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For all the hoopla surrounding high-end mobile devices such as Apple's iPhone, the low end of the market can often tell an equally important story, at least in the engineering realm. Motorola's F3 Fone is one such entry-level example. Portelligent performed a teardown on the dual-band GSM phone shortly after its release to determine the level of innovation occurring in this segment.
Quietly launched in rural India initially, the F3 Fone is aimed mostly at first-time cell users in markets offering low-cost prepaid or monthly service. It's a bit unclear how far the Fone has migrated outside the original launch markets, but it can now be found in parts of Europe and Central/South America. A CDMA version has also been announced, but the original GSM variant is the focus here.
Before covering the technical aspects of the Fone, the first impressions from a consumer perspective are worth noting. We examine a lot of product-including low-cost devices-and quite often a declining price tag equates to a feel of declining product quality. Not so for the Fone, at least in my opinion. An innovative display, which we'll cover shortly, presents a unique look. A thin 9-mm form-factor case provides a sense of style and elegance. Product stiffness and density transfer a feel of robust design.
I'll leave the software interface alone, other than to say simplicity has sacrificed a bit of what can effectively be done to promote easy access to settings and product usability. Still, the F3 delivers basic communications while still featuring downloadable ringtones and multilingual voice-help, which compensates in part for the lack of a rich menu-driven interface and printed instructions. Overall, the F3 walks the razor's edge separating inexpensive and just plain cheap, and Motorola deserves kudos for designing an up-market feel into an entry-level device.
So, on to the insides. The most notable story-for us, anyway-was the F3's use of semiconductor supplier Texas Instruments' LoCosto "single-chip phone." A quick look at the...