mio Windows Mobile Pocket PC news, reviews, tips & tricks

Dec 03 A701 Pocket PC phone coming to Europe first quarter of 2006
Found in: Devices, Mio, Pocket PC,

British online tabloid The Register was 2 times wrong about this phone: firstly they wrote Mio will next week preview the A701, its first GPS-enabled Windows Mobile-based smart phone and it has not (!) happened. Now they write, that The A701 is scheduled to ship mid-December but our sources directly (!) at Mio Technology (division of Mitac) have denied it, saying that it will be released in first quarter of next year.

Clearly all the claims of The Register about exclusivity are false because actually we also published information about A701 Pocket PC phone - that we received directly from Mitac. Furthermore claims about release date are also apparently false if even Mitac staff is denying them. We have impression that all these exclusivity claims are fabricated by The Register - just to pretend that they have exclusive information and to attract visitors.

One is for sure: they were wrong first time and now Mitac staff says that they are also wrong. If A701 indeed will not be available commercially "mid-December" 2005 then we all will have final confirmation of how unreliable source of information The Register really is. Since The Register was in past bashing Microsoft's efforts in mobile phone industry, now one can see that all these writings were not quite correct.

Some highlights about A701 Pocket PC phone:

* it will have slightly different specifications than A700 (Chinese version that is already on sale in Asia) but these differences are not yet officially announced or known
* built-in GPS
* built-in Bluetooth (but no Wi-Fi)
* GSM/GPRS support (but no EDGE or UMTS)
* fast processor: 520 MHz

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Nov 02 AKU2 upgrade for Mio A701 finally released
Found in: Mobile News, Mio,

After long waiting all Mio A701 users now can enjoy the AKU2 upgrade for their Pocket PC phone.

Mio A701 AKU2 update features:

* Microsoft email-push and MSFT technologies
* Voice command and dialling
* Emergency location sms - Location call
* New speed dialer
* Build-in Phone City application
* Operators settings GPRS Configuration tool updates
* And bug fixes

It is available for download here.

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Dec 14 Mio A201 from MiTAC
Found in: Devices, Pocket PC, GPS, Mio,

The Mio A201 has been created with flexibility in mind. As a GPS-ready device, it offers truly portable satellite navigation that fits in your pocket. As a pocket PC, you can also use it to listen to music, play games, store digital photos. And of course you can carry your Outlook Contacts and Calendar.

However, in an unusual move, MiTAC isn't including any mapping software with this handheld. That must be purchased separately. The Mio A201 has a 240-by-320-pixel (QVGA) display and an SD card slot.

This will not be the first Pocket PC from this company, but it will be first with Bluetooth.The Mio A201 runs Windows Mobile 5.0 on a 312 MHz XScale processor. It has 64 MB of RAM and 64 MB of ROM.It has a swiveling GPS antenna located on a hinge on its back, allowing the device to be used in either portrait or landscape mode.

Install whichever GPS software you prefer and let the Mio A201 guide you to your destination. The next-generation SiRF Star III chipset and rotational antenna not only pick up satellite signals faster and hold them better, but also ensure optimal reception in both landscape and portrait positions. And you can connect a Traffic Message Channel (TMC)* antenna to receive up-to-the-minute road information wherever you travel in Europe*.
*Except the UK and France - visit www.mio-tech.be for more information about TMC.

echnically impressive on the inside, the Mio A201 doesn't disappoint on the outside either. The elegant design fits perfectly into your hand, yet it's tough and well built at the same time. Enjoy pocket-sized portability you won't want to leave behind, whatever you're doing. Use it to find your way walking around city centres (and it will always remember where you've parked). Download a route and take it mountain biking or hill walking. Whenever you need to know where you're going, whether you're on a boat, in a plane, on a motorbike...the Mio A201 makes sure you get there.

As a pocket PC the Mio A201 synchronises with Outlook on your desktop, so your calendar and contacts can go with you. Pocket Word and Excel for Windows Mobile 5.0 mean you can keep up with work (if you really want to). And you can also use it to listen to music, play games and store digital photos.

The Mio A201 also comes with built-in Bluetooth connectivity, so you can enjoy a world without wires. Wireless connection with Bluetooth-enabled computers, PDAs and phones makes it easy to exchange files, music and photos.

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Nov 24 Mio A701 / A700 - Pocket PC phone with built-in GPS from MiTAC - Latest News
Found in: Devices, Mio, Pocket PC,

Several months ago some sites were claiming that A701 / A700 will be released "next week" but we knew that it was false information... here is what is really going on - # Mio A700 - a Chinese version of the A701 Pocket PC phone is now on sale in China

Mio A701 is delayed for the European market. It will be available in Q1 2006 or in other words: around March 2006, but for other part of the world will be available mid-December and in the UK late Jan/early Feb at prices ranging between US$597-746.

The A700 will specifically target users in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan as the model features built-in Chinese-version maps of cities in China and Taiwan, according to company president Samuel Wang.

The A700 will also be the company’s first PDA phone to tap the China market since its affiliated company, Mitac Computer (Kunshan), secured a license in September to sell its own-brand handsets in China, Wang added.

Mio expects combined sales of the A700 in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan will total 200,000 in 2006, Wang predicted, adding that Mio also plans to introduce sub-US$300 GPS-enabled PDA phones to the China market in the first quarter of 2006.

Overall, Mitac shipments of smart handheld devices, including smartphones, PDA phones, and GPS-enabled devices, will total about three million units in 2005, up from the 950,000 units it shipped in 2004, Wang stated.

Conclusion: theoretically one could buy Mio A700 in China and import it to USA or Europe but since it is in chinese it could be problematic to use it (unless you know Chinese!).
Some highlights about A700 / A701 Pocket PC phone:
* built-in GPS of 3rd generation (SiRFStar III) - i.e. better than GPS in HP iPAQ hw6515, that is of 2nd generation
* fast processor from Intel of speed 520 MHz
* GSM tri-band with GPRS support (but no EDGE and no UMTS)
* Bluetooth 1.2 (but no Wi-Fi)
* SD card slot (SDIO compatible - so one can use SDIO Wi-Fi cards too)
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May 12 Mio A701 Windows Mobile smartphone GPS capabilities Review
Found in: Reviews, Smartphone, GPS, Mio,

One very detailed review of the Mio A701 Windows Mobile smartphone, with particular emphasis on its GPS performance, has been posted in a discussion forum on GpsPasSion.com. The review includes numerous photos, and side-by-side comparisons with the Eten E500 and Globalsat BT-338.

The Mio A701 smartphone combines GPS, camera, mobile phone, and PDA functions in a very sleek device. The quad-band (GSM/GPRS) smartphone runs Windows Mobile 5.0 on a 520 MHz PXA270 with 192 MB of internal memory. The device sports a 2.7-inch QVGA TFT display and a 1.3 Mpixel camera as well as Bluetooth connectivity. It integrates a "next-generation" SirfStar III GPS receiver.

The GpsPasSion.com reviewer finds that the A701's time-to-first-fix (TTFF) of 12 seconds "clearly stands out" in comparison with the Eten E500 and Globalsat BT-338, probably owing to a feature called SiRFinstantFix (SIF), a form of assisted GPS (AGPS) that downloads ephemeris data over the Internet. According to the review, downloading ephemeris data from the satellites is now the most time consuming part of getting a first fix.

Other tests included performance comparisons inside cars with "coated" and clear windshields. All units exhibited a loss of accuracy behind the coated windshield. The A701 showed "excellent" battery life compared to the other units, according to the review.

You can read the whole review here.

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Jun 07 Mio A702 with GPS and 3.2MP Camera show its face at Computex
Found in: Mio, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile 6 Professional, Devices, Mobile News, GPS,

Computex 2007 has lot of pleasant surprises for us and one of them is Mio A702. It is latest Windows Mobile powered Mio phone and is scheduled for a release sometime in the next half year. Powered by latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional operation system the device includes GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera, a numeric keypad, a scroll wheel, and a microSD slot.

Interesting about Mio A702 is the SiRFstarIII with SiRFinstantFix and the Navsteadi. Navsteadi is a novelty based on SiRFDiRect technology that apparently corrects wandering tracks typical of high-sensitivity GPS chipsets like SiRFstarIII in very degraded environments such as urban canyons, and it appears to be quite efficient.

I wish i had more information for this new Mio smartphone, but that's all for the moment.

Picture by phonedaily

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Mar 19 Mio C520T, C520 and C320 GPS navigation systems announced at Cebit
Found in: GPS, Mio, Devices, Mobile News,

Today, at the annual CeBIT technology trade show, Mio Technology unveiled its latest product range of GPS navigation systems. Three products in the new range - the Mio C320, Mio C520 and Mio C520t - feature the new 4.3 inch widescreen display and split-screen view. All three products feature the latest Tele Atlas maps (2007.1), the MioMap v3 software, as well as other GPS must haves such as free out-of-the-box speed camera alerts and 20 channel SiRFstarIII GPS receiver.

The three ultra-slim widescreen devices also come equipped with a new easy-to-use click-in docking cradle with a more powerful speaker. To enable usage of Traffic Message Channel (TMC) reports, C520t will be supplied with a TMC-enabled version of the cradle (available as accessory for C320 and C520).

As with previous products, Mio users are able to download speed camera database updates for free for one year from the moment of registration, add their own camera locations and share them with other Mio users over the internet.

C320, C520 and C520t: Change the way you travel every day

Building on the success of the Mio Technology's C510E and C710, the C320, C520 and C520t set new navigation standards with the brand-new split-screen view on a widescreen display.

The split-screen view provides more routing information to the driver than ever before without sacrificing map detail. The split-screen displays key journey information, such as time and distance to destination, next four manoeuvres, information about local traffic congestion or selected points of interest (POI) nearby, such as petrol stations. This creates a totally new experience of well-informed, comfortable, trustworthy navigation for the user.

The new series retain the key features that have made Mio products so successful - all in a stunning 2cm deep, slim-line design that still fits snugly into a coat pocket or handbag.


Mio C520T, C520 and C320 GPS navigation systems feature:

* Maps of 22 Western European countries, pre-installed on the internal 1GB flash memory
* New anti-glare 4.3 inch widescreen TFT display
* New split screen view splitting map and journey/POI/TMC information
* New easy-to-use ;click-in;, in-car power cradle design with a powerful speaker (TMC cradle for C520t)
* Larger touch-screen buttons and new predictive keyboard feature for simpler address entry
* Support for TMC
* 400Mhz processor and the SiRFstarIII GPS receiver
* Speed camera warnings out-of-the box, with free updates for one year
* USB 2.0 for fast download connection and SD/MMC card slot for memory expansion
* In addition, the C520 and C520t offer
* Hands-free mobile calling with built-in Bluetooth; wireless technology and microphone
* MP3 player, Photo Viewer, and Calculator

All three GPS devices will be available in April and will be pricedas followrs:

C320 - 349 euro
C520 - 399 euro
C520t - 449 euro

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Sep 12 Mio DigiWalker A702 Windows Mobile GPS phone Launched
Found in: Mio, Windows Mobile, Pocket PC, GPS, Devices, Mobile News,

Mio Technology has announced the DigiWalker A702 Windows Mobile GPS phone back in June and now they have launched it officially. Mio have made from this phone one very good GPS navigation device, as we can see from it good GPS receiver. This new DigiWalker features also Wi-Fi, and impressive 3.2 mp camera camera with auto-focus, but it has it has slow processor and lacks 3G.

Below is the Press Release from Mio Technology

Mio Technology Announces New Mio DigiWalker A702 GPS PDA Phone

3.2 megapixel camera with photo geotagging, business card scanner, GPS navigation and PDA for the business traveler on the move

(September 6, 2007) - A leading maker of GPS devices, Mio Technology, announces today its much anticipated successor to the Mio DigiWalker A701, the sleek Mio DigiWalker A702 GPS PDA phone. The multipurpose A702 features the latest Windowsฎ Mobile 6 Professional operating system. Offering all-in-one capabilities in one compact and slim device, including those of a 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS navigation system, Quad-band phone, and PDA, the A702 is the perfect companion for business users.

3.2 megapixel Camera
Business travelers no longer need to worry about the quality of photos taken with a GPS PDA phone! With a built-in 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, the A702 is ready to capture crisp photos and videos on the go. The A702 is also equipped with geotagging, providing a new approach to taking and sharing photos. Also equipped with a business card scanner function, A702 does away with cumbersome inputting of long business address and contact details. Users can just scan a business card with the built-in camera and the A702 will do the rest. (note)

GPS Navigation
In addition to the latest 20-channel SiRFstarIII GPS receiver, the A702 is also equipped with quick positioning technology, which improves GPS start up times with ephemeris data downloaded via Wi-Fi or GPRS. Whether traveling on a train, automobile or on foot, users can know where they are at all times and plan the quickest routes to their intended destination. Turn-by-turn directions, visualized instructions and detailed maps, allow users to navigate a new city with ease and locate restaurants and other establishments via the Points of Interest (POI) search feature.

Windows Mobile 6 Professional
Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system offers new usability, manageability and security improvements not found on previous versions. It also offers a new more authentic PC-like Microsoft Office experience on mobile communication devices with the new mobile versions of Outlook, Office Word, Office Excel and Office PowerPoint. It also features Windows Live for Windows Mobile, providing access to Windows LiveT services.

Connectivity
The A702 helps users stay connected on the move with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Whether synchronizing with other Bluetooth devices, such as a hands-free headset, or staying connected with business contacts and colleagues via Wi-Fi, the A702 will help users stay productive and informed.

Specifications:

CPU : 200 MHz (TI OMAP 850)
GPS Chipset : 20-channel SiRFstarIII
Camera : 3.2 megapixel with autofocus and LED flash
GSM Networks : GSM Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900), GPRS, EDGE
Display : 2.7" Anti-glare TFT
Wi-Fi : 802.11b+g
Bluetooth : V2.0
USB : V1.1
Memory Slot : MicroSD, support HCSD
Dimensions : 110 x 57.5 x 16.5mm
Weight : 148 g

You can find more information about Mio DigiWalker A702 Windows Mobile GPS phone here.

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Mar 03 Mio Explora K70 GPS Windows Mobile Handset
Found in: Windows Mobile, Pocket PC, Smartphones, GPS, Mio, Explora K70,

And to think MWC 2009 showed us the best of the bests mobile handset devices, here comes a direct challenger to Garmin Nuviphone, get ready to drool.
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Mar 19 Mio H610 GPS receiver with MP3 and Video Player announced
Found in: Mobile News, Devices, GPS, Mio,

After the release of Mio P350 and Mio P550 at CeBIT Mio has officially announced its H610, a GPS receiver that also has a video player and MP3 player on board. The Mio DigiWalker H610 is a portable device with a touch-screen display providing an intuitive interface that allows users to control navigation features in every kind of situation even while driving.

Mio DigiWalker H610 Features :

* GPS Receiver (SiRFStar III) with internal antenna

* CPU: Samsung S3C2440 (400 Mhz)

* Windows CE.net 4.2

* 2,7″ transflective screen with a resolution of 320*240 (65k colors)

* 64MB RAM

* Port : MMC-SD I/O

* MP3 Player (18h battery life)

* Video player


Mio H610 GPS receiver will have 24 European countries maps preinstalled from TeleAtlas and a city guide system.

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