Motorola launches MING smart phone
March 19th, 2006 - Posted in Motorola, Other
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), a global leader in wireless communications, today announced the name for its newest and most advanced smart phone, the Motorola MING (previously announced as the A1200), and confirmed that units are already shipping to distributors in Hong Kong.
MING, a clamshell phone with Linux® software, bears an innovative clear flip-cover and an antenna-free profile, combines svelte design, business features, and a high-resolution two mega pixel camera into a package designed to appeal to users who don’t mind looking good while getting things done.
MING also deepens Motorola’s handset portfolio based on the Linux OS— further demonstrating Motorola’s commitment to driving Linux innovation across the company’s mobile device spectrum.
Naming MING
“The name MING was chosen to resonate more deeply with people in Hong kong than a traditional model name or number can,” said Terence Ma, director of sales, Mobile Devices Business, Motorola Hong Kong. “Like the design and usability of the phone itself, MING will help bring our smart phones into entirely new market segments.”
The Chinese character “ming” is formed by combining the ideographs representing the sun and the moon. “Ming” means bright, clear, overt or open, clear-sighted, and to understand.
“There were many aspects of this product that inspired us to name it MING,” said Terence Ma. “The bright display, the clear flip cover, the high-resolution camera, the superb handwriting recognition, and the features designed to keep the life of an executive clear and comprehensible truly make MING the unifying concept of this device.”
The Pocket Office Suite
Motorola designers and engineers spent considerable time studying the lifestyles of executives in Hong Kong, and many of MING’s innovative features are a direct result:
MING contains a clear-crystal flip cover which allows executives to view reminders and appointments without opening the phone.
* The two megapixel camera found on MING allowed engineers to incorporate a business card scanner and optical-character recognition software.
MING incorporates the industry’s leading Chinese handwriting recognition software, now upgraded to recognize Pinyin input.
* The hands-free speakerphone with voice dialing found on MING is designed to fit the multi-tasking lifestyle of modern Chinese executives.
MING also features a customized suite of productivity software including a document viewer, POP3 e-mail, a calendar and task list, and a contact manager that allows attachment of photos and contact-specific ring-tones.
For productivity breaks, MING incorporates a music player, an FM-Stereo radio receiver, and Bluetooth® wireless technology that can drive compatible Bluetooth-enabled stereo headphones and other compatible Motorola Bluetooth accessories already available at retailers.
MING utilizes the Intel® Xscale® architecture and the Intel PXA270 application processor to enable its exceptional multimedia capabilities and application performance without compromising battery life requirements. The processor’s advanced architecture and performance provide MING users with a rich user experience while running a variety of applications that suit their individual lifestyles.
“Intel and Motorola have both demonstrated their commitment to delivering innovative, full-featured mobile devices,” said Ian Yang, Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Asia Pacific Sales and Marketing Group. “Using Intel XScale based processor technology, the new MING provides Motorola customers with the advanced and exhilarating features they want, in an elegant, fashionable and functional design.”
Pricing and Availability
MING will be available at Motorola authorized retailers soon. For more information on product availability and pricing please visit www.motorola.com/hk or contact your local Motorola representative.