LONDON: The newest group of seven handsets using the LiMo platform has been announced by the LiMo Foundation. The handsets even include one from Motorola with an Arabic keypad. The LiMo platform is the industry’s first collaboratively developed Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. It competes against the market leader Symbian, which has just decided to embrace an open-source model, and of course against Microsoft Windows Mobile. Later this year Google’s Android software will compete in the same space.
There are now 21 mobile handset models available using the LiMo Platform. Several of the latest LiMo handsets include advanced enabling features that herald the forthcoming Mobile 2.0 experience for global consumers. These include international 3G/High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) roaming capabilities, Global Positioning System (GPS), mobile TV and advanced video streaming, secure payment and advanced mail functionalities — all presented through higher-resolution displays and intuitive user interfaces. More details on the new LiMo devices can be found through the Handsets section of www.limofoundation.org.
The new Motorola model — the company’s seventh LiMo handset — combines a high-quality phone and camera experience. The MotoZine ZN5 uses Motorola’s “ModeShift” interface with Kodak imaging technology. The handset is already available in China and will roll out globally. This handset is built to shoot. Its ultra-fast 5-megapixel camera has auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory and optimized settings for low-light environments. Using Kodak Perfect Touch Technology, images become brighter and more vivid on the spot. Multiple capture modes, like multi-shot and panorama, automatically stitch together continuous shots taken on the horizon line into a single, extended image.
But don’t think this handset isn’t a good phone. The ZN5’s ModeShift, a man-machine interface (MMI), changes according to the phone’s mode. The ZN5’s modes include telephony, photo-videography and media playback. In telephony mode, the ZN5 features Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology to help callers hear and be heard, even in noisy environments. With dual compatibility for GSM and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), users can connect in more areas around the world and enjoy high-speed wireless connections to surf the Web via a full HTML browser. To complete the communications experience, ZN5 also supports SMS, MMS, IM and personal e-mail.