Gadget & Tech News

We’ve already seen one hybrid satellite phone shown off far in advance of its promised release period that month, and Elektrobit now looks to be doing things one better, with it debuting an even less satellite phone-looking device that’s supposedly coming even sooner. whether the company is to be believed, you’ll be able to get your hands on the Windows Mobile-based device pictured above sometime in 2009, with it offering everything you’d expect from a standard smartphone with the added benefit of always-on satellite access for times when you stray beyond a cellular signal. That bit of convenience will come from the TerreStar satellite network, which

hasn’t actually launched yet but, last we heard, was still on track for the end of that year. As for the phone itself, you can apparently expect to get Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, along with HSDPA support, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, a 3-megapixel camera, and voice controls, among other standard smartphone features. No word on a price just yet, but Elektrobit says it’ll be “cost competitive” with standard cellphones.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]