Velocity Mobile has announced the Velocity 103, the manufacturer's latest smartphone running on Windows Mobile operating system. The highlights of the 103 are its large 2.8" touchscreen display with VGA resolution (480x640 pixels,) its two microSD memory card slots, and over-the-air updates (VOTA). The phone also has a GPS receiver, which explains the use of the additional slot. A 2 megapixel camera is implemented on the 83, which give the phone a standard far lower than the ones of its competitors.

The Velocity 83 supports Quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA, and has WiFi for connectivity options. The manufacturer developed its own User Interface for the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, entitled Odyssey. A Qualcomm Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) MSM7201™ chipset, with 128MB of RAM, and 256MB ROM power the device.

The smartphone is one of the many Windows Mobile phones being released at the moment, and as competition gets tight, less variety and brand awareness of the manufacturer will limit its sales, Velocity is an unknown brand in most parts of the world, and without a good reputation, consumers will not waste large sums of money on a phone they do not trust.

Press release after the break.

[via Velocity Mobile]

LONDON – September 10, 2008 – Velocity Mobile, a nine month collaboration between one of the world’s largest notebook computer manufacturers and a team of veteran wireless designers and engineers, today announced the retail availability of its first touchscreen phone, the Velocity 103. Built on the belief that the simplest solution is the best solution, the Velocity Mobile 103 combines an easy-to-use Odyssey Interface, Velocity Over The Air updates (Vota) and a sleek and attractive design, to change the way people think about and use smartphones. The unlocked Velocity 103 is available for pre-order online now through Expansys for £334.99 and will ship by the end of September.

Velocity Mobile’s easy-to-use Odyssey Interface, built on top of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone operating system, and the Velocity Over The Air (VOTA) updates, bring immense market value to the mobile industry. No longer do consumers need to buy new phones to get the latest software. The ability to easily update devices through VOTA means the device is longer lasting and more cost effective for users. Through this service, Velocity Mobile is directly engaging its customers and keeping them up-to-date with mobility.

“Consumers these days are demanding more from their phones. Our research tells us that people want experiences, not applications and functions,” said David Hayes, president and managing director, Velocity Mobile. “Velocity Mobile has brought together some of the greatest minds and best of breed partners in the industry to deliver positive experience and value to consumers.”

Velocity Mobile’s core leadership team collectively has nearly forty years’ experience in innovative mobile engineering, design, sales and marketing, and is working in collaboration with Inventec Corporation, one of the world’s top three original design manufacturers (ODMs) for notebook computers with revenues of more than US$8 billion in 2007. Together, the two companies share a vision for mobility that is powerful and innovative yet intuitive and familiar – all at a great value for consumers.

Featuring Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, high-resolution screens, ample memory and much more, Velocity Mobile’s first device significantly raises the bar for smartphones in their class. Specifications of the Velocity 103 include:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Qualcomm Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) MSM7201™ chipset
• GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850, 1900, 2100
• 640x480 VGA touch screen
• Odyssey Interface
• Velocity Over The Air updates (VOTA)
• 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM
• Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS
• 2.0 megapixel camera, 0.3 megapixel videoconferencing camera
• TV/VGA out
• MicroSD expansion slot

For more information, please see http://www.velocitymobile.com.