Inbrics M1 Android MID gets upgraded while awaiting release
As each month goes by and high-end smartphones start getting released left and right, the once-promising MID segment loses just a bit of its shine as companies struggle with delays in getting their products into the hands of the consumer. Back in November of last year, the Inbrics M1 was unveiled with high hopes and a possible 2010 shipping date. Fast forward to February of this year, and Inbrics was set to release the M1 at MWC in Barcelona, with a revised shipping time of late 2010 or early 2011.
Now we're getting close to April, and there hasn't been much word from Inbrics, so the folks over at Netbooknews decided to check in with the company and find out how the M1 was coming along. It turns out that they have made some nice changes, including a faster Samsung C110 processor humming along at 1GHz (compared to the original 800MHz) and an upgrade to Android 2.1, while keeping the 3.7-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen and slider keyboard.
One curious omission is some form of 3G radio, considering the M1 has a mic and speaker for making calls, but initially only VoIP calls will be possible via WiFi. Inbrics has said they are interested in 3G for data only, so there is a chance things could change by the time the M1 ships to the US late this year with its expected sub-$300 price tag. One possible reason for the missing 3G connectivity could be because of a direct jump to 4G WiMAX, as seen in the full spec list below.
With a smartphone form-factor not able to make calls on the go, the M1 will definitely be facing an uphill battle against the likes of the Dell Mini 5 and even the Nexus One, let alone what new devices are unveiled at CTIA 2010 this week in Las Vegas.
