Jenn from Pocketables.net has some interesting new info about the UMID M1 [Portal page]. Chippy has had some good hands on time with the UMID M1 and always seems to note that he wishes the build quality was a bit better. Luckily it looks like his wish might come true. From what Jenn tells us, it looks like the casing will be refined before the US release. But wait, there’s more!
- Improved shell has smoother lines and a smaller battery that doesn’t protrude as much.
- Release date in Australia and Hong Kong, the first to get the device outside of Korea, has been pushed back to May (conservative estimate).
- US release is still unknown.
- Model without HSDPA will be released before model with HSDPA.
There are a few additional bits of info that Jenn has uncovered, head over to her article on Pocketables.net for the full list.
March 28th, 2009 at 6:31 am
New article: UMID M1 gets refined before international release http://cli.gs/BSs5uX
March 28th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Hopefully we will see this released in some form and fashion soon, and perhaps see more manufacturers follow on the clamshell, Korea has done so many nice clamshells before which they were PCs only
Like this one http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2007/04/superb-umpc-design.html
March 28th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Smaller battery? Does that also mean less battery life?
Release Date in May, and for the US and Europe probably even later, and still not with HSDPA? Do they wanna wait until most of their potential customers have bought an other device?
Jenn is referring to ´Justek´. They are offering the UMID M1 with a AUS$ 1425.95 price tag. Are they nuts? I can remember that the Yukyung dude at CeBIT told me something about ´less than 400 Euros´.
I know, it is surely not cheap to develop and to manufacture a new device type. But keep in mind, MIDs will be just as a secondary device, and it will be surely difficult to convince the average customer to pay the same or even more, than they had to pay for their primary device.
Ben Reply:
March 28th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I can’t say for sure, but I think that the capacity will remain the same while the battery gets a bit smaller physically.
March 29th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Hey, I wonder if the Australian version will have telstra HSDPA built in. If it has the new faster longer reaching chipset built-in, it might be worth the $1500 price.
I’ll probably get one before the end of the financial year if nothing better comes out. (Hoping to see a UMPC with a better accelarator, like the ION soon)