Toshiba TG02 Gets FCC Approval

The FCC has signed off on the Toshiba TG02, a smartphone that has yet to be formally announced. This reveals a few details on this model, which is expected to be well supplied with high-end features.

According to the documents filed with the FCC, the TG02 will be a GSM phone with 3G in the European/Asia frequencies. In addition, it will have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a GPS receiver. However, at this point, all other details are being kept from the public at Toshiba's request.

A Noble Lineage
Obviously, this model will be the follow-up to the Toshiba TG01, a Windows phone available now in Europe.

Exactly how the upcoming device will be different from its predecessor is not yet clear, as the original didn't leave much room for improvement -- it sports a 4.1-inch, WVGA (800 by 480 pixel) resistive Touchscreen and a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. That still puts it near the cutting edge.

One possibility is a move from a resistive Touchscreen to a capacitive one, following a general trend in smartphones.

And the Operating System Is...
The TG01 launched with Windows Mobile 6.1 and was later upgraded to version 6.5. Windows Mobile 7 is expected to be unveiled next month, but not be released for quite some time, so the TG02 is likely to debut with version 6.5.

However, there is another possibility: the Android OS. Toshiba is a member of the Open Handset Alliance, the Google-led group responsible for this operating system. Only companies actively working on Android-based devices are allowed to join, and so far Toshiba hasn't announced any products running this OS.

Simply taking the TG01, giving it a capacitive screen, and porting the Android OS onto it would be a relatively easy project, and would result in a device likely to draw a great deal of attention because of its large display, fast processor, and popular operating system.

Source: FCC