Android phone features eight-Mpixel camera, analog TV

By Eric Brown
2010-06-02

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Taiwanese mobile development firm Innocomm Mobile Technology and Silicon Valley fabless semiconductor firm Telegent Systems have collaborated on a low-cost Android phone with analog TV reception. The Innocomm Shark is equipped with a 3.2 inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, eight-megapixel camera, 3.5G connectivity, and WiFi, and incorporates Telegent's analog mobile TV technology.

The Shark will be available "at a price significantly lower than current comparable models," says Telegent, which announced the phone despite the Innocomm name on the product. The phone will be available in Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe, according to a statement made by Innocomm's president (see farther below).

Innocomm Shark

Telegent supplied no processor or memory details about the Innocomm Shark, which offers an odd mix of high and low end features. For example, the phone is said to be equipped with a smallish 3.2 inch WVGA (800x480) touchscreen -- although it does offer capacitive touch technology -- but there's also a high-end eight-megapixel autofocus camera.

Another view of the Innocomm Shark
(Click to enlarge)

There is no mention of GPS, Bluetooth, audio jacks, and other standard issue Android features, although one imagines that an audio jack, at least, will be available for such a TV-focused phone. Telegent does mention a microSD slot and WiFi, however, as well as 3.5G connectivity. The latter appears to refer to the HSUPA embedded modem modules developed by Innocomm.

The key differentiator here is Telegent's free-to-air mobile analog TV technology. The Shark also lets users record TV clips from the tuner to a microSD card, says Telegent.

According to Telegent, the company has shipped more than 80 million mobile TV receivers since 2007. In Asian markets in particular, however, digital mobile TV is becoming a regular feature on smartphones, and in fact, the Shark will eventually gain a digital TV capability, says Telegent.

Stated Samuel Sheng, president and CEO, Telegent, "Innocomm's new model will provide carriers who are leveraging analog TV as a strategic differentiator to deliver a compelling offering in the high end smartphone category."

Stated Paul Wang, President at Innocomm, "The combination of analog TV with Android's feature-rich platform allows us to deliver both operator and consumer extraordinary value in markets in Asia, Latin America and parts of Europe."

Availability

The Innocomm Shark will be made available for a low price in Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe, says Innocomm. No details were provided on timing.

Telegent will demonstrate its mobile device technologies at this week's Computex event through June 5 at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, Taiwan, suites #1032 and 1033.

A minimalist page on the Shark may be found at Innocomm, here. More information on Telegent may be found at its website, here.

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