Two white-label handset makers announced new gadgets geared to operators keen to offer the latest Android or Windows Mobile phones under their own brand. AnyData's new ASP-318 and the ASP-518 phones (both running Microsoft's Windows Mobile) and Inbrics' M1 (running Android) will be on display at the upcoming Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain.
The companies' original design manufacturer efforts come as little surprise. Indeed, smartphone stalwart HTC got its start offering white-label products to the world's wireless carriers, an effort that eventually blossomed into HTC pushing its own brand straight to consumers via advanced Windows Mobile and Android smartphones.
First up, AnyData described its new ASP-318 as a "low cost and affordable" Windows Mobile smartphone that sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen, GPS and support for GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands. The phone will be commercially available in the second quarter under the iMedia smartphone brand. Meantime, AnyData's ASP-518 sports support for CDMA and GSM networks and offers Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional, GPS navigation, WiFi and 4 GB of memory. It is currently marketed by China Telecom under the Phillips brand.
"Our carrier customers desire high-end and entry-level smartphones that they can brand and provide a compelling multimedia experience for smartphone applications," crowed Soon B. Shin, CEO of AnyData, a privately held company based in Irvine, Calif., that sells wireless gewgaws in 43 countries.
Separately, South Korea-based Inbrics showed off its Android-powered M1, which features WiFi, an AMOLED touchscreen that slides to reveal a full Qwerty keyboard, GPS, 16 GB of internal memory and other advanced features (including, according to the company, support for "3G or WiMAX").
Inbrics said it plans to introduce the MID M1 in Europe through both "fixed and wireless carriers" beginning in 2010 or early 2011. The company confirmed the phone will be sold under another, still-undetermined brand. Inbrics currently has partnerships with global carriers and manufacturers including T-Mobile, SK Telecom, Korea Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Celcom, Samsung, LG, and Kyocera.
For more:
- see this AnyData release
- see this Inbrics release
Related Articles:
Strategy Analytics: Smartphone sales charged back in Q4
AnyData's Fierce 15 listing