New Converged Mobile Device Maker Velocity Mobile Launches at CTIA Wireless 2008

- Company Combines Smartphone Design Expertise and Manufacturing Muscle, Showcasing New Devices with High-End Features and Mass Consumer Appeal

Velocity Mobile, a collaboration between one of the world's largest notebook computer manufacturers and a team of veteran wireless designers and engineers, today announced that it is showcasing its first Microsoft Windows Mobile phones at CTIA Wireless 2008. With an emphasis on ease-of-use, sleek and attractive design, and high-end features, Velocity Mobile aims to shift the way people view and use smartphones, combining Western design philosophy and Eastern manufacturing efficiencies to bring no-compromise experiences and value to consumers.

"People want more from their mobile phones, but they still point to price, design, and performance as their top priorities when they walk into the store," said David Hayes, president and managing director, Velocity Mobile. "When it comes to building mobile devices that really engage and excite consumers, however, compromise in any of these three crucial areas is a major turn-off. Velocity Mobile was created with the goal to finally eliminate these tradeoffs and bring leading-edge smartphones to the mass consumer market."

Velocity Mobile's core leadership team collectively has nearly forty years' experience in innovative mobile engineering, design, sales and marketing, and is working in collaboration with Inventec Corporation, one of the world's top three original design manufacturers (ODMs) for notebook computers with revenues of more than US$8 billion in 2007. Together, the two companies share a vision for mobility that is powerful and innovative yet intuitive and familiar -- all at a great value for consumers. The first Velocity Mobile smartphones, the Velocity 103 and Velocity 111, are currently being demonstrated at CTIA Wireless 2008 (Meeting Room MR 191).

"Velocity Mobile is driven by the understanding that people want compelling mobile experiences, not merely applications and functions," said Kirk Suen, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Business Unit of Inventec Corporation. "Our new smartphones will deliver in the areas you would expect such as design and power, but fuse those elements with a simple and intuitive user interface so there are no compromises, making the Windows Mobile experience relevant and accessible to the broadest possible audience."

"The phone market has traditionally been divided by a notion that consumers and corporate workers have completely different needs," said Sanjay Chheda, vice president at Microsoft. "The truth is that everyone is a person looking for great experiences built on a platform that works for all your life's needs, whether they're work-related or just for fun. Velocity Mobile is a company that understands this desire, and we're excited to partner with them and underscore the strength and flexibility of Windows Mobile."

"Demand for full-featured, low-cost devices such as those Velocity Mobile is bringing to market are testimonial to the fact that wireless consumers are expecting more from their devices," added Alex Katouzian, vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "By using Qualcomm chipsets, Velocity smartphones deliver worldwide 3G connectivity, integrated GPS and a fantastic multimedia experience at prices that appeal to mainstream consumers."

Featuring Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, high-resolution screens, ample memory and much more, Velocity Mobile's first devices significantly raise the bar for smartphones in their class. Specifications of the Velocity 103 include:


-- Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
-- Qualcomm Mobile Station Modem(TM) (MSM(TM)) MSM7201(TM) chipset
-- GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
-- UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850, 1900 (1700), 2100
-- 640x480 VGA touch screen
-- 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM
-- Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS
-- 2.0 megapixel camera, 0.3 megapixel videoconferencing camera
-- TV/VGA out
-- MicroSD expansion slot

Specifications of the Velocity 111 include:

-- Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
-- Qualcomm MSM7201(TM) chipset
-- QWERTY keyboard
-- GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
-- UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850, 1900 (1700), 2100
-- 320x240 QVGA touch screen
-- 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM
-- Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS
-- 2.0 megapixel camera, 0.3 megapixel videoconferencing camera
-- TV/VGA out
-- MicroSD expansion slot

The Velocity 103 will be available in Q2 2008 and the Velocity 111 will be available in Q3 2008, both in unlocked configurations. For more information, please see http://www.velocitymobile.com.

About Velocity Mobile

Velocity Mobile, in collaboration with Inventec, designs and engineers 2G and 3G mobile devices and data cards based on Qualcomm and Samsung platforms. The team is made up of experienced mobile device design specialists with success in introducing products to market.

Velocity Mobile's expertise spans market analysis and evaluation, design, software, quality assurance, sales and marketing and after-market support. The company's combined skill sets position Velocity Mobile extremely well for designing and building classleading converged devices.

Established in 1975, Inventec is one of the world's top three Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) for notebook computers with over 25,000 employees and revenues of more than US$8 billion in 2007.

Web site: http://www.velocitymobile.com