Normally I can spot a spam blog from a mile away but this one is different. The blog is mature (12 months), includes no ads and the article itself appears informed and plausible. The contributors (Tristan, Bert415) also have other mature blogs and appear to live in Taiwan. Either its an informed insider opinion, a copy of an Asian stock report, i’m missing something obvious or someone is having a tin bath. I don’t normally post rumors. (The last one I posted was about an Apple tablet PC back in August. It looks like I was wrong on that one!) but this one is worthy of at least a little attention.
The blog states that HTC will ship a 5″ ‘UMPC-like mobile phone’ under the project name ‘Athena’ in November 2006. I know that HTC only recently stated that they are putting a new design team together for ultra mobile devices but it doesn’t stop the existing design teams developing an uber-smartphone does it?
I checked it out with a contact in the City but we couldn’t find any matching reports or news. Here’s the UMPC-related part of the article. Anyone got any comments?
The news
Digitimes headline indicates HTC will launch UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC).
Our comments on the news
It is true that HTC will launch a UMPC-like mobile phone, not a pure computer. HTC’s top management came from Digital. Therefore making computer like products is not fresh to them at all.
There are already several UMPC products in the market by Samsung, Sony, Asustek, Founder Electronics, etc, for which the average screen size is 7 inch in diagonal, while the HTC product (project name Athena) has a smaller screen diagonal of 5 inch, implying lighter and better mobility.
We believe this UMPC-like phone is targeting at high-end users who want to use it as a smaller notebook PC, with phone function and increasingly popular broadband data transmission (through UMTS /3G or HSDPA /3.5G network, even WiMax).
We expect HTC’s own brand Dopod will be the first to launch this product. The shipment schedule has been moved earlier into Nov from 1Q07, with monthly sales projection of around 10k units.
If relevant comparison here, InStat forecasts UMPC market to reach nearly 8m units by 2011. As such contribution from UMPC like phone may not be huge for HTC. Nonetheless, the upcoming Athena launch heralds HTC’s leadership in smartphone technology.
Steve / Chippy
November 21st, 2006 at 4:19 pm
Sounds very very interesting.
I have a universal and am longing for a sleeker, faster, bigger screen update.
Will study this story carefully as it develops.
Qaz.
December 19th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
This is the Holy Grail I have been seeking.
I didn’t get a UMPC when they came out last year because to me, for the devile to be MOBILE, it has to have a cell connection. (I don’t have Wi-Fi in my car, after all!)
I currently use a high-end Pocket PC and would LOVE the bigger screen. FWIW, I am female and rarely put my phone in my pocket because I have a purse. At work, my phone is charging on the counter and I use a bluetooth headset. I don’t need to “hold a brick up to my ear” like the detracters of the larger form factor complain.
We all have our “dream convergent device” and this one has many of the features of mine:
SD card (I hate the trend to mini and micro)
3G (love that HSDPA speed!)
Windows Mobile 5 (already have tons of software)
Large screen (great for watching movies while waiting at the DMV or entertaining someone else’s cranky child or showing a Powerpoint Presentation to a person or two.)
Fast processor
Bluetooth.
If the Vaio UX had a 3G phone, I’d buy it.
Convenience, not price, is my biggest concern.
Throw in GPS and I think I might hear angels singing…..
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