BT shows a smartphone tablet prototype

UK TELECOM GIANT BT has unveiled the prototype of a "smartphone for the home".

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT retail showed off the device, which will have touchscreen and be the same size as a digital photoframe. It will offer voice communication, visual voice-mail, conferencing, email and a web browser. BT claimed that punters will use it when they don't want to boot up a PC, and it expects users to put it in the kitchen.

"It is like a mini-PC with the telephone of the future. Someone also made a reference to it being a bit like the Ipad but it is not," said Patterson. "It is a different size and shape apart from anything else, but it is meant to stay in the home."

Patterson said the concept came from seeing how people use smartphones outside the home. BT wanted to take that functionality and put it on a device inside the home.

We spoke to Dan Thomas, head of corporate media relations at BT, who told the Inquirer, "BT does have an exciting new home device on its way. We expect to make further announcements later in the year and cannot say anything else at this time."

So BT is definitely not planting the term 'Ipad' in our expectations for its "smartphone for the home". µ