14 DAY TRIAL // From the mobile industry perspective, the 2008 edition of CES is clearly a successful one, and it couldn't have been otherwise since all the big names are there with impressive presentations. UTSarcom, the US communication giant, is also presenting its latest products and, among them, a unique mobile phone has been spotted.
Called UTStarcom HSM 180, the device is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE handset that also works on DCS 1800, PCS 1900 and HSDPA 2100. It has an integrated MP3 player, and no wonder, since it looks like one (well, a magnified one, but still). The phone comes in an oval case, resembling Helio Ocean's, but being much longer. Instead of packing a normal keypad, HSM 180 has two circular keypads like the ones used on old telephones. The upper one has 6 numeric keys, while the lower one has 4 numeric keys, plus the "*" and "#" buttons, and that's about all. Above the keypads we have a circular screen, which is the single screen the phone has.
While the device's design is very interesting, I'm not sure about how practical this phone can be. First of all, its round display is way too small, considerably limiting the navigation possibilities. Also, with such a tiny display, it's obvious that Internet browsing is an undesirable experience. That is if the phone supports browsing, because there are no details to confirm this ability. There are no details about any built-in camera either, but from the picture we're 99.99% sure the phone lacks one.
We don't know yet if this UTStarcom unique device will be commercially available or if it's just a concept. However, if the producer would somehow integrate a bigger display in the handset and a photo camera, the ovaloid HSM 180 has some good chances to becoming a popular mobile phone.