The Next Generation of Internet Handset - 3 Skypephone S2
August 19, 2008
The next generation of internet-focussed mobile handsets has been unveiled today with the launch of the latest model of 3's acclaimed 3 Skypephone, the 3 Skypephone S2.
Alongside free Skype calling and instant messaging, the new device brings internet services such as Facebook, Google and Windows Live Messenger to the front of the phone, making mobilised internet an easy-to-use and instantly accessible reality. Following the success of the original 3 Skypephone, the new 3 Skypephone S2 will be available for pre-order from 19th August, available to buy online from 27th August and in-store from 1st September.
New concept user-interface
The functionality of the 3 Skypephone S2 has been made instantly usable by the introduction of a revolutionary 'carousel' interface. The switcher key on the side of the handset enables you to quickly and intuitively move between applications from any screen on the phone, avoiding the need for the complex and fiddly menu systems that have made surfing the mobile internet difficult in the past.
The design of the 3 Skypephone S2 has also evolved since its predecessor. Now with elegant metal keys, a turned steel back and an overall premium finish. Technically the handset boasts an improved 2.2" QVGA screen, a 3.2 mega pixel camera, HSDPA capabilities and up to 4GB expandable memory.
Skype
The 3 Skypephone S2 packs a powerful punch. As with the first 3 Skypephone, Skype is fully integrated into the phone, allowing you to make Skype to Skype calls and send Skype instant messages to other Skype users anywhere in the world absolutely free, just as long as you are on any of 3's Pay Monthly price plans or your Pay As You Go credit with 3 is topped up. Your Skype contacts are fully integrated into your phonebook alongside all your regular contacts, and you won't be charged a penny extra to send instant messages to your Skype contacts.
'Dongle' capabilities
With 500,000 Mobile Broadband dongles already sold by 3 in the UK, the demand for broadband on the move is unquestionable and the new 3 Skypephone S2 brings these same 'plug and play' capabilities to handsets. 3 Skypephone S2 has built in modem drivers so you can use the cable that comes in the box to plug it into your laptop and get you onto the internet. No need for a fixed-line or a Wi-Fi hotspot; the phone will use the 3 network to get you online with HSDPA broadband speeds.
Facebook
As well as Skype, the 3 Skypephone S2 gives instant access to popular Internet services, including a pre-installed Facebook® application. Just click the icon on the home screen, sign in once and you can check your News Feed, see any unread messages or new friend requests and even update your status, all without clicking through to your full Facebook page.
RSS Feeds
The 3 Skypephone S2 also allows you to keep up with your favourite blogs and news services by letting you track up to 30 RSS feeds at once. Whether you're keeping up with the national news or your favourite celebrity glossy, your favourite titles will all be accessible from the menu carousel which can be opened up on any screen.
Internet service
All of the other core internet services that you've come to expect from a 3 handset are also built right into the 3 Skypephone S2. Never miss a message with easy access to free Windows Live Messenger and surf to your heart's content with Google search at your fingertips.
Kevin Russell, Chief Executive of 3 UK, said: "The first 3 Skypephone was about building one of the most popular Internet services, Skype, into the heart of the device. The 3 Skypephone S2 builds on this approach and brings a host of other popular Internet services to the front of the device.
"Using the Internet on your phone has sometimes been fiddly or complicated because of the limitations of traditional interfaces. With the 3 Skypephone S2 we've taken our long experience of putting the web onto mobiles and have used it to create a new concept in user interfaces. The switcher key gives you instant and intuitive access to all of the core services on the phone's menu carousel from every screen - making the mobile internet an easy to use reality."
"Following the successful launch of the 3 Skypephone last year, the response and demand has been phenomenal" said Scott Durchslag, COO, Skype. "With this beautiful new addition to the 3 Skypephone range of mobile devices, both Skype and 3's customers will continue to reap the benefits of being able to make free Skype to Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages while on the move."
"The new 3 Skypephone offers users an even richer mobile internet experience with fast broadband speeds. Skype on 3 is an innovative step in making Skype readily available whenever and wherever you go."
The 3 Skypephone S2 is free on any of 3's Mix & Match tariffs and costs £69.99 on Pay As You Go, and by signing up to one of 3's internet add-ons from £2.50 (pricing info below) you'll be covered to browse the mobile internet.
Go to www.three.co.uk or pop along to your local 3Store to find out more.
For more information on 3 Skypephone S2 please contact Ewa Evans or Becky Lockett on 020 7440 2379.
About 3 UK
3 is a mobile operator focused on bringing the benefits of the internet to mobile communications. We offer attractive pricing and give our customers the widest choice of ways to stay connected at home or abroad. To do this we're building the UK's best high-speed mobile broadband network. 3 UK is a member of the HWL group of 3G companies, which include 3G operations in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy Macau and Sweden. Three facts about 3:
3 launched the UK's first 3G network offering national coverage for calls and texts, and has over 90% population coverage for 3G services. As we consolidate our radio access network with T-Mobile we expect to reach almost complete UK population coverage for 3G by the end of 2008.
3 has over 3 million active customers in the UK and over 16 million worldwide.
3 was the first to enable free voice communication with Skype and the first to launch a dedicated Skype mobile phone, the 3 Skypephone.
For more information about 3 UK, please visit www.three.co.uk
About Skype
Millions of people every day use Skype software to communicate with others through free voice and video calls, as well as instant messages. Skype's 338 million registered users have made more than 100 billion minutes worth of free Skype-to-Skype calls. Many people also use SkypeOut or one of our global subscriptions to save money when calling landlines and mobiles at home and abroad. No longer bound to the computer, Skype conversations can also be had on a broad range of cordless handsets, mobile devices and other Skype Certified hardware. And even when you're fluent in Skype, there is always more to discover: hundreds of third-party developers have created software plug-ins to make Skype even more useful. All of this makes Skype the leading global internet communications company.
Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY), and you can learn more and get Skype at www.skype.com.
Access to a broadband Internet connection is required for Skype and all Skype Certified devices and accessories. Skype is not a replacement for your traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.
Skype, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Me, Skype Certified, Skypecasts, associated logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
New concept user-interface
The functionality of the 3 Skypephone S2 has been made instantly usable by the introduction of a revolutionary 'carousel' interface. The switcher key on the side of the handset enables you to quickly and intuitively move between applications from any screen on the phone, avoiding the need for the complex and fiddly menu systems that have made surfing the mobile internet difficult in the past.
The design of the 3 Skypephone S2 has also evolved since its predecessor. Now with elegant metal keys, a turned steel back and an overall premium finish. Technically the handset boasts an improved 2.2" QVGA screen, a 3.2 mega pixel camera, HSDPA capabilities and up to 4GB expandable memory.
Skype
The 3 Skypephone S2 packs a powerful punch. As with the first 3 Skypephone, Skype is fully integrated into the phone, allowing you to make Skype to Skype calls and send Skype instant messages to other Skype users anywhere in the world absolutely free, just as long as you are on any of 3's Pay Monthly price plans or your Pay As You Go credit with 3 is topped up. Your Skype contacts are fully integrated into your phonebook alongside all your regular contacts, and you won't be charged a penny extra to send instant messages to your Skype contacts.
'Dongle' capabilities
With 500,000 Mobile Broadband dongles already sold by 3 in the UK, the demand for broadband on the move is unquestionable and the new 3 Skypephone S2 brings these same 'plug and play' capabilities to handsets. 3 Skypephone S2 has built in modem drivers so you can use the cable that comes in the box to plug it into your laptop and get you onto the internet. No need for a fixed-line or a Wi-Fi hotspot; the phone will use the 3 network to get you online with HSDPA broadband speeds.
As well as Skype, the 3 Skypephone S2 gives instant access to popular Internet services, including a pre-installed Facebook® application. Just click the icon on the home screen, sign in once and you can check your News Feed, see any unread messages or new friend requests and even update your status, all without clicking through to your full Facebook page.
RSS Feeds
The 3 Skypephone S2 also allows you to keep up with your favourite blogs and news services by letting you track up to 30 RSS feeds at once. Whether you're keeping up with the national news or your favourite celebrity glossy, your favourite titles will all be accessible from the menu carousel which can be opened up on any screen.
Internet service
All of the other core internet services that you've come to expect from a 3 handset are also built right into the 3 Skypephone S2. Never miss a message with easy access to free Windows Live Messenger and surf to your heart's content with Google search at your fingertips.
Kevin Russell, Chief Executive of 3 UK, said: "The first 3 Skypephone was about building one of the most popular Internet services, Skype, into the heart of the device. The 3 Skypephone S2 builds on this approach and brings a host of other popular Internet services to the front of the device.
"Using the Internet on your phone has sometimes been fiddly or complicated because of the limitations of traditional interfaces. With the 3 Skypephone S2 we've taken our long experience of putting the web onto mobiles and have used it to create a new concept in user interfaces. The switcher key gives you instant and intuitive access to all of the core services on the phone's menu carousel from every screen - making the mobile internet an easy to use reality."
"Following the successful launch of the 3 Skypephone last year, the response and demand has been phenomenal" said Scott Durchslag, COO, Skype. "With this beautiful new addition to the 3 Skypephone range of mobile devices, both Skype and 3's customers will continue to reap the benefits of being able to make free Skype to Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages while on the move."
"The new 3 Skypephone offers users an even richer mobile internet experience with fast broadband speeds. Skype on 3 is an innovative step in making Skype readily available whenever and wherever you go."
The 3 Skypephone S2 is free on any of 3's Mix & Match tariffs and costs £69.99 on Pay As You Go, and by signing up to one of 3's internet add-ons from £2.50 (pricing info below) you'll be covered to browse the mobile internet.
Go to www.three.co.uk or pop along to your local 3Store to find out more.
For more information on 3 Skypephone S2 please contact Ewa Evans or Becky Lockett on 020 7440 2379.
About 3 UK
3 is a mobile operator focused on bringing the benefits of the internet to mobile communications. We offer attractive pricing and give our customers the widest choice of ways to stay connected at home or abroad. To do this we're building the UK's best high-speed mobile broadband network. 3 UK is a member of the HWL group of 3G companies, which include 3G operations in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy Macau and Sweden. Three facts about 3:
For more information about 3 UK, please visit www.three.co.uk
About Skype
Millions of people every day use Skype software to communicate with others through free voice and video calls, as well as instant messages. Skype's 338 million registered users have made more than 100 billion minutes worth of free Skype-to-Skype calls. Many people also use SkypeOut or one of our global subscriptions to save money when calling landlines and mobiles at home and abroad. No longer bound to the computer, Skype conversations can also be had on a broad range of cordless handsets, mobile devices and other Skype Certified hardware. And even when you're fluent in Skype, there is always more to discover: hundreds of third-party developers have created software plug-ins to make Skype even more useful. All of this makes Skype the leading global internet communications company.
Skype is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY), and you can learn more and get Skype at www.skype.com.
Access to a broadband Internet connection is required for Skype and all Skype Certified devices and accessories. Skype is not a replacement for your traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.
Skype, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Me, Skype Certified, Skypecasts, associated logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
