Pharos Unveils Two Navigation-Oriented Smartphones

Pharos will soon release two Windows Mobile smartphones that focus on personal navigation.

The Traveler 117 and Traveler 127 will be the first to include Pharos Smart Navigator, a hybrid navigation product that combines navigation software and location services on a Windows Mobile device.

Smart Navigator will provide turn-by-turn navigation with voice prompts, along with real-time services for maps, traffic, POI, and an innovative "Follow Me" service that allows families and friends to track one another's location via this GPS-enabled device or over the Internet.

Yesterday, this application was awarded the "Innovations" award from the Consumer Electronics Association in recognition of its design and engineering.

"The Traveler 117 and 127 represent a leap forward in how we provide satellite navigation on a smartphone," said James Oyang, PhD, President of Pharos. "The unique, hybrid nature of Smart Navigator enables us to provide more accurate and reliable navigation customized for a handset's compact screen size."

More about the Traveler 117 and 127 

While these two devices have much in common, they will use different shapes. The Traveler 117 will have a tablet design with 2.8-inch, VGA touchscreen. The 127, on the other hand, will include a QWERTY keyboard and a 2.5-inch, QVGA touchscreen.

Both devices will be quad-band GSM phones with support for high-speed 3G access: 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA.

They will run Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, which means they will include a suite of applications for email, web browsing, and working with Microsoft Office documents. There's also a version of Windows Media Player bundled with this operating system.

Pricing and Availability

The Traveler 117 and 127 will carry a suggested retail price of $530, and will be sold unlocked. This means they will be usable with any carrier that uses the GSM standard, like AT&T.

They will be available on December 1 from major online retailers including Amazon.com, Dell.com eXpansys.com, and Newegg.com.

Traveler 117 and Traveler 127 Specifications

Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201-90, 400 MHz
Memory: 256 MB Flash ROM, 128 MB SDRAM
Phone: unlocked GSM quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE / GPRS
     3.5G tri band 850/1900/2100 MHz, UMTS 384 Kb/s, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 2 Mbps
GPS: NMEA0183/AGPS compatible
Wireless: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth v2.0+EDR
Camera: 2.0 megapixel camera for picture or video; 0.3 megapixel front camera for video
conferences
Battery: 1410 mAh Li-Ion, rechargeable/replaceable
Talk time: up to 4 hours talk time and 200 hours standby time

Traveler 117
Display: 2.8 inch, 480 by 640 pixel (VGA) touchscreen with 18-bit color
Size: 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.60 inches
Weight: 4.8 ounces

Traveler 127
Display: 2.5 inch, 320 by 240 pixel (QVGA) with 16-bit colors
Size: 4.6 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches
Weight: 4.8 ounces

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