Telepong's Voiceless Cellular Device

When is a cell phone not a cell phone? Apparently, when it gives you all the bells and whistles of a high-end mobile unit without voice services. Swiss-based Telepong says this mobile terminal is aimed at the "tweens" market who mainly use their phones for non-voice-apps like text messaging and gaming. Telepong recently completed the prototyping phase of its first voiceless handset with its partner Flextronics Inc. and expects to start production in the first quarter of 2002. The company isn't yet sure whether it will launch the product in North America. The Telepong device runs on a Linux-based operating system and has a GPRS module, a 65K color display and a WAP 1.2.1. browser. It's EMS enabled and comes with a camera interface and a joy stick for embedded games. It also gives you an organizer, a sound composer and messenger, and polyphone ring tones. The proposed pricing is under Euro 350. We just never talk anymore.