Mobile Phone News:

Now, here’s an interesting story, courtesy of Pocket Lint. A new device is on the way, and it’s called the iKIT. Made by iMOVIO, it’s out to grab the market of people who want a computer in their pocket, but for whom, even the Asus Eee PC is, like, waaaaaaaay too massive.

And what, you may ask, does this have to do with mobile phones? Well, it would seem that the little iKIT is aiming to try and tae on both mobile phones and sub-notebook-netbook-things like the Asus Eee PC.

Oh, and let’s not forget that iMOVIO are marketing it to mobile phone operators as a device to sell on to customers. With that in mind, it actually makes a little bit more sense.

But not as a replacement for a mobile phone, because, well, it’s clearly not…

Consider the specs of the iKIT, which really does read more like a mini-mini-mini-mini laptop than a mobile phones. Mini-USB ports, built-in webcam, WiFi and Linux operating system. Actually, I’ll tell you what this reminds me of, it’s them little weeny Psion organisers from years back.

So, if it’s not a mobile phone, but it’s not really a laptop, what is it? Simple, what we have here is, in iMOVIO’s own words, a ‘multimedia messenger’, and if they hadn’t said it was aimed at ‘mainly women and teens’, I’d have guessed that’s who it’s for, anyway. The fact that you can use a USB Modem gives the game away, though: what we’re in fact looking at here is the world’s smallest dedicated mobile broadband device. It’s not a mobile phone, it’s designed purely for people to use mobile broadband, without even having to take a laptop with them! And at about £99, it’s a lot cheaper than even the cheapest netbook PC. So, it’s small, it’s cheap, it’s a dedicated mobile broadband device, it has the Opera Mini 4.1 browser, and it’s clever. Must be brilliant, then, right?

Erm, no.

First off is the battery life, which is, well, frankly awful. bear in mind that this is a mobile broadband device that you’re not going to want to plug in to use it, since that kinda defeats the object. So, a battery life of 3 hours is a bit poor. More crucially, though, there’s the big, big thing going against it.

It’s completely, utterly, totally, 100% pointless…

If you want a netbook PC, it’s because you don’t want to use the internet on your mobile phone, because your opinion is that you can’t get a proper browsing experience on said mobile phone. I know a guy who thinks just like that, and frankly, if that’s your opinion, then cool, I’ll back you, and you should get a mobile broadband dongle with a laptop.

However, if you want something small and light, that’ll connect to the internet… well, then you’re gonna get a mobile phone, because: 1/ it will also be a phone, when you need it to; and 2/ the iKIT won’t…

So, unfortunately, as much as I want it to be ace, I can’t see the point in the iKIT. It seems to take the best bits from laptops and mobile phones, and chuck them away, after which it gets made from the worst bits of laptops (low battery life, no circuit for actual phone calls), and let’s face it, you’re going to buy mobile phones over it, for the simple fact they’ll do everything the iKIT does, and loads more, without having to buy a separate USB Modem.

Let’s face it, if it’s going to come down to a choice between the iKIT and, say, the Sony Ericsson X1, I know which I’d choose…

Want proper mobile broadband on a proper laptop? Grab yourself a mobile broadband deal, today!