14 DAY TRIAL // PUMA AG and Sagem Wireless announced on Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the launch of a new mobile handset that features a design like no other, the PUMA PHONE. According to the duo, the new device is expected to become available for purchase in April, and will bring forth unique on-board features and technology, as well as new user interface. The new handset has been completely custom designed from the inside out, and is meant to encourage an active way of life.
“Just as PUMA is unlike any other sportlifestyle company out there, the PUMA PHONE is unlike any mobile phone on the market,” said Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA. “We want to engage with our community in a way that is consistent with everything PUMA stands for. Blending together the influences of sport, lifestyle and fashion, the PUMA PHONE reflects the joy, spontaneity and individuality that the PUMA brand is known for.”
The specifications list of the new device includes an integrated solar cell, a 2.8-inch thumbable touchscreen display that boasts a (240 x 320 pixel) QVGA resolution, a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash, VGA video call camera, built-in GPS receiver, MMS and SMS support, as well as mobile email client and mobile web mail notifications, compass, geotagging, routing and mapping capabilities, Internet browsing, FM radio, music and video players, and Bluetooth and USB 2.0 connectivity options.
The new PUMA PHONE comes with support for HSPA and W-CDMA/EDGE/GPRS/GSM frequencies, and includes a battery that can deliver up to 5 hours of talk time or up to 350 hours of stand-by time (140 minutes video call time; 24 hours music player time; 5 hours video player time). The handset measures 102mm x 56mm x 13mm and weighs in at 115g weight, while sporting a tablet form factor, the company notes. The mobile phone is expected to become available for purchase in Europe in April this year via mobile network operators, as well as via PUMA's online store, and should reach other markets later on.
Thierry Buffenoir, CEO of Sagem Wireless, commented, “With PUMA engaged in projects such as the United Nation's Environment Programme, values such as sustainability are at the core of everything it does. From the very first concepts for the PUMA PHONE therefore, it was clear that we would need to marry a unique user experience with real technology innovation to design and develop a device that delivered on the PUMA promise. Using the device to directly connect with the PUMA community through services such as live sports feeds and mCommerce, the PUMA PHONE delivers not only a rich PUMA experience, but uses technology such as integrated solar cells to deliver it in a way that is completely consistent with PUMA's values.”