The Toshiba K01 Puts a QWERTY on the TG02

The Japanese consumer electronic giant Toshibaband UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA and a quad band GSM
hasn't created many waves lately after itsGPRS/EDGE on 2G. It comes with WiFi 802.11b/g,
introduction of the ill-fated HD DVD home videoBluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP and USB2.0. There's
format to compete with Sony's Blu-Ray in 2007 andSatNav functionality from its built-in GPS receiver for
then pulling the plug a year later.A-GPS and QuickGPS.
It has entered the highly competitive mobile phone- The same 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon engine
industry at about the same time with a set of ratherused in the TG02/TG01 powers the K01 with the
boring products until it flexed its muscles to finallysame 512 MB ROM and 256 MB RAM. The usual
make its presence felt with the TG01 last June. ItmicroSD expandability for up to 32 GB is likewise
was the world's first Snapdragon smartphone on asupported.
touchscreen monoblock that also sported one of the- You get the same 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera
largest displays on a smartphone at 4.1 inches. Itwith geo tagging the same 30fpx VGA vide
took a 2010 Mobile World Congress to confirm itsrecording. There's also a front secondary VGA
successor in the TG02 with a twin variant sporting acamera to support 3G video calls.
full-QWERTY slider form in the Toshiba K01.Windows Phone 7 to the Rescue
Features Up CloseOut of the box, the Toshiba K01 will be configured
The K01 gets a full QWERTY keyboard half shell thatwith the lackluster Windows Mobile 6.5.3 which
effectively adds 3 mm to the thickness of its TG02Toshiba claims can be upgraded to the more capable
twin. Its main strength lies in the AMOLED displayWindows Phone 7 Series out soon. Now just how
technology that edges out the TG02. Both havesoon that would be is anybody's guess.
gorgeous 4.1-inch capacitive touchscreens withAnnounced in 2008 and already delayed on its
WideVGA resolution, 64k colors and gravitypromised 2009 release, the new WinPho7 was
accelerometer sensors for auto rotate viewing anddemoed at the same MWC and it looks like it got the
shake control.more heightened anticipation Microsoft had wanted.
OLED and AMOLED displays require no backlightingFinally, this is the Windows platform that can
that regular LCD screens have and thus get blackerchallenge the Android.
blacks and eat less energy. That should give the K02And the K02 is sure to benefit from upgrading to
a brighter screen and talk times longer than the 5one. Its capacitive touchscreen has no native support
hours that TG02/01 has for the same 1,000 mAhfrom its current Windows Mobile OS and the
battery. It's a curiosity though that Toshiba prefersWinPho7 has. Not all current Windows smartphones
to be silent on this area during the MWC event.can be upgraded as only those meeting the WinPho7
Other that that, the K01 gets the same TG02minimum requirements presumably can and Toshiba
features.claims the K01 is one of them.
- The K01 is your basic 3G on the dual band dual