this, the customised thumbwheel makes navigation simpler than ever . Running on Windows Mobile 5.0 with Direct Push Technology, the Ultra Messaging i600 instantly updates Microsoft Office Outlook's Email, Calendar, Contacts and Tasks when synchronised with Exchange Server 2003, to ensure that users are always up-to- date while on-the-move. In addition to its push e-mail capability, users can view Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and image formats including BMP, JPEG and GIF with Picsel Viewer.

With two integrated digital cameras (1.3-Megapixels in the back and VGA in the front), users can also conduct 3G video calls from the phone. Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 users can listen to stereo-quality music and view high quality video clips with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile and a Bluetooth stereo headset. Internet browsing rivals the PC experience due to the device's large 2.3-inch high-quality color screen and wireless broadband capabilities. The Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 also includes a speakerphone, built-in voice recognition and support for a 1.3-Megapixel digital camera that can record video.

Built-in Pocket MSN offers consumers the consistent and familiar user experience that they currently enjoy with MSN Messenger on their desktops. With this offering, users will automatically have a separate Inbox for Hotmail messages on their device. They will also be able to view their buddy list and chat instantly with their contacts, whenever and wherever they want. All of these features are packed into a slim design, which makes the Ultra Messaging i600 the ideal balance of work and play. The Ultra Messaging i600 is comfortable to hold with a slim body and has a soft finishing which gives it a good grip.

“The mobile population is increasingly looking to use one device that easily plugs into their life, both in and out of the office," said Pieter Knook, Senior Vice President, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division, Microsoft Corp. "The Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 works well both for organisations looking to increase employee productivity through the deployment of smartphones, yet deliver a desirable and fashionable smartphone for users at the same time."

The Samsung's Ultra Messaging i600 will be available in Asia Pacific and Europe in first quarter, 2007.

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