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Overview:
For all the hoopla surrounding high-end mobile devices such as Apple's iPhone, the low end of the market can often tell an equally important story, at least in the engineering realm. Motorola's F3 FONE is one such entry-level example, and Portelligent performed a teardown on the dual-band GSM FONE shortly after its release to see what innovation was happening in the emerging market handset segment.
Quietly launched initially in rural India, the F3 FONE is aimed mostly at first-time cell users in markets offering low-cost prepaid or monthly service. We examine a lot of product - including low-cost devices - and quite often a declining price tag equates to a declining feel of product quality. Not so for the FONE. An innovative display, a thin 9mm form-factor case and a general feeling of robustness stand out. Still, the F3 delivers basic communications while still featuring downloadable ringtones and multi-lingual voice-help which partially compensates for the lack of a rich menu-driven interface and printed instructions. Overall, the F3 walks the razor's edge separating inexpensive and just plain cheap and kudos to Motorola for designing an up-market feel into an entry-level device.
Use this OnDemand seminar to find out:
- Who Moto chose for the single-chip phone design
- How the unique electrophoretic display works and how it compares to the competition
- What component choices were made to achieve an effective yet low-cost cellphone
- How the thin profile was achieved using advanced materials
- And much more!
Who should attend:
Designers of highly integrated, low-cost consumer devices and systems, particularly handsets.
Presenter:
David Carey
David Carey is President of Portelligent. The Austin, Texas company produces teardown reports and related industry research on Wireless, Mobile, and Personal Electronics. (www.teardown.com)
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