The iWOW i976 isn’t much to look at (Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera, and a GSM/iDEN hard switch), but push-to-talk really trumps just about everything else in an iDEN phone, including style. Nextel tends to stick with Motorola, with the occasional BlackBerry thrown in, for their iDEN needs, but it’s interesting to see a new manufacturer take on the challenge. I haven’t heard of iWOW before, and from the looks of things they typically stick to inftastructure and chip work, but maybe they’re getting their feet wet with handsets now. iWOW has done some stuff with near-field communication as well, so maybe that’s something we’ll see in their next handset. In any case, if you’re holding out to grab the i976, it will unfortunately be going international rather than a domestic U.S. launch.
[via EngadgetMobile]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement.
With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.