CeBIT 2006: audio interview with John Chin - director of mobile communication division of Mitac International
March 14, 2006 [Pocket PC phone] | By Edward J. R.
Couple years ago Mitac was making Microsoft smartphones and then we haven't heard anything new from Mitac - when it comes to Windows Mobile phones - smartphones or Pocket PC phones - but now - after achieving big success with their GPS navigation systems - Mitac is back in Windows Mobile phones business big time!
Mitac is selling now 2 Pocket PC phones with built-in GPS - A700 (for Asia) and A701 (for Europe) - under their daughter company "Mio Technology" but they are open to sell them also under operator brands (i.e. branded by wireless carriers).
(on image above: John Chin, Director, Mobile Communication Pro. Biz. Unit Sales Div., he holds in his hands A701 to the left and A700 to the right)
In this very very detailed (1 hour and 36 minutes) interview we discuss all issues related to Windows Mobile phones from Mitac.
To listen to this audio interview click here  .
Here are some selected highlights from this interview (full transcript will be published later):
- Mitac is focused on Windows Mobile phones with built-in GPS and has no plans (now) to launch phones without GPS.
- A700 was launched in Asia in January 2006, A701 will be launched around April 2006 in Europe
- Mitac has no plans (yet) to launch their phones in USA
- Mitac offers external accessory for TMC support that connects over Bluetooth for A700 and A701 phones
- in China the A700 phone is offered with Mitac's own navigation software (here on screenshot: selection of maps - China or Taiwan):
... with map data of Hong Kong (full coverage), Taiwan (full coverage) and China (partial coverage, biggest cities - now top 50, soon: top 100)
In this audio interview you can hear (!) this navigation software in Chinese (Mandarin)!
- in Europe the A701 will be bundled with some navigation software with maps, but also it will be sold without maps cheaper for around 540 euro)
- the main website of European part of Mio division of Mitac is www.mio-tech.be - it is not just a Belgium division, but European main site of Mio Technology (a daughter company of Mitac)
- plans of Mitac with regard to cooperation with mobile operators (wireless carriers) are discussed
- competition with HTC is discussed
- possibility to use Samsung processors in Pocket PC phones from Mitac is discussed (Mitac uses these processors in Pocket PC PDAs - not phones - already)
- future Windows Mobile phones from Mitac are discussed, including UMTS, EDGE and cooperation with mobile operators
The stand of Mitac / Mio Technology at CeBIT is located in Hall 11, Stand F54 - so feel free to visit it, if you are interested! Hall 11 is specialized in GPS systems, so naturally their stand is in this hall because they make also a lot of GPS systems.
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