Toshiba reveals new Portégé G-series phones

Toshiba has released three new phones in its Portégé G series that include one of its first non-smartphone devices outside of Japan, PocketPCItalia says following an announcement. The G450 (pictured) is capable of 3G Internet over HSDPA and UMTS in Europe but is chiefly limited to calling in normal use; the unusual double-circular dial pad is intended to keep the phone small enough that it can plug into a computer directly through USB for use as a 3G cellular modem, Toshiba notes. It ships with a small OLED screen, 160MB of memory, and will sell for the equivalent of $290 in mainland Europe.

A second release, the G710, is one of Toshiba's first clear attempts at the mainstream smartphone business, according to the report. It will have the same 2.4-inch screen size and QWERTY keyboard of phones like the Motorola Q and Samsung BlackJack but will add live GPS; Windows Mobile 6 Standard will be onboard. The phone is described as a 2.5G device, though whether it will include rare support from Toshiba for US cellular bands is unknown. In Europe, the G710 should sell for about $440.

The G910 will be a more direct update to the existing G900. Expanding on a previous FCC leak, Toshiba expects the flip-open smartphone to use Windows Mobile 6 Professional on a wide-aspect, 800x480 3-inch screen; the unusual resolution may require Windows Mobile 6.1 but has not been confirmed. It should sport 3G HSDPA and UMTS access in Europe and fit a front VGA camera for video calls as well as a 2-megapixel camera at the rear for other shots. GPS navigation will also be built into the new Portégé, which will sell at about $880 in Europe. Exact ship dates for the G910 and other updates is not yet available.

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