Helio launches extra-slim Fin

Helio on Wednesday morning claimed the record for the thinnest flip phone in the US with the release of the Fin, also known as Samsung's A513. The blue-tinted handset is just 0.45 inches thick but packs features absent from most thicker phones and its close cousin, AT&T's A717. A 3-megapixel camera improves over the 2 megapixels of the AT&T model. The Fin is similarly stronger in music with a dedicated play/pause button, 100MB of internal storage, and an enhanced microSD slot with up to 4GB of AAC/MP3 songs or H.264/MPEG-4 videos. GPS navigation has also been given a boost, says Helio: beyond the carrier's trademark Buddy Beacon and Google Maps, a deal with Garmin provides voice-based driving directions. Subscribers additionally have access to RSS news feeds from their phone.

All of the EVDO Internet services from before are also present. Instant messaging, YouTube transfers, and geotagged Flickr uploads are switched on for any subscriber with a data plan. The Fin sells now for $175 at Helio's online and retail shops. Most Internet features are included with an All-In plan, though Garmin's mobile routing service commands an extra $3 per month.