Elektrobit smartphone changes our idea of satellite phones

Elektrobit is a Finnish brand “specialized in demanding embedded software and hardware solutions for automotive and wireless technologies”. It took another Finnish company, Nokia as a model, and announced a phone, with the untypical name of “EB Satellite/Terrestrial Reference PDA Phone”. The name says it clearly: this is a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone that in addition to the quad-band GSM and dual-band U.S.-bound UMTS, is designed to be compatible with the TerreStar satellite network. Unfortunately, it hasn’t launched yet, so you’d have to wait a while if you want this satellite phone. It is touted not only for the great features (including a 2.6” display and a QWERTY keyboard) and the standard dimension (untypical for satellite phone), but also for the price, which is said to be competitive with regular cell phones.

source: Elektrobit (PDF) via Gizmodo