T-Mobile Launches Ameo with VGA Display and QWERTY Keyboard

Today T-Mobile Germany announced the upcoming availability of the Ameo, a Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC phone/computer that the company co-developed with HTC and is based on the HTC Athena reference design. The phone portion of the Ameo is capable of connecting to 2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA networks, all four GSM/GPRS/EDGE network bands, and 802.11b/g WiFi networks. Bluetooth 2.0 support is also on-board. The Ameo also offers a lot of computing power thanks to a built-in 8GB hard disk, a 624MHz Intel Bulverde processor, and a internal GPS module. Multimedia capabilities include built-in stereo speakers, a 3 megapixel auto-focus digital camera, and the ability to power presentation projectors directly from the Ameo.

One of the more novel aspects of the Ameo, however, is its detachable keyboard. The keyboard attaches with a magnetic connector. It is unclear whether or not the keyboard can be used with the Ameo when both are attached to the Ameo’s protective leather case. Considering the large VGA (640×480) resolution touchscreen, a leather case doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. A built-in “G Sensor” will not only allow the Ameo user to scroll on-screen pages with hand gestures, but will also enable the Ameo to automatically save data if it detects that it is falling.

T-Mobile Germany also states that the Ameo is compatible with both Microsoft’s Direct Push and RIM’s BlackBerry push email based solutions. This, when matched with the Ameo’s great connectivity options, should make the device a very powerful mobile office platform.

Full specifications for the Ameo are not yet available. T-Mobile Germany says that the Ameo will be available come March, and will sell for 499.95EUR with a new 2 year “Relax 100″ contract.

News by Michael Oryl (editor)