NTT DoCoMo has launched its first dual-network 3G handset, the N900iL. Besides talking to the company's 3G FOMA network, it speaks Wi-Fi, too.
NTT DoCoMo has announced its first dual-network handset, dubbed the N900iL. Besides supporting DoCoMo's FOMA network, it supports VoIP on Wi-Fi, too.
 | The N900iL supports both 3G and Wi-Fi networks
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The somewhat hefty N900iL weighs 120 grams and measures 102 x 48 x 27 mm when the clamshell design is opened. It sports a 320 x 240 pixel 16-bit color TFT display as well as a small external color STN display for caller ID. Not surprisingly it includes a 1 megapixel digital camera for both still images and video. It also includes a miniSD slot for data storage.
The main attraction of the N900iL, however, is its dual-network support. The phone includes a new "Passage Duple" system designed to seamlessly switch between acting as a 3G FOMA handset or a Voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone while connected to an 802.11b Wi-Fi network. Users will be able to prioritize the phone for either Wi-Fi or FOMA access, depending on which network they favor if both are available. The phone also includes a web browser that runs with either network connection.
The phone also comes with a "presence function," which indicates the status of the called party when a call is made between two N900iL handsets registered in the same wireless LAN network. The caller can use the onscreen presence function in order to immediately confirm whether the called party is on line, off line, in a meeting, and so forth. The phone also supports instant messaging between N99iL handsets on a Wi-Fi network.
The N900iL is expected to ship this fall in Japan, although not through retail channels. DoCoMo plans to sell the N900iL through its business channels only. Pricing information was not available.
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