Tiny Smartphone Coming to Cingular After All

Earlier this week, Brighthand and several other smartphone-related web sites ran articles saying that the the world's smallest Windows Mobile-based smartphone was disappearing from the U.S. market.

The Audiovox SMT5600 was being offered by AT&T Wireless, but it has removed this device from its site. This wireless service provider is in the process of merging with Cingular Wireless, which doesn't list the SMT5600 for sale on its site. Many assumed this meant the smartphone was a casualty of the merger.

However, according to Ritch Blasi, Cingular Wireless' Director of Media Relations, "the device is alive and well and being sold in most of AT&T Wireless retail outlets (even though they have been rebranded Cingular), through our business sales channel, and select indirect channels, such as Amazon and letstalk.com."

While the SMT5600 is not currently available through Cingular Wireless' web site, Mr. Blasi said, "The device is also running its course through Cingular's certification process and, when approved, should make it into a number of other sales outlets."

Brighthand's editorial staff apologizes for jumping to conclusions.

An Overview of the Audiovox SMT5600

The SMT5600 runs Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphones Second Edition on a 200 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor. It has 32 MB of RAM and 64 MB of ROM.

Like all smartphones that use this platform, its 2.2-inch display has a resolution of 176 by 220 pixels.

The SMT5600 includes a miniSD slot and Bluetooth short-range wireless networking. It also has a camera capable of taking VGA images.

This model is just 4.24 inches tall, 1.8 inches wide, and 0.7 inches thick. It weighs 3.6 ounces.

Because it includes the new Windows Media Player 10 for Mobile, the SMT5600 can play audio and video transferred from a Windows XP PC, and access new subscription services, like CinemaNow, MusicMatch, and MLB.com.

It has a 1050 mAh swappable battery that will reportedly last for up to 4 hours of talk time or 140 hours of standby time.

The Audiovox SMT5600 is a Tri-Band GSM/GPRS device that supports 850 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz.

This device is available now in Europe from Orange as the SPV C500.

Related Links

• World's Smallest Windows Mobile Smartphone Disappearing from the U.S.
• Cingular Gets FCC Approval to Buy AT&T Wireless
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Categorized as:  Smartphone, Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Software