Mouseing Around On a Smartphone

AT&T and Samsung recently released the Samsung Epix, a new smartphone with a 2.5-inch touch screen and an optical mouse. This new smartphone, powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, boasts of the first-ever optical mouse on a phone sold in the U.S. The optical mouse is located between the right and left soft keys, where you’d typically find a four-way navigation key. Coincidentally, the optical mouse can also serve double-duty as a four-way navigational key if you prefer.

Additional features of the Epix include:

• 802.11 b/g
• aGPS
• AT&T Video Share support
• tri-band HSDPA (850/1900/2100)
• quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900)
• simultaneous voice and data capabilities
• 2.0MP camera with video-capture
• full QWERTY keyboard
• up to 7 hours talk time

Developed with the business user in mind, the Epix supports Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008. However, it also has a fair amount of consumer and multimedia-rich features, including AT&T Mobile Music, CV (Cellular Video), MobiTV, and Bluetooth with stereo headset support.

Like other Windows Mobile smartphones, the Epix supports Microsoft Direct Push. It also works with AT&T Xpress Mail and Good Mobile Messaging. Other standard features include Office Mobile, threaded SMS, Internet connection sharing, mobile banking, and voice command.