Sanyo has unveiled Japan's first cell phone that's compatible with terrestrial digital TV. The W33SA promises to bring crystal-clear TV images to users while they are on the move. Perhaps best of all, and unlike 3G video-on-demand services, the programming is free to watch.
Japan, South Korea, and several European countries are all testing such services, so we're sure to see similar handsets launching in the coming months.
There have been a few cell phones capable of displaying analog TV, and battery life has been a problem. But Sanyo has done better: It claims 2 hours 45 minutes of reception on a full charge. But this technology doesn't come light--at more than 5 ounces, the Sanyo W33SA is a good deal heavier than most phones on the market. The phone will be on sale in Japan only starting in December. The price hasn't been announced.
style" rotation feature as well as the "shuttlekey" function that enables telephoning, e-mailing and browsing after the handset has been opened, rotated and then closed again.
The handset makes it easy to take pictures because any of the 0 to 9 dial buttons can be used as the shutter. In addition, the camera can be activated and operated even when the handset is in the rotated position.
In addition, the handset offers TV hookup capability for viewing of photos and video. Other functions include an access reader that allows storage of information from business cards written in Japanese to the phone's address book, as well as dictionary searches for unfamiliar words.
N506iS incorporates flat panel speaker technology and NXT SoundVu developed by New Transducers Limited in U.K.
N506iS, the world's first mobile phone to contain a flat panel display that also functions as a speaker.
The flat panel speaker emits sound by sending vibrations throughout
the entire display panel. The user can hear the person on the other end
by placing an ear anywhere on the panel. In addition, the speaker's use
of the entire display makes audiovisual content more vivid than
conventional handsets, whose speakers are located on the side of the
display.
The N506iS includes the 180-degree display "reverse style" rotation feature as well as the "shuttlekey" function that enables telephoning, e-mailing and browsing after the handset has been opened, rotated and then closed again.
The handset makes it easy to take pictures because any of the 0 to 9 dial buttons can be used as the shutter. In addition, the camera can be activated and operated even when the handset is in the rotated position.
In addition, the handset offers TV hookup capability for viewing of photos and video. Other functions include an access reader that allows storage of information from business cards written in Japanese to the phone's address book, as well as dictionary searches for unfamiliar words.
N506iS incorporates flat panel speaker technology and NXT SoundVu developed by New Transducers Limited in U.K.