Fujitsu has launched what is claimed to be the world's smallest Windows PC / smartphone. Available only in Japan at the time of writing, the new F-07C phone has two modes of operation - one which gives users all we've come to expect from a modern smartphone, and another that launches a full version of Windows 7 to offer personal computing in the palm of your hand. It's powered by an Intel Atom processor, has system memory and solid state storage, and benefits from a slide-out tactile keyboard.
Earlier this year we featured the Magic W3 microcomputer, a handheld computer that also happened to include mobile phone capabilities. Now Fujitsu has unveiled its Windows 7 F-07C mobile phone, a smartphone that's also a PC.
When in smartphone mode, the F-07C behaves much as you would expect a smartphone to behave, supporting the latest NTT DOCOMO services such as i-mode mail, as well as Osaifu-Keitai, i-channel, i-concier, and Oazukari Service for mobile phone data. At the push of a button, though, the device revs up the Intel Atom Z600 processor running at 1.2GHz (note: the Magic W3 features an Atom X530 processor running at 1.6GHz) and boots up a full version of the Japanese edition of Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit (with SP1 already applied).
The phone comes with a 2-year license for Microsoft Office Personal 2010, which includes Word, Excel and Outlook, to satisfy any productivity wants, and also includes Internet Explorer 9. Rather than the onscreen keying of the Magic W3, the F-07C features a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard with trackball for basic mouse cursor control.
There's also a 4-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel resolution touchscreen LCD screen sporting 262,144 colors, a 5.1 megapixel CMOS sensor camera, 1GB of LPDDR400 system memory, 32GB eMMC SSD storage, and microSD/SDHC expansion support. As well as FOMA 3G, the phone also has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR wireless capabilities. Its battery is said to offer 600 hours in standby, 370 minutes continuous talk time in voice mode, or 170 minutes in videophone mode.
With 4.92 x 2.4 x 0.77-inch (125 x 61 x 19.8 mm) dimensions and weighing 7.68 ounces (218 g) including the battery, the F-07C is both lighter and smaller than the Magic W3. For my money, it also wins in the looks department, too.
Physical connectivity to peripherals or big screen televisions/monitors is via a USB/HDMA cradle, which is sold separately.
