mobileu.co.uk

First Else iPhone killer goes beyond smartphones

A new device said to "revolutionise" the mobile experience and go beyond smartphones has been unveiled by Emblaze Mobile. The First Else handset runs a new operating system, Else Intuition, which builds on Access Software's Linux Platform.

Touted as yet another potential "iPhone killer", the manufacturers of the device say it focuses on mobile apps rather than standard mobile phone functions.

With a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen, a five-megapixel camera, WiFi and GPS, the First Else features the same processor and graphics accelerator as the Palm Pre. It also has an audio call log to play back recent calls, a conference call generator to set up multiple user calls and a noise cancellation facility to eliminate background noise.

Emblaze chief executive Amir Kupervas told attendees at the device's London unveiling that it will match users' experience of dedicated gadgets like the Apple iPod.

"We are not a phone," he added to V3.co.uk. "When you're using an application, the entire device becomes that application, so it delivers the same experience as best-of-breed dedicated devices."

The First Else is due to hit shelves in January and details on pricing and possible network operators have yet to be released.