Helio, the MVNO being launched by SK Telecom and Earthlink this spring in U.S., has announced some more details on its handsets, and more importantly, done a partnership with MySpace, to being the hugely popular social networking service to mobiles. The “MySpace Mobile On Helio” will leverage the devices’ advanced capabilities to keep MySpace members connected to their network through mail, bulletins, profiles, blogs and photo galleries, the company said. Not sure if this is an exclusive mobile deal with MySpace, but checking now with the Helio people…it is an exclusive mobile deal, but the companies are not disclosing for how long.
Along with this, the MVNO, which is aimed at younger audiences, is leveraging its Korean connection in the handset arena: it has announced two handsets that will go along with the service (picutres of the phones are here on Flickr):
— The jet-black Hero, produced by Pantech, has a 2.2 inch, 262K-color high-resolution QVGA LCD display, industry-leading audio capabilities with full duplex stereo speakers, removable memory, and a 2.0 megapixel camera with digital zoom and flash for capturing pictures and video.
— The pearlescent Kickflip, produced by VK Mobile, packs similar features as the Hero with a swivel opening that flips to the right or left with the nudge of a finger.
There was some speculation over the last few months that the new handsets would include Wi-Fi receivers, so as to have a hybrid model. The ones above do not have Wi-Fi built in, but a Helip spokesperson told me: “There has been speculation that our first phones would have wifi, but we’ve consistently said it would be later in our first year. We are still committed to that.”
AP: SK Telecom owns the Korean equivalent of MySpace. Called Cyworld, it is hugely popular among young South Koreans and can be accessed from cell phones.
Related:
— Helio’s Handset Choices; March-April Launch?
— 10-Q Watch: Helio’s Investment Etc
— Sky Dayton’s New Phone Service: Helio
— Sky Dayton’s Korean-American Challenge
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