Wireless News

It seems that the Pantech Duo for AT&T came out only recently, but might as well keep a good thing going. After all, when you are on a roll you are on roll. Apparently Pantech and AT&T are on a roll with the Duo, as it and its dual sliding goodness have got an update in the works, that just hit the FCC recently.

As is the common problem with FCC test reports, all it tests is the radio communications part of the device. This means we are left in the dark when it comes to what features the device will sport. What the report does tell us though, is it is a dual band dual mode phone, meaning it supports North American GSM, and North American W-CDMA(3G) bands.

The reports do however reveal things like WiFi functionality. I searched the test reports, and I could find no evidence that the device will support it. It is not known when the device will be launching, or what the price point will be. It is a safe bet it will come in close to the current Pantech Duos’ price, which is a penny shy of $200.

Rumors of a successor to Pantech’s Duo for AT&T just got a little more believable this week thanks to a new FCC filing for a device matching the model number we’d been told to look out for. The C820′s posterior here certainly looks the part of a dual slider smartphone, and the inclusion of WCDMA 850 / 1900 pretty much locks up AT&T as the destination — so the only question left is whether it’s the 2 megapixel Windows Mobile 6.1 baddie we’re hoping for, or just some random milquetoast messenger for the low end.

“Luxurious yet simple design” is the name of the game for SKY’s latest bit of mobile splendor, curiously named “Duke” of all things. For many of us, “Duke” conjures up images of rough-and-tumble sheriffs in the Wild West or gargantuan Xbox controllers, but one thing it doesn’t necessarily bring to mind is “luxurious yet simple.” No bother, we suppose it’s the hardware that matters, so let’s get to it: 2.4 inch QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel camera, document viewer, media player, Bluetooth, and built-in subway maps (Korean subways, that is) all grace the rather plainly styled slider. Look for it on your favorite Seoul retailer’s shelf for something in the range of 400,000 won (about $404).

To be perfectly honest with you I love showing off my goodies in front of my friends. I mean who doesn’t like a string of admirers telling you what good taste they have! Anyhow, whether you are an indulgent narcissist or a quietly dignified person, the new Pantech Noblesse Luxury phone is certain to catch your eye. Designed by Hyun Sung Lee, the phone is as yet still a concept, but with a slider housing a gorgeous keypad as that, I really won’t mind waiting for it to hit the stores with all the patience I can muster for the love of me. Since it is a concept we are still free to let our fancies reign supreme and speculate whether the phone’s body could be made in stainless steel, silver, or even platinum or gold.

Maybe the croc skin cover with the classic watch could be experimented with by offering a whole range of exotic, or faux, hides and perhaps the makers could bejewel the watch with diamonds, and sapphires, and rubies, and what have you! I hope it launches in time for Christmas this year.

Winning a coveted CES 2008 ‘Best of Innovations’ award in the Wireless Telephones category, Pantech’s SKY IM-U200 is a sleek and deceptive cellphone; while it may look like a clamshell, in actual fact it opens by swivelling.

The award was obviously given for the handset’s appearance, as the guts of the device are nothing to write home about.  A 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, MP3 player and electronic dictionary add up to a distinctly average phone.

It’ll be available in Korea for 500,000KRW ($533)

Pantech [via CES 2008 Innovations Honorees] [picture via AVING]