Helio Says Fin is In

By Geoff Duncan Published August 15, 2007

Helio Says Fin is In

Youth-oriented, tech-savvy mobile operator Helio has announced its first flip phone in the form of the Helio Fin, manufactured for the company by Samsung. Helio says the Fin is the thinnest flip phone available in the United States, coming in just over 11mm thick; however, like other Helio offerings, the Fin still manages to pack a good selection of toys and services in a small package.

“Our last device was proof of what Helio is capable of, but we’re not resting on our laurels,” said Sky Dayton, CEO of Helio, referring to the Helio Ocean in a release. “Less than 90 days later, we’re launching one of the thinnest folders on the market. Fin is smart, fast and powerful but thin enough to slip into your pocket without a crease.”

Recommended Videos

The Fin features a blue-black magnesium body and sports a 3 megapixel digital camera, a 2.3-inch LCD display, stereo Bluetooth support, 100 MB of internal memory, and up to 4 GB of additional storage via microSD cards. Like other Helio devices, the Fin features integrated GPS capability, and with the Fin Helio is also introducing Garmin Mobile, letting users access voice-guided navigation plus check weather and driving conditions for an additional $2.99 a day. But some users won’t need to access Garmin Mobile, because Helio’s standard package of content and service offerings are fairly impressive, including tie-ins with Google Maps, YouTube 9with video uploading, Flikr, and MySpace. The Fin also works with Helio-exclusive services like Buddy Beacon, Helio on Top (H.O.T) RSS-based delivery, and an integrated inbox which combines email, instant messages, picture mail, and test messages. And, of course, the Fin can surf the Web.

The Fin is available now for $175 through a limited time offer on Helio’s Samsung devices: new Helio members buying a Fin or other Helio-branded Samsung phone get $50 off via a discount or a mail-in offer for a $50 Helio Visa prepaid debit card, depending on purchase location.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

Why are so few people actually using 5G in the U.S.? Here’s what the experts say

5G on the all new iPad mini.

Despite many devices boasting 5G capabilities these days, a recent study showed people in the U.S. spend less than 25% of their online time connected to a 5G network. This may be because 5G-enabled devices are outpacing 5G access. Last year, 14 million users subscribed to mobile 5G services, and the number was forecasted to grow to 554 million by the end of this year. Today, more than halfway into 2021, T-Mobile has already connected 305 million people with 5G networks. Along with T-Mobile, other major mobile operators like Verizon and AT&T were quick to roll out 5G in the last few months, collectively covering 75% of the U.S.
On paper, the numbers look great, making it seem like 5G covers most of the country. In practice, there's a discrepancy, with many people still not operating on 5G networks. What accounts for this discrepancy? We asked the experts.

The pandemic hurdle
Rollout of 5G capacity was speeding along until it slammed into a big wall in the form of the pandemic. “We’ve had to rely on telecommunications to connect with our friends, family, and colleagues. That’s caused a sudden emphasis on wireless connectivity -- especially with remote work -- which puts pressure on companies to accommodate increased demand,” says Shawn Carpenter, program director at Ansys, a company that helps in the engineering of 5G hardware.
While 4G was enough during the pre-pandemic period, when most things happened in person, 4G was not designed to support our current demand level or to support non-smartphone applications such as the Internet of Things, says David Witkowski, IEEE senior member, and founder and CEO of Oku Solutions.
To help solve the sudden connectivity crisis that came with the coronavirus spread, 5G operators and 5G-focused startups also started to come up with unique solutions to provide efficient health care and educational services. For instance, Unmanned Life developed a 5G autonomy-as-a-service platform that can provide autonomous drones to disinfect COVID-prone regions, deliver essentials like medical supplies and food, and monitor crowded spaces from a distance. These innovations are great, but they also put more strain on the network.
Mobile 5G subscriptions for general consumer use are still lagging.

News

T-Mobile says 48 million people are affected by recent cyberattack

UPDATE: T-Mobile said on August 20 that its investigations have revealed that an additional 5.3 million customers are affected by the attack, along with another 667,000 former customers, bringing the total number affected to about 54 million.

T-Mobile has released more details regarding what it's describing as a “highly sophisticated cyberattack” on its computer systems that it learned of last week.

Computing

Qualcomm says it’s ready to compete with Apple’s M1 chips

A Snapdragon 7C processor held between fingers.

Qualcomm, best known for designing chips inside many Android devices, is setting its sights on a different market: Laptops. In his first interview since becoming president and CEO of Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon says he believes that Qualcomm can have the best laptop chip on the market. And there's no one better to design that chip than a team of architects who have worked on chips at Apple.

A new interview from Reuters shows a confidant Qualcomm looking to expand its business. Although Qualcomm creates the chips that power many Android handsets, the company used to license the core blueprint from chip designer ARM. Now, the company designs its own mobile cores. It's also investing in its own laptop designs thanks to a $1.4 billion acquisition of startup Nuvia.