First WiMo satphone launches

TERRESTAR CORP, a rather low-profile mobile communications company, has launched the first WiMo satphone, the *ugh* Terrestar Satellite/Terrestrial PDA Phone.

The device, sourced from Finnish company Elektrobit, sports dual-mode operation with terrestrial quad-band - all the usual suspects - and satellite WCDMA/HSDPA at 2.2GHz. We've a strong suspicion there's an Infineon X-Gold chip in there somewhere providing the sat comms, as the companies had celebrated a deal earlier in the year to integrate such a device with Infineon's technology.

The Terrestar S/T PDA Phone will be available through AT&T as part of a Satphone deal that has now launched - literally, as the first of two planned satellites was put into orbit just yesterday. However, unfortunately, you won't see this service in regions outside North America.

Satellite coverage is restricted to Canada and the US, including Alaska, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Unless you're in a remote area, these are already covered by AT&T's terrestrial network.

The handset, apart from its Satphone credentials, looks and acts like a standard WiMo 6.5 smartphone. A 2.6-inch 320x240 touchscreen lets you finger the device while the 38-button QWERTY keyboard lets you thumb away on Live Messenger while upstreaming it to your satellite connection, If you're so inclined.

That reminds us - when you link up with the satellite, the comms will suck your handset battery dry within just 1.3 hours of use.

You can find the full device specifications at Elektrobit. µ