Hop-on Inc., the US
affordable mobile phones manufacturer, revealed its latest creation, the HOP1900 handset, said to be a disposable cell phone for children, teens and seniors. Also called "The Graffiti", the handset comes for the price of $50.00, free of contract.
As presented on the
Hop-on website, HOP1900 is a Tri-mode 1900MHz CDMA phone that measures 112 x 46 x 17 millimeters, has a standard Li-Ion 720
mAh battery and can provide up to 3 hours of talk time as well as a standby time of 240 hours. Well, that's good for a disposable device. Furthermore, the disposable handset has a Phone Book that can store 100 entries, speed-dial features (up to 90 locations), 12 ring tones, an embedded antenna, it is TTY compatible (helping the hearing impaired) and has an optional GPS module - for those in need of location-based services. Well, that's also good.
What I didn't mention is the kind of display the phone has. And here comes the stunning feature: HOP1900 doesn't have any kind of display! Or at least that's what its website says and that's what we can see in the phone's pictures. Now, how can a user, a normal user, rely on a mobile phone that lacks a display? And how could a teenager - since the phone is targeted for them too - can be happy with such a device when all teens want from a mobile phone is SMS, MMS, music and games? I can't really answer these questions.
The Hop-on website says the Graffiti phone was sold-out in "15-20" Walgreens stores, in just a few hours. Quite confusing info, considering the fact that the device is said to work on
Verizon Wireless' Open Network that is not launched and will not be until the second half of 2008. So then, who and why bought the phones in such a rush?... Maybe Santa did, to give them as Christmas presents, reckoning they're toys and thinking 50 bucks is not much for all those buttons the device has.
Too bad I don't live in the US, because I'd go right away to a Walgreens store and buy the phone, to see it, touch it and talk on it. That is, if I manage to dial any number... because I'm not used to dialing without seeing what I'm typing. And I believe no one is.
I don't really know if we should take this phone as a serious product or not. The web is full of specifications about it, but no one actually tried the phone to say it exists. Santa, can you enlighten us?
