Available beginning in Europe this Fall, Sendo’s GPRS-capable Z100 will leverage TI’s high performance OMAP-based GPRS/GSM chipset, combined with Microsoft’s smart phone software platform (codenamed: Stinger), to provide consumers advanced mobile applications including e-mail and mobile Internet access with greater functionality, performance and battery life.
Today’s wireless consumers are demanding that next generation wireless devices not only offer enhanced wireless services and functionality, but provide the best possible performance and battery life, said Hugh Brogan, chief executive officer of Sendo. TI’s OMAP-based technology makes this possible by providing a highly integrated, high performance processing solution that is ready today for leading-edge product development.
Weighing only 99 grams (3 ounces), Sendo’s Z100 Multimedia Smartphone will be the world’s smallest and lightest GPRS tri-band Smartphone. Leveraging TI’s integrated display driver technology, the Z100 features 65,000-colors on its TFT display, comparable in quality to a high-end laptop display. The Z100 tri-band operation (GSM 900, 1800, 1900) allows it to be used on networks across Europe, Asia and the Americas, while its GPRS capability means that users will benefit from some of the fastest wireless data speeds available in always on connections.
Sendo’s Z100 offers anytime, anywhere access and synchronization to private and corporate information through Mobile Outlook and Internet Explorer. The Z100 supports HTML, WAP (WML) and i-Mode (cHTML) Internet content plus SSL and WTLS security. On the multimedia front, the Z100 boasts MP3 and WMA audio playback as well as streaming video. With support for Multimedia Card and Secure Digital memory, the Z100 can be expanded up to 256 megabytes. In addition to wireless connectivity, the Z100 also supports USB, RS-232 serial and IrDA infrared PC connection options. The Z100 will ship with a stereo headset (for both audio playback and phone calls) and a desktop synchronization cradle.
By utilizing TI’s high-performance, low power OMAP-based technology, Sendo will offer consumers a wealth of new data-enabled wireless capabilities including communications-centric, real-time multimedia applications, said Alain Mutricy, General Manager of the OMAP Platform, TI. We are delighted to work closely with Sendo to fully utilize the strength of TI’s OMAP-based technology. TI’s 2.5G smart phone solution integrates its power-efficient, programmable DSP-based digital baseband processor together with its high-performance OMAP family application processor. As future wireless data bandwidth increases from 2.5 to third generation communications (3G), this solution provides seamless compatibility with TI’s family of programmable DSP-based OMAP 3G modem products. Compatibility with future OMAP processors will provide original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with increasing levels of performance and battery efficiency, without having to constantly redesign existing software applications for new hardware architectures.
We are very excited to see the TI and Sendo collaboration come to fruition. These leading companies have combined efforts and built a Stinger-based smart phone in just a matter of months, said Ben Waldman, vice president of development, Microsoft Mobile Devices Division. The resulting phone is a great product that provides the communication, entertainment and e-commerce services mobile users want.
Microsoft’s Smartphone platform, code-named Stinger, is the first Smartphone platform available today that is built for tomorrow’s networks. Stinger provides a wealth of services, such as secure corporate data and Web access, e-mail and up-to-date personal information managers (PIM) functionality on a high quality mobile phone.
Unveiled in May 1999, TI’s OMAP architecture is fast becoming a de facto standard for 2.5 and 3G wireless devices with leading handset manufacturers like Sendo, publicly endorsing TI’s OMAP architecture. TI began shipping OMAP processor prototypes in 4Q2000, and is shipping samples today. The first OMAP application processor is scheduled to be available in volume production quantities in 3Q2001.
