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When will the Toshiba K01 be released in Western hemisphere?

By: , IntoMobile
Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 12:50 AM

I have a confession to make. I’m waiting for the Toshiba K01 to be released to buy one. Yap, I want a Windows Mobile phone. There are few reasons for that:

  1. I like connecting my Bluetooth keyboard to the phone. HID profile which is required for connecting such input devices is not supported in Android.
  2. I want a device with large screen that actually makes sense connecting an external keyboard – Toshiba K01 rocks a 4.1-inch WVGA display.
  3. I also want a side-sliding keyboard for those moments when I’m standing and there’s no room for a separate keyboard – so the HTC HD2 is out.
  4. We lack a dedicated WinMo person on IntoMobile and Will wants me to be one.

So I’m not sure what’s stopping Toshiba from finally launching the device? We’ve seen it back in February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and then afterwards it got the FCC approval and was announced for Japan (I think it’s selling now).

To be fair, Toshiba said the K01 is coming in the second half of the year and I’m hoping they don’t plan to miss “back to school” sales. Not for their sake, but for my own selfish reasons – I can’t wait anymore. :)

On a similar note, I really don’t dig other handset makers. High-end users who end up as brand evangelists want a phone that packs both large screen and QWERTY keyboard. After the iPhone was launched, many companies “forgot” to add keyboards on phones with such displays. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S Pro is more of an exception than rule…

But I digress. So I ask Toshiba publicly – when will the K01 be released? Don’t hesitate to put me on a trial list folks. I’ll love you for that. :)

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About The Author

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.